Teaching Computational Thinking: Designing Students’ Learning Experience Through Blended Learning in Higher Education Engineering Courses in HKU

Author(s):  
Donn Emmanuel Gonda ◽  
Jing Luo ◽  
Chi-Un Lei ◽  
Tsz Yan Emily Leung
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 7-23
Author(s):  
Maha Al-Freih

The aim of this phenomenological study is to provide a deeper understanding of the impact of remote teaching on instructors’ perceptions of online learning and future teaching practices amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyze open-ended semi-structured interviews conducted with five higher education faculty in Saudi Arabia. Three major themes were identified: enhancing student engagement; increased awareness of technology affordances and constraints; and moving from emergency remote teaching to technology-enhanced and blended learning. Participants of this study were mainly concerned about finding ways to support active student engagement in this new learning environment, which in turn increased their awareness of the educational affordances and constraints of online learning and technologies. Participants’ deeper understanding of the potential of online technologies in supporting student learning, as well as their own and students’ increased familiarity and comfort with online learning and technologies, served as the main drivers for potential future implementation of blended learning and technology-enhanced teaching practices. With that said, participants were still apprehensive about engaging in fully online teaching, arguing that blended strategies and enhanced-technology integration are more likely to overcome some of the limitations of face-to-face teaching and improve the overall learning experience for their students. Discussion of these findings in relation to the extant literature and their implications for higher education institutions moving forward are provided.


2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-93
Author(s):  
Susan Marais ◽  
Mariska Nel ◽  
Jaco Fourie

In light of the various advantages the e-learning experience could have for students, a blended teaching approach, where instructors make use of e-learning, has become increasingly prominent in higher education institutions. This study, which was conducted at a South African institute of higher education with a diverse and multilingual student population, focusses on student perceptions of theefficacy and accessibility of a multimodal tool called WIReD to supplement the existing academic literacy module. The review of student perceptions was structured around the outcomes for the module unit with which WIReD is intended to blend. In order to determine student perception, a questionnaire using a Likert-scale to measure responses along with open-ended questions, were used. As such, this study firstly examined students’ impressions of the design (overall appearance) and accessibility of WIReD. Secondly, it  investigated the appropriateness of content, especially with regard to the envisaged blend between WIReD and the module contentas taught during lectures and in the workbook. Despite being a pilot study with results based exclusively on student perception, it seems that WIReD can be utilized as a supplementary multimodal tool and that the outcomes thereof blends effectively with the outcomes of the academic literacy module. Keywords: academic literacy; blended learning; e-learning; multimodal teaching tool; student perception; WIReD


Author(s):  
Ali Alammary ◽  
Judy Sheard ◽  
Angela Carbone

<p class="Abstracttext">Blended learning has been growing in popularity as it has proved to be an effective approach for accommodating an increasingly diverse student population whilst adding value to the learning environment through incorporation of online teaching resources. Despite this growing interest, there is ongoing debate about the definition of the concept of blended learning. As a result, teachers in higher education have developed different understandings of the term and different design approaches have evolved. Selecting the most appropriate design approach for a blended course is a major challenge for many teachers in higher education institutions who are new to the idea of blended learning. This paper aims to provide guidance to help teachers of traditional face-to-face courses in selecting the most appropriate approach to use when designing their blended courses. Firstly, it discusses the different definitions of the term blended learning and how they have resulted in a number of design approaches. It then classifies these approaches into: low-impact, medium-impact and high-impact blends according to the potential changes to the existing teaching program and student learning experience. Finally, it describes the benefits and the challenges of applying each approach and provides recommendations about when and how each approach should be used.</p><p class="Abstracttext"> </p>


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masitah Shahrill ◽  
Mohamad Iskandar Petra ◽  
Lin Naing ◽  
Joanna Yacob ◽  
Jose H. Santos ◽  
...  

PurposeThis paper aims to share how it was possible to change the way business was conducted in a short period in order to continue the academic semester and seek alternatives to manage the day-to-day university affairs in the midst of a pandemic crisis at a higher education setting. As a result, the authors’ experiences have created new norms and opportunities for the university.Design/methodology/approachThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Brunei Darussalam is an evolving situation with extraordinary challenges for staff and students of the university. Although the campus remains open and essential services were continuously provided, the university had to implement and adapt to new norms instinctively to minimise the potential pathways for community spread of the coronavirus and at the same time minimise interruption in teaching and learning.FindingsFirstly, structured blended learning will be the basis of teaching and learning, alongside ensuring the highest quality of online education and successful achievement of the intended learning objectives. Secondly, blended learning will open more opportunities to offer programmes in a more flexible, personalised, student-centric and lifelong learning manner, with the option of taking a study hiatus at students' convenience. Thirdly, there will be more global classrooms and the exchange of online modules with international partner universities. Fourthly, short programmes such as the Global Discovery Programmes will be modified and improvised to become an online learning experience. And finally, there will also be the opportunity to understand and consider the physical and mental well-being and durability of the university community in overcoming a national crisis situation.Originality/valueThis paper is intended to be a conceptual paper where the authors describe novel experiences during the pandemic. The authors’ views, interventions and experiences may result into a new model for higher education that will reposition students to the new global markets and economy.


10.28945/2976 ◽  
2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Connolly ◽  
Mark Stansfield

eLearning has profoundly changed many aspects of society and, inevitably, it is having a significant impact on Higher Education, where it has now evolved from a marginal form of education to a commonly accepted alternative to traditional face-to-face education. The term can cover different delivery models ranging from courses that are delivered fully online (no face-to-face meetings) to courses that provide some face-to-face interaction and some online provision (sometimes called blended learning). Within this continuum interactive technologies can play a significant role in engaging the learner and providing a rich learning experience. This paper examines how different interactive technologies can be used to enrich the learning experiences of students with different learning styles. The theory is related to the teaching of Information Systems in a postgraduate MSc Management of eBusiness course that uses a range of interactive technologies.


Author(s):  
Tim Goodchild

The chapter will critically examine the evolution of pedagogy from a traditional ‘blended learning' approach driven by classroom teaching with some virtual activities, to a more student driven learning experience, where the classroom activities support the learning experience. It will include the use of the ‘carpe diem' framework (Armellini & Jones, 2008) as part of a challenge to the original pedagogic approach of teacher-led learning, and the move to a student-centred pedagogy, which is more inclusive of learning technologies and the unique challenges faced by work-based learning students. This chapter will offer a critical interrogation of the relationship between the notions of traditional teaching and higher education students, with emerging learning and teaching innovations for work-based students via more rounded understanding of blended learning and will conclude that knowledge and support of the diversity of staff and student experience, skills, motivations and capabilities is critical to sustainable and effective student-led, technologically rich approaches for this diverse group of students.


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