Academic Development Perspectives of Blended Learning

Technological advances in every aspect of today’s higher education environment create a forum for academic developers to re-examine existing delivery methods for professional development. Within the context of this case study, the term ‘academic developer’ is taken to encompass the role of learning technologist. In order to be responsive and accommodate the changes, traditional instruction methods are being extended to encompass the range of Web 2.0 tools available. Debate is ongoing in the area of blended learning as to the ultimate effectiveness of technology integration. Through exploration of the experiences of two academic developers involved in the design and delivery of accredited professional development programmes for academic staff in Ireland, the case is made for an effective balance in pedagogical and technological intervention. Both were experienced in delivery of face-to-face instruction, had different levels of experience in online teaching and worked collaboratively with academic staff. Experience from the two case studies suggests that a prerequisite for embedding blended learning strategies in learning and teaching is that the instructors recognise the need for appropriate holistic academic development to provide them with not only an understanding of how best to use the technologies, but fundamentally for enhancing their understanding of how to develop effective blended learning environments.

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Enabling Professional Development with E-Portfolios

International Journal of Online Pedagogy and Course Design ◽

10.4018/ijopcd.2012010103 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 37-52 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Simon Lygo-Baker ◽

Stylianos Hatzipanagos

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Digital Technology ◽

Academic Development ◽

Continuing Professional Development ◽

Development Programme ◽

Career Progression ◽

Learning Space ◽

Learning And Teaching ◽

Personalised Learning ◽

Presentation Tool

Portfolios have been used for assessment in higher education as an alternative to exams and assignments. E-portfolios offer staff a digital technology that can be both a personalised learning space, owned and controlled by the learner, and a presentation tool which can be used for formal assessment purposes. However, this can result in a tension between process and product, where e-portfolios become electronic repositories of resources that simply tick boxes for career progression. The paper reports on a project that investigated the use of e-portfolios by teaching practitioners developing a critical portfolio of evidence for an award-bearing academic development programme. An e-portfolio had been adopted to address criticisms that conventional assessment fails to take account of the context in which teaching practitioners operate. The project aimed to enable teaching practitioners to access and gain familiarity with pedagogically sound e-portfolio opportunities. In addition, it aimed to foster a reflective approach, promote critical thinking focused on learning and teaching and enhance continuing professional development.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHERS IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS (BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF BORYS GRINCHENKO KYIV UNIVERSITY)

SOCIETY INTEGRATION EDUCATION Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference ◽

10.17770/sie2018vol1.3342 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 ◽

Author(s):

Nataliia Vinnikova

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Professional Development ◽

Higher Education Institutions ◽

Academic Staff ◽

Decisive Factor ◽

School Teachers ◽

Essential Condition ◽

Learning And Teaching ◽

Professional Development Of Teachers ◽

The Individual

Nowadays, higher education is not only an essential condition for the spiritual and professional development of the individual, but also a decisive factor in socio-economic transformation.Taking into consideration changing nature of learning and teaching at higher education institutions, the need for professional development of teachers is increasing. The main purpose of the thesis is to highlight the problem of professional development of academic staff, its relevance and importance for improving learning and teaching. There will be presented a model of teachers’ skills improvement implemented at Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University (Ukraine), as well as new approaches to the organization of training for higher school teachers that combine different training strategies for their development.

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PENERAPAN MIND MAPPING DALAM UPAYA PENINGKATAN KETERAMPILAN PROSES SAINS MAHASISWA PADA MATAKULIAH MIKROBIOLOGI MELALUI LESSON STUDY

Florea Jurnal Biologi dan Pembelajarannya ◽

10.25273/florea.v1i1.375 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Muh. Waskito Ardhi

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Learning Strategies ◽

Lesson Study ◽

Collaborative Research ◽

Mind Mapping ◽

Plan Implementation ◽

Learning And Teaching ◽

Learning Plan ◽

Study Results

<p>Lesson study is a model of professional development of educators through collaborative research and continuous learning based on the principles of mutual kolegalitas and learning to build community study. Lesson study can be implemented at various levels of education , including college. The level of implementation of the Lesson study done is learning plan, implementation of learning, and reflection. Lesson study cycle is done 4 times with the topic Fungi, Sterilization, Media Bacteria and Isolation, and Environmental Microbiology. Lesson study results showed an increase in the quality of learning that is Microbiology Subjects with variations learning methods , learning strategies, media variations, and how to evaluate, especially in the use of Mind Mapping . Lesson study is ongoing implementation will accelerate the implementation of professional development learning. Increased professionalism of lecturers will be followed by an increase effectiveness of learning and teaching and will indirectly have an impact on improving the quality of education at large.</p>

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Creating an Authentic Space for a Private and Public Self through E-Portfolios

Advanced Research in Adult Learning and Professional Development - Advances in Higher Education and Professional Development ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-4615-5.ch008 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 197-223

Author(s):

Simon Lygo-Baker ◽

Stylianos Hatzipanagos

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Academic Staff ◽

Continuing Professional Development ◽

Development Programme ◽

Technology Enhanced Learning ◽

Learning And Teaching ◽

Private And Public ◽

Reflective Approach ◽

The Uk ◽

Enhanced Learning

The chapter reports work that investigated the use of e-portfolios developed by teaching practitioners as part of an award-bearing academic development programme in the UK. The project aimed to enable teaching practitioners to access and gain familiarity with pedagogically sound e-portfolio opportunities. The project was designed to foster a reflective approach, promote critical thinking focused on learning and teaching, and enhance continuing professional development. The outcomes of this project are discussed in terms of an appreciation of e-assessment by the teaching practitioners involved, recommendations for an e-portfolio environment that uses technology enhanced learning resources to foster a reflective approach that can enable and enhance continuous professional development for academic staff.

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The design of an empirical cross-boundary collaborative open learning framework

Open Praxis ◽

10.5944/openpraxis.10.4.907 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 325 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Chrissi Nerantzi

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Lived Experience ◽

Academic Staff ◽

Academic Development ◽

Learning Approaches ◽

Open Learning ◽

Collective Case Study ◽

Learning And Teaching ◽

Individual Interviews ◽

Learning Framework

This paper reports on the design and development of an empirical cross-boundary, collaborative open learning framework for cross-institutional academic development. The framework is one of the key outputs of a phenomenographic study into the lived experience of open learners in two open cross-institutional courses. Data was collected through individual interviews from 22 study participants from two courses that made up a collective case study. These courses were offered by UK higher education institutions in collaboration with informal partners nationally and internationally and were selected as these had different collaborative learning features built-in that could be explored. Course participants in these two courses include academic staff who teach or support learning and further open learners. The empirical design framework is proposed to support the development and implementation of cross-boundary collaborative open learning approaches within cross-institutional academic development and may also be useful in further learning and teaching settings in higher education.

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Creating an Authentic Space for a Private and Public Self through E-Portfolios

Adult and Continuing Education ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-5780-9.ch098 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 1706-1727

Author(s):

Simon Lygo-Baker ◽

Stylianos Hatzipanagos

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Academic Staff ◽

Continuing Professional Development ◽

Development Programme ◽

Technology Enhanced Learning ◽

Learning And Teaching ◽

Private And Public ◽

Reflective Approach ◽

The Uk ◽

Enhanced Learning

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Shedding Light on Students’ Technology Preferences: Implications for Academic Development

Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice ◽

10.53761/1.12.1.6 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 73-87

Author(s):

Negin Mirriahi ◽

◽

Dennis Alonzo ◽

Keyword(s):

Blended Learning ◽

Technology Use ◽

Course Design ◽

Online Courses ◽

Academic Staff ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Academic Development ◽

Mobile Technologies ◽

Lecture Recordings ◽

Blended Course

This study built on previous research in 2010 to determine changes to students’ current use of and expectations for future integration of technologies in their learning experience. The findings reveal a continued trend of conservative technology use amongst students but with a growing demand for more integration of technologies for assessment and administrative purposes, podcasts or lecture recordings in flexible and blended course designs. While academic practice has been slow to change, this study reveals a continued need for academic development to focus on strategies that enhance technology adoption amongst academic staff. Students’ preferences from this and the earlier study suggest that they would like more use of technologies, especially mobile technologies for efficient and convenient access to content, communication and assessment that can not only inform academic development and course design for fully online and blended learning courses, but also for the growing number of massive open and online courses (MOOCs) in the education landscape.

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An Associate Dean’s Community of Practice

Global Challenges and Perspectives in Blended and Distance Learning ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-3978-2.ch017 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 212-222

Author(s):

Jill Lawrence ◽

Lorelle Burton ◽

Jane Summers ◽

Karen Noble ◽

Peter D. Gibbings

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Distance Learning ◽

Blended Learning ◽

Student Retention ◽

Community Of Practice ◽

Mode Of Delivery ◽

Approach To Learning ◽

Learning And Teaching ◽

Primary Mode ◽

Associate Deans

Associate deans (Learning and Teaching) face a number of challenges in successfully retaining and progressing students in their faculties. The first challenge involves identifying strategies to assist students to actively engage with their studies. This challenge escalates if the primary mode of delivery involves distance learning. The second challenge stems from the need for associate deans to empower their staff to design, develop, and deliver curricular that achieves student retention. This chapter conceptualizes blended learning and describes how an associate dean’s community of practice facilitates an institutional approach to student engagement, both in terms of supporting students and supporting staff. These initiatives include a whole-of-institution approach to learning and teaching polices, practices and infrastructure, and professional development activities, incorporating an assessment week, university presentations, and peer review activities. The chapter outlines the success of these initiatives in building the learning and teaching capacities of both students and staff at a regional Australian university.

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Establishing Communities of Practice for Effective and Sustainable Professional Development for Blended Learning

Effective Blended Learning Practices ◽

10.4018/978-1-60566-296-1.ch008 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 144-162 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Terrie Lynn Thompson ◽

Heather Kanuka

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Professional Development ◽

Communities Of Practice ◽

Blended Learning ◽

Learning Strategies ◽

Future Development ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Integration Of Technology ◽

University Instructors

The growing need for professional development to help university instructors with the adoption of online teaching is being propelled from several directions. But innovative professional development initiatives, intended to help university instructors better leverage technology, particularly through blended approaches, are not without tensions. The objective of this research study was to delve into these tensions. Directors in several North American professional development centres were interviewed in order to explore how their programs supported the integration of technology into teaching. Findings suggest that there is a tension between what professional development centres are doing and what they would like to do regarding: (1) deeper integration of technology into their own teaching practices as a centre, including blended approaches; and (2) how to nurture communities of practice, comprised of university instructors focused on teaching-related issues in higher education, such as adoption of blended learning strategies. Four themes emerged: uncertainty about how best to leverage technology and blended learning, questions regarding a professional development centre’s role in cultivating communities, the importance of being strategic, and desire for scalability. The chapter concludes with policy implications and recommendations for future development of effective and sustainable professional development practices.

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Experiences and Perceptions of Learner Engagement in Blended Learning Environments

Cases on Online and Blended Learning Technologies in Higher Education - Advances in Mobile and Distance Learning ◽

10.4018/978-1-60566-880-2.ch002 ◽

2010 ◽

pp. 23-43 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Linda De George-Walker ◽

Abdul Hafeez-Baig ◽

Raj Gururajan ◽

P. A. Danaher

Keyword(s):

Blended Learning ◽

Learning Environments ◽

Academic Staff ◽

Detailed Examination ◽

Design Development ◽

Learner Engagement ◽

Learning And Teaching ◽

Staff Members ◽

Program Administrators ◽

Faculty Of Education

One of the most significant challenges in learning and teaching is to maximize successful and sustainable learner engagement. The growing literature about blended learning environments and technologies provides plenty of scope for an interrogation of the intersection between learner engagement and blended learning. This chapter takes up that interrogation by presenting the case of the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. The chapter focuses on three postgraduate courses offered by the institution: two in the Faculty of Business and the other in the Faculty of Education; and each course representing a different position along the continuum from blended to fully online. The chapter presents a detailed examination of all three courses in relation to design, development, and management, informed by a conceptualization of blended learning as it intersects with learner engagement. Several types of evidence are deployed in evaluating the courses against the assembled information about experiences and perceptions of learner engagement and blended learning communicated by students, academic staff members, and program administrators. This evidence suggests some significant implications for the ongoing theorization of blended learning, how its effectiveness can be maximized, and what its connections with learner engagement are and should be.

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