Integrating Classroom and Online Instruction in an Introductory American Government Course

This case outlines the author’s experience teaching a large Introduction to American Government course using a hybrid classroom/online approach. The benefit of adding a set of online modules to the course was that students were able to engage the material in ways that are more readily available in traditional, smaller sections of a course. The rationale behind each module, as well as the problems and successes that accompanied each of them, are presented. Finally, the technical and human challenges that accompany the approach and the overall benefits of adopting hybrid approaches to teaching and learning are discussed.

Online Materials for Teaching Japanese

This chapter discusses how to adapt online learning to teach Japanese language courses. The author overviews the current language education situation in Japan, introducing the existing online Japanese courses and examine their content. Online learning is convenient because learners can learn at any time or place. However, learning Japanese online has a problem, namely a complicated typing system. The author details how typing in Japanese can be an obstruction to learning online. She also discusses the merits of typing exercises. Their previous research shows that learning Japanese characters at an early stage of learning can improve the students’ listening ability. The author introduces hiragana and katakana software which can enhance the learning of characters. Finally, she describes a system to monitor the students’ progress and involvement and how to incorporate online learning with face-toface instruction.

Reflections

This chapter discusses the case of a pilot course implementing blended learning at an American Pacific island university. This case provides a detailed overview of how the instructor applied blending learning design to an introductory educational research course. The author compares her goals for the course with the concept of blended learning, and discusses reasons why the two complemented one another. Analysis of student self-ratings (quantitative data on achievement) and student self-reflection narratives (qualitative data on satisfaction) revealed that, overall, student blended learning experiences were positive. Students liked the course and indicated that they had achieved their learning objectives, although they clearly indicated dissatisfaction with some aspects of blended learning. The case further confirmed the prediction drawn from the literature that pedagogical and technological difficulties present major challenges to providing quality blended courses. Surmounting these challenges enhances both the effectiveness and efficiency of learning experiences in blended courses.

Blended Learning in a Creative Writing Program

This case study reports on the results of a two-year pilot study in blended learning in an undergraduate creative writing program at Southern Cross University in Australia. It documents the development and implementation of a blended delivery model that dispenses with outdated divisions between face-to-face and distance modes of delivery, creating a converged, blended learning experience for all students. Findings from the pilot provided important data in relation to student satisfaction, pedagogical considerations, institutional constraints, teaching technologies, faculty workload issues, and costs associated with blended learning. These findings will contribute to a University-wide move to converged, blended learning in 2009.

Composition Goes Online

In the spring of 2007, English faculty members at the University of Guam began researching the need for online education options that could be offered by the University. With the support of other English faculty, Merissa Brown proposed, created, and implemented the first fully online composition class and taught it in the spring semester of 2008. Michelle Bednarzyk took over the class in the fall of 2008. This case will provide a history of the course’s development, insights from both instructors about the process of teaching this way within the diverse population that makes up the University’s student body, and offer suggestions they have for future successes based on challenges they faced. Finally, this document will argue that students at the University are ready for more technology in their classroom environments and should expect the University to accommodate their requests in an effort to successfully prepare them for their careers.

Virtual Organizing Professional Learning Communities through a Servant-Leader Model of Appreciative Coaching

This case investigates a set of empowerment concerns in the context of transforming classes of student and teacher learners (considered as department-wide learning units in higher education) into professional learning communities (PLCs). In particular, we are interested in enhancing student learning through designing a collaborative learning environment in support of problem-based learning, based on the concept of virtual organizing the various PLCs distributed throughout a higher educational institute. Of specific interest in our exploration is the generative potential of a servant-leader model of student-centered education in support of the PLCs nurtured by the development practice of appreciative coaching adapted from the established positive change paradigm of appreciative inquiry.

The Nature of Complex Blends

This chapter discusses the complexities of blending technologies and problem-based learning (PBL) group interaction within the context of academic development in higher education. For both designers and tutors, it is important to seek best practices for combining instructional strategies in face-to-face and computer-mediated environments that take advantage of the strengths of each and avoid inherent weaknesses. A qualitative case study of the lived experiences of 17 academic staff participants in a blended PBL module over a two year period was considered likely to provide a much-needed analysis of current thinking and practice on the potential of interaction in this form of higher education professional academic development. Specific aspects of interaction (technical, peer, content, and the learning experience) within blended PBL tutorials are analysed to provide research-based evidence on the realities of delivering a PBL programme using technology. The study reported in the chapter argues that the intersection of PBL and learning technologies can offer an innovative way of teaching and learning and is a reflection of pedagogy and technology as an integrated model that can work effectively together. The findings show that the synergy from the collaborative blended PBL approach in this module can result in the coherent and comprehensive provision of training, support, and research throughout higher education institutions.