Quality Assurance in Blended Learning
The blendkit reader started this session with some wonderful
thought provoker:
How will you know whether your blended learning course is
sound prior to teaching it? How will you know whether your teaching of the
course was effective once it has concluded?
Simply carry other people along and MEASURE!
A definitive statement of what constitutes the best
combination of online and face-to-face learning experiences is impossible. No
such statement exists for the best combination of traditional practices much
less for the newer world of blended learning. Singh & Reed (2001)
Blending Learning as a service has its soul in consistent
improvement perpetually.
#Blendkit2012 noted on teaching effectiveness what we
continually measure to improve
- how well instructors organize courses
- how well they know the course material
- how clearly they communicate with students
- how frequently they provide timely feedback
- the instructor’s enthusiasm or disposition
From the definition of Customer Service portrayed in the
beginning of this discussion, quality assurance in blended learning ought to be before, during and after the whole
process. QA hence instructs us to learn ourselves from anyone and everyone we
can find that has implemented what we are set to do. We are saved a lot of
arduous revisions if this pattern is followed strictly.
#Blendkit2012 outline of Formative Feedback is one handy
tool we should always get around with for quality assurance.
- peer review and self-evaluation,
- online suggestion box,
- one-minute threads,
- polling, and
- focus groups.
In the just concluded conference, I have identified
several people that could be of tremendous help as I offer and lead other
college colleagues to start to embrace blended learning.
Conclusion
John Maxwell said, Leaders are either travel agents or
tour guides. Leaders who are like travel agents send people to places they've
never been themselves, while leaders who are like tour guides take their people
to places they know well. Instead of saying, "Here's a map-I hope it's
accurate," tour-guide leaders can say, "I've been here many times; I
know the best way to get around; follow me." Starting with yourself equips
you with the experience, confidence, integrity, and influence you need to be a
tour-guide leader.
Blended Learning is simply a process of service and until
your customers are satisfied with your offering, you don't stop examining and
re-examining how you offer the learning experience.
Ending with this quote:
I do not know any innovation upon existing
methods more radical and revolutionary than this. - Rev. Joseph H. Odell, D.D.
(1910)
References
Maxwell, J. C. (2009) The Great Separator. Retrieved on Nov. 1, 2012 from http://www.catalystspace.com/content/read/article_john_maxwell/
Holden, J (2008) Blended Learning: Instructional Media & Pedagogical Considerations
Singh, H. & Reed, C. (2001). A white paper: achieving success with blended learning. Centra Software. Retrieved June 26, 2011 from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.114.821&rep=rep1&type=pdf
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