Title How to deploy a Blended learning offer

Grundtvig Project
TALIS – “Trainers in adult learning - innovative strategies”
GRU-11-P-LP-6-B-IT (ID NATIONAL)
2011-1-IT2-GRU06-23549 2 (ID PROJECT)
Title
How to deploy a Blended learning offer
February, 2013
References
Donato De Silvestri
Ubaldo Pernigo
Project ID
GRU-11-P-LP-6-B-IT (ID NATIONAL)
2011-1-IT2-GRU06-23549 2 (ID PROJECT)
Document
Version
4.0
IT.Bosco.UPDDS.February.2013
Status
Released version
Istituto Comprensivo Bosco Chiesanuova
P.tta degli Alpini, 5 – 37021 Bosco Chiesanuova
Tel. 045.6780521 – 045.6782042 Fax 045.7050012
E-mail u.r.p.: segreteria@istitutobosco.it
Dirigente Scolastico: dirigente@istitutobosco.it
Web: www.istitutobosco.it
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Introduction
Blended Learning is a recurring topic in educational and training systems.
Blended Learning approach refers to the possibility of conducting a training
action that can benefit of both the characteristics of its educational in presence
mode (classroom lectures, work group), and of those on the net (discussions,
assisted remote tutorials, collaborative design, on line e-learning).
In Blended Learning the environment in not confined on line but it is related
also with in presence opportunity and with all possible educational strategies
activated within them.
Aside from the approach the common goal is to shift the locus of control from
the teacher to the learner.
The design and implementation of high quality blended courses, no depend on
the subject, require a wide approach and involve a team group work.
Teachers and people involved in the organization of blended courses have to
develop contents for in presence and for on line activities, have assist technical
expertise to deploy the on line side and must keep in touch with trainees.
All modules and related documents should be provided in electronic format.
Teachers must have regular feedback, they must be on line and promote
opportunities to learn from each other collaboratively in their virtual classes.
Access must be 24/7 to all on line learning content, and trainees must have
control on their progress, have to receive supporting feedback on this
progress, and staffs has to take care of student progress and provide feedback
quickly to each learner.
Design, implementation and management
The design, implementation and management of Blended Learning
environment is not costless and is important to have a look at the future and
create a long-term sustainable model.
In designing a blended course it is necessary beforehand to locate a digital
learning environment to be used in the activities to be performed on-line by
the participants of the course.
The platform should be aligned to the common on line e-learning standards.
The open source Moodle platform is widely used but there are other
possibilities, open and free of charge, as the possibility to hire a professional
service to deliver courses to trainees.
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Teachers involved have to be able to produce and to edit course contents and
course settings.
The blended learning course should be designed to empower educators to
effectively teach in online learning environments and differentiate instruction in
ways that would be difficult to do in traditional learning environments.
The online environment, supported by
an e-tutor, is the place where there is
the acquisition of knowledge, the
development of individual and group
activities, where best practices on a
large scale and materials are shared,
where the student participates in
virtual classroom and in a wider
community.
Planning a Blended model requires also to balance in presence classroom with
on line activities ant to avoid poor integration of these two aspects. It is
fundamental to plan which activities have to be carried out in blended and
which have to be carried out off-line.
There is no classical teacher in Blended environment but the e-tutor/tutor is a
facilitator, his work does not end in the classroom, but takes place in continuity
in the virtual classroom. The e-tutor is an on line presence, a secure point and
for support, He is the person who knows the trainers path and progress.
The classroom is the place where
indispensable support to the online
processes and orientation to the
customization of the training occurs.
In the beginning trainees need to be
introduced to the on line environment
and to have support for technological
skills needed to use the online
environment.
It is during in presence classroom that
the e-tutor discusses issues of
common interest and training issues,
sharing the output of individual
activities carried out online.
Community and peer to peer support is an opportunity of cultural growth in the
virtual classroom and the e-tutor has to promote it. A group of people who
perform the same objectives can meet in a virtual classroom, discuss,
synchronous and asynchronous, and share and increase their knowledge.
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Choosing a platform
All platforms used to deliver Blended courses have several features considered
typical of an e-learning platform.
There are commercial vendors for corporate and education applications for
Learning Management System (LMS) and Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
In addition to commercial packages, many open source solutions are available.
Moodle (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic
Learning Environment) i.e. is a free source elearning software platform, also known as a
Learning Management System, or Virtual Learning
Environment.
(moodle.org)
Moodle platform is very similar to a learning management system and can be
used in many types of environments such as in education, training and
development, and business settings.
Developers can extend Moodle's modular construction by creating plugins for
specific new functionality. Moodle's infrastructure supports many types of plugins.
Aside from the platform you chose, interoperability in a must.
On line instruments and contents
All platforms have some typical features.
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Assignment submission
Discussion forum
Blog
Wiki
Instant messages system
Upload and download files
Grading
Online calendar
Online news and announcement
Online quiz and test systems
Before you start it is important to choose the features to be used in a specific
virtual classroom. Too many features disorient the user.
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Availability of contents is also a
critical point on delivering
Blended and e-learning offer.
Developing and building high-quality e-learning content requires a great deal
of time and energy. Standard (i.e. SCORM specification), reusability and
compatibility with Learning Management System are also to be considered.
There are also content repositories of Learning Object,
open and free (i.e. the SLOOP project - Sharing Learning
Objects in an Open Perspective).
www.sloopproject.eu
In this paper we assume that contents are available, developed and organized
in a repository ready to deliver courses.
Deploy a typical blended service
When contents and platform are ready for working, the Blended Courses are to
be scheduled. In presence and on line phases must be planned according to on
the type of courses and objectives.
Before you start
Every e-tutor must obtain from the tutor panel the list of trainees, plan a date
for the kick-off meeting and send a welcome message to all participants, also
checking their e-mail.
In some experience it was very useful to have a profile of all participants (ITC
skills, self-assessment of needs and expectations, address and phone
numbers). The results are used to prepare targets for the training agreement.
The e-tutor sets the virtual classroom with an opening message of activities,
prepares discussion and shares folders (i.e. a folder to collect the
questionnaires and provided initial training, ...).
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Introductory session
All courses must start with an introductory in presence session. The classroom
is formed and the general structure of the entire training program will be
presented.
The e-tutor explains the objectives, the content of the entire course, the
functions and capabilities of e-learning methodology, the platform services and
tutoring.
A "Training agreement " (contratto formativo) will usually be established
between e-tutor and trainees, laying the groundwork for the emergence of the
learning community.
In this session the e-tutor presents the online environment and how to access.
All trainees must have access to the environment and e-tutor has to evaluate
case that has not all technological skills needed.
If necessary, it will be followed by one or more in presence sessions.
Accompanying phase and on line activities
The virtual classroom starts as a learning community.
The e-tutor helps the trainees, for the entire duration of the course, to solve
any technical and learning problems related to the platform.
During this phase a key role is played by the e-tutor.
Learners must be supported in the organization of the course, in the choice of
the content on the platform according to their needs, experience and expertise
level, motivation and participation should be promoted.
The e-tutor has to monitor "the classroom climate" based on feedback from
learners, using synchronous and asynchronous communication, providing
answers in a reasonable timescale, invite to share experiences, problems and
doubts within the virtual classroom, using the discussion forum.
In order to support the learning process, it is important to provide the
course/platform with different types of assessment.
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Moments of self-assessment through tutorials and interactive tests to be
carried out during in class and online activity.
Test for self-learning at the end of the module.
Test course for assessment, to provide, even by independent assessors,
a "measure" of student learning.
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Intermediate session
An intermediate session could be planned. There is a return to the classroom
to evaluate problems trainees may have encounter during the on line activities
and to stimulate the trainees to focus on one or more possible learning
activities that could be developed.
Final session
A finale session has the aim to systematize the knowledge, retracing the main
contents of the course, create an opportunity for discussion with the e-tutor
and deepen the implications of what the students have learned, in their
working environment.
Sample timetable
ANSAS - Puntoedu
IWB in Italy: the Piano Nazionale di diffusione delle LIM 2011-12
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