[This is a learning exercise. Learn more about learning exercises on my blog]
I am enroled in more than 100 MOOCs on platforms like Coursera, edX, Iversity and others but never finished a course. The Blended Learning one on Coursera will hopefully be the first one. My first asignment was to define high quality blended learning. Here is my very rough draft. Any comments are more than welcome as this is part of my learning process.
HQBL is relevant, deep and fast&fun learning achieved by combining advantages of physical interaction, self-directed online learning and online collaboration.
Relevant: Learning has a purpose. It can be (1) solving a specific problem, (2) being able to achieve something, (3) satisfying curiosity, (4) fun, (5) becoming better for it’s own sake and many others. To be of quality, learning must be relevant for the (specific) (evolving) intention of the learner as he engages in learning.
Deep: Learning can mean memorizing information or acquiring wisdom and the capacity to create something of value. You can learn something for a week or integrate it for your whole life. You can only have knowledge and understanding or you can have new habits of thought and action. It can mean only adding new stuff or also unlearning things that get in the way. Learning can mean getting it right one time in a specific set of conditions or every time in any circumstance. To be of quality, learning must bring consistent wisdom, capacity to create, unlearning of old habits of thought and action and new habits of thought and action.
Fast and fun: if it is not fun, high quality learning should be fast. Ideally it should be both fun and fast.
Hi, Traian!
I think you included the right elements in your model. What I’d like to point out is that in blended learning projects you’re implicitly also using technology. I’ve found that the user-friendliness and overall product design is important to students and it impact’s the overall program effectiveness. Not sure how you’d include them in your model, but change management and communication are two aspects you have to take care of in order to have a successful project.
Cheers,
Silviu
Silviu,
Thanks for stoping by and for your comment. I agree, those elements are important in a blended learning project on the online side. My definition is at an abstract and general level. You need to ask one more question to get to the level when you come up with characteristics of the online platform. The question would be ”What is the online system like so that a learner could guide his own learning and collaborate with others in a way that makes learning relevant, deep, fun and fast?”