A heuristic determination of innovative pedagogical practices for an online or blended context

Abstract

Exploring innovative pedagogical practices always includes the matter of how to seek the rationale for engagement, ways of dealing with a concept and how to approach solving a problem. Innovation is viewed as a particular type of problem-solving behaviour that entails refocus of attention and search for alternatives outside the existing domain of standard operations. Exploring innovative pedagogical practices always includes the matter of how to seek the rationale for engagement, ways of dealing with a concept and how to approach solving a problem. This qualitative study was undertaken by a renowned higher education institution in South Africa to explore innovative pedagogical and assessment practices in an online and blended context across beginner student development programmes. It was a heuristic inquiry mainly situated within the social constructivist theory of knowledge and aligned with a phenomenological research model and understanding. The study first explored the existing and standard routines to assist in heuristic-based discovery and action towards making suggestions for improvement and recommendations to enhance practice and ensure increased engagement. The findings point to the need for students’ improved ability to reflect on their own learning by making them more conscious of their own learning and levels of understanding (“I know what I’ve learnt and why”). Deeper insight is needed to develop students’ ability in self-reflection and self-directed learning and to seek insights and gain new skills. The recommendations included reference to collective sense-making, discovery-based and experiential instructional designs, a flipped classroom approach and engaging students in reflective practices through project- and research-based pedagogy.