Engaging Students in Blended Courses Through Increased Technology

Abstract

Background and Purpose. Emerging technology over the past 15 years has resulted in a surge of blended-learning opportunities in the health professions. Therefore, this article illustrates communication and technology issues that may influence the success of blended courses. Case Description. While providing pros and cons for this mode of teaching, the authors provide examples of synchronous and asynchronous teaching methods that foster information richness and social presence in order to engage students during their virtual-learning activities. Examples of virtual teaching and learning platforms and activities that can promote instant feedback and promote technology transparency are provided. Outcomes. Blended learning is being perceived as an effective mode of learning. Discussion and Conclusion. Infrastructure, resources, and support have to be provided for blended learning to be successful. Student engagement is an important component of blended learning and choosing tools that promote social presence and instant feedback as a teaching strategy enhances the outcomes of this more of learning. Key Words: Distance learning, Blended learning, Online learning, Virtual interaction. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Blended learning combines the use of multiple delivery media with various event-based activities.1 Blended learning is most often associated with the use of electronic media in combination with more traditional classroom settings,2 although by the nature of its definition, it is not limited to set contexts or types of media. The amount of time spent in a traditional classroom setting versus engagement in other media-based learning varies significantly. A course could require regular in-class weekly meetings with the use of multimedia to supplement the course learning content or could require only a few classroom meetings with the majority of the learning experiences through multimedia methods. Emerging technology over the past 15 years has resulted in a surge of blended-learning opportunities. In the health professions, blended learning has not only had an impact on methods of learning in traditional professional (entry-level) and postprofessional programs, but has also expanded access to continuing education. Blended learning incorporates both traditional face-to-face classroom and online learning experiences. Online course offerings have increased rapidly in higher education over the recent years.3 Allen, Seaman, and Garrett4 report that a course is considered blended learning if 30% to 79% of the content is offered online. The 2 primary facets that characterize the blendedlearning experience are the types of media and the various event-based activities used in the learning process. CASE DESCRIPTION Singh1 discussed the concept of event-based activities in blended learning. These include, but are not limited to: face-to-face classroom meetings; self-paced learning experiences such as discussion forums; and live, onlinelearning experiences, such as chat rooms. These event-based experiences include both synchronous and asynchronous learning methods. Synchronous experiences require the learner and instructor to communicate in real time, while asynchronous learning experiences occur without real-time presence (ie, any time, any place). The use of multiple delivery media supports the various eventbased learning. Media such as Web-based course platform systems, social networking sites, and virtual collaboration software are only a few of the many tools used in blended learning. Although blended learning is not a new concept, the expansion of technology over the past 15 years has changed how we deliver content and information in higher education, and has significantly increased opportunities for learning.3 Blended learning is based on the concept that each learner is unique with different learning needs, and that learning is a continuous process. As with any approach to teaching and learning, there are pros and cons. …