Campus-Sessions in Blended Learning: Views of students at Iceland University of Education Sólveig Jakobsdóttir 2006

Blended Learning? Blending online and face-to-face instruction (rather than blending delivery media and instructional methods) Sloan Concortium 2003 –Traditional: 0% online –Web-facilitated 1-29% (e.g. syllabus and some tasks online) –Blended/Hybrid 30-79% of content delivered online & some F2F meetings –Online: 80%+ of content online

Situation at KHÍ* : All graduate students DE/online (on verge of being blended/hybrid), ca. 50% of undergraduate students. 1-3 campus sessions per 5 credit class (ca. 40 hours out of 200 or 20% F2F) Suddenly increasing number of mixed mode in the undergraduate program – teaching DE+regular courses together e.g. With use of synchronous online learning. *KHÍ = Kennaraháskóli Íslands (Iceland University of Education)

Why online learning? Access!!!! Convergent vs divergent/distributed energy?

Role of campus-based sessions (“aura”-meetings) Some advantages for presenations (from teachers and students) and discussions Technological, lab sessions Attitude/emotional – emphasis on what to expect Social! – help create a community of learners – joint memories!

“Flexible learning”? Plan for – graduate department New M.Ed. Program combining 7 formerly more independent programs: Undergraduate students admitted straight after graduation, aim is for a full time student finishing B.Ed.+M.Ed. in 5 years. An idea came up for a program with 10 F2F classes per week for a full time student.

Reasons for weekly F2F meetings Better for full time students? Better for the creation of a community of learners? Undergraduate students are used to weekly F2F meetings? Most students (ca. 85%) live in Reykjavík or within 2 hour drive?

ICT committee at KHÍ 10 hours of weekly F2F meetings cannot be called “flexible learning” for the adult student – calling for reconsideration of plan – not making attendance required Label dropped, some flexibility allowed for courses within sub-programs. One core course out of two offered both DE and F2F

ICT in Education sub-program Decision in spring of 2006, continued with the same model of blended learning as before fall of 2006, i.e. Online learning with 1-3 campus sessions per 5 credit course. A survey made among current and previous students summer 2006

Participation 144 students from 7 cohorts invited, 72 answered (50%)

Location of students 63% in the capital area, 24% min. drive, 13% 120min.+

Amount of F2F classes 90% think the amount of F2F classes has been right, 4% too little and 65 too much

Distribution of F2F sessions 88% like the blend of 1-3 times per days per course in a semester 6% say they like weekly classes

Location of the F2F sessions 74% say it is necessary to have at least one session outside Reykjavik with social events in the evening; 20% all sessions in Reykjavik, however many of those are positive towards the experience of going out of town although they think it may not be necessary.