Blended learning: Try something new!
Over the years, we hear about academics re-purposing the same PowerPoint slides, same assessments, and same activities again and again. Why not try integrating technology into your teaching by exploring these free resources.
Table 1: Technology resources for your teaching
|
Resource |
Tool |
What to create |
|
Videos |
Try creating a short video to explain a topic or issue. |
|
|
Cartoons |
Make cool animated explainer videos to show in class or on your Learning Management System (LMS). |
|
|
Word Art |
Create beautiful word clouds to show multiple words at once. |
|
|
Graffiti on a wall |
Create a wall for students to post on (provide the link through the LMS). See educational uses for Padlet here Links to an external site.. |
|
|
Websites |
wix Links to an external site. and weebly Links to an external site. |
Create your own website or portfolio with these two free website building tools. |
Here are some further ideas to consider when designing blended learning. The articles below are drawn from The University of Sydney’s Teaching@Sydney website Links to an external site., an independent blog and an academic article.
Table 2. Considerations when designing blended learning
|
Blended learning approaches |
Questions to consider |
|
Do your students complete their pre-readings? Why not give this idea a go. |
|
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I'll see you on the discussion boards Links to an external site. |
Your LMS can be more than a resource repository. Try these ideas for engaging students in online discussion. |
|
How to successfully teach a blended classroom Links to an external site. |
This blog offers tips for designing a blended classroom and links to further examples. |
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Blended learning in higher education: Three different design approaches Links to an external site. |
This journal article by Alammary, Sheard and Carbone (2014) outlines three approaches to blended learning, including benefits, challenges and recommendations for applying each approach. |