A Flexible Blended Approach to Learning

Abstract

In 2004 the University of Hertfordshire became a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), with a specific remit to develop Blended Learning (BL) as part of a UK government initiative to enhance teaching and learning in UK universities. This was built on the strong foundation of an excellent virtual learning environment, one of the first developed in the UK (StudyNet), which had been established and developed in-house by the University over the previous decade.

Over the next four-year period the University invested in specialist teaching rooms, a near-universal wireless network and the provision of laptop computers for all academics. Academic staff were offered secondments to become BL teachers, a curriculum design toolkit was produced, and a 10-week Continuing Professional Development module ‘Blended Learning in Higher Education’ delivered. An electronic journal ‘Blended Learning in Practice’ was established, and annual international conferences on BL held at the University, bringing the international community of pedagogical scholars together to learn and disseminate best practice in blended learning. The support funding for CETLs stopped in 2008; however, the University was able to further promote the BL approach through its own Learning and Teaching Innovation Centre. Between 2008 and 2020 the approach to BL was enhanced though the redevelopment of the Virtual Learning Environment, from the original in-house-developed system (StudyNet), to a commercially developed system (Canvas), and by the evolution of the curriculum design toolkit to a ‘Guided Learner Journey’ (GLJ). Although the degree of blended approach to learning was variable, according to subject or professional body constraints, all modules had universally followed the GLJ principles, and by 2020 it was very widely adopted and was supported by electronic assessment methods, a substantial library of recordings, and extensive use of flipped classrooms. When lockdowns were imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this material and methodology allowed a rapid transition to full online delivery, which exploited some excellent online resources that had already been produced, but also relied on the rapid adaption of more traditional learning material. While the universal requirement for online delivery was counter to the philosophy of a quality blended approach, it did require all academics to deliver material online and shift their approach to teaching and necessitated the whole community to embrace some of the technologies used in the blended approach in different ways.

Over the two-year pandemic period academics were able to improve the quality of online teaching, learning and assessment material, and as their ability to engage face-to-face with students was re-established, this material formed part of the blended approach. As we began to emerge from the pandemic our Pro Vice Chancellor for Education and Student Experience, and her team, determined to emerge with a better learning experience for our students than when we had entered. In the UK, an unhelpful political and media narrative that online delivery was bad and that face-to-face was good accompanied our emergence from COVID-19. This was in part fuelled by the selective use of survey data from post-lockdown students suggesting that 92% preferred face-to-face engagement. Not all surveys came back with such universal disapproval, including our own end-of-module surveys, which were much more positive. Michael Barber’s Gravity assist report quotes 67% of students as satisfied with their digital teaching during the pandemic. The subtleties of a flexible blended approach, embracing some online and technology-enhanced material, passed our politicians by and indeed the terminology caused confusion with our students. Through our extensive experience in BL, we know it can have enormous benefits, but it must be done well. As a consequence, and after a university-wide extensive consultation with staff and students, we have introduced a set of community-led principles which are self-explanatory and avoid ambiguous terms. These will guide a universal approach to teaching across the institution. The Herts Learning Principles: Prioritise student learning, Ensure coherent design, Offer opportunities for personalization, Harness technology and Build community, and provide the basis for revalidation of all courses at the University over the next three years.