BLENDED LEARNING
Technology in the Traditional Classroom
Alyssa DeBlasio, PhD (Dickinson College, USA)
deblasia@dickinson.edu
BLENDED LEARNING
Technology in the Traditional Classroom
Alyssa DeBlasio, PhD (Dickinson College, USA)
deblasia@dickinson.edu
http://blogs.dickinson.edu/deblasio/workshop
s/
OUTLINE
Blended Learning: What & Why?
II. Technologies for Teaching
I.
(a) Blogging
(b) Videos
(c) Podcasts
III. To Consider: Questions and Challenges
IV. Discussion: Questions and Contributions
I. Blended Learning: What?
• Blended Learning / Hybrid Pedagogy
• Hybrid Pedagogy (March 5, 2015): “supporting students
through a process of consuming, creating, and filtering
content on the internet in a way that gives them
ownership of their learning while also teaching them
essential curation and critical thinking skills”
(Hudson, http://www.hybridpedagogy.com/journal/teaching-as-wayfinding/)
• using digital tools to “teach smarter”: assignments that are
better (learning outcomes achieved) and more efficient
I. Blended Learning: Why?
1. Efficiency
2. Students as “Digital Natives”
• Babson Survey Research Group & Pearson: students report (1)
“higher levels of connection to the class”; and (2) learning that
“extends beyond classroom and is more relevant to real life” when
social media (blogs, podcasts, etc.) are incorporated into syllabi
3. Digital Literacy
Digital Literacy
FCC definition of digital literacy from
http://www.broadband.gov/plan/
”Digital literacy is the ability to find, evaluate, utilize, and
create information using digital technology. Additional skills
include the ability to read and interpret media (text, sound,
images), to reproduce data and images through digital
manipulation and to evaluate and apply new knowledge
gained from digital environments. It can include the ability
to analyze and reflect critically on digital media. Digital
citizenship and safety are often included in definitions of
digital literacy as well."
Digital Literacy Skill Sets
1. Visual Literacy
2. Digital Writing
3. Digital Presentation and Expression
4. Understanding the Internet as a social and/or public
space
5. Information Literacy
“RSUH will adhere to reaching new horizons in fundamental humanities
sciences together with responding to the demands and challenges of
the society in generating new productive ideas, technologies, and
products to bring value to the solution of the most important issues of
social development in Russia and its role as the part of the everchanging world.”
II. Technologies for Teaching:
BLOGGING
II. Technologies for Teaching:
BLOGGING
• as a syllabus
• US History to 1877: http://blogs.dickinson.edu/hist-117pinsker/
• journaling and/or reflection pieces
• Intermediate Russian language blog: http://2012russ200.blogspot.ru
• Spanish for Business Spring 2015: http://blogs.dickinson.edu/spanbusiness-spr15/
• pre-class assignments to help in-class discussion or post-class discussion
• Communism & the Environment blog: http://blogs.dickinson.edu/hist315-enst311sp12/2012/02/29/downstream-valentin-rasputin/
• used to track progress on a long-term research project, like a course paper or
thesis
• “For instance, Post 1 could be a list of potential topics; post 2, 2-3 primary sources on a chosen
topic; post 3, a research proposal; post 4, a progress report; post 5, a draft of a section of the
paper. The benefit of having students do this on a blog is that you can put them into peer editing
groups and students can give one another feedback online” http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-subpages/blogs/
• collaborative work / class project
• Mapping NYC Modernism: http://nycmodernism.princeton.edu
• Historical Markers of Virginia: http://fredmarkers.umwblogs.org
• connect different classes, departments, programs, or universities
• RSUH and Dickinson professor exchange: http://blogs.dickinson.edu/rsuh/
• course portfolio / student portfolio
• Digital Resume: https://chasephilpot.wordpress.com
II. Technologies for Teaching:
VIDEO
• Audiovisual essay
• Intro to Arts of Asia: http://blogs.dickinson.edu/introartsofasia/2010/12/13/evolution-
of-buddhism-2/
• “TED talk” style assignment or “Thug Notes” style
assignment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm4lLxNvfAA
• Recorded lectures
• https://vimeo.com/album/2446220/video/70662122
• The Mixxer
• http://www.language-exchanges.org
II. Technologies for Teaching:
PODCASTS
• Learning a language – record speaking and reading; practice
dialogues and vocabulary; receive comments from instructors
and class members
• https://soundcloud.com/groups/russ-101-fall-2013
• Text annotation – comment on a reading
• http://www.dickinson.edu/info/20030/russian/67/tyutchev_poem
• http://blogs.dickinson.edu/latin-poetry-podcast/2013/01/16/i-hate-and-ilove-catullus-85/
• Music – music students can share and promote their work
• Public speaking – practice public speaking in low-stakes
environment
• Radio broadcast & storytelling – promoting university events;
preparing short informational stories; incorporating oral history
or interviews
• http://dcc.dickinson.edu/view-podcasts-caesar
• Oral reports – used in place of oral or written reports or
essays
III. To Consider: Questions and
Challenges
• how to write assignments
III. To Consider: Questions and
Challenges
• how to write assignments
• how to grade assignments
• start-up labor / faculty workload
• technical support
• intellectual property & privacy issues
• sustainability
Process Checklist for Digital Assignments
1. connecting course and project
2. scaffolding: breaking down work into smaller chunks
3. logistics: time, labor, materials
4. student feedback
Based on suggestions by Rebecca Frost Davis:
rebeccafrostdavis.wordpress.com
Final Suggestions
• start small
• use available resources
• ask for help
• incorporate student feedback
• department chairs & administrators: designate specific
courses as “digital literacy” courses
• don’t just do it because it’s technology
IV. Discussion: Questions and
Contributions
Alyssa DeBlasio
deblasia@dickinson.edu
April Workshop: Assignment Workshop
If you have a specific assignment that you would like to
incorporate technology into, please send it to me by April
1st and we can discuss it in detail at the next workshop.
Alyssa DeBlasio
deblasia@dickinson.edu