EDUC685 Multimedia Literacy
Research Topic:
Barry Joyce, the director of the Social Studies Secondary Education Program, is preparing a
proposal for the Distance Learning Graduate Program at the University of Delaware. His goal is
to create a Global History graduate program that will train teachers from Delaware, the United
States and other countries to teach Global History in a virtual classroom environment. His plan is
for several professors in History and Anthropology to commit to converting courses they
currently teach to an online environment. Dr. Joyce plans to use Adobe Connect in combination
with Sakai and a summer intro course that would meet on campus.
I would like to investigate the challenges of creating such a new program for the History
department and develop methods to help us meet these challenges. The UD School of Education
successfully made these transitions from traditional classroom learning to a hybrid course
format, so I would like to use the School of Ed as a model. I hope to find research papers written
by professors and students in the School of Ed to provide background information to help answer
the who, what, where, when, why and how questions. This research project would help me
twofold as it would help me become familiar with the program I am contemplating applying for
and provide useful data for the Global History graduate program.
To blog or not to blog. That is the question.
I am planning to write my paper on hybrid courses, and compare these courses to online and
face-to-face. I am looking specifically for data relating to student success rates, student need and
accessibility. Has anyone read any articles relating to this topic lately? I have a few, but am
always looking for more to help guide my research.
Thanks!
Instructor’s Comments:
Good morning, Angela! This is a great topic. There seems to be a lot on this. Go to
scholar.google.com, for example, and do the following search:
hybrid course effectiveness
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Perspectives on Blended Learning in Higher Education
Finding a Balance in Dimensions of Blended Learning
Professors' Perceptions and Needs on Blended e-learning
Strategic Blending: A Conceptual Framework to Improve Learning and Performance
Can Learning to Use Moodle Alter Teachers’ Approaches to Teaching?
Strategies for teacher professional development on TPACK, Part 2
Research Highlights in Technology and Teacher Education 2009
Blended Learning (BL) Approach for Language Teacher Preparation Program Delivery:
Blending Online Learning (OL) with Face-to-Face (F2F) Classroom venue
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How a Blended Approach for Job-embedded Learning has led Teachers to Recognize and
Reflect upon the Unique Intersections of Content, Technology, and Classroom Practice in
the Advanced Broadband Enabled Learning (ABEL) Program.
Developing Teacher’s TPCK for Teaching Mathematics With Spreadsheets
Tucker, A. (2009). Addressing Adult Learning Needs Through Blended Learning Environments.
In G. Siemens & C. Fulford (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on Educational
Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2009 (pp. 3119-3122). Chesapeake, VA:
AACE.
Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/31925.
ABSTRACT/SUMMARY: Blended (also known as hybrid learning) environments are
increasingly becoming popular as an alternative instructional delivery method for institutions of
higher education all over the world. Today’s students have the benefit of taking courses face-toface (f2f) with an online component, using instructional applications such as Blackboard,
WebCT or Moodle. Research indicates that blended instruction, described as the combination of
online and traditional classroom instruction, is the future trend for higher education. Further, an
increasing number of post-secondary institutions are using blended learning formats to engage
and retain adult learners.
Mortera-Gutiérrez, F. (2006). Faculty Best Practices Using Blended Learning in E-Learning and
Face-to-Face Instruction. International Journal on E-Learning, 5(3), 313-337. Chesapeake, VA:
AACE.
Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/6079.
Presenting a higher education case study from Mexico: "Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios
Superiores de Monterrey" (ITESM-CCM) College, Mexico city campus, describing faculty best
and worst practices using a blended learning approach in e-learning and face-to-face instruction.
The article comments on conceptual definitions of blended learning, its epistemological and
pedagogical bases and foundations, and the technological and instructional problems, difficulties,
constraints, and successes that ITESM-CCM faculty has when they are using a blended learning
approach.