Hi Tahir,

You may like to take a look at Icons Project. See if the proposed simulations may serve to integrate different learning styles. 

http://www.icons.umd.edu

Tahir:

Here's a link from a tried and proven project for online students. A lot of emphasis is placed on collaboration and scaffolding students learning:

http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/17843/2/Technologygdl_HEA.pdf

Best regards,

Debra

Thank you Debra.

Hi Tahir,

I have recently published a few articles and conference presentations on the topic of blended learning which might be of interest to you. Details below. Kevin

Larkin, K. & Jamieson-Proctor, R. (2015). Using Transactional Distance Theory to redesign an Online Mathematics Education Course for Pre-Service Primary Teachers. Mathematics Teacher Education and Development (MTED). Online First. http://www.merga.net.au/ojs/index.php/mted/article/view/193

Larkin, K. & Jamieson-Proctor, R. (2013). Transactional Distance Theory (TDT): An Approach to Enhancing Knowledge and Reducing Anxiety of Pre-Service Teachers Studying a Mathematics Education Course Online. in V. Steinle, L. Ball & C. Bardini (Eds.) Mathematics Education: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Proceedings of the 36th annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia: Melbourne, (July 7-11, 2013)

Tahir:

I thought you might also be interested in our BL policy and another study that looked at BL policy implementation. You can glean from the information shared in shaping your own BL policy:

https://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter134/wallace_young134.html

https://sta.uwi.edu/cetl/documents/BLENDEDLEARNINGPOLICYrevised12July2011.pdf

Many thanks,

Debra

Hi Tahir! 

Very good, most feel some kind of blended learning will constitute a new normality of higher education. A problem is that "blended learning" is a very popular concept, but almost void of content if scrutinized. It is not about learning seen from the student perspective, it is about improving organisation of teaching. This is good, we use modern tools/materials/strategies to scaffold student learning better. But student learning is something else and very individual. The metaphor of "blend" has weaknesses as well, there is no blending theory to build on, although the definitions of blended learning are hard to count.  Most "blends" seem to adress something traditional, physical and placebound (classroom place and events) in combination with something new and digital (online world, tools, materials, etc). I think it is better to ask instead how IT tools and communication integrates in the course process. I have in my research found that talking about time dimensions is fruitful. How does synchronous and asynchronous modes blend and shift in this course and how does it scaffold student learning? This while using both old and new synchronous and asynchronous tools and combining them in new ways. I have found this to be a very clarifying perspective.  See for example my paper below. Hope this helps.

Article A time based blended learning model

Hello 

Please see some of my papers. Mostly, I would like to recommend 

1.  Pellas, N. & Boumpa, A. (2015). Open Sim and Sloodle integration for pre-service foreign language teachers’ continuing professional development: A comparative analysis of learning effectiveness using the CoI model. Journal of Educational Computing Research.

2. Pellas, N. & Kazanidis, I. (2014). Online and hybrid university-level courses with the utilization of Second Life: Investigating the factors that predict student choice in Second Life supported online and hybrid university-level courses. Computers in Human Behavior, 40(2), 31-43.

3. Pellas, N. (2014). Bolstering the quality and integrity of online collaborative courses at university-level with the conjunction of Sloodle and Open Simulator. Education and Information Technologies. DOI 10.1007/s10639-014-9365-1 (In press).

Kind regards,

NP