Sloan-C Blended Learning Research Perspectives

Sloan-C's long-running collection of effective practices has produced a number of EPs related to blended learning. That section of Sloan-C's main web site (www.sloan-c.org) is currently undergoing a redesign to add more collaborative and interactive tools that will hopefully help you to access the information you need. During the process, we collected a list of EPs related to blended learning. We will notify everyone when the new site is ready to visit, but in the meantime, here is a list of EPs on the current EP site that may interest you:

In this 2004 paper, Stephen Laster of Babson College (now at Harvard Business School) shares thoughts on defining blended learning.

Following is the introduction to the paper, read the attached for the remainder:

INTRODUCTION

This past summer I had the pleasure of participating in the Sloan-C Online Research Workshop. Working with a large group of energetic educators, we were able to examine the issues of student satisfaction, learning effectiveness, blended environments, and transformative assessment. I facilitated the conversation around blended learning in which a productive exchange of ideas took place.

In this 2003 paper, Stephen Laster of Babson College (now at Harvard Business School) shares their experience of using model-driven design in delivering blended programs.

Following is the introduction to the paper, read the attached for the remainder:

INTRODUCTION

Blended teaching and learning in an integrated curriculum creates opportunities for learning that are not
found in a traditional discipline-specific, pure classroom model. These opportunities include:

There is a rapid increase in the use of the hybrid instructional model by the postsecondary education community to deliver instruction. The face-to-face and virtual (online) classes are believed to use different instructional media and methods to address the needs of different learners. These learning environments were typically employed independently of each other. How instructors manage instruction within each environment could be a challenge. With limited information about how teachers manage teaching and learning using this model, the purpose of this study was to investigate and provide insight into the essence of faculty members’ experiences. The research addressed these questions: How do faculty members experience the hybrid instruction in postsecondary education? What meanings do they ascribe to the experience(s)?

Blended Learning – What Is It and Where Might It Take Us? - February 2003 – A featured 3-page article in the Sloan-C View authored by Richard Voos of Babson College. The article provides some general definitions, as well as many examples of blended programs.  It also asks some key questions concerning blended learning: