Welcome! This resource walks you through a blueprint for the successful construction of a blended course in a higher education setting. The chapters and their corresponding activities will help you design, develop, implement, facilitate, and evaluate your blended course. Whether you are a university instructor or an instructional designer, this resource will help you carefully think through important elements of your blended course.

Textbook Learning Outcomes

As you complete the readings and activities in this textbook, you will be able to:

• Describe blended models in terms of media, modality, and method.
• Design digital assessments and learning activities that align with course outcomes.
• Apply sound strategies to facilitate synchronous and asynchronous online interactions.
• Evaluate the pedagogy and design of blended courses.

1.0 Introduction

This chapter provides an overview of the textbook’s framework, structure, and design principles. As you complete the blueprint or facilitation challenges in each chapter, you will progress toward a complete plan for the design and facilitation of your blended course.

Chapter 1 Learning Outcome: I can understand how to create my blended course.  

Sub-section outcomes:

• I can explain blended learning design, development, and implementation. (Section 1.1)
• I can understand the framework I will follow in this book. (Section 1.2)
• I can conduct formative evaluation of my work at each stage of development and facilitation. (Section 1.3)
• I can evaluate my strengths and weaknesses as I begin this project. (Section 1.4)
• I can understand how I will use this resource to help design and facilitate my blended course. (Section 1.5)

1.1 Blended Learning Design, Development, and Implementation

Section 1.1 Learning Outcome: I can explain blended learning design, development, and implementation.

Designing a course is distinct from developing or implementing a course. Design comes first and allows you to envision your course and some of its elements before the building process even begins. 

Design. Before a home is built, a builder designs the house and specifies the elements of the design in a blueprint. The blueprint specifies the different layers and elements of the house and how they work together (for example, the framing, plumbing, and electricity). Instructors also design (or plan) important elements of their course. A course blueprint shows how the elements of the course work together (for example, lesson content and activities, assessment, and student interactions with classmates). Figure 1-1 compares house blueprints and course blueprints. 

Figure 1-1. Design

House Blueprint figure by Michael_Hiraeth (Pixabay License).                     Course blueprint by UCF, CC-BY NC SA. 

Development. Using the blueprint as a guide, a construction crew uses physical materials to create what was previously designed on paper. They frame the rooms and install pipes, wiring, and appliances. Similarly, materials and resources are also developed as part of a course, such as worksheets, videos, group projects, and quizzes. Figure 1-2 compares house construction and course development using a learning management system (LMS).

Figure 1-2. Development

Construction photo by Avel Chuklanov (Unsplash License).                          LMS screenshot by Alison McMurry CC BY.

Implementation. Later a family moves into the house and actually uses its features. If the house is well-designed and well-built, the family will comfortably benefit from the many features. Similarly, after a course is designed and developed, teachers and students then implement the course as they participate in learning activities and assessments aligned with its proposed outcomes. If the course is well-designed and well-built, the class will benefit academically from the features of the course. Figure 1-3 compares the home and the class.

Figure 1-3. Implementation

Family picture by NCI (Unsplash License).                                                   Four students by Mimi Thian (Unsplash License).

1.2 Our Framework

Section 1.2 Learning Outcome: I can understand the framework I will follow in this book.

This resource will walk you through a backward design framework to create a blended learning course. Backward design is a common educational approach in which the designer plans the learning outcomes first, then corresponding assessments, and then appropriate learning activities. This section of Chapter 1 gives a brief overview of our framework and Figure 1-4 illustrates our framework.

The essence of this approach to design, development, and facilitation will be addressed in the textbook chapters as follows: 

1. You purposefully choose a blended design model (Chapter 2) 
2. You determine the learning outcomes you hope students will achieve in your course (Chapter 3).
3. You design your learning assessments to align with those outcomes (Chapter 4).
4. You design learning activities that will help students achieve the desired outcomes (Chapters 5 and 6).
5. You consider facilitation methods applicable to your activities (Chapters 7 and 8), and design facilitation plans (Chapters 9, 10, and 11).
6. You conduct a summative evaluation of your blended course (Chapter 12). 

Figure 1-4. Backward Design Framework

This book focuses on the skills related to blended course design and facilitation, and therefore, does not address the skills required for course development and implementation. Each chapter focuses on specific blended course competencies that are articulated in “I can” statements. You will practice these competencies in each chapter by completing blueprint or facilitation challenges which together create the plan for your blended course. Table 1-1 outlines the "I can" statements and the challenges included in each chapter. 

Table 1-1. Outline

Created by Alison McMurry CC BY.

1.3 Evaluation v. Assessment

Section 1.3 Learning Outcome: I can conduct formative evaluation of my work at each stage of development and facilitation.

Evaluation is the process of identifying and explaining the value of a product, program, or personal performance. It is similar to assessment, which is discussed in chapter 4, but there are some key differences. Table 1-2 compares evaluation and assessment.

Table 1-2. Definitions of Evaluation and Assessment

Sometimes assessment scores are used to inform an evaluation. For example, a student's GPA is an assessment. Meeting all the requirements for graduation is an evaluation. One of the requirements is a GPA above a minimum required level. The assessment informs the evaluation, but it is only one piece of information that is considered.

Both evaluation and assessment can be formative or summative. Formative evaluation and assessment are focused on the process of learning or doing and are intended to give feedback to improve performance or quality. Summative evaluation and assessment are focused on the result of learning or doing and are intended to label the outcome of a program or performance. Table 1-3 shows examples.

Table 1-3. Examples of formative and summative evaluation and assessment.

Chapter 4 will address the role of assessment in more detail, including how to use formative and summative assessments in your blended course design.

Chapter 12 will address the role of summative evaluation in more detail, including how to perform summative evaluation of your course design and lesson facilitation.

But for now, focus on formative evaluation. There are various ways to conduct formative evaluation, and in this resource we rely on reflective self-evaluation. As you work through the activities in this book, you will be asked to evaluate your progress and performance. We hope this helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses as you improve your blended course design and facilitation. Mentors and colleagues can also provide additional formative feedback throughout your planning process, so we encourage you to supplement your self-evaluation with helpful collaboration. The course checklist (below) will help you review your own understanding and skills, and reflect on where you might need improvement, at the end of each chapter.

1.4 Get started!

Section 1.4 Learning Outcome: I can evaluate my strengths and weaknesses as I begin this project.

Let's get started! 

Step 1: Welcome to the Course Checklist. This will help you track your progress through the chapters' challenges.

Step 2:  One type of assessment is called value-added assessment. It measures student growth from the beginning of the course until the end, usually by completing pre-tests and post-tests. We have two self-assessments, one in design and the other in facilitation, which will establish a benchmark you can use to measure your progress at the end of the design and facilitation units.

Click on the link below to take the Design Competency Self-Assessment. You will receive a score out of 20 points, which will indicate your current level of competency. Since this is a pre-test, you might score between 0 and 10 on this design competency self-evaluation. This is to be expected if you have limited experience with blended teaching. Even if you score higher in some areas, the textbook chapters will supplement your skills with additional strategies for your consideration and provide opportunities for growth in areas where you lack experience. 

Design Competency Self-Assessment

1.5 How to Use this Resource

Section 1.5 Learning Outcome: I can understand how I will use this resource to help design and facilitate my blended course.

The framework of this textbook prepares you to create a design blueprint and a facilitation plan for your blended course. The sequence of chapters follows a backward design model and can help you move systematically through the design and facilitation processes.

We recommend you proceed through the textbook as follows:

1. Begin your Course Checklist (from section 1.4 above).

• • Download and save your Course Checklist.
  • Complete the Design Competency Self-Assessment. Consider your current strengths and weaknesses.
  • Check Step 1–Self-Evaluation off your Course Checklist.

2. Read Chapters 2–6 sequentially.

• • In each chapter, complete the blueprint challenge. Check each chapter’s blueprint challenge item off your Course Checklist and do the formative self-evaluation.

3. Take the Design Competency Self-Assessment again and compare your score with the first time you took it (Step 1). Reflect on your progress in the Course Checklist.

4. Recruit a peer or mentor to evaluate your blended course blueprint. Ask for feedback. Make adjustments based on their feedback.

5. If you are ready to implement your course, begin the process of developing the instructional materials and finalizing your syllabus and course calendar. You are now ready to learn more about facilitation as you prepare to implement your course.

6. In chapter 7, complete the Facilitation Competency Self-Assessment. Consider your current strengths and weaknesses.

7. Read Chapters 7–11 sequentially.

• • In each chapter, complete the chapter's challenge activity. In some chapters these are called "Reflection Challenges" and others are called "Facilitation Challenges."
  • Check each chapter’s challenge item off your Course Checklist and do the formative evaluation.

8. Take the Facilitation Competency Self-Assessment again and compare your score with the first time you took it (Step 6). Reflect on your progress in the Course Checklist.

9. Read Chapter 12. Complete the summative evaluation and reflect on your progress in the Course Checklist.

Congratulations! You completed Chapter 1, and you are ready to build your blended course!