LINC Conference 2010

WHY BLENDED LEARNING?

Salanieta Bakalevu & Neelam Narayan

University of the South Pacific

Where in the world is Fiji?

The 12 countries of the USP region

USP at a Glance

• Regional university (12 countries)

• Campuses in 12 countries

• Pressure to meet urgent HR development needs

• Pressure to ensure greater access to education

• Operating 41 years; DFL for 40 years

• D.E important/Internet/broadcast of lectures

• Over 60% students study by DFL

• 2003 DFL mainstreaming

Multimodal approach

• 1970 Extension services – mainly print mode

• Dual mode, print and audio/video tapes, CDRoms/DVDs

• Multimodal with USPNet – satellite communication network connecting all 12 USP. Audio & video conferencing with countries, video broadcasting, digitise materials etc

• Also videoconference via AARNet to non-USP countries

• All students access to email and internet

• Online platform – Moodle

Video conference facility

USP service to the region

“the organization doesn’t just serve its customers: they become its lifeblood. People do not just make promises, … they deliver, …over and over again, consistently developing better services. The organization differentiates itself in the marketplace through its people, … products, … processes and … promises”

(Thorne, 2003: 8)

New demands

• New cohort of learners

• Lifelong learning

• Access to learning anywhere, anytime

• Pressure for reduced costs, greater scale and scope, innovation through technology

Why Blended Learning?

“Blended learning accommodates the old with the new; is flexible; brought new understanding of online learning; provided independence and control; provided for deep thinking; encouraged acceptance of responsibility of learning”

Three Case Studies

• Personal experience as online learner

• Coordinating on-campus course (blended mode)

• Coordinating off-campus course (blended mode)

CS 1, 2003

• Instructional designer course online

• Slow introductory session

• No response to posting

• Tutor weekly activity

• Poor co-ordination of discussions

• Sideline spectator

• Tutor “not around’

CS 2, S2 / 2008

• On-campus 3rd year Curriculum Studies course

• 200 students

• Weekly: core lecture, workshop, Moodle

• Moodle discussions inundated, alive, full of activity!

• Workshops – relatively “dead”

Moodle component made huge difference

CS 3, S1/ 2009

• Postgraduate Mathematics Education course

• Late request, began 4 weeks after semester, two different locations

• School holidays (2 weeks)

• Plan – Course Reader; 1 week overview session on each campus; Moodle portal ; one Saturday final session on each campus

• Completed on time

CS 3 challenges

• mostly rural teachers

• mostly primary teachers

• 35-50 year olds

• four couples (husband/wife)

• some lacked basic computer skills

• full-time teachers

Overall observations

• Younger students (CS2) freely used Moodle

• Older clients learned quietly, preferred email

• Assignments well researched & written

• Students wrote a lot

• Greater independence in attending to learning

• All components served purpose

Final comments

• Print mode no longer feasible

• Classroom learning preferred but costly

• Online learning controversial yet necessary

“the integration of the best of regular face to face learning with technology-based online learning”

served best purpose.

Thank you!

USP Tonga campus