This practical handbook for designing and teaching hybrid or blended
courses focuses on outcomes-based practice. It reflects the author's
experience of having taught over 70 hybrid courses, and having worked
for three years in the Learning Technology Center at the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a center that is recognized as a leader in the
field of hybrid course design.
Jay Caulfield defines hybrid courses as ones where not only is face time
replaced to varying degrees by online learning, but also by experiential
learning that takes place in the community or within an organization
with or without the presence of a teacher; and as a pedagogy that places
the primary responsibility of learning on the learner, with the
teacher's primary role being to create opportunities and environments
that foster independent and collaborative student learning.
Starting with a brief review of the relevant theory - such as andragogy,
inquiry-based learning, experiential learning and theories that
specifically relate to distance education - she addresses the
practicalities of planning a hybrid course, taking into account class
characteristics such as size, demographics, subject matter, learning
outcomes, and time available. She offers criteria for determining the
appropriate mix of face-to-face, online, and experiential components for
a course, and guidance on creating social presence online.
The section on designing and teaching in the hybrid environment covers
such key elements as promoting and managing discussion, using small
groups, creating opportunities for student feedback, and ensuring that
students' learning expectations are met.
A concluding section of interviews with students and teachers offers a
rich vein of tips and ideas.
