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We’re a little more than 3 months into our pilot semester for blended learning and we’re happy to see both our students and teachers back on campus, albeit partially. Many students appreciate the on-campus activities and the chance to interact with their teachers and classmates, and to get the hang of this blended learning setup.
Recently, the Center for Teaching and Learning released a quick check-in to know how our teachers and students are doing so far. After going through the results, we identified some common themes and we’d like to share them with you to help you make the most out of the rest of your semester!
Make the “blend” in blended learning effective
Let’s review how some classes were structured:
| 1st Week | On-campus sessions: Teacher uses the on-campus sessions for discussions |
| 2nd Week | Online sessions: Students are not given any work, lesson, or resource to work on or go through, and are left wondering what they’re really supposed to learn or accomplish for the online week |
| 3rd Week | On-campus sessions: Teacher resumes on-campus discussions and the students are not sure whether they are ready since they did not do anything in the previous week. |
With this kind of structure, it’s as if the course had a one week break in between on-campus sessions. To keep the learning pace constant across on-campus and online weeks, the on-campus and online sessions should be complementary and the blend between them seamless. The key is to be intentional, choosing activities that best suit each type of class (online or on-campus). For instance, a teacher handling “Research Writing” chooses to structure their classes in this way:
| 1st Week | On-campus sessions: • Use on-campus sessions for discussions so the teacher can clearly communicate to the students how to properly formulate a research question or effectively gather sources. • The students can also use this time to ask any questions or clarifications about these topics. | Rationale: It’s best practice to use synchronous, face-to-face classes for lessons and activities that lend themselves better to conversation and participation. |
| 2nd Week | Online sessions: Then, the teacher dedicates the online sessions to asynchronous work, guided with the proper instructions and resources, so the students have time to work on their research papers. | Rationale: This is best done in an online, asynchronous setup so that students have time to work independently and at their own pace. This kind of work doesn’t involve as much conversation or participation but if they do need to talk to their professor, then they can set up an online consultation (or bring up their questions during the next on-campus session). |
The above exemplifies the UNITAS Design Principle of “Thoughtfully done”. In this case, both the on-campus and online sessions were planned to maximize the advantages and minimize the disadvantages of each approach. An online, asynchronous activity encourages independent learning, which teaches students to facilitate their own work. The in-person discussions will then be more engaging and fruitful since the students will be past the very basic questions of the lessons, allowing the class to have deeper and richer discussions.
Here’s what one student, who is enrolled in classes wherein the on-campus and online sessions are well planned, said: “[The blended setup] works for me since I can [participate in discussions] onsite. Then, I can work on my requirements for a class more since time is allotted during asynchronous days and I can work on my requirements at my own pace.”
Here’s what some teachers shared, “[The blended learning setup] works for me because (1) it allows for a variation of different methods of teaching and assessment, and (2) allows both me and the students to adequately rest or devote time to other responsibilities.” and “It takes into account that some topics are best covered through an in-person lecture or discussion, or an asynchronous session.”
Make every trip to campus worth it
You are probably familiar with the experience of scheduling a doctor’s appointment, driving an hour all the way to the doctor’s office, only for the doctor to inform you close to the time of your appointment that he would like to do an online appointment instead. It’s understandable to think “what a hassle,” or “I just wasted x amount of gas to drive here,” or “I could have saved the money I just spent on my commute”.
Or, the appointment pushes through but you actually get very little information from the doctor about your health concerns.
Our students are eager to attend on-campus classes, especially if the sessions are well-planned, engaging, and encourage active learning.
Some teachers shared that some challenges they face when coming to campus include “commuting time, fuel cost — just for a 1.5-hour class” and “traffic also affects the physical and mental state of teachers and students.”
One student response we received from the survey said, “Physically going to school every day is exhausting and at many times, pointless, since it can be just as effective to learn online. Physical classes are often redundant since the powerpoints used are the ones we have on Canvas.”
Here are some reminders that can help our students maintain their interest in and engagement during on-campus classes:
- Strictly follow the on-campus and online schedule, because this allows our students to plan their days and weeks more efficiently and thus focus on the scheduled course activities.
- In emergency situations, still try your best to inform them as soon as you can. This is what one student had to say: “It would be good for professors and lecturers to give out their schedules of their onsite classes in advance so that students would not cram in adjusting to the schedule given the fact that some, just like me, go back and forth from the province to Manila just to attend classes.”
- If you need to change up your schedule, Inform your students well ahead of time , especially if you’ll be switching your on-campus sessions into online ones (and vice versa) so they can plan their schedules, transportation, and budget accordingly.
- Make your on-campus sessions as engaging as possible! Instead of a traditional, on-campus lecture where students spend most of the time listening passively and taking notes, consider a well-guided online session that allows the students to read and process slides and lecture notes and then discuss their key insights in an online discussion thread; the on-campus session can then be dedicated to presentations, discussions, or clarifications about the the topics covered.
If we’re going back to campus, make sure everyone’s pamasahe and/or gas is worth the trip. 😉
Here’s something that can make your on-campus sessions engaging and purposeful:
Interaction is key
“The University can improve the setup through making the in-person sessions more interactive in ways that can’t be done online.”
One thing many professors missed about F2F classes is the ability to gauge whether or not students are absorbing the lesson by paying attention to their reactions and body language. By observing these, teachers get to adjust accordingly. Students also missed building meaningful connections with their classmates and professors — so giving them opportunities to interact with each other, and you, in a live setting is important.
Teachers would not want to come all the way for an onsite class, only to be faced with unresponsive students too focused on their laptops or on note-taking to actively participate. Instead of taking up most of the on-campus class time with a one-way lecture, have more interactive activities which will also help you better gauge how your students are absorbing the lesson. Keep in mind that onsite lectures should bring something extra that you and your students miss out on online.
Think of activities that will have students talking to one another. This can be a fun getting-to-know-you icebreaker (remember, even long-time students may not know their blockmates well because of the limitations of the online setting!), gamifying an activity, or a student discussion-focused TLA for the day’s lesson. If you’ve been looking for opportunities for more interactive group work, an onsite session is the best time to do so as well.
We also recommend having students take a step back from laptop-heavy work, so they can focus on you and their classmates instead of a screen. Keep in mind that some students may have technological limitations (e.g. do not have a laptop of their own), and may still continue to feel disconnected from their classmates if their focus is on individual gadgets instead of each other.
To keep fostering professor-student interaction, here are some ideas:
- Students may want to take the opportunity to ask you questions, or even seek informal mentoring, in person. Consider having a short Q&A session before or after class, or opening office hours on days you know your students will be onsite.
- Some students may also be interested in taking quizzes or seatworks in class, and then processing the results immediately after, so that they know what they got wrong, and what they should have learned instead.
Instead of shifting most communication to online mode, via delayed emails or messages that may be prone to misinterpretation, it may also be easier on your end to directly dialogue with students. Being able to connect with your students face to face, and learning more about them, will definitely be helpful in the long-run as you plan out future classes!
Make online sessions meaningful
For synchronous classes, consider holding a video call with an expert who may not be able to come to the classroom physically? Students have always enjoyed having guest lecturers for onsite classes, and though you might lose out on some student-guest interaction, hosting these talks online opens the possibility for a wider variety of speakers, who may be able to share even more diverse & enriching ideas.
For asynchronous classes, consider giving students time to work on their requirements for your class. This allows them to get some work done during the school day and lets them go at their own pace. Giving your students clear instructions and study guides when asked to work on their own goes much further in helping them learn compared to just uploading PDF files of readings or slide decks.
Also, keep your Canvas updated! One student shared, “the posting of modules or lectures [in] Canvas [serves] as an extra learning aid for self study.” While asynchronous classes are helpful in developing independent learning, it is still important to provide a roadmap and materials for your students, so they do not get lost or overwhelmed. While students use this time to work on their requirements, you can also use this time to prepare for your next sessions or check and grade their previous submissions!
Some students also prefer having their assessments due on offsite weeks. The travel to and from school on onsite weeks can make it more difficult for them to meet deadlines, without sacrificing their sleep or other aspects of their personal life. By scheduling deadlines on offsite weeks, students have both more time, and more control of how to allot their time, rather than being at the mercy of Manila traffic.
In case you’re worried about how your students are faring during an asynchronous work week, you can also take the opportunity to post check-ins and exit tickets on your Canvas. You can post discussion boards or surveys so they can share their progress on their work, their key takeaways from readings or lectures, or even their questions and roadblocks. This way, you can stay connected to your students, and they can still feel your presence & support as they take on work individually. And again, just like onsite weeks, you can also offer consultation hours via video call if your schedule permits!
You can also have Exit Tickets where only you see the answers. One teacher shared: “I make it a point to ask my students after the discussion for questions and clarifications. A lot of times, they say they have none and, to me, that could mean: they genuinely understood the lesson, they didn’t understand it all, they can’t think of any questions to ask right now, or they’re too shy to ask their questions in front of the class. So, I reiterate that if they think of questions along the way, they can have a consultation with me. I’ve found that many of my students prefer personal consultations or private exit-tickets to communicate their concerns to me.”
To end, let’s all remember that technology and online class is here to stay! While the modalities and how the University chooses to blend classes may change, it’s best for us to get comfortable with having both on-campus and online classes. Let’s continue to work together as we navigate this new normal. UNITAS!
