The Facilitator's Guide to Immersive, Blended, and Hybrid Learning by
In The Facilitator's Guide to Immersive, Blended, and Hybrid Learning, veteran virtual trainer and learning tech maven Cindy Huggett examines the role of a facilitator in immersive, blended, and hybrid learning environments and offers cutting-edge insights and practical advice on how facilitators can make programs effective and engaging in any scenario. She introduces the new learning experience facilitator role and the skills needed to be successful in today's modern learning environments. While the shift from traditional classrooms to immersive learning experiences (including immersive, blended, virtual, and hybrid) has exploded in recent years, the supporting technologies and techniques have been evolving over time and now include augmented, mixed, and virtual realities. In fact, immersive, blended, and hybrid learning have become the new reality of training. Cindy walks you through how to facilitate in each of these modalities, covering everything from technology needs to suggested modifications of activities. Throughout, she includes real-life examples of immersive, blended, augmented, virtual, and hybrid learning in action. And she asks the vital question: Is facilitation necessary in immersive learning experiences? The answer is yes, but to be successful, facilitators need to update their skills on an ongoing basis. Prepare yourself with the skills and knowledge to navigate the new world of learning and to make your facilitation shine.
Evidence-Based Blended and Online Learning by
Universities and their teachers are more than ever required to (re)design their courses considering online environments. Although face-to-face teaching remains fundamental, exploring online alternatives is becoming increasingly necessary. Still, how can university teacher designers proceed with such a change in their courses? What is the most effective way to design an online course? How can university teacher designers attract the attention of students and make teaching interesting and compelling? Evidence-Based Blended and Online Learning: Course Design for University Teachers answers these questions. It provides a thorough evidence-based overview of each step required to make an effective course redesign. The book is aimed at teachers and, more significantly, teacher designers committed to redesigning their courses based on solid principles. The book's design approach makes it much easier to translate the results of educational research on applying blended learning in educational practice. Jan Nedermeijer has worked as an educational expert for several universities and as a senior expert for PUM Netherlands in several countries. The book synthesises the results of the numerous course- and curriculum-development projects he has conducted over many years. His approach can help university teachers implement IT in feasible, practical and interesting ways. Evidence-Based Blended and Online Learning gives lecturers tailor-made pedagogical suggestions for designing modern higher education. Course design tasks are re-described, using features from technical design, problem solving, and design thinking, where creative design has a unique and essential role.
Teacher Professional Learning Through Lesson Study in Virtual and Hybrid Environments by
Offering a rich, critical investigation of how technology can be used to strengthen and promote lesson study in both virtual and hybrid environments, this edited book presents insights into the numerous challenges as well as opportunities for supporting teachers' and teacher educators' professional learning in such a novel setting. Providing an international perspective, research in this book highlights on the one hand the necessity of exploring how the known theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches for researching on lesson study and effective characteristics of conducting lesson study can be adapted to the new environments. On the other hand, further analysis reveals the benefits of using various advanced technologies in lesson study, the new practice of professional development of teachers and teacher educators, and also documents related issues of conducting lesson study in such complex contexts. The chapters focus on online cross-cultural lesson study; the key aspects of conducting online lesson study and the effectiveness of it. Features of facilitation and the development of facilitators for online lesson study are explored, alongside the ways in which online lesson study can help address various problems of practice such as implementing equitable teaching, facilitating student interaction in virtual environments, and migration to remote teaching in STEM. This resourceful text provides needed support to both researchers and practitioners, from primary to higher education, with special attention to both teacher and student learning.
Challenges and Opportunities of e-Learning and blended Learning During Covid-19 Part 1 by 
Teaching Large Online and Blended Classes by
"As the interest in online learning continues to grow, many higher education institutions offer large classes online. Such courses may prompt managerial and pedagogical challenges for effective teaching and learning. Most online classes depend on text-based information and communication. While there are advantages to text-based information and asynchronous written assignments and discussions, large online classes may lack student-centered, and active learning environments. In addition, providing timely and effective feedback to the students can be challenging and time-consuming for instructors of large online classes. Instructional strategies that rely on collaborative online tools and mobile applications can help facilitate student engagement and active learning while addressing pedagogical challenges of large online classes. Mobile technologies can facilitate formative assessment and personalized instruction while augmented reality applications can help engage students in authentic learning and the transfer of knowledge and skills to real-life situations (Fritschi & Wolf, 2012). In addition, recent technology tools can provide just-in-time access to resources and shared collaborative spaces for students or teachers to work together on projects. This book aims to provide practical assistance to those who teach large online classes by addressing the following research questions with practical implications for teaching and learning: What teaching and assessment strategies do instructors use to facilitate active learning in large online classes? What strategies do instructors use to reduce instructor and learner cognitive overload? What does research suggest for effective teaching and learning in large online classes? What are suggestions for professional development of instructors who teach large online classes? What are suggestions for orienting students for effective learning in large online classes?"--
Undergraduate Research in Online, Virtual, and Hybrid Courses by
Co-published with and With the growing interest in undergraduate research as a high-impact practice, and the recognition that college education is increasingly moving online, this book - the first to do so - provides a framework, guidance from pioneering practitioners, and a range of examples across disciplines on how to engage remote students in research. Two foundational chapters set the scene. For those new to incorporating undergraduate research in their courses, the opening chapter provides an introduction to its evolution and practice, and reviews the evidence of its benefits for students, faculty, and institutions. The second addresses the benefit that undergraduate research can bring to online learning and provides an overview of the ways research can be incorporated into online and virtual courses to meet the course and student learning objectives. The remaining chapters illustrate implementation of undergraduate research in courses across many disciplines. They address thematic issues related to the work and its effects on students, such as transitioning them from users of, to active participants in, research; and consideration of the technological tools needed to support students in a virtual environment. The contributors, some of whom have been implementing these practices for some years, offer important insights and expertise. While the examples range across the behavioral sciences, business, education, the health professions, the humanities, social sciences, and STEM, readers will find much of value and inspiration from reading the chapters beyond their disciplines.
Innovative Education Technologies for 21st Century Teaching and Learning by
This book highlights all aspects of innovative 21st-century education technologies and skills which can enhance the teaching and learning process on a broader spectrum, based on best practices around the globe. It offers case studies on real problems involving higher education, it includes policies that need to be adaptable to the new environments such as the role of accreditation, online learning, MOOCs, and mobile-based learning. The book covers all aspects of the digital competencies of teachers to fulfill the required needs of 21st-century classrooms and uses a new pedagogical approach suitable for educational policies. Innovative Education Technologies for 21st Teaching and Learning is the first book that addresses the teaching and learning challenges and how those challenges can be mitigated by technology which educational institutions are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This book is suitable for teachers, students, instructional and course designers, policymakers, and anyone interested in 21st-century education.
The Blended Course Design Workbook by
This user-friendly workbook equips faculty and administrators with best practices, activities, tools, templates, and deadlines to guide them through the process of revising traditional location-based courses into a blended format. Providing a step-by-step course design system that emphasizes active learning and student engagement, this book walks readers through the development of course goals and learning objectives, assignments, assessments, and student support mechanisms with an eye toward technology integration. New to this edition are the most up-to-date research on blended courses, fresh templates, tips on the latest pedagogical trends related to artificial intelligence, and two additional chapters on facilitation strategies and group work and collaboration. The authors engage in equity-minded approaches to supporting student success throughout and address the needs of specific groups, such as students with disabilities, working students, and students who are parents or caregivers. Offering detailed instructions for each stage of course design, this book is a must-have for college instructors looking for a blended course design blueprint.
