Blended Learning: Personalizing Education for Students

Plenty of buzz exists about blended learning and its transformational potential. But what does blended learning really mean? In this course we will explore the different models of blended learning and dive into key issues that impact students, teachers, and schools. Specifically, we will look at these issues through the lens of three high-performing schools that each use a different type of blended learning. A few of the key topics will include:

• The role of the student and how to support students in the transition from traditional to blended learning
• Implications for teachers in their day-to-day work and overall role
• Impact on the way schools are designed including staffing models, use of time, hardware/software selection, and the use of data
• Implementation challenges, potential solutions, and the remaining open questions

We will live by the attributes of blended learning in this course, encouraging students to take quizzes at the beginning of the week to assess their understanding and skip material they already know. In addition, the course will culminate in participants prototyping their own blended learning model and will have an overall hands-on approach.

If you are interested in learning more about how to best leverage technology in education and rethink the way we run schools, join this MOOC and encourage your colleagues to do the same. Become a part of this growing movement and learn first-hand how blended learning can help provide students a more personalized learning experience. Consider signing up for the signature track so you can have a verified certificate of your completion of this course.

"Blended Learning: Personalizing Education for Students" explores the definition of blended learning and how to implement high-quality blended learning models. The topics covered in the course include:

• The definition of blended learning and several blended learning models
  
• The role of the student and how to support students in the transition from traditional to blended learning
• The role of the teacher and blended learning's implications for teachers in their day-to-day work and overall role
• The impact of blended learning on the way schools are designed including staffing models and use of time
• The selection of appropriate hardware and software in blended learning models and the use of space and the design of facilities
  
• A process for innovation and continuous improvement in blended learning models
  

This course is designed for anyone with a strong interest in blended learning. We anticipate participation from educators as well as parents and members of the education technology sector, philanthropy, non-profits, etc. That said, it is ideal to have some access to some form of a classroom (a friend, colleague, after school program, etc.) to take the most advantage of the course because we strongly believe in people being able to try out these ideas. That said, there are pathways in the course for people who have access to a classroom and those who do not.

Will I get a statement of Accomplishment after completing this class?

Yes. Students who successfully complete the class will receive a Statement of Accomplishment signed by the instructor. The signature track will also be available for this class. Signature track is a great opportunity to earn a verified certificate for your completion of this course - it links your coursework securely to your real identity and allows you to share your electronic course record with employers or anyone else through a unique, secure URL.

Do I need to be a classroom teacher to participate?

No. This course is designed for anyone with a strong interest in blended learning. We anticipate participants from the education technology sector, philanthropy, non-profits, parents, etc. also participating. That said, it is ideal to have some access to some form of a classroom (a friend, colleague, after school program, etc.) to take the most advantage of the course because we strongly believe in people being able to try out these ideas. That said, there are pathways in the course for people who have access to a classroom and those who do not.

What is different about this course than any other professional development about education technology?

This course is focused on the potential of blended learning to transform the way we setup classrooms and schools. We are not focused on simply putting computers into classrooms or layering technology on top of the existing system. This course focuses on the highest-quality blended learning we have seen so far, and schools that are working to get closer to the golden ideal of every student getting exactly what they need, when they need it. We’ll cover the basics of blended learning and then move quickly into all the implications for the role of the student, the role of the teacher, and the implications for how we design and run our schools.

Can I take the course with a friend or colleagues?

Definitely. Several schools are forming groups of colleagues, each signed up for the course, to work through the material and learn together. At minimum, we encourage you to email a friend or two as the social elements of learning have a strong impact on completion and enthusiasm for learning in the online setting. We also hope to cultivate a robust community forum during the course – which all experience tells us can be one of the most useful and dynamic elements of online learning. But like any learning, you’ll get out of it what you put into it. So we encourage folks to be fired up about their learning, try out the ideas we are learning themselves, and then create posts, videos, etc. so that we can all learn from each other. It is the “early innings” of this movement, and you as participants can really help shape the future of blended learning.