When going through topic 4 (design for online and blended learning) many of our discussions focused on different types of presence and retention. We came to realize the importance of defining the context before planning and designing a course or activities within a course.
When planning blended or online learning strategies, variation is a key issue to take into consideration (Sharpe et.al, 2006) and they emphasize the relationship between content and experience, which means that teachers should design a space for learning with various strategies to experience the object of learning.
Blended learning is understood through the framework of Community of Inquiry (CoI). According to Vaughan et.al (2013) CoI focuses on the social nature of education and the importance of collaboration, discussions and interaction to construct knowledge. Learning is a process of inquiry, where reflective and collaborative experiences are of importance for intended goals and learning outcomes. Cornerstones in CoI are social presence (SP), cognitive presence (CP) and teaching presence (TP). SP is about feeling trust towards others to enable an open communication and group collaboration. CP is about learning from experiences through reflections on to further experiences in a cyclical way. TP is about engaging the students in the educational process through design, facilitation, and instructions of learning activities.
In today’s context where the line between “emergency remote teaching and online learning” (Hodges, 2020) has become “the new blended”, it is a challenge for educators to design places, spaces and activities that are relevant and that leads to student retention and presence. Having more than ten years experience of teaching online (not blended) courses I can only agree with Dutton et al (1999, in Weller et.al 2018) where they say that online students showed a 72.2% completion rate whereas the campus-based course saw a completion rate of 90.3%. Our experience is similar and even more differentiated – where the ratio is around 60% for online and 90% for campus based courses. The past two years we have seen this decrease in completion rate for online courses and an amateur analysis would be that students that usually choose online learning do it for particular reasons (work, family, flexibility). One strong correlation I have seen is between collaborative activities and retention. If students are forced into collaborative tasks, they lose their flexibility and it is easy to “drop out”.
In today’s context where ALL learners are online – we might chase away the “onliners” and focus on the “emergency remoters”. So how can we create an environment which fits both target groups? How can we create presence and thereby student retention?
The ICEBERG principles (Van Ameijde et.al 2018) can be one way to design activities for retention. In the reflections we did for topic 4, I tried to connect these principles to the CoI framework to figure out what type of presence we can see.
- Integrated – Learning materials are constructively aligned: activities and other materials support assessment, ultimately helping students pass the module. = Teaching Presence
- Collaborative – Learning activities include opportunities for students to articulate concepts to one another and reflect on them in new contexts. Collaboration also builds connections between students, helping them feel part of a supportive community. = Social and Cognitive Presence
- Engaging – Learning materials connect to students’ interests and goals via case studies, readings, and varied activities. The academic team should be visible to students too, so that they can ‘hear’ the real people behind the curriculum. = Teaching and Social Presence
- Balanced – Workload is manageable and evenly distributed throughout the module. Sudden jumps in effort needed can be alarming and may not fit in around students’ other commitments. = Teaching and Cognitive Presence
- Economical – Learning materials cover what’s needed to ensure students meet the learning outcomes – and nothing more. Other content – however interesting – can distract students and upset their planning. = Teaching Presence
- Reflective – Activities include opportunities for regular reflection to help students test their understanding and see their progress. = Social and Cognitive Presence
- Gradual – Materials build understanding and skills gradually, helping students grasp the basics before exploring more complex concepts. = Social – Cognitive – Teaching Presence
The next level would be to add the dimension of the actual Iceberg – where is the line between what principles and types of presence are above and below the surface?
Hodges, C. et.al (2020). The Difference Between Emergency Remote Teaching and Online Learning. EDUCAUSE review.
Sharpe, R., Benfield, G., Roberts, G., Francis, R., (2006). The undergraduate experience of blended e-learning: A review of UK literature and practice. The Higher Education Academy.
Vaughan, N. D., Cleveland-Innes, M., & Garrison, D. R. (2013). Teaching in blended learning environments: Creating and sustaining communities of inquiry. Edmonton: AU Press. Chapter 1 “The Community of Inquiry Conceptual framework”. / Download the whole book.
Weller, M., van Ameijde, J. & Cross, S. (2018). Learning Design for Student Retention. Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 6(2)
Weller, M., van Ameijde, J. & Cross, S. (2018). Learning Design for Student Retention. Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 6(2)
