Planning & Designing Blended Courses

Design typically involves mapping out course elements, including situational factors, such as enrolment size and course context within the broader curriculum/discipline, along with the alignment of pedagogical aspects (learning outcomes, assessments, and learning activities). The key at this stage is to identify which components are best suited for online engagement and which are best suited for in-person engagement, and how the two can be integrated into a cohesive learning experience (Joosten et al., 2021). Having mapped out a visual representation of all course elements and how they are connected, the design decisions can be made with greater intentionality.

Once the design phase is complete, the next step is to develop the course activities, beginning with creating or curating any instructional media to be used for the asynchronous online component. In concert with instructional media, tools in Canvas or other approved educational technologies can be set up to help promote student interaction with the content and with each other through activities such as discussion forums, collaborative team projects, or peer review.

After the course components have been developed in Canvas, it is important to get a final review of the course to ensure everything is functional from the student perspective. When the course launches, the instructor role during the term rotates between facilitating learning online and delivering in-person class sessions.

It is important to have a shared understanding of the various communication channels used in a course and the purpose of each. From the outset, consider adding a communication guide, within or in addition to the syllabus, to spell out expectations for communication outside of scheduled class hours. Alternatively, create a charter with students at the beginning of the course to build consensus around communication guidelines as well as shared expectations for completion of the asynchronous online components. It helps to clarify when and why each communication channel will be used (e.g., email, office hours, Canvas announcements, discussion forums, or a class chat group).

Another key to successful blended learning experiences is to strike a balance of activities that promote a mix of learner-content interaction, learner-learner interaction, and learner-teacher interaction. Engaging blended courses include a balanced mix of these interaction types in both the asynchronous online component and the in-class sessions.

“It takes a degree of letting go, and really reframing your role as instructor in the classroom. If you aren't in the classroom with your students every week, it's easy to start worrying about whether everyone is on track. You have to trust in the process. I found I have started to think of myself as a facilitator of learning. When I design online components now, I'm not thinking ‘how can I replicate myself virtually through Zoom calls,’ I'm thinking ‘how I can create an overall learning flow of which my presence is just one part?'"

– Amanda Watson, Senior Lecturer, Sociology & Anthropology

“With any course, whether blended or traditional, it is important to be intentional and think through what you want students to get out of the course. Blended design has the added challenge of thinking through what it is you want them to get out of the various online and in-person activities, and how to integrate the different environments to make for a cohesive course. This requires a lot of up-front planning and preparation; you basically need to have the whole course built before the semester starts.”

– Evan Tiffany, Associate Professor & Chair, Philosophy