Blended+Learning+for+Administrators

=Blended Learning for Administrators = Seven Principles for Good Practice
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The University of Hawaii put forth the following Seven Principles for Good Practice:

1. Encourage contact between students and teacher Frequent student-teacher contact is the most important factor in student motivation and engagement in a course. Teacher concern helps students get through rough times and keep working.

2. Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students Learning is enhanced when it is more like a team effort than a solo race. Good learning, like good work, is collaborative and social, not competitive and isolated. Working with others often increases involvement in learning. Sharing one's own ideas and responding to others' reactions sharpens thinking and deepens understanding.

3. Use active learning techniques Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn much just by listening to teachers, memorizing pre-packaged assignments, and spitting out answers. They must talk about what they are learning, write about it, relate it to past experiences and apply it to their daily lives. They must make what they learn part of themselves.

4. Give prompt feedback Knowing what you know and don't know focuses learning. Students need feedback on performance to benefit from courses. When getting started, students need help in assessing existing knowledge and competence. Students need frequent opportunities to perform and receive suggestions for improvement. At various points during the course, students need chances to reflect on what they have learned, what they still need to know, and how to assess themselves.

5. Emphasize time on task Time plus energy equals learning. There is no substitute for time on task. Learning to use one's time well is critical for students and teachers alike. Students need help in learning effective time management. Allocating realistic amounts of time means effective learning for students and effective teaching for teachers.

6. Communicate high expectations Expect more and you will get more. High expectations are important for everyone, for the poorly prepared, for those unwilling to exert themselves, and for the bright and well motivated.

7. Respect diverse talents and different ways of learning There are many roads to learning. People bring different talents and styles of learning to the class (even the virtual class). Students need the opportunity to show their talents and learn in ways that works for them. Then they can be pushed to learn in new ways that do not come easily.

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Putting Principles into practice:

How does one design activities that encourage and require students to work together, exchange ideas, and learn? How does a teacher assign students to groups so that they will be successful? How does an instructor help groups of students work productively while discouraging 'social loafing' and other problems? How can instructors assign grades when students work in grou ps? What is the best mix of group and individual accountability? ||