Definitions: blended learning- challenges and strategies

What can we learn from the different conceptualisations discussed in the previous step? For me, there are two main ‘takeaways’:

• Firstly, there are many forms of blended learning reflecting the variety of ways that its different dimensions can be blended together.
• Secondly, as yet, there is still no settled definition of blended learning and its different variants that is universally accepted.

In the United Kingdom, to help develop understanding and ways of talking about concepts such as blended, hybrid and flipped learning, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has produced Building a Taxonomy for Digital Learning. By developing a common language, the QAA hopes that universities will be able to explain in more detail the digitally-enhanced education they offer. As a consequence, students will be better equipped with the information they need to compare providers and make more informed choices about where they would like to study.

To develop our own understanding of three of the most important forms of blended learning, we turn to three experts, Norman Vaughan, Russell Stannard and Peter Bryant. In this first video, Norman Vaughan, the co-author (with Randy Garrison) of the seminal (2008) Blended Learning in Higher Education, talks about some of the challenges when thinking about blended learning. He also sets out some really helpful advice encompassing where to start when designing a blended learning course, the pedagogy of blended learning and the importance of engaging in blended learning research. Focus attention on these as you watch the video.