番茄社区 Blended Learning Procedures
Intent
To identify and define the philosophy, scope, principles and procedures for the use of blended learning environments for students and staff at 番茄社区 in order to enhance student learning, success and engagement and to impact positively on the student experience.
Scope
This policy applies to all staff and students and relates to aspects of the Learning, Teaching and Assessment Policy, the Strategic Intent and the University Plan.
Definitions
Blended learning - refers to learning design that strategically, systematically and effectively integrates a range of face-to-face, online, mobile, distance, open, social and other technology enhanced learning across physical and virtual environments, as informed and driven by student needs and support for desired learning activities and learning outcomes.
Flexible delivery - refers to how the timing, pace, content, assessment and location (in both virtual and physical environments) of learning can be varied, personalised and chosen by the student to suit their needs, whilst still meeting the desired learning outcomes. The extent of variability will be determined by course and/or subject requirements.
Digital literacy - refers to the ability to locate, evaluate, choose, use and create technologies effectively, critically and safely for lifelong learning. Students require digital literacy to locate, engage, interact, create, share and communicate with a range of learning technologies in order to access subject information, participate in learning activities, collaborate with peers and complete assessment tasks. Staff require digital literacy to communicate, support, motivate and inspire learning for students in contemporary learning environments.
Learning technologies - are the “broad range of communication, information and related technologies that can be used to support learning, teaching and assessment” (Association for Learning Technology, 2012)
Mode of delivery - refers to whether a subject is delivered internally, externally or via limited mode. Blended learning can, and should be, integrated into any subject regardless of mode of delivery.
Background
This policy is written to support the recommendations of the ‘番茄社区 The Future: Crystallising our Purpose’ – “building a high quality on-campus experience that is flexible and technology enabled”. Face-to-face and on-campus delivery remains an important aspect of the 番茄社区 learning and teaching model, including the promotion of place-based learning at our campuses and field locations. A high quality on-campus learning experience is enhanced by the use of learning technologies that enable increased student access to learning resources online. Approaches to blended learning will vary by campus (ie: Singapore approach to mobile learning is well embedded and should be built upon).
Blended learning at 番茄社区 is based on the following principles:
Students are inspired, motivated and engaged to learn, through blended learning approaches that vary according to their appropriateness to the particular learning context.
Staff are encouraged and supported to adopt fit-for-purpose and innovative blended learning approaches. These approaches are enabled by academic and professional partnerships and appropriate institutional investment in learning technologies.
Digital literacy is recognised as an important graduate attribute and a core skill for academic staff.
Flexible delivery options are offered to reflect the needs of students, the intended learning outcomes and the availability of resources.
Blended learning will not always include flexible delivery and so will not always provide students a choice of where and when they can study.
Blended learning and flexible delivery are chosen to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes and not just to reduce the costs of delivering teaching or to reduce teaching loads. In some circumstances, blended learning and flexible delivery may require increased investment of resources to ensure sustainable delivery of high quality learning and teaching.
Technology is considered an opportunity to capture data regarding patterns of student participation (learning analytics) to inform monitoring for at-risk students, to promote just-in-time learner support and to provide information to students.
In order for students to be at the heart of the University, blended learning approaches at 番茄社区 must: | |
Blended Learning Policy | Procedures |
Ensure the diversity of our students, their learning preferences, preparedness and the life circumstances that impact on student engagement with learning informs the design and choice of blended learning and flexible delivery approaches. | Deans of College will support Course Coordinators, in collaboration with Subject Coordinators and teaching staff, to:
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Ensure that students are provided with consistent and easy access to services, information, tools and resources necessary to facilitate and enable student learning and engagement. | Information, Technology and Resources (ITR) and Centre for Education and Enhancement (CEE), in collaboration with the Deputy Vice Chancellors – Academy and Education, will:
ITR will:
Estate Office and Divisions will:
Subject Coordinators and teaching staff will:
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Utilise approaches that enable and encourage interaction, collaboration and communication between students and staff and create a sense of belonging to the university learning community. | Course Coordinators, with the support of Deans of College will support Subject Coordinators and teaching staff to:
ITR , in collaboration with the Division of Academic and Student Life, will:
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Include opportunities to develop the digital literacy of students through orientation to virtual environments used for learning and teaching and in discipline specific contexts over the course of their degree. | CEE and Course Coordinators will support Subject Coordinators and teaching staff to:
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In order for course and subject design to meet the principles set out in the Learning, Teaching and Assessment Policy, those who design and teach must: | |
Blended Learning Policy | Procedures |
Design courses where blended learning approaches are embedded in overall curriculum design and are logically linked to learning outcomes. | Associate Deans of Learning and Teaching (ADLTs) and Deans of College will support Course Coordinators, in collaboration with Subject Coordinators and teaching staff to:
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Ensure learning technologies and face-to-face teaching approaches are chosen to best meet the desired course and subject learning outcomes and support student learning and engagement. | Subject Coordinators will:
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Regularly review blended learning approaches used in subjects across the whole course of study for applicability, relevance and best practice in relation to student needs and desired learning outcomes. | ADLTs and Course Coordinators will support Subject Coordinators and teaching staff to:
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Ensure subjects use a minimum standard of technology to enable blended learning. | Course Coordinators will support Subject Coordinators to:
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In order to implement blended learning institutionally, the University must: | |
Blended Learning Policy | Procedures |
Ensure staff are recruited, trained, supported, resourced and recognised for effective and innovative blended learning approaches at an institutional level. | Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academy and the Dean, CEE will:
Deputy Vice Chancellors, Human Resources, Deans of Colleges and Course Coordinators will:
Course Coordinators will support Subject Coordinators to:
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Invest in, research and support online infrastructure and learning spaces that allow for blended learning approaches, including online student feedback, analytics, online submission of assignments, student created content, student sharing of own content and personalised student communications. | ITR, CEE, Library Services and other relevant student services will:
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Related documents, legislation and 番茄社区 statutes
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
Tertiary Education Quality Standards Authority (TEQSA) Higher Education Standards Framework
番茄社区 Framework for Consideration of Funding and Support of Learning Technologies
番茄社区 Learning, Teaching and Assessment Policy
番茄社区 Strategic Intent
番茄社区 University Plan
Administration
Approval Details
Policy Domain | Academic Governance |
Policy Sub-domain | Learning and Teaching |
Policy Custodian | Deputy Vice Chancellor, Education |
Approval Authority | Academic Board |
Date for next Major Review | 11/08/2017 |
Revision History
Version | Amendment date | Description of changes | Author |
1.0 | 11/08/2014 | Policy established |
Keywords | blended learning, flexible delivery, digital literacy, learning technologies, mode of delivery |
Contact person |