Media and Technology for Blended Learning
At a glance
Given the presence and establishment of a Learning Management System (LMS) in higher education, many educators will look to leverage this digital, online space to host a combination of media and various technologies to support the asynchronous activities that students engage with. However, there are a host of considerations on what, and to what degree, should these be used.
In depth
There is no mandate for the use of digital technologies or media for the asynchronous activities that support blended modes of delivery: But they do have some affordances.
Before you decide to go down the path of any tool, technology, or media, you need to ask yourself what are you trying to achieve with this 'thing' [pedagogical intent]. There could be some other opportunity or experience that could achieve that outcome better.
If you have decided on using either media (audio, video, imagery) or some technological tool, consider the following more specifically, particularly in the curation and/or development of it --
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When you start the process of adapting a subject to blended delivery, it's usually tempting to find existing media - audio, video, imagery - that is 'freely' available online.
However, your own needs for the resource will typically differ from the creator of any resource you may find. This can be as simple as the purpose of the resource (in relation to an outcome), or even more nuanced such as terminology or examples used within.
When time is limited, it makes sense to try and find something to 'do the job™' - but you should ensure to contextualise it's use. That includes explaining why you're using this particular resource (instead of creating your own) and also addressing any limitations or assumptions contained within (eg. terminology differences).
Then, consider how you might be able to create your own version - either independently or collaborating with the WCLA - for future iterations of the subject. These don't have to be 'high budget' productions. You can consider what type of video might work best for your use case and context by consulting this matrix; you can also see a comparison of tools and programs that can assist your creation here.
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This is specifically related to tools or technologies you will likely want to embed or make available through the LMS that is different to multimedia. Think of things like interactives such as H5P or Perusall.
Both of these allow students to reflect and do 'quick checks' on their understanding of content, though each offers something different, and the amount of time to configure can vary based on experience or expertise.
Critically, it's also important to consider what the student is 'seeing' or experiencing when faced with these tools.
With that in mind, it should shape the considerations for the tool being leveraged, and how it fits into the overall flow of the online / blended delivery, and more importantly - how it relates to the rest of the subject content for the week.
If you're unsure of which tool to use given a particular pedagogical need, you can consult the interactive tools matrix to get some ideas.
The WCLA can even possibly help to create more complex interactives using some customised programs - so be sure to reach out to them.