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Benefits and Expectations for Instructors Teaching Blended Courses
Blended courses offer pedagogical benefits for instructors. There are equally important expectations to keep in mind before committing to redesigning a course as blended.
Benefits:
- Flexible course design: Blended courses allow for flexibility with modality—online or in-person, synchronous or asynchronous. Strategically aligning learning outcomes with teaching modality can potentially better support students’ achievement of those outcomes (Dziuban et al., 2018; Joosten et al., 2021; Means et al., 2013; Picciano, 2006).
- For example, a course that normally meets in person once a week for three hours might meet in person for three hours on some weeks and 1.5 hours on other weeks if the learning outcome would be better achieved by students doing work away from class.
- Facilitators of learning: Just as students benefit from increased opportunities to engage with their instructors, it is well documented that instructors also benefit from these interactions (Archambault et al., 2010; Terry et al., 2018; Wicks et al., 2015).
- By design, blended courses call for more student autonomy and thus change the nature of the pedagogy such that instructors take on more of a facilitator role (Archambault et al., 2010).
- This shift in the instructor’s role can shape their academic and interpersonal abilities beyond the classroom setting.
- Teaching innovation: The multi-modality of blended courses, along with the variety of McGill-approved learning technologies, might inspire instructors to be innovative with the teaching and assessment strategies they implement.
- Efficiency: Blended course design requires a substantial effort upfront but can save you time in the long-term.
- Content will likely require minor updates over the course lifecycle (approx. 3 years).
- Certain tasks, such as grading and providing feedback, can be automated, thereby providing students with more timely feedback and saving instructors’ time.
Expectations:
- Plan ahead: If you are interested in participating in this initiative and have sound pedagogical reasons for doing so, consider submitting a request to teach a blended course 6-12 months before the expected course launch date.
- Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, but no later than 4 months before a course launch date.
- Time commitment: Designing a blended course often takes more time than planning and implementing a fully in-person course.
- Including instructor-produced audio and video recordings in course content is common in blended courses but may not be a familiar practice for some instructors.
- The time needed often depends on the quantity and complexity of online components that need to be created and the skill the instructor brings to the task. For some, recording a 10-minute video for an asynchronous online activity in myCourses may be more time consuming than planning a three-hour in person class.
- Therefore, instructors new to designing a blended course should not be surprised that it could take several months just to create the online course content.
- Your time commitment may include weekly or biweekly meetings with the Course Design Team, content creation, producing recordings, final quality checks, etc.
- Think out of the box: Be prepared to think out of the box in your course structure. This means dividing the course content into modules, each with articulated learning outcomes, and likely reconceptualizing assessment tasks.
- Our Course Design Team will work with you to draft a high-level overview of the teaching and assessment strategies, sequence the course activities within each module using a content template, and identify which course activities will be synchronous (in person or online) and which will be asynchronous. We will also propose the use of various learning technologies to support student learning.
- Continuous Improvement: A 3-year systematic approach of course reviews (adapted from Online Programs) is taken to understand if changes are needed in content, teaching strategy, technology, etc.
- Implementing changes based on feedback from both students and the instructor(s) is critical to continuously improving the course.
Want to learn more?
Contact angela.guadagno [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Blended%20Learning) (Angela Guadagno) and/or consult the FAQ section. Applications for blended courses are solicited by tls.mgmt [at] mcgill.ca (TLS at Desautels) at multiple points throughout the year (typically in August, November, January and April).
Instructors wishing to participate in this initiative are invited to submit a request using this form at least 6 months prior to the launch date of a course, focusing on their pedagogical rationale.
FAQ
1. Why is McGill Desautels offering blended courses?
An increasing number of business schools across the globe are implementing blended and online course and program options, expanding their reach, and diversifying their pedagogical opportunities. By adopting new technologies, we can remain competitive and overcome barriers of time and space. Our current objective is to increase the number of blended courses at Desautels in a sustainable manner, so that all students can experience a flexible learning environment that incorporates high-quality online and in-person course activities. Blended courses contribute to student success because their purposeful design fosters engagement and enhances the learning experience. Integration of in-person and online interactions, done strategically and collaboratively, is crucial to maintaining Desautels at the forefront of management education.
2. When did this initiative begin and how has it progressed?
Since 2022, we have produced 10 high-quality blended courses across programs and areas and received feedback from over 600 students. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with most students expressing their willingness to enroll in blended courses again and reporting satisfaction with blended delivery. At the same time, we built important capacity to support future efforts that are aligned with sound blended pedagogical principles. We purchased new audiovisual equipment to record videos, created Desautels-branded templates for myCourses, and leveraged tools that add interactivity to online components. To support this initiative, the Faculty convened a Course Design Team, as well as a Blended Teaching and Learning Committee that oversees blended course offerings. Committee members have developed blended teaching resources and systematically review requests submitted by instructors to teach blended.
3. Why should I teach a blended course?
There are several documented benefits for students, as well as for instructors. Above all reasons, there must be pedagogical value in shifting to a blended model.
4. Do I need permission to offer my course in a blended modality?
Yes. Requests to teach blended are solicited by TLS at Desautels on a rolling basis at multiple points throughout the year. To be considered blended, courses include at least 15% and less than 50% of all classes online. Requests may be submitted through this form and are reviewed by the Blended Teaching and Learning Committee. Please keep in mind that requests should be submitted 6-12 months before a course is expected to launch.
5. What support is available to instructors to redesign a course as blended?
All blended courses are designed with support from the Course Design Team. We meet regularly with instructors to plan, develop, and implement online and in-person teaching strategies in their courses. Instructors can borrow audiovisual equipment from our team to record their videos. Our Learning Associate formats PowerPoint slides and edits videos, and the Learning Technology Consultant builds the content in myCourses.
6. How much time do I need to redesign a course as blended?
The development of new online course components will require a time investment from participating instructors. The time needed often depends on the quantity and complexity of online course activities that need to be created and the skill the instructor brings to the task. For some, recording a 10-minute video for an asynchronous online activity in myCourses may be more time consuming than planning a three-hour in person class. Instructors who have participated in this initiative averaged approximately 75 hours of total work to redesign their course as blended. This includes weekly or bi-weekly meetings with the course design team, recording videos, writing content for course activities, etc. Course design work is typically spread over 4-6 months.
7. How will students know they are signing up for a blended course?
A note about the blended modality will appear in Minerva when students are registering for the course. Instructors are also asked to include a blended course statement in their course outline.
