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Desautels Blended Course Offerings
Undergraduate Courses
Accounting
ACCT 385: Principles of Taxation
Course instructor: Preetika Joshi
Next blended offering: Fall 2024
First blended offering: Fall 2023
Structure:
- 70% in person
- 30% online:
- Pre-recorded videos
- Exercises and practice questions
- Synchronous classes (guest speakers)
ACCT 351: Intermediate Financial Accounting I
Course instructor: Melissa Marginson
Coming Fall 2024
Structure:
- 75% in person
- 15% online:
- Pre-recorded videos
- Exercises and practice questions
Organizational Behaviour
ORGB 423: Human Resources Management
Course instructor: Tatiana Lamoureux Gauvin
Next blended offerings: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
First blended offerings: Fall 2023, Winter 2024
Structure:
- 75% in person
- 15% online:
- Pre-recorded videos
- Mini-quizzes and graded Think & Apply activities
ORGB 321: Leadership
Course instructor: Chantal Westgate
Next blended offering: Fall 2024
First blended offering: Summer 2024
Structure:
- 62% in person
- 38% online:
- Pre-recorded videos
- Engagement checks and graded discussion board activities
- Synchronous classes (60 or 90-minute interactive activities)
Strategy and Organization
MGPO 362: Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship
Course instructor: Daphne Demetry
Next blended offering: Winter 2026 (TBC)
First blended offering: Winter 2024
Structure:
- 54% in person
- 46% online:
- Pre-recorded videos
- Engagement checks, graded discussion board and annotated reading activities
- Synchronous classes (guest speakers)
MGPO 475: Strategies for Developing Countries
Course instructor: Paola Perez-Aleman
Coming Fall 2024
Finance
FINE 441: Investment Management
Course instructor: Benjamin Croitoru and Vihang Errunza
Coming Fall 2024
Graduate Courses
FINE 684 Fixed Income Analysis
Course instructor: Jan Ericsson
Next blended offering: Winter 2025 (TBC)
First blended offering: Winter 2024
Structure:
- 69% in person
- 31 % online:
- Pre-recorded videos
- Exercises
INSY 691: Advanced Topics in Management Information Systems 2
Course instructor: Hyunji So
Next blended offering: Winter 2025 (TBC)
First blended offering: Winter 2024
Structure:
- 70% in person
- 30% online:
- Pre-recorded videos
- Exercises and graded mini-quizzes
- Synchronous classes (labs)
INSY 660 Coding Foundation for Analytics
Course instructor: Hyunji So
Next blended offering: Summer 2024
First blended offering: Summer 2023
Structure:
- 62% in person
- 38% online:
- Pre-recorded videos
- Exercises and graded mini-quizzes
- Synchronous classes (labs)
MGSC 660 Mathematics and Statistical Foundations
Course instructor: Mehmet Gumus
Next blended offering: Summer 2024
First blended offering: Summer 2023
Structure:
- 54% in person
- 46% online:
- Pre-recorded videos
- Exercises and peer knowledge exchange on discussion board
- Synchronous classes (Q&A, review)
Blended Learning Outcomes
Learning in a blended modality can foster critical skills that will prepare students to succeed in an evolving digital world.
After taking a blended course, students will be able to:
- Recognize the importance of effective time management
- Adapt to different learning environments
- Gain proficiency in using educational technologies
- Reflect on their experience and share feedback
Benefits and Expectations of Blended Learning
Blended courses offer pedagogical benefits for students. There are equally important expectations to keep in mind while learning in a blended modality.
Benefits:
- Flexible learning experience: Having access to a portion of the course content online allows students the flexibility to engage with content when it suits them.
- Enhanced engagement: Well-designed blended courses allow students to engage deeply with their peers, instructors, and the course content to create a rich and meaningful learning experience (Joosten et al., 2021). Blended learning can also provide students with alternative ways to engage with each other and their instructors.
- For instance, students who experience barriers to participating in in-class discussions may find that moderated online discussions allow for increased academic engagement, as well as more social connectedness.
- Positive impact on learning and satisfaction: When executed in a quality-controlled way, blended learning can combine the best of the online and in-person instruction worlds by strategically aligning the course learning outcomes with the teaching modality (Dziuban et al., 2018; Joosten et al., 2021; Means et al., 2013; Picciano, 2006).
- As a result, students typically report increased achievement and satisfaction (Bernard et al., 2014; Joosten et al., 2021).
- Increased accessibility to course materials: Online course content, including select assessment tasks, are made available to students in myCourses
- Materials should adhere to the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure students have an inclusive learning environment.
Expectations:
- Attend synchronous activities: Attending in-person and online synchronous classes in blended courses is required (unless the instructor specifies otherwise).
- Courses have been designed to strategically align learning outcomes for each class with a teaching modality.
- Students are also encouraged to attend office hours and study sessions and use these meetings as opportunities to check in and stay on track.
- Establish a clear schedule: Develop a consistent daily schedule that includes dedicated study time.
- Students can block time in their calendar to complete asynchronous course activities and help create structure.
- Stay organized: Become familiar with what is expected in the course in terms of assessment tasks and participation.
- Use digital tools, planners, or course calendars to keep track of classes, assessment tasks and due dates.
- For example, regularly consult the course calendar and note when to be on campus. If there is an online synchronous class to attend, plan to find a quiet place to join from.
- Engage with the course, your peers, and the instructor:
- The courses have been carefully designed with opportunities to put theory into practice. The more students engage with the course activities and content, the better they will be able to apply their knowledge to reinforce learning.
- Connect with fellow students in online discussions, virtual meetups, and group projects. This will not only enhance students’ understanding of the material but will also help build a classroom community.
- Ask questions or seek clarification. Use email, discussions, or office hours to stay connected. The course outline will provide information on how best to connect with the instructor.
FAQ
1. Why should I take a blended course?
Our blended courses have been professionally designed by instructors and a course design team to strategically integrate online and in-person course activities necessary for students to achieve the learning outcomes. There are also several documented benefits for students.
2. What do blended courses look like?
No two blended courses are alike! Watch this video to learn more. All blended courses at Desautels incorporate online course activities, such as high-quality videos that might cover key course concepts and definitions. These are typically paired with interactive knowledge checks in myCourses. Topics are categorized into modules in myCourses. For a breakdown of online activities in the blended courses we offer, please consult the blended course offerings.
3. Where do I go to attend class?
In-person classes will be held in the classroom as indicated in the regular course schedule on Minerva. Synchronous online classes are held on Zoom, and online asynchronous activities are completed on myCourses. Your classroom will always be available during class time for in-person classes or as a quiet place to complete online activities.
4. Where can I watch pre-recorded videos?
Some of your classes have been replaced by asynchronous online activities, such as pre-recorded videos. You can watch these videos at home, in the library, in your classroom (during the designated class time), or you can book a discussion room.
5. How do I communicate with the instructor and other students?
In blended courses, the majority of activities are scheduled in-person. This means that you can communicate with your instructors and peers as usual in the in-person classes. The course outline will also share information on how best to communicate with your instructor; this may be during office hours and through email. Blended courses also provide opportunities for online participation, using discussion boards, surveys and other tools in myCourses to further communication with your instructors and peers.
6. Does a blended course affect credit?
No, blended courses have the same number of credits as the in-person equivalent of the course.
7. I want to register for a blended course. How will I know if a course is being offered as blended?
A course will be indicated as blended in Minerva at, or shortly after, the time of registration. Our blended course offering list is also kept up to date. A course offered in the Fall and Winter terms may only be offered as blended in one of the two terms, depending on the instructor(s) assigned to teach the course.
8. Am I required to take a blended course?
Unless the course is a requirement for your program, you are not required to enroll.
9. Will I have the opportunity to share feedback on a blended course I’m taking?
Yes! Angela Guadagno (Academic Associate at TLS and Desautels) will visit your class towards the end of the semester to circulate a form and gather feedback on your blended learning experience. If you have feedback you’d like to share in advance, please feel free to reach out to tls.mgmt [at] mcgill.ca.
