Student transitions into blended learning - challenges and solutions
Josephine Adekola, Vicki Dale, Kerr Gardiner, Kate Powell
The proposed workshop will focus on the challenges students experience when transitioning into blended learning. This may be at the start of their university education, or during their studies when introduced to a blended course or programme for the first time. The proposed workshop will begin with a short presentation about the experiences of students from the University of Glasgow. Our research has shown that students appreciate the flexibility of blended learning and recognise the skills developed because of their engagement with it. However, it does introduce challenges around perceived interaction with staff, time management and online assessment literacy. These challenges are greater for international students studying in UK higher education for the first time.
In the first activity, staff and student participants will be encouraged to consider the particular challenges facing students at their own institutions, in relation to blended learning, before a second small group activity designed to elicit solutions. The workshop will conclude with a summary discussion of key points and a discussion about how potential solutions may be implemented, including how institutions might work together to support students. The findings from the workshop will be summarised as an article for the Enhancement Themes newsletter and incorporated into our student-facing multimedia output