Abstract
Background
The COVID-19 lockdown forced teachers to adapt fast from on-campus to online education. Many teachers started experimenting with online tools for the first time. The end of the lockdown posed an important question: back-to-usual, or harness this learning and effort? Blended Learning (BL), a combination of on-campus and online education, could be the answer. BL has been shown to increase student engagement and better address higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) training. However, its implementation and redesign of courses at the Bachelor’s level are challenging due to factors such as large
classes and teachers’ lack of experience.
Aim
To improve university education by using BL redesign, describing the process, comparing the satisfaction of teachers and students in two courses that integrate BL redesign, and deriving a set of recommendations for implementation.
Methods
Two courses in the Bachelor Psychology program at Tilburg University, which registers about 700 students annually, were chosen. A core team of experts, course coordinators, and student assistants were key to redesigning the courses with BL and constructive alignment. Qualitative (interviews with teachers) and quantitative methods (questionnaires for students) were employed to evaluate the courses.
Results
Courses were redesigned by rewriting learning goals and syllabi, making them more concrete, clearer, and more student-centered. Storyboards were designed to illustrate the connection between online and on-campus activities. Formative and continuous assessment opportunities were implemented throughout the course. During midterm evaluations student satisfaction with the redesigned activities was high for Course 1, particularly the videos, lectures, quizzes, and portfolio. The evaluations were more modest for Course 2, but highly appreciated were an animated knowledge clip, lectures, practicals,
and quizzes. Teachers were satisfied with the BL redesign and indicated their willingness to use BL for the next academic year.
Conclusion This was a first step to implement BL in two Bachelor’s courses. Our findings show that BL redesign was possible in the Bachelor Psychology curriculum with a large number of students, limited time of staff, and COVID-19 restrictions. The overall experience was positive and insights for best practices are now applicable to many courses.
The COVID-19 lockdown forced teachers to adapt fast from on-campus to online education. Many teachers started experimenting with online tools for the first time. The end of the lockdown posed an important question: back-to-usual, or harness this learning and effort? Blended Learning (BL), a combination of on-campus and online education, could be the answer. BL has been shown to increase student engagement and better address higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) training. However, its implementation and redesign of courses at the Bachelor’s level are challenging due to factors such as large
classes and teachers’ lack of experience.
Aim
To improve university education by using BL redesign, describing the process, comparing the satisfaction of teachers and students in two courses that integrate BL redesign, and deriving a set of recommendations for implementation.
Methods
Two courses in the Bachelor Psychology program at Tilburg University, which registers about 700 students annually, were chosen. A core team of experts, course coordinators, and student assistants were key to redesigning the courses with BL and constructive alignment. Qualitative (interviews with teachers) and quantitative methods (questionnaires for students) were employed to evaluate the courses.
Results
Courses were redesigned by rewriting learning goals and syllabi, making them more concrete, clearer, and more student-centered. Storyboards were designed to illustrate the connection between online and on-campus activities. Formative and continuous assessment opportunities were implemented throughout the course. During midterm evaluations student satisfaction with the redesigned activities was high for Course 1, particularly the videos, lectures, quizzes, and portfolio. The evaluations were more modest for Course 2, but highly appreciated were an animated knowledge clip, lectures, practicals,
and quizzes. Teachers were satisfied with the BL redesign and indicated their willingness to use BL for the next academic year.
Conclusion This was a first step to implement BL in two Bachelor’s courses. Our findings show that BL redesign was possible in the Bachelor Psychology curriculum with a large number of students, limited time of staff, and COVID-19 restrictions. The overall experience was positive and insights for best practices are now applicable to many courses.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Tilburg University |
| Publication status | Published - 2023 |
Publication series
| Name | Tilburg Series in Academic Education |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Tilburg University Press |
