Blended Learning: Across the Disciplines, across the Academy ed. by Francine S. Glazer (review)

Higher education is undergoing a profound transition, moving from a historic classroom model to an online delivery model. This transition should come as no surprise, for technological innovation has provided the opportunity for students to obtain an online degree. In fact, students are demanding flexible educational opportunities regardless of geographical borders. With the onset of new technologies and communication channels in the educational realm, individuals who were once unable to pursue higher education for a myriad of reasons (i.e., location, job, family) are now able to utilize the flexibility of an online education program.

As a consequence of this rapidly evolving educational landscape, institutions of higher education are struggling to catch up in developing an effective educational delivery and learning model that meets the needs of all institutional stakeholders. According to Allen and Seaman (2011), for example, a study including data from 2,500 colleges and universities revealed that 65% of all reporting institutions identified online learning as a critical component of their long-term institutional strategy. Blended Learning by Francine S. Glazer provides a variety of pedagogical approaches for implementing blended learning programs across a wide range of academic disciplines.

Glazer begins her discussion with a conceptual definition of blended learning which she defines as courses “in which a significant amount of seat time, that is, time spent in the classroom, is replaced with online activities that involve students in meeting course objectives” (p. 1). She observes that current research has indicated that blended learning courses report more positive outcomes than courses that are either entirely synchronous or entirely asynchronous.

Glazer outlines eight characteristics of successful blended learning courses. The courses must demand active learning, support numerous pedagogical approaches, create time (work done online can be applied to one’s studies), be layered, give every student a voice, maximize the value of face-to-face time, help students organize their knowledge, and encourage self-directed learning.

She highlights each of these necessary elements for effective blended learning in the following six chapters contributed by six authors by applying them to various case studies. Each case is nested in a different academic discipline, contributed by blended learning instructors in diverse areas such as the culinary arts, anthropology, biology, music, and technology.

Each case contributor takes a unique perspective on constructing a blended learning course. Further, each discusses challenges with technology, collaboration, and content integration from his or her unique viewpoint. Contributors appear to place heavy emphasis on course assessment techniques, ultimately deeming the component most important for effective approaches to blended learning. Appendices featuring assessment rubrics and learning modules are included in each case study, providing the reader with helpful implementation tips.

In Chapter 1, Carl Beknke examines blended learning in his discipline: culinary arts. He maintains that motivating students is one of the most difficult and important challenges an instructor faces in any type of learning environment. He argues, therefore, that motivation begins with the instructional design process. In an effort to blend online learning with traditional classroom instruction, Beknke has students initially submit an essay online followed by a supporting lecture (conducted face-to-face) a week later. He notes, “This way, students’ memory of the topic is still relatively fresh. . . . When all goes as planned, a vigorous debate starts and the class comes alive” (p. 20).

Beknke stresses that learning is only truly blended when “material is presented and reinforced through the use of different but complementary means and methods” (p. 20). Beknke concludes his chapter by discussing his rationale for blended learning which, he indicates, permits him to teach from multiple perspectives. Online technology allows him to connect with the students on different communication levels such as email, discussion threads, and chat rooms.

Chapter 2 introduce a blended learning unit in a conventional course (i.e., human genetics) by Glazer. She discusses which components of the case study would be more...