Kathryn E. Linder - The Blended Course Design Workbook: A Practical Guide

THE BLENDED COURSE DESIGN
WORKBOOK

A Practical Guide

Kathryn E. Linder

COPYRIGHT 2017 BY
STYLUS PUBLISHING, LLC.

Published by Stylus Publishing, LLC.
22883 Quicksilver Drive
Sterling, Virginia 20166-2102

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted
or reproduced in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying, recording, and information storage and retrieval,
without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Linder, Kathryn E.
Title: The blended course design workbook : a practical guide /
Kathryn E. Linder.
Description: Sterling, Virginia : Stylus Publishing, 2016. |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016014459|
ISBN 9781620364352 (cloth : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9781620364369 (pbk. : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9781620364376 (library networkable e-edition) |
ISBN 9781620364383 (consumer e-edition)
Subjects: LCSH: Blended learning. |
Instructional systems--Design.
Classification: LCC LB1028.5 .L56 2016 |
DDC 371.3--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016014459

13-digit ISBN: 978-1-62036-435-2 (cloth)
13-digit ISBN: 978-1-62036-436-9 (paperback)
13-digit ISBN: 978-1-62036-437-6 (library networkable e-edition)
13-digit ISBN: 978-1-62036-438-3 (consumer e-edition)

Printed in the United States of America

All first editions printed on acid-free paper
that meets the American National Standards Institute
Z39-48 Standard.

Bulk Purchases
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First Edition, 2017

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For Brenda Hardin, who raised me to be resilient;

For Pam Corpron Parker, who raised me as a writer
and who helped me to see the value of hard work;

And for Judy Winter, who raised my partner
and who consistently models what it means to be a true lifelong learner.

INTRODUCTION
Why Blended, Why Now?

With Danny Fontaine

With Linda Bruenjes

With Sarah Smith

With Victoria Wallace

With Victoria Wallace

CONCLUSION
Getting Ready to Launch

T his book, more than anything else I have written, was dependent on the insights, suggestions, and feedback of trusted colleagues. I offer my appreciation to my coauthors, who shared their expertise and experience to help make this book as practical as possible. Victoria, Sarah, Danny, and Linda, I had so much fun writing with and learning from each of you! I also want to offer my thanks to the three anonymous reviewers who offered many thoughtful suggestions on an earlier draft. This would not be the same book without those reviewers contributions and I thank them for their time and attention to detail.

The seed for this book was planted because of a faculty development program, the Hybrid Course Design Institute (HCDI), which was codesigned and cofacilitated while I worked at the Center for Teaching and Scholarly Excellence (CTSE) at Suffolk University. The HCDI was created at the request of Suffolks former president, Jim McCarthy, who came to Suffolk with the idea to launch a hybrid teaching initiative; many thanks to Jim for encouraging me to learn more about the blended modality and the benefits it can offer for students and instructors. I also offer a huge thank-you to all of the Suffolk University faculty members and administrators who participated in the HCDI and offered feedback on what worked best for them when designing blended courses. I extend a special thank you to those faculty members who shared examples and resources for this book; Pat Hogan, Eric Dewar, Alison Kelly, and Margarita DiVall, you helped me make the abstract more concrete. I also want to thank two former CTSE staff members who helped develop the HCDI program, Sarah Smith and Danny Fontaine (also coauthors of this book), and Linda Bruenjes (also a coauthor) and Rebecca Sullivan who also worked with me at Suffolk University in the CTSE. Each of these colleagues offered unparalleled support as I worked on this book project. The bulk of this book was written while I worked at Suffolk University, so I also extend my appreciation to Jeff Pokorak, my boss at the time, who completely supported the writing and publication of this project. Members of the Suffolk University faculty writing group were also a huge support for methanks to all of you who shared your writing struggles and accomplishments and encouraged me along the way.

Another key contributor to this project, Kirsten Behling, generously provided the accessibility rubric found in . I also extend much appreciation to Kirsten for the friendship and emotional support she provided during the writing of this bookfrequent check-ins on the status of the draft kept me on task!

I could not have written this book without the knowledge and training I gained in course and curriculum design from my colleagues at the University Center for the Advancement of Teaching (UCAT) at The Ohio State Universitythank you to all my UCAT colleagues for sharing their expertise and encouraging me to build on it.

I also want to extend my thanks to my current colleagues at Oregon State University Extended Campus for the support and excitement they share regarding my writing projects.

I have been incredibly fortunate to work with the dedicated team at Stylus Publishing. A special thanks to David Brightman and Alex Hartnett for ushering this book through the various stages of review and revision toward publication; Ive appreciated your insights and support, and I am so glad that we have gotten the chance to work together.

Thanks to my family for supporting the long haul of another book project. To Mom and Craig, Ralph and Judy, Beth and Matt, Sarah, Megan and Brett, my five nieces and nephews, and my Gram and Grandpa, many thanks for asking about the status of the book and offering your support during the drafting and revision process.

And, finally, there are practically no words to describe my appreciation for Ben, who put up with writing binges, revision anxieties, extensive conversations about blended teaching and learning, and a frequently distracted partner during this process. Ben, I truly could not have done it without youmy deepest thanks and love for your unwavering support and unparalleled confidence in my abilities.

O ver the past several decades, a wide range of technologies has emerged that are designed to assist in teaching and learning. Technology has changed every aspect of our lives, and the higher education classroom also feels that impact (Collins & Halverson, 2009). Distance education programs at institutions of higher education, which are often seen as a means to broaden enrollment and increase gross margins (e.g., see Parry, 2011), are continuing to grow (Allen & Seaman, 2014). Blended (also referred to as hybrid) courses, in which face-to-face interaction is combined with technology-enhanced or online activities to aid student learning, have also been posed as a possible solution to the question of how best to engage busy students in a cost-effective and learner-centered way. Major (2015) points out that, for some, blended is seen to be the best of both worlds (p. 82) because of the way it allows for both face-to-face interaction and online support structures. For many instructors across disciplines, a form of blended learning, termed