MuLLLti_DIVERSE2012

MuLLLti

Blended Learning for Lifelong Learners in a Multicampus Context.

DIVERSE 2012 – “Enrich the learning experience”

04 07 2012

Y. Blieck, K. Goeman, L. Vandeput, S. Van Laer (KHLeuven) (HUBrussel) (KHLeuven) (KU Leuven)

LLL1

• Age: 25• Bachelor marketing• Workweek 60-70h

• Interested in master Psychology out of interest and for professional purposes. Would like to graduate at 30

Photo: http://www.cepolina.com/fr/sourire_les_gens_fille_lunettes.htm

LLL2

• Age: 58• Master Economics• Currently unemployed

• Looking for a new professional challenge. Interested in a teacher education program

image &copy; <A HREF="http://miro.openphoto.net">MIROSLAV VAJDIĆ</A> for <A HREF="http://23895.openphoto.net">openphoto.net</A> CC:Attribution-ShareAlike

LLL3

• Age: 28• Master of Law• Has resigned from job

• Looking for other professional challenge. Not sure what.

image &copy; <A HREF="http://pinarkbulut.openphoto.net">pinar </A> for <A HREF="http://17953.openphoto.net">openphoto.net</A> CC:Attribution-ShareAlike

LLL4

• Age 50• Housewife• (did not finish high school)

• Wants to finish high school and then pursue studies at university

image &copy; <A HREF="http://rrosales.openphoto.net">Rene Rosales</A> for <A HREF="http://7624.openphoto.net">openphoto.net</A> CC:Attribution-NonCommercial

To conclude: possibilities and challenges for all

To conclude: possibilities and challenges for all

- WHO ARE THEY?- WHAT IS LLL?- MULLLTI- CHALLENGES FOR LLL

Lifelong learning (LLL)

Lifelong learners who are they?

• Age

• Motivation and interest?

• Origin of motivation…

• Workload

• Family

• Prior education

MuLLLti – lifelong learners

• students in formal Higher Educational Institutions (HEI’s)

• who often combine work and study

Challenges for LLL in higher education

• Educational

• Social

• Economical

http://www.flickr.com/photos/robinvanmourik/488068701/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

To conclude: possibilities and challenges for all

- INCREASING DEMAND- CHALLENGES FOR HEI

LLL and higher educational institutes (HEI)?

Increasing demand

• Knowledge society • Initial diploma quickly loses value• Diploma no lifelong guarantee for proper professional

functioning• Shortage of human capital

=> Lifelong learning high on the agenda in various organisations :

Challenges for HEI

• Face mismatch skills levels and jobs requirements

• Open flexible learning pathways

• A lifelong approach to learning

• Reform themselves in order to adapt

• Be open for cooperation on all levels

MuLLLti – some observations so far...

• LLL is a concern for our institutions

• But:

• Effective participation of adults is low

• Nog aanvullen

To conclude: possibilities and challenges for all

- WHAT IS BLENDED LEARNING?- WHY IS IT CONSIDERED?- TYPES OF BLENDS?- HURDLES TO TAKE

Can Blended Learning help?

What is Blended Learning?

• Variety of definitions

• “a combination of face-to-face learning experiences and on-line learning experiences”

• Describes an instructional rather than learning approach

• Risk to define Blended Learning in this narrow way

MuLLLti – Blended learning

“A good blend is a mix:

- of study materials,

- of didactical activities of the instructor/designers and

- technology based or enhanced learning activities

that contributes to the realization of the objectives,

which motivate and challenge the students to show the best of themselves.”

(Vandeput, 2011: p.1.11).

Why consider Blended Learning?

1. To increase accessibility to education

2. Can act as catalyst to transform traditional approaches of instruction and teaching

3. Enhance cost and resource effectiveness

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wakingtiger/3157621376/sizes/m/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/xandercage/4642632285/sizes/m/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/drb62/2474763910/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Why consider Blended Learning?

1.

Improved learning outcomes should remain the reason to consider BL

(Mitchell and Honore, 2007; Trasler, 2002 in Poon et al. (2010)).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wakingtiger/3157621376/sizes/m/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/xandercage/4642632285/sizes/m/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/drb62/2474763910/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Blended Courses can offer solutions

• Increased access

• Increased flexibility

• Suited to educational needs

• Suited to social needs

• Active engagement

• Connection to real life contexts

Types of Blends…What learner activity does the technology allow?

Graham & Robison (2007)In Picciano, A. and Dziuban, C. (EDs.) (2007). Blended Learning: Research Perspectives. United States of America: the Sloan Consortium.

Transforming Blends?

• Four fundamental characteristics of effective learning environments (Roschelle et al., 2000):

– Active engagement

– Participation in groups

– Frequent interaction and feedback

– Connections to real world contexts

MuLLLti – some observations so far…

• Course re-design seems difficult for lecturersInstructional design and pedagogy

• Their technological competencies vary

• Copyright can be an issue but Creative Commons and Open Educational Resources are not considered at this point

• LLL / BL seems not a concern to all lecturers

Possible within one institution?

• Sufficient Blended courses have to be offered

• Course design involves a lot of effort (know-how as well as time and costs) for the HEI

• Participation rate of LLL in HEI?

• Unlikely that HEI’s will be able to redesign any, if enough, courses to increase accessibility for lifelong learners

To conclude: possibilities and challenges for all

- MCE- IMPLICATIONS

Can Multicampus Education (MCE) help?

MuLLLti – Multicampus Education

‘Education that is designed, developed implemented, supported and/or assessed between two or more geographical sites’.

(Multicampus education within KU Leuven Association).

Multicampus Education (MCE)

• Spearhead of KU Leuven Association

• Institutions can choose to combine resources (staff and infrastructure)

• Several institutions could provide entire curricula (for lifelong learners)

• Cooperation can be regional, national and international

MuLLLti – 3 MCE groups1. Social Work

2. Teacher Education

3. Business Administration

Some implications of BL in MCE

• New teaching roles for lecturers

• Copyright, Creative Commons and Open Educational Resources

• Quality Control

MuLLLti – some observations so far?

• Co-operation between lecturers / institutions is challenging e.g.- Level (professional bachelor vs. academic bachelor)- Experience with LLL - Experience(s) with BL

• aanvullen

To conclude: possibilities and challenges for all

MuLLLti

• Project Leader:Luc Vandeput: [email protected]

• Project assisstant: Yves Blieck: [email protected]

• Twitter: @MuLLLti

• Projectpartners:

Relevant literature

• Boeren, E. & Nicaise, I. (2009). Onderwijs voor volwassenen: wie neemt deel en waarom?in L. Vanderleyden, M. Callens & J. Noppe (red.), De Sociale Staat van Vlaanderen 2009, pp. 315-333. Brussel: Studiedienst van de Vlaamse regering 466 p., ISBN 9789018179106 publicatienr. 1277

• Flllex consortium (2012). FLLLEX: Towards an institutional strategy for lifelong long learning in professional higher education (in press).

• Picciano, A. and Dziuban, C. (EDs.) (2007). Blended Learning: Research Perspectives. United States of America: the Sloan Consortium.

• Roschelle, J. M., Pea, R. D., Hoadley, C. M., Gordin, D. N. & Means, B. (2000). Changing how and what children learn in school with computer-based technologies. Children and computer technology, 10(2), 76-101.

Any part of this document may be reproduced without permission but with attribution to the authors.

© 2012 MuLLLti (Blieck, Goeman, Vandeput and Van Laer) under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/.