Next Generation, Higher Education: Online and blended learning
Wednesday 3 July: 5:30pm – 7:00pm, poster session
Presenters
Tirtha Goradia
Endeavour College of Natural Health, Australia
tirtha.goradia@endeavour.edu.au
Mark Payne
Endeavour College of Natural Health, Australia
mark.payne@endeavour.edu.au
Background/context
With advances in information technology, online learning has taken a huge leap in the last decade. More and more universities in higher education sector are now offering online courses providing students with flexibility in their learning pathways. Furthermore, blended learning has been widely used in higher education enhancing interaction and communication between instructors and learners (Nikolaidou et al., 2010). Examination of current and emerging practice in the online and blended space is therefore very essential and requires regular attention. There is a need for appropriate pedagogy that enhances teaching and learning within this space. Additionally, with the diverse needs of next generation learners, universities are required to constantly review their pedagogies and technologies in order to support the next generation. This review therefore aims to examine the emerging practice in higher education within the online and blended learning space.
Research/evaluation method
The IDEAS framework presented by Witthaus, Rodriquez, Guardia, and Campillo (2016) comprises of intelligent; distributed; engaging; agile; and situated pedagogies for the next generation and provides a strategic plan for future implementation of online and blended learning courses. The framework sparked further interest in the area and formed the basis of this systematic review with the aim to identify trends and innovations in online and blended learning and further evaluate the effectiveness of these trends with a focus on pedagogy.
Outcomes
The review identified innovative approaches in online and blended learning which point to next-generation pedagogy. Practices that foster collaboration between various stakeholders, allow shared ownership of learning, provide personalised learning pathways, and instructional flexibility are identified as the next generation pedagogies. Additionally, a curriculum with real-world relevance with a focus on research skills to be embedded early on in degree program is highlighted in the review. Thus the next generation pedagogies seem promising and pave ways for lifelong learning.
References
Nikolaidou, M., Sofianopoulou, C., Alexopoulou, N., Abeliotis, K., Detsis, V., Chalkias, C., & Anagnostopoulos, D. (2010). The blended learning ecosystem of an academic institution in Greece. International Journal of Web-Based Learning and Teaching Technologies, 5, 14+.
Witthaus, G., Rodriquez, B. C. P., Guardia, L., & Campillo, C. G. (2016). Next generation pedagogy: Ideas for online and blended higher education. Retrieved from http://openaccess.uoc.edu/webapps/o2/bitstream/10609/51441/1/Next_Generation_Pedagogy.pdf
