CHCS - Perspectives - Summer/Fall 2014

Best Practices Initiative PERSPECTIVES • SUMMER–FALL 2014 18 The hybridization workgroup consisted of a group of faculty members with di- verse experiences in hybrid education (see inset below). Our goal was to investigate the interest in hybrid (blended) learning across the College of Health Care Sci- ences, investigate the literature to identify best practices in blended learning, and conduct a SWOT analysis in order to make recommendations to the college. Mary Tischio Blackinton, Ed.D., PT Associate Director Hybrid Entry-Level D.P.T. Program (workgroup chair) Melissa Coffman, Ed.D., PA-C Chair Physician Assistant Program Fort Lauderdale Sarah Wakefied, Au.D. Assistant Professor Audiology Cheryl Hill, Ph.D. Professor Physical Therapy Fort Lauderdale A survey was conducted using SurveyMonkey that was sent to all the CHCS chairs and directors to determine the proportion of programs using blended instruction, those not using blended instruction but interested to learn more, and those who were not interested. In addition, we queried the group to identify what type of tools they were already using as well as their future learning needs and interests. The survey results indicated that of the respondents, nine programs within the college were already incorporating hybrid instruction, and five were not. The most common instructional strate- gies used by those engaged in blended learning were Tegrity recordings, discus- sion boards, and narrated PowerPoints. The strategies least used included the use of wikis, blogs, and synchronous tools such as Blackboard Collaborate. For those interested in learning more about blended learning, the most common topics of in- terest were how to restructure face-to-face time into a combination of class/online time and technological skills needed for the blended classroom. Our review of the literature concurred with the survey findings. According to the literature, the most common obstacles facing faculty members in adapting to hy- brid learning are change and time. Changing to a hybrid model requires a thorough understanding of the concept and motivation to make the change. In addition, the transition requires a signifi- cant amount of time to train and become familiar with the new technology as well as time to redesign courses (Kaleta, Granham, and Aycok, 2005). Recommen- dations for both faculty members and the institution regarding hybrid redesign are summarized in the table at the bottom of this page. The collective experience of the hybrid workgroup concurred with these best- practice concepts. For example, a crucial mistake made by novice hybrid instructors is to double instruction by teaching both online and face-to-face as if the other component did not exist. Garrison and Vaughan (2009) thus describe blended learning to be the “thoughtful fusion of online and face-to-face learning experi- ences.” Likewise, a common error made by institutions is not providing enough support. Online applications, virtual tech- nical support services, department and faculty support mechanisms, and the cre- ation of a virtual campus are a few exam- ples of how a supportive culture can be created (Chaney, Chaney, Eddy, 2010). Lastly, the hybridization committee conducted an analysis to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) to increasing the use of hybrid instruction for the CHCS (see in- fographic on the next page). BEST PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS • Create a supportive Culture • Provide Technical expertise, support, and Infrastructure • Faculty Compensation and Time • Balance Coursework • Utilize Time Productively • Clarify student expectations • select Technology Wisely Institution Faculty Members BesT PRACTICes TAsKFORCe on Hybridization Mary Tischio Blackinton, ed.D., PT, Associate Director, Hybrid entry-Level D.P.T. Program