Embedding blended learning in a university's teaching culture: Experiences and reflections

Blended learning, the combination of traditional face-to-face teaching methods with authentic on-line learning activities, has the potential to transform student learning experiences and outcomes. In spite of this advantage, university teachers often find it difficult to adopt new online techniques, in part because institutional practices are still geared to support more traditional approaches. This paper describes how a project, funded to support international collaboration to enhance learning and teaching in Geography, has allowed a university to explore models for change. It briefly examines the associated issues of sharing and repurposing resources; it reflects on the impact of the project on local strategy, and the importance of sustaining the collaborations and approaches to learning and teaching after the funding is completed. Introduction The DialogPLUS project was a collaboration between Pennsylvania State University, the University of Leeds, UCSB, and the University of Southampton. It began in February 2003 to investigate ‘Digital Libraries in Support of Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning in Geography’. The project was funded for three years by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) in the UK and the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the USA under the Digital Libraries in the Classroom Programme. According to JISC “This programme aims to examine how integrating recent technical developments with digital content will improve the learning experience 2 Hugh C. Davis and Karen Fill of students and provide new models for the classroom including the impact of integration on student achievement, retention, recruitment and on institutional structures and practices. Specific objectives are to: • Bring emerging technologies and available digital content into core teaching and learning • Develop and use innovative approaches in integrating technologies for the benefit of undergraduate teaching • Demonstrate how the pedagogical process needs to be adapted or developed to support the learning process when using technology • Examine the human and organisational issues associated with implementing new modes of teaching.” (JISC, 2007) Martin and Treves (2006) and Durham (2006) described aspects of the DialogPlus project from the standpoint of the geographers, addressing the first three bullet points above in some detail. We, the authors of the current paper, were involved in managerial, technical, educational and evaluative support roles at the University of Southampton and for the project as a whole. We became increasingly aware of the effect the project had on our own institution, particularly with respect to its influence on e-learning strategy and policy making. A primary objective of the DialogPLUS project was to investigate the practicalities of the joint design and sharing of learning activities, based upon existing digital resources. JISC and the NSF have already funded the production and licensing of many digital resources for use in education and research, and this programme was particularly concerned with deploying such resources in blended learning, exploring the associated technical, educational and organisational issues, and evaluating the impact on students and staff. Developing the project