Book cover of "Online, Open, and Equitable Education: Lessons from Teaching and Learning during the Global Pandemic" Edited by Nancy Turner, Nick Baker, David J. Hornsby, Aline Germain-Rutherford, David Graham, and Brad Wuetherick
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doi.org/10.36284/celelon.oa7

ISBN: 978-1-951414-12-2

July 2024

3.7 MB

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ISBN: 978-1-951414-13-9

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Before COVID-19 struck, Champlain College Saint -Lambert was in the awareness/exploration stage of moving faculty towards using a blended learning approach to deliver instruction. In the winter of 2020, eight teachers were piloting blended learning courses. When COVID-19 struck, Quebec’s universities and colleges came to a halt; these eight teachers and their students did not. They credited their seamless transition to a “blended learning mindset” and the Community of Inquiry instructional framework they had established in their classes. It has become clear that current interest in online and blended learning is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the college to embrace blended learning, with its focus on course redesign in a careful, systematic way.  This case study documents the process unfolding at Champlain College Saint-Lambert as it supports faculty who wish to transition to this new form of instruction. Using semi-structured interviews and focus groups, teachers piloting blended learning courses in English, humanities, psychology, biology, history, art history and nursing identify the pedagogical and political challenges they face. Findings suggest that a blended learning mindset can guide us through this unpredictable period and bring us back into the classroom in a new and pedagogically transformed way.

Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.36284/celelon.oa7.8.

Discussion Questions

  • How do the authors define blended learning, and what distinguishes it from traditional or purely online education models?
  • According to the text, what challenges and opportunities do faculty face when transitioning from traditional to blended learning environments?
  • The document mentions a “blended learning mindset.” What characteristics might define such a mindset, and how could it influence teaching and learning outcomes?
  • Discuss the role of student engagement and community building in blended learning settings as outlined in the case study of Champlain College Saint-Lambert.
  • According to the authors, how have the pedagogical changes brought about by COVID-19 influenced the perception and implementation of blended learning?
  • What implications do the findings from this case study have for future educational policy and practice concerning blended learning?