# Blended Learning in K-12/General Comparisons in Blended Learning

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**Offline and Online Learning** One of the most distinguishable
characteristics of blending learning is its ability to combine two
different forms/setting of learning and instruction. (Singh, 2001) In
blended learning, instruction takes place in an offline and online
setting. In the offline setting, the instruction takes place in a
traditional, face-to-face classroom. The online setting usually takes
place using the Internet. Although there are distance courses solely
designed to have all of its instruction take place online through the
use of the Web, blended learning utilizes the atmosphere of both offline
and online settings.

The *dual settings* of online and offline learning are optimally
combined to administer the responsibilities of sharing content,
establishing and continuing communication, and stimulating interaction.
Ideally, the online and offline components of a blended learning class
are more or less symbiotic, where the interactions and successes of each
setting feed off each other.

In blended learning the web enhancements of the online portion also
contribute to not only aiding in the pragmatic goals of the classroom,
but to augmenting the pedagogical goals as well. (Wingard, 2004) The
percentage of time and activity spent by students either on the online
or offline classroom is usually dependent on the nature of the course
and the preference of the instructor.

Early results of studies show an increase in student-instructor
interaction and student preparation in use of course material. (Wingard,
2005)

**Structured and Unstructured Learning** Structured or formal learning
occurs when content is organized like chapters in a text book.
Unstructured learning takes place informally online through synchronous
and asynchronous discussions as well as e-mail correspondence. In a
blended learning environment instructors can develop a program that
incorporates both types of learning together. (Singh, 2001) Although
traditionally used in higher education, blended learning is making its
way into elementary, middle, junior high, and high schools around the
country.

A structured learning program must encourage students to be actively
engaged. More importantly, it must allow the instructor to track student
use of the program, manage access to the next stage on the basis of
completion or assessment, and follow up with another form of
communication to students who are not completing work. (Hoyle, 2003)
Finally, it should have specific learning objectives and expected
outcomes. A blended learning environment with a structured program can
benefit those students who learn better on their own rather than in the
traditional classroom setting. (Zenger and Uehlein, 2001) This can be
especially helpful in the k-12 classroom as individual student needs
must be met. One common pitfall of structured online learning is merely
the repackaging of current class curriculum and placing it in an online
environment. (Hoyle, 2003)

In an unstructured online environment, students actually have some
control of their learning experiences. Some students prefer the
discovery method of learning while others prefer more straightforward
content. (Zenger and Uehlein, 2001) The freedom to interact and
collaborate with peers without the teacher looming overhead can be
highly motivating for some students. This would be beneficial for
younger students with learning disabilities in that they may recognize
their individual strengths in this new environment. In an unstructured
learning environment, assessment is especially important to ensure
objectives have been met. (Hoyle, 2003)

Best practices in blended learning contain structured and unstructured
components.

-   Create a structured core curriculum of learning activities that are
    taught using a variety of instructional methods.
-   Support an environment in which students can learn smaller parts and
    work their way up to more complex ideas.
-   Create a classroom in which students can learn informally.
-   Provide technological support and for students.
-   Provide an easy to use environment. (Oakes and Casewit, 2003)

Personal Experiences -- Lisa Abate (2004) developed an unstructured
asynchronous component to her classroom while on maternity leave. An
online classroom was created using a common educational website where
Lisa communicated with her students. She integrated the concepts her
substitute teacher discussed in the classroom and included online
extensions for her students. Not only did these teachers "team teach",
but they did it from different places within the blended learning
environment.

**Off-the-Shelf Content vs. Custom Content** One of the greatest
advantages of Blended learning is that it gives students and instructors
the opportunity to utilize a wide range of resource materials. Although
there does not seem to be much research about the types of materials
used, students and instructors are not limited to those resources which
can be exploited in a traditional face-to-face setting. Rather, the
instructor can combine all of the traditional resources, which include
lectures and assigned readings, with interactive, self-paced materials.

Traditional textbooks increasingly offer multi-media components as part
of their ancillary materials. These might include opportunities for
extra skill practice, online assessments, and links to resources that
would not realistically fit into a traditional bound book. The
instructor may include these extra resources as part of the learning
modules in a blended course. Theoretically, the instructor could create
a blended course entirely from these ancillary materials for a
completely off-the-shelf learning experience.

Alternatively, the instructor could choose to create a course without
utilizing a traditional textbook at all. Using the wealth of material
that is available online, the instructor can synthesize materials to
create a unique learning context, combining recorded lectures, online
articles, and material up-loaded by the instructor. While this has
always been possible in traditional face-to-face courses, particularly
at the post-High-School level, it has not always been feasible for the
K-12 instructor.

An additional possibility, which would not be possible in a traditional
setting, is the creation of the forum as a learning resource. (NSW,
2005) Although discussion has been a part of face-to-face instruction,
the learning forum provides a virtual space in which discussion can
occur, as well as a mechanism for recording the discussion that ensues.
Students not only construct their own knowledge in this space, but can
return to it at a later time for clarification. The instructor can also
use this permanent record to assess student participation, and include
new viewpoints as resources for subsequent learning modules or courses.

**Implications for K-12 Education**

**Restructuring the Class** One of the most difficult challenges of
transforming a traditional K-12 class into a blended learning classroom
requires a shift in an educator's teaching paradigm. Instead of
preparing the necessary materials for the off-line setting of a
traditional classroom, the blended learning K-12 teacher now must also
organize and maintain the on-line, virtual classroom. The time,
planning, and organization needed to restructure a K-12 blended
classroom requires the educator to, in essence, plan and organize a
class in two settings, which complement each other in terms of
scheduling, content, lesson flow, and organization.

A blended learning classroom requires the K-12 instructor to develop
teaching materials prior to the start of class. Other K-12 classroom
models have also used other characteristics of blended learning for
instructing students through the Web and other electronic tools.
Web-enhanced campus courses, Web-centric courses, Web-courses using
distance learning and campus settings, and traditional distance courses
have implemented web use to certain degrees. Each category of web
integration requires a varied percentage of packaged developed material,
ranging from fifty to one hundred percent. (Boettcher and Conrad 1999)
However, the percentage of prepared material web material in blended
K-12 course ultimately depends on teacher preference, student/school
technological capabilities, and other lesson dependent factors.

Like the other models of Web integration in the K-12 classroom, blended
learning courses need to successfully address and incorporate four of
the following components:

-   Administration -- organization of the syllabus, increase teacher
    productivity/efficiency, distributing/collecting material, and
    scheduling duties
-   Assessment -- providing feedback, tracking student progress, and
    testing opportunities
-   Content Delivery -- communicating content through different learning
    styles, using multimedia, incorporating learning activities, using
    the Internet for the acquisition of knowledge
-   Community -- building the classroom community through
    synchronous/threaded chats, providing office/help hours to
    communicate online (Schmidt 2002)

**Benefits of Blended Learning** One of the more potentially impacting
benefits of blended learning is in the area of student accessibility.
According to Jeffrey, the ability to use the Web for the classroom has
the potential to serve any student, at any time, in any place. (Jeffrey
2003) Likewise, the characteristics of blended learning also allow its
K-12 students the same advantages in terms of accessibility. A blended
learning's online course components could possibly minimize the
accessibility concerns for the following K-12 students who cannot meet
in the traditional classroom:

-   students in rural or small school districts where the proximity of
    the classroom is the main challenge to content/material
    accessibility
-   home-schooled students with instruction in subjects their parents
    feel unable to teach
-   handicapped or hospitalized students who cannot travel to the
    traditional classroom
-   expelled students who are required not to attend the traditional
    classroom as a consequence but still can have access to material to
    prevent falling behind academically (Jeffrey 2003)

In addition to accessibility issues, blended learning also possesses the
ability to collect and organize digital content material can also
eliminate the use of physical textbooks in the classroom. Electronic
content and resources can substitute for the information found in
textbooks, or the electronic copies of textbooks can be downloaded onto
computers and laptops, thus eliminating the high cost of purchasing
textbooks and the physical and problematic concerns some educators have
with students carrying heavy textbooks. The delivery of textbook
information in an electronic format seems ideal for blended learning
classrooms. According to one article, allowing teachers to use digital
media instead of prescribed textbooks can open up all kinds of
creativity and empowering tools of instruction. (Colin 2005)


# Blended Learning in K-12/Pedagogical Models- blending constructivism, behaviorism and cognitivism

|previous=General Comparisons in Blended Learning
|next=Synchronous and asynchronous communication methods}}
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One of the harshest criticisms of Blended Learning is that the focus
tends to be on the instructor, rather than on the learner. (Oliver and
Trigwell, 2005).

Alonzo *et al.* point out that the concept of e-learning is new enough
that practitioners have not yet begun to apply pedagogical principals to
the process of e-learning. (2005)

Ideally, they continue, e-learning (and therefore Blended Learning)
should be focused on the individual learner. The course designer should
be able to utilize cognitive and constructionist theory to design an
effective course. (Alonzo *et al.*, 2005)

This course would be carefully organized so that students can easily
insert new knowledge into their pre-existing schema. The organization
should then reinforce the acquisition of new knowledge and activities
should provide a scaffolded approach to help learners practice new
skills by applying their knowledge. All of this is consistent with
cognitive theories of learning, which tend to focus on the processes of
information acquisition, organization, retrieval, and application.

Constructivist theories of learning describe learning as a process
whereby the learner takes in new information, and inserts it into
existing schema. Each learner constructs meaning differently based upon
their own experiences. In other words, there is a disconnect between
knowledge that is taught, and knowledge that is learned, because the
learner will re-interpret what is being taught, and construct his or her
own meaning from that knowledge.

To support the constructivist approach, a learning community should be
created, and then guided through the process of collaboration so that
learning is constructed by the group, rather than just the individual.
(Alonzo *et al.*, 2005)

In a traditional face-to-face learning environment, one of the more
common methods of constructing group meaning is through discussion. The
instructor typically begins the discussion by posing a question. The
instructor then invites members of the class to make an impromptu
response. Other class members then respond to the first student, and a
discussion develops. In this way, students are exposed to several
perspectives, and the answer to the original question is constructed for
each learner based upon the individual\'s assessment of the group\'s
responses.

In a blended environment, this discussion format can be easily adapted
and enhanced. The discussion could be held synchronously, in group chat,
or could be held asynchronously, in a forum to which learners post
responses. In a blended environment, students have the capability of
responding to several points at once. Since an asynchronous discussion
can continue over a longer period of time, students can take time to
formulate responses, and can respond to a particular part of a comment,
even if the discussion has taken another route.


# Blended Learning in K-12/Synchronous and asynchronous communication methods

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|next=Design of Blended Learning in K-12}}
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Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication Methods

`   In blended learning, instructors use facets of self-paced instruction and live, collaborative learning to moderate the offline setting.  This is also respectively known as asynchronous and synchronous learning.  These methods of teaching and learning are essential in encouraging active participation in the blended learning environment.  (Im and Lee, 2003)  `

Online discussions have the potential to enhance students' learning and
may lead to cognitive development. (Fassinger, 1995) In addition,
preconceived notions of race, gender, educational abilities or social
status of the students is virtually erased. (Im and Lee, 2003) This can
be extremely beneficial with the number of social cliques in both junior
high and high school. The key to the learning process includes
interactions among the students themselves, the interactions between
instructor and students, and the collaborations in learning that result
from these interactions. (Jin, 2005)

A live, collaborative learning environment depends on dynamic
communication between learners that fosters knowledge sharing. (Singh,
2001) Synchronous discussions are extremely beneficial for students who
might not otherwise participate collaboratively within the traditional
classroom. Furthermore, they allow for fast and efficient exchanges of
ideas. (Bremer, 1998) In a traditional classroom setting, participation
of all students is often difficult due to time constraints or simple
shyness. In live, collaborative learning atmospheres the communication
process between learners is just as meaningful and vital as an
educational end product. Collaborative learning emphasizes the following
factors:

-   active participation and interaction among learners
-   knowledge viewed as a social construct
-   environments that facilitate peer interaction, evaluation, and
    cooperation
-   learners who benefit from self explanation when more experienced or
    knowledgeable learners contribute
-   learners who benefit from internalization by verbalizing in a
    conversation (Hiltz, 1999)

Asynchronous communication encourages time for reflection and reaction
to others. It allows students the ability to work at their own pace and
control the pace of instructional information. In addition, there are
fewer time restrictions with the possibility of flexible working hours.
(Bremer, 1998) The use of the Internet and the World Wide Web allows
learners to have access to information at all times. Students can also
submit questions to instructors at any time of day and expect reasonably
quick responses, rather than waiting until the next face-to-face
meeting. Self-paced instruction will often come in a variety of
asynchronous formats including but not limited to:

-   Documents & Web Pages
-   Web/Computer Based Training Modules
-   Assessments
-   Surveys
-   Simulations
-   Recorded lectures, discussions, or live events
-   Online Learning Communities and Discussion Forums (Singh, 2001)

According to Hew and Cheung there are 5 phases in the active
construction of knowledge that exist (2003) and are traversed through
asynchronous communication.

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **Phases**                                                                                **Real World Examples**                                                                                **K-12 Examples**
  **Phase 1:** Sharing and comparing of information.                                                                                Statements of agreement or corroborating examples from one or more other participant.                                                                                Students can discuss an assignment with each other for clarification or share data to be analyzed as a group.
  **Phase 2:** Discovery and exploration of dissonance or inconsistency among the ideas, or statements advanced by different participants.   Identifying and stating areas of disagreement or asking and answering questions to clarify the source and extent of the disagreements.                                             Multiple student participation ensures feedback with possible differing opinions. Differences can be examined and analyzed while using the Internet for further clarification.
  **Phase 3:** Negotiation of meaning.                                                                                Negotiation of the meaning of terms or identification of areas of agreement or overlap among conflicting concepts.                                                                 Heterogeneous grouping would allow many students to share their "meaning" and define if for others. Concepts can be explained at many different levels.
  **Phase 4:** Testing and modification of proposed synthesis or co-construction.                                                            Testing the proposed synthesis against formal data collected or against contradictory information from the literature.                                                             Students can peer edit each others work with no face-to-face threat, and may be more honest. Students can collaborate on written assignments.
  **Phase 5:** Statement or application of newly constructed knowledge.                                                                      Summarising (sic) of agreements or students\' self reflective statements that illustrate their knowledge or ways of thinking have changed as a result of the online interaction.   Students can analyze their group work/opinions/knowledge base and use this information to improve their own work.
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

These phases integrate with student goals in a traditional classroom and
further extend student learning with the asynchronous component.
Asynchronous discussions actively involve students and therefore improve
communication between and amongst students and instructors. Inherent
complications would include lack of access to technology and lack of
motivation by the students.


# Blended Learning in K-12/Blended Learning's Lesson Design Process

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|next=Guiding Principles of Blended Learning|Guiding Principles]}}
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### Designing a Lesson

The keystone standards of blended learning are akin to other forms of
learning. Identifying the objective, establishing the timescale, and
recognizing different learning styles are basic principles found in any
successful lesson plan. Streamlining the lesson plan comes with
experience, as does determining appropriate applications of the lesson
and its evaluation.

An online environment can foster close relationships between student and
teacher and between student and other students. When students interact
online, opportunities arise for the sharing of personal information and
personal responses. Therefore, students must first understand that their
classmates are to be treated with respect. Instructors should make clear
what information might be confidential and what can be shared. In
addition, students should understand that they are to use language
appropriate to an academic forum and free of slang or jargon (the latter
can be especially difficult when working in education academia).
Students should also know how to invite, accept, and offer feedback in
ways that promote learning.

With the preceding principles established, the focus turns to the design
of the lesson itself. A sample outline follows. Only the main topics are
mentioned here. Like a jazz score, this outline is a framework, not a
crystallized prescription. Practitioners are advised to start here and
then improvise as their experience and proficiency develop.

I. Purpose Statement (the overall intent of the lesson plainly stated)

II\. Duration

III\. Prerequisites (if any)

IV\. Learning Objectives

V. Content/Learning Activities (For each item of content to be
addressed, show how it would be communicated to the students and the
estimated time needed. This is by far the longest section of the design
document.)

VI\. Application of Learning Strategy

VII\. Evaluation Strategy

The Purpose Statement gives an overall description of the lesson to be
presented. It may include the concept to be taught and the means by
which it may be delivered. Perhaps this statement will state how much of
this lesson is to be performed online and how much is to be completed
during a classroom session. The statement is usually concise, but
divulges an overview of the entire lesson.

When making decisions about the design of a blended learning lesson
plan, there will always be a need for determining an appropriate
timetable. The lesson plan should be designed to include a balance of
online and offline activities, but those activities must remain within
reasonable time limits. Far too many teachers have made the mistake of
heaping an excessive amount of online work on their students. Teachers
are then accused of believing that theirs is the only class in which
their students are currently enrolled. Balance is key. Too much of
either component will cause the lesson or activity to either grow dull
or become overly burdensome, thereby diminishing the learning aspect. At
the same time, the lesson must include enough challenges to promote and
instill the concepts being taught by the lesson. The balance is
delicate, but the very nature of the flexibility of blended learning
helps to maintain that balance. The duration portion of the lesson
becomes streamlined after its first delivery. Ample time must be allowed
to complete activities, but overplanning seems to be the wiser choice.
Students and teachers alike find it awkward to have time remaining at
the end of a lesson with no other learning planned. It is best to have
too many activities planned for a session than to not have enough. You
can always reduce the work load or save it for another time.

Prerequisite skills must be addressed by students and teacher. Offering
a traditional lesson to those without previous skills to complete the
new lesson leads to frustration for everyone concerned. Opportunities to
learn using technology without previously learned technological skills
will cause like frustration. Technical skills learned along with the
academic concepts makes for a very efficient lesson, provided the
academic goals and objectives are met. Technological skills are
important, but should not distract from the academic portion of the
lesson, but rather enhance it.

The learning objective is the meat of a lesson plan. It is the compass
that guides the teacher throughout the lesson. When expressed to the
students, it points the learner into the right direction as well. In a
blended learning class, if the learning objective is rooted in a math
concept, it is crucial that the teacher remain focused on that concept -
not the technological means by which it may be taught. If a technical
skill is being presented, that objective must be made clear in the
lesson plan.

Content and Learning Activities must be introduced into the lesson plan
and provided for ample practice if the student is to grasp the intent of
the lesson. Looking back at the learning objectives and the
\"Content/Learning Activities Outline\" can help answer evaluation
questions. \"Is my test content-valid, based upon the methods of lesson
presentation?\" \"Should my test include a short review time via a
traditional classroom setting, or would an online review better prepare
my students for evaluation?\" \"Should the test be performed online or
in the presence of the teacher?\" Online tests make for easy and quick
grading by the teacher. Security of the test, however, might be
diminished depending on the software used by the teacher. Tests taken
exclusively in the classroom setting, however, negate the natural
lessons of technology. Teachers who evaluate their students\'
performances by using a mixture of tests - some online, some offline -
have experienced more fruitful outcomes. Supplying examples to read as
text online or offline proves to be helpful. Presenting video
explanations or examples online, where students can view a snippet of
the lesson repeatedly gives enough exposure to solidify an idea or
concept. Any tool that can be afforded the student should be considered
to improve retention.

The most crucial step needed in each lesson plan is the preparation of
transfer of learning strategy. If learning is not transferred from the
place of learning to practical application, there can be no positive
return on investment of the time needed to create, implement, and
evaluate the lesson plan. Students are smarter than we might think. If
the lesson doesn\'t apply to something tangible or if it can\'t be used
in real life, you can expect them to ask, \"When are we ever going to
use this stuff?\" Make sure that your objectives are made clear to the
students. The learning standards must be addressed, yes, but also find a
real life application to better your students\' understanding of the
materials covered. If this is not done, much of your time, and your
students\' time, has been greatly wasted. A second look to ensure that
students have indeed learned the objectives might trigger revisions,
allowing for more (or better) class activities and teacher feedback.
This should be done before any evaluation strategy. Technology is useful
in simplifying this task of transferring the learning strategy. Many
times a lesson taught with the use of online instruction or with
technology as its main tool provides a built-in application. Students
see more clearly how the concepts are used in real life situations, and
because the lesson was applied practically, the student retains the
information and skills much longer.

A blended learning class is like any other - when lessons are presented,
it is imperative that assessment is given to check the depth of
learning. Caution must be practiced when using online assessment. If
this method was never practiced during the teaching of the lesson, the
student finds himself at a bit of a disadvantage when being tested.
Instead of devoting proper time to the non-technical concepts taught,
the student might be fighting his way through the technical tool he must
use to perform the task at hand. For example, students that have
graduated from high school may need to take an assessment test at a
nearby community college in order to be placed properly into a Math or
English class. If the college issues an online test and the student has
no past experience with such a method of testing, the scores can be
expected to be lower, causing the student to be placed in an
inappropriate level class. If online testing is to be used, pretests are
advised to familiarize the students with the technical part of the
test-taking task. Not doing so would seemingly violate the equity issue.

Identifying opportunities of learning in blended learning is the same as
identifying any learning opportunity. The focus should remain, however.
The K12 teacher must recognize the need to provide the right methods of
teaching for his students. The overall intent of the lesson should also
address the result of the lesson. Teachers may ask themselves, \"What
exactly do I want my students to know as a result of this lesson?\" Be
sure you understand the objectives of the lesson - many times they
provide the basis for subsequent lessons. Outline the topics and
subtopics that must be addressed by the lesson.

Blended learning is advantageous to the learner. Research has shown the
limitations of applying a generalized style of teaching, rather than
modifying lesson plans to fit the needs of the student. \"Increasingly,
organizations are recognizing the importance of tailoring learning to
the individual rather than applying a \'one-size-fits-all\' approach.\"
(Thorne, 2003) Of course, common needs exist, but blended learning
allows the teacher to look for creative ways and use a variety of media
to address the specific needs of his students.

When a teacher designs his lesson plan, it is important to note the type
of learning activity (e.g. lecture, case study, role play, simulation,
game, etc.) that best conveys the objectives of the lesson. There are
two reasons for listing traditional teaching methods only at this point,
instead of both classroom and online activities:

1.  We as teachers usually establish on paper the \"ideal\" learning
    experience when you work under a more familiar, traditional style of
    teaching. It is live, face-to-face, instructor-facilitated and
    student-collaborative.
2.  Once you have established the lesson plan for the \"ideal\" learning
    experience, you can systematically analyze the elements that can be
    delivered online without compromising learning effectiveness. You
    will discover here what might be best left in a classroom setting.

Blended learning is not simply adding an online component to a lesson
plan. Technology in a lesson plan should be used wisely - to enhance the
lesson. Technology should not be used just to show off technology.
Excellent opportunities exist for teachers to make learning interactive,
dynamic, and fun when used properly. The technology aspect of a lesson
should be like a good baseball umpire - it (like the umpire) is good if
it (he) goes unnoticed.

\"Since the intent of blended learning is to enhance learning by
combining the best of both worlds\...elements of the outline that appear
to lend themselves to self-study online should be highlighted. Such
elements tend to include easy-to-interpret, straightforward information
that is relatively easy for the (student) to accurately grasp on his/her
own.\" (Troha, 2003) Students should be able to perform required tasks
online with little or no prompting by the instructor. Of course,
teachers should guide their students along, but when a student can
accomplish a task online with limited assistance, that student
encounters a learning experience that is deeper and more rewarding.

Blended learning courses are dynamic by their very nature. Revisions
will need to be made to adapt to the learning needs of its students.
Knowing what works and what does not comes with experience. The best
resource for K-12 teachers to create and implement a blended learning
course is another teacher or a network of teachers who have had
experience with launching such courses.

The next sections of this
chapter
address Guiding
Principles
and some Success
Tips.


# Blended Learning in K-12/Guiding Principles of Blended Learning

|previous=Blended Learning's Lesson Design Process|Designing a Lesson
|next=Success Tips}}
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### Guiding Principles

A definitive statement of what constitutes the best combination of
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and face-to-face learning
experiences is impossible. No such statement exists for the best
combination of traditional practices much less for the newer world of
blended learning. Singh & Reed (2001) state \"Little formal research
exists on how to construct the most effective blended program designs\"
(p. 6). However, observers have begun to collate principles that, at
least anecdotally, lead to greater success.

*One note before continuing. Most of the literature about blended
learning design comes from work in business training and post-secondary
education. The author makes the assumption that those principles are
generally applicable to K-12 education as well.*

A theme that emerges is that the instruction methods, whether on-line or
face-to-face, are the means, not the end. \"Students never learn from
technology per se. They learn from the strategies teachers use to
communicate effectively through the technologies\" (Cyrs, Cyrs, and
Conway, 2003, General Guideline #1). It follows that the single most
important consideration when designing a blended learning environment is
the learning objective or purpose. It is tempting to assert that it is
the _only_ consideration. However, not only would
that lead to this exposition being overly brief, as desirable as that
might be for writer and reader alike, it would also mean ignoring the
essential truth that all learning occurs in and is shaped by a context.
Important dimensions of this context include (Singh & Reed, 2001, p. 5):

:\***Audience.** What do the learners know and how varied is their level
of knowledge? Are the learners geographicaly centralized or
geographicaly dispersed? Are the learners here because they wish to be
or because they have to be?

:\***Content.** Some content lends itself well to on-line situations.
Other content, a complex and detailed procedure for assembling a valve
train, for example, may work best in face-to-face setting.

:\***Infrastructure.** If physical space is limited, more of the
instruction could be placed on-line. If students do not have access to
high band width connections, on-line video streaming would be a poor
choice.

With purpose and context in mind, the designer can select, combine, and
organize different elements of on-line and traditional instruction.
Carman (2002) identifies five such elements calling them key
\"ingredients\" (p. 2):

1.  **Live events.** These are synchronous, instructor-led events.
    Traditional lectures, video conferences, and synchronous chat
    sessions such as elluminate are examples.
2.  **Self-Paced Learning.** Experiences the learner completes
    individually on her own time such as an internet or CD-ROM based
    tutorial.
3.  **Collaboration.** Learners communicate and create with others,
    e-mail, threaded discussions, and, come to think of it, this wiki
    are all examples.
4.  **Assessment.** Measurements of learners\' mastery of the
    objectives. Assessment is not limited to conventional tests,
    quizzes, and grades. Narrative feedback, portfolio evaluations and,
    importantly, a designers reflection about a blended learning
    environments effectiveness or usefulness are all forms of
    assessment.
5.  **Support Materials.** These include reference material, both
    physical and virtual, FAQ forums, and summaries. Anything that aids
    learning retention and transfer.

It is useful, though ultimately reductive, to think of the interaction
between context and ingredients for a given learning objective as a
rectangular matrix. The intersections suggest the method the designer
should use. The danger of this metaphor is the suggestion that each
purpose, context, and ingredient combination deterministically lead to a
matching method. Such is not the case. The point to the designer is to
think in terms of those conditions, and others unique to her particular
circumstance, as she orchestrates learning activities and creates her
blended environment.

                   Live Events   Self-Paced Learning   Collaboration   Assessment    Support Materials
  ---------------- ------------- --------------------- --------------- ------------- -------------------
  Audience         *method~1~*   *method~2~*           *method~3~*     *method~4~*   *method~5~*
  Content          *method~6~*   *method~7~*           *method~etc~*
  Infrastructure

  : For Learning Objective α

McCracken and Dobson (2004) provide an example of how learning purpose,
context, and blended learning ingredients lead particular learning
methods. They propose a process with \"five main design activities\"
(p.491) as a framework for designing blended learning courses. The
process is illustrated with a case study of the redesign of a class at
The University of Alberta called Philosophy 101 (pp. 494 - 495):

-   **Identifying learning and teaching principles.** The teaching and
    learning goals were described as requiring active participation,
    sustained discussion, and, most importantly, inquiry and critical
    analysis.
-   **Describing organizational contexts** Team teaching with three
    professors and up to eleven graduate teaching assistants to engage a
    class of 250 students in dialogue around ethical and political
    philosophy.
-   **Describing discipline-specific factors** The designers are
    described as being concerned about stereotypes of philosophy as
    \"bearded men professing absolute truths\" (p.495). The desire was
    to represent philosophy as an activity, not a set truths to be
    absorbed.
-   **Selecting and situating appropriate learning technologies**
    Learning activities focused on the process of engagement: presenting
    and defending a thesis and responding to opposing views. For
    example, a face-to-face lecture would feature contemporary ethical
    dilemmas with newspaper headlines or a video clip. Or, the
    instructors would stage a debate in which they would assume the role
    of a philosopher under study and then argue from the philosopher\'s
    point of view. Online threaded discussion supplemented small group
    seminar sections.
-   **Articulating the complementary interaction between classroom and
    online learning activities** In the Philosophy 101 example, it was
    noted how the face-to-face engagement was complemented by more
    deliberative, asynchronous discourse.

Even this simplified description illustrates the multilayered,
multifaceted nature of blended learning environments. With such a large
canvass, the most important design principle might be to start small.
\"Creating a blended learning strategy is an evolutionary process.\"
(Singh and Reed, 2001). A good place to begin is to supplement an
existing conventional, environment with one or two on-line activities, a
resource website or an asynchronous discussion for example. As
experience and confidence are gained, new tools can be introduced and a
greater effort put into redesigning the program. It is hoped that this
chapter will help teachers reach that goal.

This
chapter\'s
previous section is about Designing a
Lesson.
The next section describes Success
Tips.

## Additional Resources

See also the developing Wikitext Contemporary Educational
Psychology/Chapter 9: Instructional
Planning
for additional suggestions and ideas about designing and planning
lessons.


# Blended Learning in K-12/Success Tips

## Success Tips

Designing a blended learning environment can be a complicated and
involved process. Several experienced authors have offered tips for
success in such an endeavor. One such author, who appears at every
attempt to search the web for blended learning information, is Frank J.
Troha. This section of the chapter on the Design on Blended Learning in
a K-12 environment attempts to outline his six tips for success, and
comment on their relevance to a K-12 learning environment.

In his article entitled "Ensuring E-learning Success: Six Simple Tips
for Initiative Leaders", Troha offers the following six tips for
success:

1.  *From design, to development to deployment, consider everyone your
    learning initiative will impact, identify the key players within
    each constituency and involve them from the very start.*
2.  *Precisely define - and get agreement on - roles and
    responsibilities from the get-go.*
3.  *Do not bring in e-learning providers until you have a thorough
    understanding of your target audience's needs, management's
    expectations, the scope of the initiative, likely constraints (e.g.,
    limited resources), learning objectives, content to be covered,
    evaluation strategy and a host of other basic design matters.*
4.  *Carefully select the right provider for the job.*
    -   *Develop and confirm precise, comprehensive selection criteria
        (e.g., past experience addressing similar topics for similar
        organizations, fee structure, service standards, references,
        etc.) before meeting with any prospective providers.*
    -   \'\'Use the preliminary design document and selection criteria
        to interview prospective providers.\
    -   *If you are new to e-learning or blended learning, start small.*
5.  *From start to finish, keep all key individuals informed and
    appropriately involved.*
6.  *Strive for self-sufficiency and control.*

Let us examine each tip and discuss the implications for K-12 educators.

**1. From design, to development to deployment, consider everyone your
learning initiative will impact, identify the key players within each
constituency and involve them from the very start.** The focus is on the
involvement of and input from the key players in an organization. In an
educational setting, this may include but is not limited to teachers,
administrators, content chairs, parents, and other staff members. This
success tip may be the most important in that without the support of the
people directly impacted, the success or failure of the program may be
severely negatively affected. In an educational environment,
specifically K-12, it is crucial that you have the support of all key
players. Without the involvement and participation of everyone affected,
the program is sure to encounter difficulties that could be prevented
with this consideration in mind.

**2. Precisely define - and get agreement on - roles and
responsibilities from the get-go.** Without clearly defined roles and
responsibilities, the key players within an organization may not fulfill
their obligations to the program. For example, if it is the primary
responsibility of the school district curriculum designer to outline the
curricular content of the blended learning initiative, the resulting
content may not fit the exact needs of the teachers who are asked to
implement the blended learning model. Conversely, if teachers are
involved in a serious way in the development of the blended learning
course, they personally will feel ownership of the program and will
subsequently become the promoters and even defenders of the program.

**3. Do not bring in e-learning providers until you have a thorough
understanding of your target audience's needs, management's
expectations, the scope of the initiative, likely constraints (e.g.,
limited resources), learning objectives, content to be covered,
evaluation strategy and a host of other basic design matters.** In an
educational setting, often an outside provider is not used, but the
success tip is no less valid. The point is still that before a blended
learning model is constructed and implemented, it is crucial that an
understanding of all aspects of the program is established and
communicated to all key players. As in most aspects of education at the
K-12 level, communication is key to the success of any endeavor. The
collaboration of different players is what makes the program being
developed more successful, more useful, and ultimately may dictate
whether the course is adopted on a permanent level.

**4. Carefully select the right provider for the job.** This tip is more
relevant to a business audience where hiring outside vendors is more
common. A school district is more apt to choose an internal employee to
both help with the design of a blended learning model, as well as serve
as a pilot to test the effectiveness of the resulting program. However,
the point is still an important one, but can be rephrased in an
educational setting to "Carefully select the right instructor for the
job." It is important to choose someone who has an interest in utilizing
the inherent benefits of a blended learning course, as well as someone
who has the technical expertise to effectively help in the design and
implementation of such a course. In schools where there is a dedicated
Technology professional, this person may be the obvious choice for
playing a key role in both the design and implementation of the blended
learning course. This should not be a limitation, however, for there are
many able people within each curricular department of a school who would
make able and competent contributors to the design and implementation of
a blended learning program.

**5. From start to finish, keep all key individuals informed and
appropriately involved.** Not only is it important for the key players
to feel like they are a part of the process in order to gain support
from them, it also reduces the amount of time that is needed to answer
questions and provide training for said individuals. As was mentioned
earlier, a sense of ownership by key players needs to be developed and
nourished throughout the process in order to facilitate the positive
development and future success of the blended learning model.

**6. Strive for self-sufficiency and control.** This tip is probably the
most applicable to educators, as they are likely to embark on such an
endeavor without any outside help from professional providers. Teachers
have the advantage of experience in curriculum design and in the
implementation of a course based on their specific curriculum. They also
have an idea of what the end result should look like, and the experience
needed to successfully design the blended learning curriculum for the
specific needs of their students. Teachers have been educated about
different learning styles. This knowledge can help the blended learning
curriculum to best fit the needs of a diverse audience of students. They
know from experience what is fair and reasonable to expect from their
students. Teachers also know about their students' socioeconomic
backgrounds, which may play a key role in the design of the
instructional blended learning model. For example, in some communities
technology limitations may have an effect on choices of content
delivery.

These tips for success are a good reference when designing a blended
learning course. Of course, they should not be relied upon in isolation.
The best advice for a school instituting blended learning is simple:
look for successfully examples. A growing number of schools and other
institutions have realized the benefits blended learning adds to
instruction. Time needn\'t be wasted trying to "reinvent the wheel,"
when so many excellent programs already exist as models for others to
follow.

Previous sections in this
chapter
address Designing a
Lesson
and some Guiding
Principles.


# Blended Learning in K-12/Blended Learning In Grades K-2

|previous=Application of Blended Learning in K-12
|next=Blended Learning in Grades 3-6}}
```
Blended learning within early childhood education is an interesting
concept; *how can a student who lacks the ability to read and write be
part of a virtual community?*

While many of the children at the primary level lack the ability to
read, incorporating technology enhanced learning is still a reality.
Teachers can enhance an existing curriculum, improve communication with
the school community and devise forums which reinforce & enrich the
early childhood education. Even though adaptations must occur in order
for e-learning to be successful with young children, primary students
\"should not be excluded from the virtual learning world simply because
of their age and developmental levels\" (Scott; 2003).

When the topic of blended learning arises people often think of students
meeting within a classroom setting and then continue the learning
experience online in the comfort of their home. However within primary
classrooms, blended learning can be more comparable to technology
integration; serving the class environment as a teaching aide. Since
many primary classrooms now have a technology center which can include
anywhere from one to half a dozen computers e-learning is becoming a
reality. While this is not the true definition of blended learning, this
type of face-to-face instruction followed by independent activities
based on individual student needs is the building blocks for higher
level blended learning.

**Blended Education: Application Examples**

*Curriculum*

An overview of the primary classroom sees children learning to read,
beginning to add, and exploring numerous topics for the first time. Most
classrooms are brimming with children, lacking an aide and overloaded
with information. By investigating each subject within a primary
classroom, teachers can envision how blended learning can be a real part
of early childhood education.

Incorporation of technology into the primary classroom can be as a
simple as bringing the students to a website which better illustrates a
story explored in class. For example, if a class reads \"Brown Bear,
Brown Bear, What Do You See?\" written by Bill Martin, Jr. to further
extend upon the story a primary teacher may set a website such as Animal
Vocabulary on a computer in the technology center.

Language arts within a primary classroom can be enhanced with a learning
community such as The Monster Exchange. This website has the children
collaborating with children all over the United States and beyond to
work on descriptive writing. Children draw a picture of a monster and
write a description of the creature in class, the teacher inputs the
picture and description into the website. Classrooms connect with
another class, read one anothers\' descriptions, and then try to
recreate the original monster. Pictures are set up side by side in the
Monster Gallery for comparison. Children can access the monster website
at home and work collaborately with their families.

A primary teacher knows all too well that purchasing enough math
manipulatives for the whole class can be quite expensive and often not a
reality for every school. Technology and blended learning offer a
solution. If an educator works with his/her class on a lesson about
patterns, he/she can direct students to practice the lesson on Virtual
Library of Math Manipulatives. To begin this lesson the teacher would
explore patterns in numerous ways using varying sets of manipulatives to
illustrate patterns; however when it comes to having a set of coins or
buttons for each student this might not be a feasible. Solution: if a
teacher uses this website within a lab setting in which all the students
are using a computer, children can play with patterns independently,
make mistakes, ask questions and the best part no buttons, coins or
colored bears to clean up.

Often time history is neglected because the basic skills often take top
priority in the primary classroom. Using e-learning is a great way to
further explore topics such as history. One very interactive website
explores George Washington. During the month a February a 3rd grade
teacher, for example, can set this website up as a favorite within her
computer center. Each child can be required to view the site and make a
comment in the notebook next to the computer. Those comments can later
be shared as a class.

Since science resources are so abundant online, we can look at blended
learning from a different angle. A second grade class designed this
Space Website. After learning about space in class, the children worked
within groups to develop a virtual learning area made for children in
primary grades. The students and teacher took what they knew, blended it
into technology and now other students can benefit.

*Communication*

Blended communication could be the most successful form for the new
generation of parents. Quite often information relayed to a primary
student quite often does not make it to the ears of a parent. Besides
traditional classroom visits, parent/teacher conferences and telephone
calls, many teachers of all students are realizing that reaching parents
through emails, websites and discussion boards are more fruitful in
contacting parents. Designing an online community where teachers can
post and explain information about their teaching methods can help
clarify classroom procedures. With the same regard, parents can ask
questions, review announcements, and become an active part of the
classroom through a virtual environment. Searching within Yahoo groups,
numerous groups can be discovered which join parents and education
groups. "Some schools are exploring the use of video conferencing and
\'streamed\' (stored for viewing at home) videos to promote parent
understanding and involvement in student learning\" (Starr, 2005).

This blended communication is even opening up a place for parent input
to class learning. Teachers can design questions through online
questionnaires from places like SurveyKey. Educators can ask parents
about issues with in the class, specific needs and concerns. As parents
respond, a teacher can make adjusts and improvements. Once again this is
extremely important within younger students, as they often have a
difficult time expressing experiences which they may have in class.

*Reinforcement & Enrichment*

Teachers at every level grapple with the difficulty of addressing the
needs of each child within a classroom, however this challenge is
extremely prevalent within the early childhood classroom as students are
exploring the building blocks of education. This challenge can be aided
with blended learning.

Studies have been surfacing for years that foreign language instruction
should begin at the elementary level instead of postponing that learning
until high school, however due to budgetary concerns, foreign language
classes seem like a frill (Walker, 2004). By teaching another language
to young children, we give them the greatest chance to fully absorb a
second language. If an elementary school does not offer a foreign
language classes, teachers and parents can still expose primary students
to another language through technology. From simple websites which
vocalize the French Alphabet to websites which allow the students to
progress through activities to learn Spanish.

Within primary grades a child many times needs extra practice. The web
has the amazing ability to give kids extra help in a way different from
group classroom instruction, maybe in a form in which a child learns
better. For example, if a teacher has introduced new letter sounds and
she/he notices a student is struggling, the student can either use the
computer center to practice or a Phonics website address can be send
home for parents to use as practice.

**Adaptations for Blended Learning in Early Childhood Education**

One major concern for young children on the Internet is safety. While
students within upper grades understand the seriousness of broadcasting
their personal information, often younger students are ignorant to that
fact. In order to protect the identity of students, it is recommended
that students work as a group. Since group work is quite prevalent
within a primary classroom, it is very realistic that young children
work as a group within a virtual learning environment, collaborating on
answers to contribute. Students can work as a face-to-face group in the
classroom, develop an answer and post the response within their virtual
environment. Working as a group also alleviates the need to post
responses using full names, pictures and other personal information,
instead the children post as, for example, *The Green Group*.

The design of a virtual community needs to be adapted for the younger
set. Since the literacy development varies greatly within grades K-2,
sites should use pictures and common shapes to navigate through the
information. As streaming video and digital voice technologies improve
and are becoming more common site participation becomes more user
friendly for those with limited reading skills. Responses within an
online learning environment need to be configured with developmental
needs in mind. Answers may need to be multiple choice or give the
contributor the ability to \"draw\" an answer.

Sites which are made specifically for online classes such as Moodle or
other course management systems are not appropriate for the early
childhood environment because \"younger students may not have the study
skills, reading abilities and self-discipline to fare well without a
class to go to\"(Russo, 2001). That does not mean they need to be
excluded from the virtual community, we just need to think of these
years as their preparation for becoming part of a **Brave New World** of
teaching.


# Blended Learning in K-12/Blended Learning in Grades 3-6

|previous=Blended Learning In Grades K-2
|next=Blended_Learning_In_Grades_7-8}}
```
**Starting Out With Blended Learning**

As students become more confident of their technology skills in grades
3-6, and access to technology at home increases, the opportunities for
blended learning experiences broaden. Web-based resources can provide
more indepth information on academic topics, support slow learners, and
enrich high achievers. Communication between home and school can be
vastly improved by utilizing the web to improve the learning experience.

One simple way to begin using technology with students in 3rd through
6th grade is through an asynchronous communication such as the use of
e-mail. There are numerous ways in which e-mail can be helpful in the
classroom setting. Using e-mail as part of a blended learning experience
can enhance a face-to-face discussion and allow students to further
explore their learning. Many students already have a home e-mail account
which they use to communicate with their friends or family, and by the
age of 10, students are mature enough to learn how to use email.
Teachers can make themselves available to students and parents through
email, to answer questions on specific topics and to discuss classroom
topics. Students can stay in touch with the teacher if they are absent.

Another popular use of e-mail is keypals, in which students are matched
up with students from other schools and participate in an exchange of
information and ideas. Keypals help the students see themselves as part
of worldwide learning community, and learn about other cultures and ways
of life. Another use of email is to adopt a grandparent. More and more
senior citizens are becoming technology savvy, and would love to
exchange information with students. There are some safety measures that
teachers need to set forth if adopting a grandparent. Full student
names, addresses, and phone numbers should not be given out at any time.
This is to ensure the safety of the students in today\'s world.

Instant Message (IM) is a synchronous form of communication that can be
started in the middle grades. IM allows instantaneous feedback from
teachers or students. Students can ask questions of other students or
the teacher about an assignment or participate in a discussion with a
teacher or classmate about concepts or topics being covered in class. IM
does have some drawbacks. Students can send inappropriate messages or
pictures to other students or teachers, so it is important that students
are instructed on acceptable use. Restricted accounts, which many
parents use for their children, might block the use of instant
messaging.

**Improving Home-School Communication**

Getting parents involved in their child\'s education is key to academic
success. Teachers can publish web pages linked to the school website to
provide a multitude of information for parents. Teachers can provide a
weekly agenda of what\'s going on in class, they can provide detail of
homework assignments, permission slips for field trips, and much more,
to be available to parents trying to stay on top of their child\'s
education. Many teachers use blogs for this purpose, which might be a
simpler way to get information online immediately. Teachers can also
link to websites that enhance or expand on topics covered in class.

There is no doubt that technology can improve parent-teacher
communication. Through the use of Edline or classroom websites, parents
can stay more involved in what their student is doing in the class and
also how they are doing in the class. If a parent can quickly view what
their child has to do or see an area where they need assistance, it can
make for easy communication with the teacher about what needs to be
done. For success to be evident, there must be good communication
between the parents and the teachers. \--Nick Hartz

**Curriculum Connections**

Many online activities are available for 3rd through 6th grade students
that provide extra practice on classroom topics, or expand and enrich
learning. Teachers can link to these sites so they are available to
students outside of school. Across the curriculum the web offers
resources that engage students in the learning process, and will
actually make them want to spend additional time outside of school on
learning.

It is important when planning a blended learning lesson within the
primary grades to focus on a unit of study, then intertwine it with
technology. The educators at San Diego State University have designed a
tool to aide teachers in their preparation.

For teachers looking to integrate science experimentation into their
middle grades\' curriculum, a wonderful interactive site is Zoom
Kitchen
Chemistry.
Here, students can conduct virtual experiments to learn about real-life
chemical reactions, or find out about real science experiments they can
do at home with items found in their own kitchens. This site is
wonderful for extending classroom learning using technology. If the
class is studying space and the solar system, an excellent resource for
young astronomers is Star
Child. Here students
can find information about space topics, utilize simulations and a
glossary of space terms.

One method of blended learning in math is to have students practice
their math facts online. This provides the opportunity for students to
spend extra time practicing if needed. At Math
Magician
students can have fun interactively while working on math facts, all
operations, and two levels are available, so more advanced students can
progress at their own pace through more challenging material. If the
teachers seeks ways of using manipulatives to teach math, a wonderful
site that utilizes java applets so students can have a hands-on
experience is The National Library of Virtual
Manipulatives.

A great source for students to work on their reading skills is The
Reading Matrix. There
are numerous reading activities ranging from vocabulary, comprehension,
to proofreading, and short stories. Many of these sites provide an
online quiz for the students to take. Teachers can find good sites on
this page by looking at the ratings that it has received.

Students can have a blast at National Geographic for
Kids. Students will spend
hours going through the website which contains, quizzes, games,
cartoons, and excellent information. This site is great for any social
studies buff, or anyone that wants to have fun while doing research on
the web. This site will have students talking about social studies for
the entire quarter.

Everyone wants to create their own music that they can listen to. The
website Creating Music (which requires
Java) allows students to create their own musical sketch pad and then
listen to what they have designed. Students can learn about beat, tempo,
and rhythm while enjoying being the composer of music. This is a great
site for elementary students to learn about music and to get them
interested without having to pick up a single instrument.

**Virtual Field Trips** Field trips are a large part of any classroom.
Quite often a teacher would love to take her students places to which a
bus trip is not an option. Technology offers the solution with virtual
field trips. Students can look at museum artifacts, visit an aquarium,
or admire beautiful art while sitting with their class. Sharing a field
trip virtually is also a great way to reflect a on a trip and share
experiences with future classes. For example, each year students from
Bennet School in North Carolina design a website about their trip to the
State
Capital,
each year the website gets remodeled, but old versions are kept online
to serve as a scrapbook.

**Video Conferencing**

How about a field trip without even leaving the room? With the creation
of video conferencing this is made possible to all students and teachers
to further enhance their students learning and enthusiasm. Students love
to take field trips and they love to go on the computer, now teachers
can have the best of both worlds. Here are some sites that encompass a
virtual field trip.

Science
Center is a
great site for science educators who want to have their students learn
first hand about the human body, space, dinosaurs, and eyes. For this
field trip a fee of \$150.00 is required for a 45-minute tour. This
might not be feasible for schools who are on a very small budget. They
do provide a 25 minute project for about \$100.00.

Ever want to receive video feeds from underwater? The Aquatic Research
Interactive Site does just that.
Science teachers can have students watch video streams from underwater
for numerous topics. This site has been designed for teachers and
students to better understand concepts below the Earth\'s surface. Not a
science teacher? Math, history, and physics teachers can also benefit
from this site as well. There is one major drawback to this site, the
fee. A whopping \$195.00 fee for the use of the video clips are
required.

Teacher\'s Pet? That might be what students will be talking about after
a trip to The Bronx
Zoo. This two
way interactive site is designed for the elementary students to learn
more about an animal\'s behavior. How about having a lion in your class?
This site allows a class to have them and you don\'t have to worry about
students with allergies or a student being attacked. This site is sure
to have your students talking for a long while. This fieldtrip is
\$125.00 for a maximum for 35 students.

**Conclusion:** Can blended learning work in grades 3-6? That depends on
the teacher, tech support, students, and administration. Lisa Abate
understands that a blended learning classroom will require more work.
She mentioned that she spent a lot of her time \"troublehooting studet
problems (such as lost passwords).\" (Abate, 2004) Essentially, doesn\'t
education come down to \"are students learning?\" If students log on to
a website long after they are finished woith their assignment to further
enrich their studies have teachers accomplished their goals? Is the time
worth the satisfaction a student gets by learning more than have to? In
Lisa\'s beta test of her math classroom she found that students were
spending more time than needed on specific activities. (Abate, 2004)
This is a teacher\'s dream come true, students spending more time than
is required on assignments.


# Blended Learning in K-12/Blended Learning In Grades 7-8

|previous=Blended Learning in Grades 3-6
|next=Blended Learning in Grades 9-12}}
```
## Blended Learning Grades 7--8

As students mature and can handle learning without constant teacher
attention, online applications may become more effective for teaching
some curriculum. After teachers and students feel comfortable with
e-mail and webpage design, they can dig further into the realm of
blended learning by accessing some excellent websites. All of these
sites are designed to help the learner better understand a topic. These
are just a few good examples of websites; there are numerous other sites
available.

**Triple A Math** This site is great
for K-8 math teachers because of its content. Students can read the
explanation of each measurement, play some challenge games, and some
interactive practices. Students will have endless hours of fun checking
out this site.

**Seattle Art
Museum**
(Science, Social Studies) This site is for the \"explorer\" learner.
Students can learn about navigation techniques used in the Age of
Exploration. The site includes a video clip of how to use an octant.
This was very cool to see in addition to learning about the navigation
used today.

**Hands On the Land** Imagine
collecting water samples, monitoring the ground ozone levels, and more
on this environmental website. The site provides interaction with other
schools, students, and the forest preserve as students are engaged while
learning about the environment. There are even lesson plans for teachers
to further enhance the students learning.

**BioPoint** This
is an online site for teacher created webquests. They are listed by
grade level and have everything you need to deliver a unit.

**Barking Spiders Poetry**
Barking Spiders is a site devoted to poems for children. Students can
design their own poems online by filling in the blanks. There are mazes
that can be completed and poems to be read.

**1** The
Smithsonian is known world-wide for its magnificent collections. Since
not every class can take a trip to these free museums, the Smithsonian
has made it easy for every class to access the collections and
activities to go with them online. Teachers can search for lessons by
state standard quickly and easily. Teachers can also check out resources
that can be sent to their classrooms.

**Social Science** Some teachers are more comfortable with enhancing
their class through projects. A sample of one would be a project
developed by Kate Purl at Urbana Middle School. The year was ended with
a seventh grade project on Africa. Each student had to research an area
of Africa, learning specifics about the area such as flora and fauna.
The information they found was then added to a website. Once all the
areas of Africa were added, the adventure began. As teams, the students
had to traverse the African continent. The information that the students
provided was combined into a webquest that was a toss up between \"Where
in the World is Carmen San Diego?\" and \"The Oregon Trail.\" Decisions
made as you traveled the trail could lead to success or failure as an
African explorer. The site is still available at: Africa: Choose Your
Own Adventure.

Other successful online adventures for Middle School students might be
Virtual Ancient
Civilizations which is
a work in progress:

**Numerous Subjects** Quiz Hub.
What can\'t you do at this site? The site is loaded with news quizzes,
online maps, chess games, concentration games and much more. Your
students will never want to leave the site. This will have them engaged
for hours upon hours. There is even an art area where you can design
whatever you want. This was my favorite link!!

**Benefits for Students** Research shows that students who are involved
in online learning during the middle school years are more likely to
keep their academic grades higher than those who are not exposed to
online learning (Belanger, 2005). Additionally, the attendance rate of
students using computers is higher along with the ability of students to
do well in group situations and within project-based instruction.
Blended learning is also research based in that it pulls from research
done by Piaget, Vygotsky, Bloom Keller and Gery. Using online education
for middle schools students is a viable way of enhancing the curriculum
by providing live events such as online homework help. This could come
from the teacher, or it could be from other students in a cooperative
learning environment. Blended learning also gives the students a chance
to move at their own pace. What one student may be able to learn quickly
another may need more time to digest and understand. In blended
learning, students moves at their own pace and they have the
availability of a teacher when questions arise. There is also a
collaborative element to blended learning. If a student does not
understand part of an assignment, there are other students available to
ask questions. Students can use a chat room, IM or e-mail to work
together to complete a project. Along with the curriculum, testing can
also take place online. This would allow students to take assessments
when they feel they are ready. It would also allow for quick feedback
from those assessments so that students know where they stand with
respect to their grade. Lastly, when students use the web for learning
there is a wealth of materials available to them at the click of a
mouse. Dictionaries, encyclopedias and research are just some of the
information that students can access during their learning experience.
These five ingredients to blended learning are important for the
students to have the best possible educational experience. It allows
them to remain anonymous so that their mistakes are not broadcast
throughout the classroom, giving them self confidence. It is a way to
allow students to take control of their own learning experience.

**The Down Side** As with every advance in technology, blended learning
can have its faults also. While online courses have been available for
several years to the post secondary student, use of online technology is
generally thought of as an enhancement for the secondary schools.
Schools are using computers more than ever before with an increase from
60% in 1993 to 84% in 2001 and home use of computers growing during the
same time from 25% of students to 66% (NCES, pg 1). Schools might use
computers more if computers were available in each classroom. Many
schools don\'t have that luxury and, instead, must move students to a
central computer lab to make use of the technology available. This
creates more work for teachers and takes away from instructional time.
Most will also admit that it is the teacher, and her comfort with
technology, that affects how well that technology is presented in the
classroom. In his book, "Oversold and Underused," Larry Cuban states
that computers are not successful because teachers who use computers for
instruction do so infrequently and unimaginatively (Harvard University
Press, 2001).

**Taking Technology Further** Some students, for various reasons, need
to work at their own pace. While distance learning got its start at the
post-secondary level, it is slowly gaining momentum at the middle and
high school level. Students who are gifted, challenged or have health
reasons and do not do well in a traditional learning environment now
have the opportunity to complete their education online. Several schools
are now in operation that offer aid to these students. Some worth
looking at are:

Advanced Academics

Colorado

Exel High
School

High School

James Madison High School
Online

**Teacher Controlled Blended Learning** As with any level of education,
there are some teachers who prefer to have control over what their
students are doing online. Instead of accessing one of the above
websites or a WebQuest, these teachers choose to develop their own
curriculum for their students. This curriculum needs to be well thought
out before anything is ever put online. New South Wales Department of
Education and Training has some guiding questions that teachers should
ask themselves before they begin to design a web-enhanced course. They
first suggest that you know WHY you are trying to place information
online for your students. Once you are sure that what you are looking
for is not already online, then it is time to understand the goals that
you have for you students regarding the online content: Do you want them
to learn to work independently? Or do you want to free up your time to
work with those students who need the extra help? The other suggestions
include teaching your students slowly, showing them step by step what
you expect from them. However, the ultimate suggestion was that if a
teacher were to be interested in providing web-enhanced learning for
their class, they should have had the experience of online learning
themselves (NSWDE, 2005).


# Blended Learning in K-12/Blended Learning in Grades 9-12

|previous=Blended_Learning_In_Grades_7-8
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```
Today\'s high school student often has the maturity and technical
expertise necessary to participate in e-learning experiences. However,
students of this age frequently require the support of a teacher in a
classroom. Blended learning combines the best of both worlds for high
school students: the fluidity of using Internet resources and the
reassurance of face-to-face experiences. It extends learning beyond the
classroom, and expands the breadth of courses offerings, while providing
the personal support and encouragement from a teacher still necessary
for many students. The following paragraphs describe the effectiveness
of blended learning, how to successfully achieve blended learning in a
high school environment, and provide specific examples for teachers.

## Research on Effectiveness of Blended Learning

High school students are often motivated by online learning, and often
have the maturity and self-discipline to work independently and succeed
in online coursework. \"Evidence overwhelmingly shows that ALN
\[Asynchronous Learning Networks\] are at least as effective as
classroom learning\" (Hilz et al., 2004). Much of the evidence of online
learning success, however, relates to college and graduate level
students who demonstrate a better completion rate than younger learners.
Some high schools have found that providing hybrid courses, or blended
learning experiences that provide more face-to-face support to students
have better completion rates. One example is the Mannheim Township
Virtual High School in Pennsylvania. While receiving many accolades for
their success with individual students participating in their online
learning courses, the dropout rate hovered around 25%. The program was
uniquely revamped to address this issue. The solution was a hybrid
online and traditional course model that has resulted in a 99%
completion rate (Oblender, 2002).

The weaknesses of online courses are addressed by hybrid, or blended
learning courses. Blended learning provides more structured time for
student work while still allowing students the opportunity to proceed at
their own pace. Teachers are available to monitor progress and provide
encouragement and support to students who may lag behind. Blended
learning courses provide physical resources that are not available in
courses that are presented completely online, including language,
technology and science labs (Oblender, 2002).

Blended learning also provides many benefits not available in
traditional classrooms. The need for textbooks is diminished. Material
presented is timely and relevant, and student progress is self-paced.
The students\' learning environment is extended to organizations, people
and facilities not available in the classroom. Students who participate
in blended learning gain advanced technological competencies (Oblender,
2002).

Distinct advantages exist for at-risk students when exposed to blended
learning, particularly synchronous activities. Joining a \"cyber-study
group\" results in higher performance for these students compared to
students who study alone. \"Peer-to-peer interactions needed for
collaboration promote a collective sense of responsibility . . .
students who have low self-efficacy or an external locus of control
receive feedback and encouragement from their study partners.\" Also the
presence of the instructor is more frequent, and results in more
meaningful dialogue between teachers and students (Newlin, *et al.*,
2002).

## Getting Started with Blended Learning

For teachers just getting started in blended learning, the simplest
approach may be to choose websites that expand on what is being taught
in class, and/or provide extra practice for specific skills. In this
scenario, the greatest proportion of the learning experience involves
face-to-face learning, with a less significant web component. High
school teachers who are looking to add a web component should start
simple. The purpose is to expand on and clarify topics covered in class,
and provide opportunities for students to extend the learning experience
beyond the confines of the classroom. Some examples:

Foreign language students can utilize My Language
Exchange. At this website, a student
can locate a student learning his language who is a native speaker of
the language he is learning. Together, the two students can participate
in practice sessions using lesson plans, text and voice chat rooms, a
dictionary, a private notepad, etc.

Math students can utilize online simulations of math concepts at The
National Library of Virtual
Manipulatives. Simulations
are available in Numbers and Operations, Algebra, Geometry, Measurement,
Data Analysis, and Probability. Using these manipulatives can provide a
better understanding of math concepts, and well as practice in various
areas.

English students can extend their learning of the writing process beyond
the walls of the classroom by using Principles of
Composition.
This site contains a full high school composition course with
interactive lessons and practice.

Students of American history can expand and develop their knowledge and
understanding of major events in the history of our country by using
The American Memory Collection
published and maintained by the Library of Congress. Another good source
is to use some of the interactive sites provided by National Geographic.
The Underground Railroad trip is especially good for upper elementary
and jr. high students. It forces them to think and make decisions while
explaining what the underground railroad is.

Enriching science students through technology is made possible by the
wide array of interactive resources available on the web. Students can
conduct an in depth and interactive study of Biology at Interactive
Biology. Chemistry
students can expand on textbook information with information and
animations on periodic table elements by using The Visual Elements
Periodic
Table.
Students of physics can enrich the learning experience by spending time
at The Physics Classroom.

## Moving Forward: Incorporating Synchronous Web Components Into the High School Class

As teachers and students gain confidence in the incorporation of blended
learning, they can discover numerous web components available to enhance
the learning experience for students. Live synchronous experiences are
good examples. These include video conferencing, instant messaging, chat
rooms, and virtual classroom modules.

Video conferencing serves a variety of purposes. Most video conferencing
options are not free, but available for an hourly fee, or through a
subscription service. Students can benefit from the expertise of
specialists in various areas and can participate in virtual field trips.
Students living in remote areas can benefit from resources and people
only available in more populated areas. The Albany Institute of History
and Art
offers numerous \"virtual field trips\" for high school students.
Students are active participants as they join in real time with the
Institute\'s historians, examining artifacts and collaborating with
experts. History students can interact with holocaust survivors via
video-conferencing through The Holocaust Memorial and Educational
Center in New
York. These are just a few of numerous video conferencing options
available across the curriculum.

Video conferencing has purposeful academic applications in language
courses, but some controversy exists over whether these needs can be
addressed via asynchronous video. CUSeeMe was the grandfather of two-way
video conferencing. Successors include NetMeeting, PalTalk and iVisit.
Live Video conferencing has its drawbacks, however. Many schools lack
the bandwidth necessary for effective and problem-free two-way
conferencing (Godwin-Jones, 2003).

Instant messaging, discussion boards and chat rooms provide a means for
remediation and consultation for students outside the school day.
\"Communication tools like discussion boards and chat rooms can be
effective in inter-team collaboration as well as in faculty-student
communication\" (Eastman, *et al.*, 2002). Students can become motivated
in directing their own learning. Through these synchronous activities,
students become empowered, can develop better communications skills, and
develop their ability to work cooperatively. Students who are more timid
in a face-to-face environment often gain confidence in online
discussions. Teachers frequently become more accessible to students
through these types of synchronous activities (Eastman, *et al.*, 2002).
Traditional text chats can now be enhanced with voice and/or video.
\"Apple recently announced multimedia enhancements of its iChat
application, along with introducing the new iSight camera\"
(Godwin-Jones).

## Use of Asynchronous Web Components in Secondary Education

Blogging, which began as an online journal several years ago has
escalated to \"several hundred thousand diarists . . . actively posting
blogs about almost every conceivable topic.\" Blogs provide an instant,
online writing space with the potential for an audience of thousands;
free and instant publishing. Teachers will find that the \"presence of
an audience can increase engagement and a depth of writing\" (Bull,
2003). \"Blogs also help students exchange ideas much like a group of
students waxing poetic at a . . . coffeehouse. Blog sites often
prominently display the e-mail addresses of \[their\] creators, letting
readers instantly provide feedback to the site\" (Toto, 2004). Blogging
has numerous instructional applications in high school. Literary
activities using blogs include character journals, character roundtable,
think-aloud postings, and literature circle group responses. Revision
and grammar activities include nutshelling (extracting a line from a
paragraph that holds the most meaning), devil\'s advocate writing
(online debate), and exploding sentences (slowing down a student from an
earlier post and adding rich, descriptive detail). At Hunderdon Central
Regional High School in Flemington, New Jersey, students use a blog to
discuss \"The Secret Life of Bees\" by Sue Monk Kidd in an American
Literature Class (Bull, 2003).

Blogs can also help improve student writing. While students often begin
their blog experience with sloppy grammar and spelling, the presence of
an audience generally changes that. Since students are often the most
critical audience, the blog writer begins to strive to improve writing
to avoid criticism. Also blogging \"forces students to become more savvy
about the world around them.\" The need to feed the interest of the
audience inspires students to be clever and interesting (Toto, 2004).
Blogging is a tool that inspires collaboration, and encourages students
to extend learning well beyond the traditional school day. Appropriate
use of blogs \"can empower students to become more analytical and
critical; through actively responding to Internet materials, students
can define their positions in the context of others\' writings as well
as outline their own perspectives on particular issues (Oravec, 2002).

Course management systems provide a mode of presentation and
organization for blended learning. Moodle is a good example. Moodle was
design to \"provide a set of tools that support an inquiry- and
discovery-based approach to online learning\" (Brandl, 2005). Being
available free of charge, it also has good financial benefits for school
districts, as opposed to commercial course management systems. Teachers
using moodle are able to provide a virtual classroom round the clock.
\"Moodle has great potential for supporting conventional classroom
instruction, for example, to do additional work outside of class, to
become the delivery system for blended course formats (Brandl, 2005). It
is based on socio-constructivist theory, promoting cooperation among and
between students and teachers. It provides for both synchronous and
asynchronous discussion through a chat option and threaded discussion.
\"At the core of the concept of an asynchronous learning network is the
student as an active---and socially interactive---learner\" (Hilz et
al., 2004).

## Pulling It All Together: The Teacher\'s Perspective

The goal of blended learning is to use technology as a tool for learning
and to promote a discovery-based approach to online learning. It is also
intended to help students become \"anytime, anywhere\" lifelong
learners. Keeping abreast of the technology is a challenge for teachers
as well. The teacher needs to participate in ongoing professional
development, read the latest research, and share ideas with other
teachers. Teachers must actively seek out and utilize individuals that
can act as mentors and technical support providers in their quest for
effective blended learning techniques. If teachers must be lifelong
learners themselves in order to promote lifelong learning among their
students \-- they must lead by example.

## The Role of Blended Learning in the Future of High School Education

While teachers grapple with the challenges of staying up-to-date on new
technologies, students being educated in this technological era are
confident in their use of technology. New teachers enter the workplace
well-equipped to face the technological challenges that await. As access
to technological resources improves for all students and the digital
divide narrows, high schools find themselves better able to implement
blended learning. In the near future, high school learning will no
longer be limited the length of the school day or the confines of the
school building. Resources will be available for all students to learn
anywhere, anytime.

Across the country, high schools are already making this vision a
reality. One example is the Urban School in San Francisco, which has
incorporated a 1:1 student laptop program. Foreign language courses have
been improved with the use of voice files to improve listening and
speaking skills. History students contribute meaningfully beyond the
confines of the classroom and school to the broader community beyond by
providing web-based election materials to the local community and
producing an award-winning website that contains oral histories of area
holocaust survivors. Math and science simulations are available for
extra practice and enrichment to students when and where they need it,
and language arts students participate in online literature circles,
generating "more thoughtful and meaningful responses" than would
typically be expected in a traditional classroom discussion (Levin).

## Summary

The benefits for students abound in blended learning. Teachers have the
opportunity to individualize instruction at all levels and for all
students. Extra help is available to students who need it, and
enrichment opportunities can be provided for students who move at a
faster pace than the rest of the class. Teacher availability extends
beyond the confines of the school day and the school building. Learning
opportunities are expanded for all students. Students become actively
engaged, and are well-prepared for the technological workplace that will
be theirs. Collaboration is encouraged, and students have the
opportunity to collaborate with a diverse and worldwide student body.
Curriculum connections can be made which encourage higher level thinking
(Morehead et al., 2004). Great potential exists for both students and
teachers, and the future of blended learning is significant. What of the
questions that would seem to need to be addressed is the availability of
the technology to allow for blended learning. It would seem that
wealthier districts would have a significant advantage in the resources
available to them. Many poorer districts have poor student to computer
ratios or do not have the ability to make computers available to
classroom students on a regular basis.


# FHSST Physics/Info

**Free High School Science Texts (FHSST)** is an initiative to develop
and distribute free science textbooks to grade 11 - 12 learners in South
Africa.

The primary objectives are:

-   To provide a \*free\* resource, that can be used alone or in
    conjunction with other education initiatives in South Africa, to all
    learners and teachers
-   To provide a quality, accurate and interesting text that adheres to
    the South African school curriculum and the outcomes-based education
    system
-   To make all developed content available internationally to support
    Education on the largest possible scale
-   To provide a text that is easy to read and understand even for
    second-language English speakers
-   To make a difference in South Africa through helping to educate
    young South Africans

FHSST Website -  FHSST Physics on
Wikibooks

Other FHSST books on Wikibooks:

-   FHSST Biology
-   FHSST Computer Literacy
-   FHSST Chemistry


# FHSST Physics/Introduction

\<\< Main Page \-- First Chapter (Units)
\>\>

## Introduction

Physics is the study of the laws which govern space, structure and time.
In a sense we are more qualified to do physics than any other science.
From the day we are born we study the things around us in an effort to
understand how they work and relate to each other. For example, learning
how to catch or throw a ball is a physics undertaking.

In the field of study we refer to as physics we just try to make the
things everyone has been studying more clear. We attempt to describe
them through simple rules and mathematics. Mathematics is merely the
language we use. The best approach to physics is to relate everything
you learn to things you have already noticed in your everyday life.
Sometimes when you look at things closely, you discover things you had
initially overlooked.

It is the continued scrutiny of everything we know about the world
around us that leads people to the lifelong study of physics. You can
start with asking a simple question like \"Why is the sky blue?\", which
could lead you to electromagnetic
waves,
which in turn could lead you to wave particle duality and energy levels
of atoms. Before long you are studying quantum mechanics or the
structure of the universe.

In the sections that follow notice that we will try to describe how we
will communicate the things we are dealing with. This is our language.
Once this is done we can begin the adventure of looking more closely at
the world we live in.


# FHSST Physics/Waves

## Waves and Wavelike Motion

Waves occur frequently in nature. The most obvious examples are waves in
water on a dam, in the ocean, or in a bucket, but sound waves and
electromagnetic waves are other, less visible examples. We are most
interested in the properties that waves have. All waves have the same
basic properties, so by studying waves in water we can transfer our
knowledge and predict how other types of waves will behave.

Waves are associated with energy. As the waves move, they carry energy
from one point to another in space. It is true for water waves as well.
You can see the wave energy working while a ship drifts along the wave
in rough sea. The most spectacular example is the enormous amount of
energy we receive from the sun in the form of light and heat, which are
transmitted as electromagnetic waves - not even requiring a medium to
propagate. wave was being discovered by Sir Reagan Lulu Wokoz

## Simple Harmonic Motion

Simple Harmonic motion is a wavelike motion. It is considered wavelike
because the graph of time vs. displacement from the equilibrium position
is a sine curve.

An example of simple harmonic motion is a mass oscillating on a spring.
It will be hard to understand the forces involved this early in the
course that cause the motion to simple harmonic, but it is still
possible to look at a mass oscillating on a spring and understand that
it is indeed simple harmonic. When a mass is oscillating on a spring,
the further the string stretches, the slower the mass will be moving.
Then the mass reaches a point where the string won\'t stretch any
further, so it quits moving and then it reverses direction. As it moves
closer to the equilibrium position is moves faster.


# FHSST Physics/Vectors

# Vectors

NOTE TO SELF: SW: initially this chapter had a very mathematical
approach. I have toned this down and tried to present in a logical way
the techniques of vector manipulation after first exploring the
mathematical properties of vectors. Most of the PGCE comments revolved
around the omission of the graphical techniques of vector addition (i.e.
scale diagrams), incline questions and equilibrium of forces. I have
addressed the first two equilibrium of forces and the triangle law of
three forces in equilibrium I think would be better off in the Forces
Chapter. Also the Forces chapter should include some examples of incline
planes. Inclines are introduced here merely as an example of components
in action!