I feel achieving the learning outcomes has come easier this week than last week. With the adoption of so much technology now in education I think there has been a natural process of evolution towards the flipped classroom without our necessarily being aware of it. Our teaching practice is anchored around the learning space which actively promotes and facilitates online collaboration and blended learning.

I found all this weeks videos both engaging and stimulating, and certainly see the value in becoming less the “sage on the stage”, and more the “guide on the side”.”

Katie Gimbar’s videos make a compelling case for embracing the flipped classroom and teaching to the middle group is something I can relate to. It seems perfect sense to reduce the spoon feeding “data dump” lecturing  and spend more time really working with students one to one to help them engage in a deeper learning experience.

I am however concerned about student and lecturer overload and think flipped classroom needs a lot of planning to avoid just cramming more in.

If you are going to set students learning tasks between seminars it would pay to be available for set “surgery” times to offer support if anyone struggling with online tasks rather that leave it until next face to face session.

Preparing for Blended e-Learning, one of this weeks texts proved really helpful in identifying some of these areas for planning. The description of “lurkers” rang true, not least as I recognise that in my behaviour on this PGCHE.

I would say that this week has been one where the majority of the learning outcomes have been achieved in that whilst I have a reasonable understanding of the benefits and constraints of online learning, I would not say I have made as much progress in exploring how I will bring this into my interactions with my students in my professional practice. Having said this as I begin to consider just how large a role technology already plays in my teaching role it would be fair to say that at Falmouth the “blended” approach is almost the norm.

I found this week’s forum useful and highly engaging. I was interested in how many people found the flexibility of online learning such a benefit and at the same time a potential shortfall. The dangers of falling behind and falling out of the learning community seem to resonate across the group. The fact that all the assets required for learning are available in one place is clearly popular and comes up repeatedly in the forums. I enjoyed the discussion on the forums around the pro’s and cons of Canvas as a learning platform.  Personally, I like the highly structured way this course leads us along our path. There is a highly formatted approach to every week and it was interesting to be able to see how learning theory has informed this formatted approach. It was no surprise that the lack of face to face interaction online is seen as a significant disadvantage and  comes up a lot on the forum.

This week’s exercise was difficult to get to grips with. Aside from my very late start on the previous module making it quite a challenge to consider any 3 weeks in sequence, I struggled to come up with any original thought on my view of online learning as related to the experience of any specific week.  As a result my practice reflection feels a bit like a list of what I did.

My reading this week Chapter 1 of Preparing for blended e-learning by Alison Littlejohn & Chris Pegler felt a little obvious and didn’t seem to have a great deal to say. I don’t think anyone would argue that a Blended approach is the way to go.