Blended courses (also known as hybrid or mixed-mode courses) are classes where a portion of the traditional face-to-face instruction is replaced by web-based online learning.
How much of the face-to-face instruction must be replaced by online coursework? This question will vary greatly by class, discipline, and learning objectives. The Online Learning Consortium (formerly, the Sloan Consortium, a professional organization dedicated to postsecondary online learning) defines blended learning as a course where 30%-70% of the instruction is delivered online. While this is a useful guideline, it may not be sufficient to cover every blended learning configuration.
The EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) provides many useful resources related blended learning.
The National Center for Academic Transformation has done a significant amount of work related to course redesign, including the innovative use of technology for blended learning.
The addition of technology to any academic program must be accompanied by fundamental process re-design. This website has been designed to provide an infrastructure for participating faculty and institutions that includes innovative technology, curricular reinvention, participant training, and ongoing assessment support, all of which are necessary for meaningful, sustainable, disruptive transformation.
Courses can be blended in many ways and for many reasons. Refer to other sections of this Toolkit for research, models, and examples.
