The Blended Learning Transformation (BlendLT) faculty development program was created by Teaching and Learning with Technology in 2016 as a way to support faculty through the process of revising courses to a blended format. Since then, TLT has supported 34 faculty members from 13 different campuses through the course redesign process, and these courses have impacted over 1,500 students. However, additional interest in blended course redesign from both individual faculty members and entire programs has prompted us to reexamine the format of this faculty engagement opportunity, and how we can better scale our efforts to reach more faculty. As a result, BlendLT is undergoing a makeover, and will run in its new format starting in May 2020.
The redesigned workshop series takes a flipped approach to faculty development. Two instructional designers created a BlendLT Learning Path that walks faculty through a series of self-paced modules on blended course redesign. These modules can be used as a just-in-time resource for faculty interested in blended course design but will also be used in conjunction with the TLT-led blended learning workshops. Instead of gathering for instructional presentations, faculty who participate in the workshop will go through a module of the Learning Path before each workshop meeting and will spend workshop time working with each other and with instructional designers on revising their courses. There is also a companion Canvas course that contains discussion forums, activity submission pages, and additional resources for workshop participants.
To further the reach of this faculty development opportunity, TLT also encourages faculty learning communities for larger cohorts of faculty from the same program who are interested in adopting blended course formats. Faculty “champions” who participate in the TLT-led workshop series will receive additional train-the-trainer instruction to help them prepare for facilitating an FLC. They will use the Learning Path and Canvas course to guide their FLC meetings and can call on TLT instructional designers for consultations as needed.
The BlendLT Learning Path will be published in early March, and a request for proposals will open at the same time. The links will be posted on the TLT BlendLT webpage (https://tlt.psu.edu/blendlt/) when they are available.
If you are interested in blended course redesign and would like more information about the revised BlendLT program, please contact Erica Fleming (ecf10@psu.edu) or Amanda Jones (anj5053@psu.edu).
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