Blended and multi-site teaching

A growing number of YukonU courses are designated as 'blended', meaning that they are taught with a component of the course being face-to-face and the other part being online, asychronously and/or synchronously.  The ratio of face-to-face and online can vary from course to course. 

When designing your blended course it's important to consider what content to deliver in person, what should be done in an live online meeting (synchronous), and what is best done online on the students' own schedule (asynchronous).  Synchronous time, whether face-to-face or online, is precious.  Use this time for collaborative activities.  If your students can fold laundry with their cameras off during your synchronous meeting they might as well be working on their own schedule through recorded lectures, text-based lessons, online discussion forums, etc.  Your lesson topic can also dictate which delivery format is most appropriate.  For example, sensitive discussions may be best had in person where it's easier to read body language, whereas complex issues that require thoughtful reflection may be better suited to an online asynchronous forum.    

Thoughtful transitions between in-person and online are important for high-quality blended learning.  You'll want to "instruct-ify" your online resources -- that is, do more than just say "read this" or "watch this".  For example, you may want to wrap instruction in transitional text or scaffold to help students understand how to process the instructional resource they are digesting on their own.

Multi-site teaching

At YukonU, multi-site courses refer to courses taught to students who are both in-person and online, at the same time, usually through Zoom.  This format increases remote students' access to courses they would not otherwise be able to attend.  This delivery format requires thoughtful design to engage both face-to-face and remote students and ensure a positive learning experience.  

If you have questions about blended or multi-site delivery talk to your Program Chair or contact Teaching and Learning (teachlearn@yukonu.ca).

Additional Resources

• Planning for a Blended Future, Online Learning Consortium