| U21 Teaching &
Learning Conference Does Teaching & Learning Translate? Conference papers |
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Making it different: a blended learning pilot project with first year geography undergraduates | |
| Dr Mary Gilmartin & Dr Niamh Moore | ||
| University College Dublin | ||
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Internationally, recognition is growing
that the transition between second and third level education is
raising a number of challenges for both students and educators. As
class sizes grow, resources become more constrained and the
expectations of the ‘ipod generation’ are transferred to the
educational environment, the context of university teaching and
learning is being transformed.
In recent years, there has been a growing realisation that not all students learn the same way, a diversity of learning styles is very often visible within the one student group and therefore longstanding approaches to undergraduate education might not be ideal for all students¹. Within this context, modes of instruction that cater for different paces of learning and learning styles by combining ‘traditional and electronic media to cater for the “net generation”² have become increasingly important. This paper discusses the transformation of an introductory human geography module at University College Dublin (UCD) designed to promote variation in and facilitate a diversity of teaching and learning approaches. It highlights the important issues raised at the design and delivery stages, and assesses the potential to embrace and expand on current understandings of blended learning. Our understanding of blended learning, more broadly applied than in much of the literature, allows us to move beyond the strictures of other popular approaches like problem-based learning³. We argue that blended learning offers a way of drawing on recent initiatives, particularly in terms of enquiry-based learning, within the confines of growing resource restrictions and changing student demands. ¹ Young, J.R. (2002)
Chronicle of Higher Education, 48(28): 33-34. |