HEFi team members discuss blended learning in Degree Apprenticeships, which enable students to complete a qualification that connects work-related skills with academic content to encourage evidence-based practices.
The Degree Apprenticeships have attracted students who are already established professionals to study at the University of Birmingham. Degree Apprenticeships enable students to complete a qualification that connects work-related skills with academic content to encourage evidence-based practices.
The student profile varies between new professionals and ones that are more experienced. These learners may have studied at undergraduate level, post-graduate level or indeed have no higher education. Equally, it may be some time since they have studied.
What these learners do have in common is that they typically lead busy work lives and the courses we deliver need to respond to and reflect their preferred method of study in a way that is truly student-focussed.
Creating blended degree programmes gives learners the flexibility to study when and where they choose.
We have created immersive environments in truly innovative ways that enhance students’ and academics’ experience and we have developed an inclusive environment that enables all learners to participate.
So what are the main benefits of our blended approach to DAs?
In this short video we talk about our research-based approached to delivering student-centred learning using the blended approach.
Further Reading
Bayne, S., 2008. Higher education as a visual practice: seeing through the virtual learning environment. Teaching in Higher Education, 13(4), pp.395-410.
Biggs, J., 1996. Enhancing teaching through constructive alignment. Higher education, 32(3), pp.347-364.
Burgstahler, S., 2009. Universal Design in Education: Principles and Applications. DO-IT.
Cvetković, D., 2017. ADDIE Model for Development of E-Courses. In Sinteza 2017-International Scientific Conference on Information Technology and Data Related Research (pp. 242-247). Singidunum University.
Dabbagh, N. and Kitsantas, A., 2012. Personal Learning Environments, social media, and self-regulated learning: A natural formula for connecting formal and informal learning. The Internet and higher education, 15(1), pp.3-8.
Kolb, A.Y. and Kolb, D.A., 2005. Learning styles and learning spaces: Enhancing experiential learning in higher education. Academy of management learning & education, 4(2), pp.193-212.
Lachheb, A. and Boling, E., 2018. Design tools in practice: instructional designers report which tools they use and why. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 30(1), pp.34-54.
Merrill, M.D., 2007. The proper study of instructional design. Trends and issues in instructional design and technology, pp.336-341.
Shah, S.A., 2013. Making the teacher relevant and effective in a technology-led teaching and learning environment. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 103, pp.612-620.
Story, M.F., Mueller, J.L. and Mace, R.L., 1998. The universal design file: Designing for people of all ages and abilities.
Wang, S.K. and Hsu, H.Y., 2008, November. Using ADDIE model to design Second Life activities for online learners. In E-Learn: World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education (pp. 2045-2050). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
