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Aspirational Standards for Staff Capabilities in Blended

and Flexible Learning

Professor Mike KeppellCharles Sturt University

AustraliaEDULEARN11 - Barcelona

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Risk versus Aspiration

The Blended and Flexible Learning Standards (BFL Standards) provide an institutional framework for RISK and ASPIRATION.

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6BFL Standards

1. Policy and practice

2. Continuous improvement

3. Good Practice Guidelines

4. Professional development

5. Learning outcome equivalency

6. Scholarship

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Professional Development for BFL

• Aspirational Framework for Academic Capabilities in BFL

• Course/Degree Directors and Course/Degree Teams

• Professional development for Educational Designers.

• Probationary programs for new staff

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Flexible learning

“Flexible learning” provides opportunities to improve the student learning experience through flexibility in time, pace, place, mode of study, teaching approach, forms of assessment and staffing.

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Blended & Flexible Learning

“Blended and flexible learning” is a design approach that examines the relationships between flexible learning opportunities.

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InteractionsInteractions ICTsICTs

PedagogyPedagogy Learning SpacesLearning Spaces

Multiliteracies Multiliteracies

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Interactions

Information access (degree and subject expectations)

Interactive learning (learner-to-content interactions)

Networked learning (learner-to-learner; learner-to-teacher interactions)

Student-generated content (learner-as-designers; assessment-as-learning interactions)

(Herrington & Oliver 2001).

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ICTs

e.g. Moodle, Sakai, Blackboard

Information access tools (e.g. subject outline)

Interactive learning tools (e.g. simulation)

Networked learning tools (e.g. forums, chats)

Student-generated content tools (e.g. digital stories)

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Pedagogy

Independent learning

Peer learning

Authentic interactions

Learning-oriented assessment (feedback-as-feedforward)

Learning outcomes

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Multi-literacies

Information literacy

ICT literacy

e-facilitation strategies

e-moderation strategies

Focussed on teaching staff and students

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PhysicalPhysical VirtualVirtual

FormalFormal InformalInformal InformalInformalFormalFormal

BlendedBlended

MobileMobile PersonalPersonal

OutdoorOutdoor Professional Professional PracticePractice

Learning SpacesLearning Spaces

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Dimension Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Interactions

Pedagogy

ICTs

Learning Spaces

Multi-literacies

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Learning Design

Provides academic staff with a means to identify the characteristics of learning design that characterize BFL environments.

Framework is ‘aspirational’ - provides levels of quality learning and teaching practices in BFL towards which academics can aspire.

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Generative Implications

Academic staff can self-assess their own teaching using a rubric. May lead to conversations with educational designers and professional development opportunities.

This self-assessment may also assist the academic when applying for promotion by providing evidence to promotion panels.