Teaching and Learning Centre
Advancing Blended Learning @Lingnan to a New Stage
BACKGROUND
The Senate-approved paper “Enhanced Innovative Teaching and Learning: An Implementation Proposal” and it’s associated eight recommendations and the top-sliced Teaching Development Grant project “Advanced Blended Learning @ Lingnan to a New Stage” all align with the strategic intent to increase the quality and quantity of blended learning across the University.
Blended learning is defined as the combination of face-to-face classroom learning and technology-enabled learning. In order to facilitate technology-enhanced learning and meet the expectations of our students and employers, one of the University’s Strategic Areas in 2019 – 2025 is “To develop smart teaching and learning and other cutting-edge pedagogies with the help of new digital education technology to support teaching and learning endeavours to meet students’ new learning needs in a rapidly changing world where new knowledge and skills continue to appear and workplace requirements are constantly changing”. This Project aims to promote the adoption of blended learning across the University via several initiatives. The eventual goal is that 100% of all Courses at LU have incorporated some eLearning / Blended Learning by 2022.
AIMS
- To increase the quantity and quality of Blended Learning across the University
- To provide for staff and students a suite of resources and professional development opportunities as related to Blended Learning
- The creation of various communities of practice as agents of change to enhance sharing of ideas re blended learning
- Collaboration on BL Initiatives with partnering with the interested institutions in AALAU (Alliance of Asian Liberal Arts Universities) and GLAA (Global Liberal Arts Alliance)
SUBSTANTIAL ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE PROJECT
Increasing the quantity and quality of Blended Learning
Blended Learning has been advocated in Lingnan and courses have been encouraged to adopt eLearning activity(ies). The project has helped to:
- Incorporate at least one eLearning activity in ALL Moodle courses; and
- Review 475 undergraduate courses to evaluate the effectiveness of eLearning activity on teaching and learning.
Providing staff and students with a suite of resources for blended learning
To help staff and students better understand blended learning, various online modules and resources (i.e. videos and documents) have been. These include:
Three self-paced, online learning modules
To support students and academic staff to develop their knowledge and skills on blended learning, three online learning modules have been designed. These include:
| For Student | For Staff | |
 Student Orientation to Online and Blended Learning |
 Blended Learning: Tools to Pedagogy |
 Blended Learning: Mapping Theory to Practice |
Three good practice video interviews
Most academic staff have successfully implemented technology for effective teaching. Some of them have been interviewed to share their good practices.
18 self-learning guides and documents with different themes for students and teachers to equip the knowledge of practising online and blended learning
Consultations and support for blended learning
Support on blended learning for teaching staff have been via allocated funding for specific blended learning developments and/or providing dedicated pedagogical expertise and advice. The project has helped and supported:
- Over 80 teachers have received one-to-one consultations from TLC.
- Over 70 teachers have received professional support on the “Advanced Blended Learning project.
- 33 TDG projects have been supported.
- 10 Small-scaled blended learning projects
Blended learning workshops
Workshops have been conducted to equip students and staff with knowledge on blended learning. The project has conducted:
- 22 workshops with 385 participations in the ‘Innovative Pedagogies Series’ (aggregate feedback of 4.3 / 5 in terms of satisfaction) and
- 10 workshops with 585 participations in the ‘Digital Literacies Series’ (aggregate feedback of 4.1 / 5 in terms of satisfaction)
Communities of practice as agents of change
Communities of practices were formed to act as communication channels between stakeholders and TLC. We have formed: 5 Communities of practice with a total of 59 staff and 23 student members.
External collaboration and partnerships
As a liberal arts university, Lingnan University has allied with other liberal arts universities to form two alliances, the Alliance of Asian Liberal Arts Universities (AALAU) and Global Liberal Arts Alliance (GLAA), to advocate blended learning. To promote blended learning in the liberal arts subjects, Lingnan University has developed a collaboration with Alverno College, a member of GLAA. During the collaboration, we have invited:
- Staff from Alverno College delivered a training workshop to LU Staff on blended learning
- Staff from Alverno College provided two days of individual consultations on blended learning
- Staff from Alverno College helped to review online student Moodle course “Student Orientation to Online and Blended Learning”
Conclusion
With different ways of promoting blended learning, Lingnan University has cultivated an environment for teachers and students to conduct effective blended learning.