The liberal arts are uniquely aligned to 21st-century workplace
literacies. Through their focus on learning how to learn,
synthesis, and creative solutions thinking they prepare learners
in the connected age. Underlying this premise is the need to
prepare and support faculty with connected/blended modalities and
related technologies.
The Texas Learning Consortium Blended Learning (TLCBL) course
taught blended learning theory and technology to foreign language
professors. The TLCBL was situated in a connectivist framework
and delivered completely online. It applied anchored instruction,
teaching with narrative, and post-course faculty mentoring to
support learners in their experimentation and application of
blended learning knowledge.
Uniquely, the TLCBL featured a semi-fictional narrative based in
the exotic destination of Peru. The narrative starred a real-life
language teacher actually located Peru, who was learning
alongside the liberal arts faculty. The language teacher
interacted with the learners in character, giving the narrative a
deep sense of authenticity and realism.
The liberal arts are uniquely aligned to 21rst century workplace
literacies. Students are taking courses and graduating into a
global society where they are required to learn continuously to
be effective and competitive. A liberal arts education, due to a
focus on learning how to learn, synthesis, and creative solutions
thinking is well suited to prepare learners in the connected age.
Underlying this premise is the need to more effectively prepare
and support faculty with connected/blended modalities and related
technologies.
The Texas Language/Learning Consortium Blended Learning (TLCBL)
course teaches blended learning theory and technology to foreign
language professors. The experience provided professional
development for traditional face-to-face liberal arts faculty
toward mastering the blended learning model of instruction; it
was delivered completely online; and it was followed up by a
faculty mentoring relationship with the facilitator of the
course. The course provided a foundation of blended learning
knowledge so professors could plan and facilitating blended
courses of their own, and the online mentoring component to
ensure that the learners were continuously supported in their
experimentation and application of that knowledge after the
course.
Supporting liberal arts faculty developing connected/blended
modalities and applying new learning technologies, the TLC
commissioned a learning consultant to design, model, and
facilitate a course. The course was situated within a
connectivist framework and also applied: 1) anchored instruction;
2) teaching with narrative; and 3) post course faculty
mentoring.
Perhaps the most unique aspect of the TLCBL course was the use
of a semi-fictional narrative that took place in Peru. The
anchored, first-person narrative told the story of a face-to-face
language instructor who was teaching the indigenous language of
Quechua while living in the Andes Mountains, but career needs
required him to facilitate a blended learning course. Filled with
anecdotal information to capture learner interest, the narrative
was written by a real face-to-face language teacher who -- aside
from actually being located in Peru -- was new to blended
learning himself and studying alongside the liberal arts faculty
in the course. Essentially, the character became a semi-fictional
fellow student who participated in the course and interacted with
the learners, which gave the narrative a deep sense of
authenticity and realism.
==Expected Learning Outcomes==
Please describe or list the outcomes you hope audience members
will leave the session with:
1. Gain knowledge of a faculty blended learning professional
development case study situated within the liberal arts.
2. Gain knowledge of an online course design [framework, methods
& technology] for faculty professional development
3. Reflect upon effective, contemporary teaching and learning
competencies for liberal arts faculty.
4. Gain knowledge of the Texas Learning Consortium’s history,
mission, and future considerations.
5. Gain knowledge of a faculty mentoring experience focused on
effective blended learning design and facilitation.