Printable Professional Development Plan
Delivery Options
Our tool has been developed in a modular format, which offers the facilitator flexibility in utilizing materials based on participant familiarity with the topic; group size, location and time constraints; delivery technologies (learning management system, web-conferencing tools); and participant roles (i.e., instructor, instructional designers or technologists, deans). For instance, someone using this guide might consider whether their intent is for participants to produce a redesigned course or simply to have an overview to the process that participants can then complete on their own after the workshop has concluded.
Suggested Delivery Options
- Summer Institute (four consecutive days)
- Semester Institute (four 4-hour sessions, over four weeks, or with greater breaks between sessions to allow for redesign)
- Weekend Institute (two to three consecutive or distributed over several weekends)
Suggested Workshop Delivery Formats
Blended Format: A portion of the workshop, to be determined by the facilitator, is offered face-to-face, with the remainder offered online. This format allows considerable flexibility. For instance, the workshop can alternate between formats on a weekly basis, or the first half of the program can be offered face-to-face, with the remainder online. An additional benefit of offering the workshop about blended learning in a blended format is that it allows participants to experience firsthand what it is like to be a learner in a blended environment. This can be an important benefit for those who have never participated a blended course.
Online Format: Entire workshop is offered online, except maybe a brief introduction, which may be offered face-to-face.
Face-to-Face Format: Entire workshop is offered face-to-face. This format can be the most desirable for participants new to blended learning, allowing them to easily interact with facilitators and other faculty, while developing a sense of community throughout the process of rethinking an entire course and learning new technologies.
Other Considerations
Discipline-Specific Format: To the extent possible, it is tremendously beneficial to engage in the redesign process with colleagues in the same discipline. Redesign principles around assessment, interaction, and collaboration, for instance, apply to all courses. However, participants find it very useful to collaborate and brainstorm on ways to implement new teaching strategies and activities that are specific to their content. Consider forming discipline-specific communities of practice to continue dialogue and design support after the redesign workshop concludes.
Workshop Technology Use: It is highly recommended, especially if you are offering this workshop in either a blended or face-to-face format as described above, that you consider offering it in a learning environment where each participant has a computer and access to the Internet. Modeling the use of learning technologies is tremendously valuable. For instance, consider using videos or polls or demonstrating the use of other emerging or learning management technologies in each of the workshop units. Various technologies are suggested in this guide.