THE AGE OF BLENDED LEARNING

Universities use in-person, online learning for best of both worlds

ALBERT VAN SANTVOORT

Necessity has been the mother of invention for post-secondary institutions during the pandemic, forcing the industry to modernize more quickly than it had planned.

“There was maybe a lot of interest, but a bit of resistance to blowing everything up and forcing a new way of doing things,” says Elizabeth Elle, vice-provost and associate vice-president of learning and teaching at Simon Fraser University (SFU). “But the pandemic has forced us to. [The pandemic] freed up our creative facility to come up with really different ways to get to those learning goals.”

While many institutions had created some online learning capacity, they were still operating with a 20th-century mindset – with a chasm between their digital and in-person offerings. Before the pandemic, post-secondary institutions were beginning to blend those two systems of learning together, according to a 2019 report from the Canadian Digital Learning Research Association.

It was a project that had to pivot and accelerate once COVID-19 hit.

“We were forced to make some really big changes and honestly none of us were excited about it; but we had to, to be safe,” says Elle. “We’ve learned really good things from this experience, some of them we don’t want to continue but others we absolutely need to continue because they’ve been great for our students.”

Some programs immediately benefited from a digital format. For instance, in order to adapt to online learning during the pandemic, language study courses at SFU were divided into smaller breakout groups held via Zoom video conferencing. According to Elle, students found that this format made it easier for them to practice their language skills since it was less intimidating for them to speak in front of four or five students than doing so in a traditional class of 30.

This not only led to innovative digital solutions, but it also helped to generally shake things up in a legacy industry, and allowed new, interesting ideas the space and ability to flourish.

One example is biology labs. Elle explains that biology classes where students followed step-by-step instructions through a typical dissection had become routine, and students were just following along rather than discovering the different scientific processes for themselves. When students were forced to do their lab work from home without the typical university-grade research equipment, it created the opportunity for professors and teacher assistants (TA) to create “kitchen sink” experiments. Students have been encouraged to get involved in simpler experiments, such as testing the friction of Jell-O on a plate. While this may seem goofy, Elle shares that it’s actually forcing students students to ask questions like: how do we measure that? How do we collect data so others can repeat the experiment? How do we analyze that data?

Simon Fraser University’s Burnaby campus • ROB KRUYT

“Instead of giving [students] those steps, they’re discovering the steps,” says Elle.

“This is the best of education.”

The pandemic forced universities to rethink education, and the urgent need for distanced solutions forced them to look everywhere for answers, including their own students. Working with learners to understand their preferences, and including them in the development of SFU’s educational offerings, is something Elle thinks will continue into the future.

However, not everything can be done online. Whether chemistry experiments, community engagement in the social sciences, university orientations or MBA networking events, some things just need a personal touch. This means that the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t just increased the importance of digital offerings in education, but it has also created a new appreciation for experiential learning. The industry trend is a move toward the blended learning model, which captures the best of both online and in-person worlds.

“We need face-to-face experiences to really be worth it,” says Elle. “It can’t be the Ferris Bueller character as the droning professor. We’ve learned if we’re all going to meet together, you have to really use that time well.”

ASK THE 40

For this month’s Ask the 40 section, BIV Magazine asked 2020 Forty under 40 winners to share one of their education-related goals for the year ahead.

As I have been recently nominated for a few board positions, my next educational pursuit will focus on improving my oversight and governance skills with regard to corporate boards

Rogayeh Tabrizi Co-founder and CEO Theory+Practice

Researching ways to implement self-care at work to juggle daily stress and digital fatigue

Cecilia Yeung Clinical director PTSD Support for Nurses

With such a crazy year and a deep focus on businessrelated goals, I’m hoping to balance out that energy and invest in some personal skills related to my hobbies, with a focus on golf and my private pilot’s license

Solon Bucholtz Co-Founder and CEO LBC Studios Inc.

I am in the process of learning my tenth language – never stop learning

Braam Jordaan CEO Convo Communications Canada, Inc.

Utilizing the unreal game engine in live action production

Chris van Dyck Founder Crafty Apes VFX

My next educationrelated goal is to complete subdivision planning/ design part 1 and 2 at BCIT

Ryan O’Shea Vice-president Miracon Development Inc.

Start my doctor of business administration degree

Ramin Esifaie Co-founder and CEO CSN Pharma I am completing formal training to further develop my coaching and mentoring skills and will be pursuing an accreditation in this area

Corinne Caldwell COO BCREA

My next learning goal is to obtain my EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) implementation certification to offer an additional service and value for our customers

Joe Deobald Founder Full Frame Marketing Inc.

I would like to earn my certified health executive designation

Joshua Myers Executive director BC Centre for Ability

Learn more about Internetof-things hardware and connected devices

Reza Sanaie CTO Beanworks

Learning how to kiteboard

Jason Robertson Co-founder Nimbus Synergies Inc.

Pick up an art or musical instrument. For many years I’ve focused hard on business growth and studied the subject every waking hour. I would like to take the time to learn something I’ve put off for many years

Christian Thomson CEO Marwick Marketing

Learning French – it’s needed in Canada to become prime minister

Kosi Stobbs CEO Property Owl Group of Companies