Block and Blend – A new approach to learning

IN FOCUS

Block and Blend – A new approach to learning

Innovations in Learning and Teaching The Covid‑19 pandemic resulted in a mass move of learning and teaching into a fully online environment. As this took place at Suffolk, there was a recognition of the need to reflect on the longer‑term impact of the pandemic on the already complex lives of students, and the University looked to the wider international learning and teaching community to explore innovations in learning and teaching design and delivery. Key to this thinking was the belief that students want and need to engage in active modes of learning alongside technology‑ enhanced learning. With advancements in understanding and technologies, online learning is no longer necessarily seen as isolating, but instead, a social form of learning and an effective mechanism for fostering cooperative student endeavor.

Block and Blend The traditional learning model would see students’ study three consecutive modules over the duration of a semester, with assessment for all three modules at the end, block and blend is an alternative approach.

Block learning sees courses structured so that students engage with a single module at a time, normally over the period of five weeks, including assessment, combined with blended delivery which provides learning across a mixture of face‑to‑face and online learning environments. This bold and innovative approach of block and blend was designed and piloted across a selection of undergraduate programmes at Level 4.

Initial findings The evaluation of student experience and achievement on block and blend programmes indicated that this approach could realise greater engagement, and an average 10% increase in assessment grades. Students reported that this approach allowed them to deep dive into topics, gave them an improved sense of efficacy and control, and enabled better time‑management. FOCUSED STUDY

Based on these findings the University has implemented block and blend more widely across all Schools and continues to work hard to evaluate retention and achievement and grow the understanding of this approach for students on part‑time modes of learning and those with disabilities.