Four ways to extend the ‘fast’ blended learning student


There is often insufficient time in the fast paced world of blended learning to create these materials 'on the fly' Self-paced blended learning (and any type of blended learning that provides access for students to "future" learning materials) produces a wonderful "problem" - what should be done with those students who successfully complete the assigned learning quickly? There are a number of possibilities. The linear extension model Linear extension allows students to progress to the next topic. This is a fairly traditional approach; allow the students to progress through the course at an accelerated pace. [caption id="attachment_148816" align="aligncenter" width="230"] The current topic (Topic 2) is shown in dark blue. A student who completes Topic 2 quickly moves to the next topic (Topic 3), shaded orange.[/caption] Role of the teacher: In this model, the teacher does not have to do anything different; all of the topic materials simply need to be complete and available to students at the beginning of the course. Assessment when using this model may need to be modified. It works best when the assessment can be individualized and have flexible timing. The student can then be assessed when the topic is learned/completed. Otherwise, a "fast" student may have to take an assessment task many weeks after he/she has completed the topic. The horizontal extension model Horizontal extension can be useful when there are advantages with ensuring all students remain on the same topic, such as when all students must be assessed at the same time. In horizontal extension, "fast" students have access to learning materials that broaden the current topic; they do not move on to a new topic. This wider understanding of the topic may take them into areas of greater complexity, and may contain learning materials that overlap with courses in future years of study. This may convey advantage in future courses, and this is acceptable as these future courses should also contain extension materials. Analogy: This can be thought of as taking a set of binoculars to the topic being studied to see beyond the sub-topic under consideration; to scan the horizon for related material. [caption id="attachment_148817" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The current topic (Topic 2) is shown in dark blue. A student who completes Topic 2 quickly moves to the horizontally extended sub-topics (Topics 2A, B and C), shaded orange. All students in the class then move to Topic 3 at the same time.[/caption] Example: In Geography, students may study types of Coastal Landforms. They may learn about capes, coves, bays, etc. and the forces that create them (erosion and deposition). Horizontal extension may take this topic "wider" to include mountain and glacial landforms (fjords, cirques, etc.), tectonic landforms (rift valleys, ocean trenches, fault scarps, etc.), volcanic landforms (calderas, volcanic cones, etc.) and impact landforms (impact craters, ejecta blankets, etc.). There are many more possibilities, and each topic in each discipline has similar horizontal extension topics. Role of the teacher: In this model, the teacher must have produced/made available the extension materials; all of these extra materials need be complete and available to students at the beginning of the course. This may take time to plan, research and implement, and this extra preparation time must be allowed for. Assessment when using this model can be taken by all members of the class at the same time, as all members of the class move from topic to topic at the same time; some students have simply studied the topic in greater detail. The vertical extension model Vertical extension also allows students to remain within the same topic. Learning materials provide greater "depth" of learning and much more detail regarding the underlying knowledge. This is different to horizontal extension. Analogy: This can be thought of as taking a microscope to the topic being studied in order to see greater detail. The current topic (Topic 2) is shown in dark blue. A student who completes Topic 2 quickly moves to the vertically extended sub-topics (Topics 2A, B and C), shaded orange. All students in the class then move to Topic 3 at the same time.

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