# Blended Learning in K-12/Blended Learning's Lesson Design Process

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### Designing a Lesson

The keystone standards of blended learning are akin to other forms of
learning. Identifying the objective, establishing the timescale, and
recognizing different learning styles are basic principles found in any
successful lesson plan. Streamlining the lesson plan comes with
experience, as does determining appropriate applications of the lesson
and its evaluation.

An online environment can foster close relationships between student and
teacher and between student and other students. When students interact
online, opportunities arise for the sharing of personal information and
personal responses. Therefore, students must first understand that their
classmates are to be treated with respect. Instructors should make clear
what information might be confidential and what can be shared. In
addition, students should understand that they are to use language
appropriate to an academic forum and free of slang or jargon (the latter
can be especially difficult when working in education academia).
Students should also know how to invite, accept, and offer feedback in
ways that promote learning.

With the preceding principles established, the focus turns to the design
of the lesson itself. A sample outline follows. Only the main topics are
mentioned here. Like a jazz score, this outline is a framework, not a
crystallized prescription. Practitioners are advised to start here and
then improvise as their experience and proficiency develop.

I. Purpose Statement (the overall intent of the lesson plainly stated)

II\. Duration

III\. Prerequisites (if any)

IV\. Learning Objectives

V. Content/Learning Activities (For each item of content to be
addressed, show how it would be communicated to the students and the
estimated time needed. This is by far the longest section of the design
document.)

VI\. Application of Learning Strategy

VII\. Evaluation Strategy

The Purpose Statement gives an overall description of the lesson to be
presented. It may include the concept to be taught and the means by
which it may be delivered. Perhaps this statement will state how much of
this lesson is to be performed online and how much is to be completed
during a classroom session. The statement is usually concise, but
divulges an overview of the entire lesson.

When making decisions about the design of a blended learning lesson
plan, there will always be a need for determining an appropriate
timetable. The lesson plan should be designed to include a balance of
online and offline activities, but those activities must remain within
reasonable time limits. Far too many teachers have made the mistake of
heaping an excessive amount of online work on their students. Teachers
are then accused of believing that theirs is the only class in which
their students are currently enrolled. Balance is key. Too much of
either component will cause the lesson or activity to either grow dull
or become overly burdensome, thereby diminishing the learning aspect. At
the same time, the lesson must include enough challenges to promote and
instill the concepts being taught by the lesson. The balance is
delicate, but the very nature of the flexibility of blended learning
helps to maintain that balance. The duration portion of the lesson
becomes streamlined after its first delivery. Ample time must be allowed
to complete activities, but overplanning seems to be the wiser choice.
Students and teachers alike find it awkward to have time remaining at
the end of a lesson with no other learning planned. It is best to have
too many activities planned for a session than to not have enough. You
can always reduce the work load or save it for another time.

Prerequisite skills must be addressed by students and teacher. Offering
a traditional lesson to those without previous skills to complete the
new lesson leads to frustration for everyone concerned. Opportunities to
learn using technology without previously learned technological skills
will cause like frustration. Technical skills learned along with the
academic concepts makes for a very efficient lesson, provided the
academic goals and objectives are met. Technological skills are
important, but should not distract from the academic portion of the
lesson, but rather enhance it.

The learning objective is the meat of a lesson plan. It is the compass
that guides the teacher throughout the lesson. When expressed to the
students, it points the learner into the right direction as well. In a
blended learning class, if the learning objective is rooted in a math
concept, it is crucial that the teacher remain focused on that concept -
not the technological means by which it may be taught. If a technical
skill is being presented, that objective must be made clear in the
lesson plan.

Content and Learning Activities must be introduced into the lesson plan
and provided for ample practice if the student is to grasp the intent of
the lesson. Looking back at the learning objectives and the
\"Content/Learning Activities Outline\" can help answer evaluation
questions. \"Is my test content-valid, based upon the methods of lesson
presentation?\" \"Should my test include a short review time via a
traditional classroom setting, or would an online review better prepare
my students for evaluation?\" \"Should the test be performed online or
in the presence of the teacher?\" Online tests make for easy and quick
grading by the teacher. Security of the test, however, might be
diminished depending on the software used by the teacher. Tests taken
exclusively in the classroom setting, however, negate the natural
lessons of technology. Teachers who evaluate their students\'
performances by using a mixture of tests - some online, some offline -
have experienced more fruitful outcomes. Supplying examples to read as
text online or offline proves to be helpful. Presenting video
explanations or examples online, where students can view a snippet of
the lesson repeatedly gives enough exposure to solidify an idea or
concept. Any tool that can be afforded the student should be considered
to improve retention.

The most crucial step needed in each lesson plan is the preparation of
transfer of learning strategy. If learning is not transferred from the
place of learning to practical application, there can be no positive
return on investment of the time needed to create, implement, and
evaluate the lesson plan. Students are smarter than we might think. If
the lesson doesn\'t apply to something tangible or if it can\'t be used
in real life, you can expect them to ask, \"When are we ever going to
use this stuff?\" Make sure that your objectives are made clear to the
students. The learning standards must be addressed, yes, but also find a
real life application to better your students\' understanding of the
materials covered. If this is not done, much of your time, and your
students\' time, has been greatly wasted. A second look to ensure that
students have indeed learned the objectives might trigger revisions,
allowing for more (or better) class activities and teacher feedback.
This should be done before any evaluation strategy. Technology is useful
in simplifying this task of transferring the learning strategy. Many
times a lesson taught with the use of online instruction or with
technology as its main tool provides a built-in application. Students
see more clearly how the concepts are used in real life situations, and
because the lesson was applied practically, the student retains the
information and skills much longer.

A blended learning class is like any other - when lessons are presented,
it is imperative that assessment is given to check the depth of
learning. Caution must be practiced when using online assessment. If
this method was never practiced during the teaching of the lesson, the
student finds himself at a bit of a disadvantage when being tested.
Instead of devoting proper time to the non-technical concepts taught,
the student might be fighting his way through the technical tool he must
use to perform the task at hand. For example, students that have
graduated from high school may need to take an assessment test at a
nearby community college in order to be placed properly into a Math or
English class. If the college issues an online test and the student has
no past experience with such a method of testing, the scores can be
expected to be lower, causing the student to be placed in an
inappropriate level class. If online testing is to be used, pretests are
advised to familiarize the students with the technical part of the
test-taking task. Not doing so would seemingly violate the equity issue.

Identifying opportunities of learning in blended learning is the same as
identifying any learning opportunity. The focus should remain, however.
The K12 teacher must recognize the need to provide the right methods of
teaching for his students. The overall intent of the lesson should also
address the result of the lesson. Teachers may ask themselves, \"What
exactly do I want my students to know as a result of this lesson?\" Be
sure you understand the objectives of the lesson - many times they
provide the basis for subsequent lessons. Outline the topics and
subtopics that must be addressed by the lesson.

Blended learning is advantageous to the learner. Research has shown the
limitations of applying a generalized style of teaching, rather than
modifying lesson plans to fit the needs of the student. \"Increasingly,
organizations are recognizing the importance of tailoring learning to
the individual rather than applying a \'one-size-fits-all\' approach.\"
(Thorne, 2003) Of course, common needs exist, but blended learning
allows the teacher to look for creative ways and use a variety of media
to address the specific needs of his students.

When a teacher designs his lesson plan, it is important to note the type
of learning activity (e.g. lecture, case study, role play, simulation,
game, etc.) that best conveys the objectives of the lesson. There are
two reasons for listing traditional teaching methods only at this point,
instead of both classroom and online activities:

1.  We as teachers usually establish on paper the \"ideal\" learning
    experience when you work under a more familiar, traditional style of
    teaching. It is live, face-to-face, instructor-facilitated and
    student-collaborative.
2.  Once you have established the lesson plan for the \"ideal\" learning
    experience, you can systematically analyze the elements that can be
    delivered online without compromising learning effectiveness. You
    will discover here what might be best left in a classroom setting.

Blended learning is not simply adding an online component to a lesson
plan. Technology in a lesson plan should be used wisely - to enhance the
lesson. Technology should not be used just to show off technology.
Excellent opportunities exist for teachers to make learning interactive,
dynamic, and fun when used properly. The technology aspect of a lesson
should be like a good baseball umpire - it (like the umpire) is good if
it (he) goes unnoticed.

\"Since the intent of blended learning is to enhance learning by
combining the best of both worlds\...elements of the outline that appear
to lend themselves to self-study online should be highlighted. Such
elements tend to include easy-to-interpret, straightforward information
that is relatively easy for the (student) to accurately grasp on his/her
own.\" (Troha, 2003) Students should be able to perform required tasks
online with little or no prompting by the instructor. Of course,
teachers should guide their students along, but when a student can
accomplish a task online with limited assistance, that student
encounters a learning experience that is deeper and more rewarding.

Blended learning courses are dynamic by their very nature. Revisions
will need to be made to adapt to the learning needs of its students.
Knowing what works and what does not comes with experience. The best
resource for K-12 teachers to create and implement a blended learning
course is another teacher or a network of teachers who have had
experience with launching such courses.

The next sections of this
chapter
address Guiding
Principles
and some Success
Tips.
