I am a course designer at The George Washington University’s Online Learning Initiative. I work with a selected group of faculty each year to develop online courses for the university’s summer session and beginning now, employ the same one on one model to help faculty deliver blended courses.
I think this is a very exciting time in the field of educational technology. There are literally thousands of new technologies being developed daily. We are just now exploring the frontiers of mobile learning, gaming, and the integration of these exciting technologies into college level courses.
Blended learning shows real promise as a model for learning that both faculty and students may find addresses their needs for flexibility, academic rigor, and acceptable transactional distance. The research shows that given the right circumstances, online and blended learning can meet the same academic standards, or even exceed those of a face to face course. It is my job to make sure that in courses taught by our faculty, student receive at the least, an equivalent educational opportunity; and if possible, an ever-improving one.
