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Title:	Blended Learning Landscapes
Other Titles:	A Project-based Experience in West Bengal
Authors:	Ghosh, Dr. Anirban Upadhyay, Dr. Papiya Mathur Mitra, Dr. Ritu
Issue Date:	Aug-2022
Publisher:	Netaji Subhas Open University, DD-26, Sector-I, Salt Lake, Kolkata-700 064 & Printed by : The Saraswati Printing Works, 2, Guru Prosad Chowdhury Lane, Kolkata-700 006.
Description:	The COVID-19 pandemic has changed education forever and also reshaping learning. Teaching Learning Assessment Process (TLAP) has undergone into a sea of changes. The world is changing constantly due to the evolution of digital technologies and the emerging importance of leveraging technology for teaching-learning at all levels from school education to higher education. Technology has a huge impact in educational institutions and has eventually put the traditional methods into a challenging state. Nonetheless, there are demands for both technology and traditional learning methods. As a result of this, the art of combining digital learning tools with more traditional classroom face to face teaching gave birth to the term “Blended Learning” (BL). We all are discussing about blended learning today in our academics and research. Blended learning is not a mere mix of online and face-to-face mode, but it refers to a well-planned combination of meaningful activities in both the modes. In this context nurturing 5 E’s, (Engaging, Equalizing, Enriching, Enabling and Empowering) in the teachers to better equip with emerging technologies in their transaction of classes and creating, designing, developing the online courses for better learning, better employment, better livelihood, better citizen and for better and effective teaching-learning-assessment processes. As a felt need and dire necessity, Netaji Subhas Open University (NSOU), Kolkata with the active and generous support of Commonwealth of Learning Commonwealth Educational Media Centre Asia (COL-CEMCA), New Delhi came together again in succession to undertake a capacity-building skill-based project titled ‘Implementation of Blended Learning in Higher Education Institutions in West Bengal (Enhancing Capacity of Higher Education Teachers)’. It was successfully conducted and accomplished during the period, November 2021-May 2022. More than 270 academics were sensitized, equipped and oriented with BL and its implementation in HEIs, given the pretext and context of TLAP. The project confined the domains/themes specific for capacity building of higher education teachers. These notably included: Training on ICT tools, use of OER, sensitization of Open Educational Resources [OER] & Creative Commons Resources [CC], orientation of various software, like Video / Audio Development Tools, Learning Management System and Understanding blended learning course design and development, use of LMS, Flipped Classroom & Learner Centric MOOC Pedagogy [LCM], Interactive Presentation Tools & e-Assessment Tools, Creating learner centric video lectures, Using GoogleClassroom & Moodle LMS for Delivering Blended Learning Courses, Conducting Student Assessments through Moodle, Google Classroom. Creation of e-Content: videos, preparation of Blended approach materials, integration of various contents: video, PPT, text, Interaction: synchronous & asynchronous, environment etc. The considered objectives of the project were to improve the knowledge and skills of teachers/academics in higher education to develop and offer Online/Blended Course, to enable the staff/faculty members to the process of planning, designing, developing and delivering online courses, to adopt Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Google Classroom & Moodle Platforms as an adjunct to face-to-face teaching and to teach in a fully online or distance learning context, to find out the prospects and challenges of providing online/blended learning in the context of Higher Education Institutions in West Bengal. The project-based study was orchestrated through series of workshops/capacity building programmes in face-to-face (adhering to Covid-19 protocol of the state)/online/blended mode at four regions viz. Durgapur RC, Jalpaiguri RC, Kalyani RC and Headquarters at Kolkata. The participants constituted teachers/faculty members/academics of NSOU and other universities/colleges located in and around Regional Centres (RCs), especially reaching out to the LSCs under the 4 RCs. In order to reach the expected outcomes of the project design, various tools were administered for monitoring and evaluation, workshop feedback surveys etc. Direct interactions with the participants through semi-structured interviews and workshop feedback questionnaires were carried out by the facilitators and the project team members. Such analytical framework assisted in coding the domains and themes of BL and its sensitization among the academics in right direction. ● ● ● ● The project recognized and abridged the following outcomes: Blended learning training, capacity building program enabled the faculty members to develop course materials, e-content, videos in blended learning or to develop their courses online to engage students in learning. Hand-holding sensitization was provided to the participants on the technical know-hows of the use of techniques available in instructional technologies, ICT tools, various software for e-content development, LMS system, like Moodle to develop unique courses for many kinds of institutions. An exposition to a gamut of strategies of course modalities, including self-paced independent study, cohort-based courses with student-instructor interaction, and highly collaborative student-centred courses. The academics were empowered and adept in planning their course and teaching through Online Mode/blended mode.Development of Action Plan for BL for respective HEIs to which the participants represented was formulated as per the given BL template. The pedagogical array subsisted with the emergence of Heutagogy as a method for lifelong learning. A MOOC on ‘Foundations of Heutagogy’ was developed and launched through SWAYAM and NSOU LMS. The feedback obtained from the participants across the state signed that NSOU and CEMCA would widen such joyful learning to enhance the capacity of teachers as it incurs highly repeated value to the academics and academia. As a reminisce, this robust project-based study is the first of its kind in the state of West Bengal till date amidst various challenges of COVID pandemic
URI:	http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1079
ISBN:	978-93-82112-04-4
Appears in Collections:	Blended Learning Landscapes

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