Chapter 9: Modes of delivery
The purpose of the chapter
When you have completed this chapter you should be able to:
- determine the most appropriate mode of delivery for any course or program you wish to offer;
- determine what factors should influence this decision;
- better identify the role of classroom teaching when students can now increasingly study most things online.
What is covered in this chapter
- 9.1 The continuum of technology-based learning
- 9.2 Comparing delivery methods
- 9.3 Which mode? Student needs
- 9.4 Choosing between face-to-face and online teaching on campus
- 9.5 The future of the campus
Also in this chapter you will find the following activities:
- Activity 9.1 Where on the continuum are your courses?
- Activity 9.2 Defining the ‘magic of the campus’
- Activity 9.3 Knowing your students
- Activity 9.4 Deciding on the mode of delivery
- Activity 9.5 Redesigning your classroom space
Key Takeaways from this chapter
1. There is a continuum of technology-based learning, from ‘pure’ face-to-face teaching to fully online programs. Every teacher or instructor needs to decide where on the continuum a particular course or program should be.
2. We do not have good research evidence or theories to make this decision, although we do have growing experience of the strengths and limitations of online learning. What is particularly missing is an evidence-based analysis of the strengths and limitations of face-to-face teaching when online learning is also available.
3. In the absence of good theory, I have suggested four factors to consider when deciding on mode of delivery, and in particular the different uses of face-to-face and online learning in blended courses:
- student characteristics and needs;
- your preferred teaching strategy, in terms of methods and learning outcomes;
- the pedagogical and presentational requirements of the subject matter, in terms of (a) content and (b) skills;
- the resources available to you as an instructor (including your time).
4. The move to blended or hybrid learning in particular means rethinking the use of the campus and the facilities needed fully to support learning in a hybrid mode.
