The Literature Review

This week while preparing for compiling my action research plan to implement blended learning in biology, I spent time reviewing research previously done in other settings and making sure there was a clear understanding of the concepts and methods. The review can be found below, with a summary of my research plan.

 

 

Blending Biology: Enhancing Secondary Classrooms Through a Blended Learning Approach to 21^st Century Learning

Literature Review

Gabrielle Beaty

Lamar University

 

 

Introduction

Students today are learning in a time of great change. They face changes economically, culturally, politically, and technologically. All of these fast-paced changes impact their education and methods of learning. As research methods develop they show increased usage of internet and technology by the general population, but a lack of intentional usage in education regardless of prevalence (Horn and Staker 2015). Students have vast opportunities to grow into as careers and technologies develop in this ever-changing era, but methods of education must keep up as well.

Blended learning is an educational method that will address the needs of students in today’s classrooms. Students need personalized learning, increased access to content and opportunities to learn new skills, and both of these at reasonable costs to the community (Horn and Staker 2015). This literature review will define blended learning, address the method of blended learning in relation to the secondary classroom, and show possible uses in current secondary science situations for the benefit of all students, including English language learners and special populations.

Defining Blended Learning

Classrooms in previous decades required children to sit in rows with individual desks. Students were individual learners responsible for internalizing knowledge for themselves. As professionals such as Eric Jensen and David Sousa began to explore new learning theories related to brain based learning and other learning theories, teaching styles and classroom set ups began to change (Wilson 2017). Students no longer sit in rows and solely listen to teachers. Many classrooms in schools today have implemented group work philosophies with students in flexible seating arrangements. Activities include times of discovery and exploration with students taking ownership of their own learning.

These activities and changes are a step in the right direction. However, with the current pace of change in the workforce and need for content knowledge and career readiness skills, a blended learning environment will best prepare students for their future. Horn (2017) defines blended learning as “any formal education program in which a student learns in at least part through online learning, with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace.” This takes place at least in part in a supervised location away from home with educational professionals. The modalities with which each student’s learning experience is designed are connected to provide an integrated learning experience (Horn and Staker 2015). For example, a student would not be working on an online lesson on cells but attend an unrelated lab in which they grow lima beans. All portions of the curriculum synchronize to provide a well-rounded learning experience.

Students need ownership in their learning process. Blended learning provides today’s students with some control over their own learning paths (Lynch 2016). Students are given several learning tasks that complement each other and all support the same learning standard or purpose, but the student can choose when to do each task including order, and at what pace. Students have the opportunity to learn online through discovery, research, recorded sessions, online discussions, labs, group activities, projects, and games, just to name a few.

Blended learning is not a “program” or “one size fits all” style of teaching. Blended learning will look very different depending on the age, socioeconomic status, and technological skills of both the teacher and students. There is not one best way to integrate technology into a classroom, but if the vision for student success and goals for the learning environment are clear, the opportunities are endless! (Schwartz 2013) There are a variety of models and arrangements as examples, but each is customizable to a school or district’s needs and goals.

Blended Learning in the Secondary Classroom

Teenagers in the secondary educational setting will benefit greatly from blended learning. At an age where they are trying to decide who they are, who they want to be, and how they will get there, a learning environment that allows them some control will generate more buy in than one without any learner input. Students learn best when they have choice in their own learning, whether that is method, content, or both.

Blended learning allows students to control the pace and method with which they progress through content. They can interact with some online, and other in the classroom. Online learning outside the classroom supports in classroom activities. Ideally, a blended course is competency based (Lynch 2015). Students would be pre-assessed at the beginning of the unit within the course, and test out of portions of content in which they already demonstrate mastery, allowing students and instructors to focus on areas of improvement for individual students (Stephens 2016). New tools and learning management systems such as Canvas, Google Classroom, and Blackboard allow instructors to create individual learning paths for students. In the secondary setting, this will increase student’s confidence as they see areas in which they already have strengths and have time and resources to strengthen areas in which they are lacking knowledge or skill.

There are a variety of models in which blended learning can appear in the classroom, depending on a district’s resources. The first is a rotation model, where students rotate on a fixed schedule at the teacher’s direction through a variety of learning modalities, one of which is online learning. Students would learn primarily at the school except for the online components or homework assignments. Second, a flex model is a course set up where students primarily learn online with teachers and educational personnel available for small groups, tutoring, and face to face support. The ratio of online to face to face interaction can vary according to content, location, student need, and preference. Third, the A La Carte model is primarily online with the student’s choice to interact with campus or face to face resources. This is beneficial for advanced courses not offered at the student’s campus or credit recovery. Fourth is the enriched virtual model. This is a course in which students have required learning sessions with their teacher of record, but are free to complete online learning at their own pace outside of those sessions (Horn and Staker 2015). All the models are flexible and provide ample opportunity for customization and student success. Students need independence in their learning process as well as opportunities to embrace it at their own pace, but accountability and assistance from educational professionals.

Students need opportunities to interact with peers and instructors in real-time settings. This can take the form of in class discussions, group work, live online sessions, and more depending on the class size and preference (Stephens 2016). Humans learn best in groups and through communication with others. This communication can take a variety of forms- written, verbal, nonverbal- but deeper learning occurs when communication is integrated in the process. Students should have the time to discuss with instructors to check learning progress and receive feedback and clarification, and peers to cement learning and hear other viewpoints. English Language Learners need time to practice written and oral communication in relation to academic content. With online learning taking place outside the classroom or at designated times, ELL students can take full advantage of small group discussions.

Students at all cognitive levels benefit from the blended learning model. If a student is considered advanced, they can work at a pace faster than their on-level peers, challenging themselves and learning more in-depth material. A student with learning difficulties can be accommodated in a variety of ways through blended learning in a more discreet manner, allowing them to learn at their own pace as well. A student with dyslexia, for example, could have an online extension read a required passage and definition to him instead of having to work through the passage alone. A student with dysgraphia can dictate notes and written responses through an app or extension and avoid the frustration of writing. A student struggling with attention and focus could start and stop a video of a demonstration as many times as needed or view it standing, walking, or even talking along with the video. These students may distract others in the traditional learning environment, but with blended learning can achieve success at their own pace and on their personalized path.

English language learners benefit in similar ways. When assigned a reading passage, if done online students can have access to pronunciation guides and translation resources to help clarify the content. They can watch a video and pause it as needed, or change the rate of speed to aid understanding. The spelling and grammar extensions help students accurately practice the language and apply what they are learning to the content.

For students who cannot get online outside of school, blended learning is still an option. Teachers can create a learning situation where their classroom is set to alternate between digital and traditional learning models. Two to three days a week, students would work on their individual learning tasks and online learning while the other days are in class work time and assignments (Lynch 2017). This rotation will help the teacher be available for conversations, labs, tutoring, and overall clarification of instruction at a personalized level for their students (Horn and Staker 2015). Intercepting misconceptions or miscommunications early will help students avoid error and internalize correct knowledge.

Drawbacks and Challenges

            Technology in education does not come without its challenges. For students to fully benefit from technology in the classroom, they must be comfortable with using the technology at a level proficient enough to reap educational benefits (Zimmer). Additional teacher training and student training on the technology would be necessary at first for students to feel comfortable and teacher to proficiently facilitate the content in this new medium. Additionally, increasing the bandwidth to support the number and increased usage of devices will be necessary to avoid lag time and frustration while interacting with content.

Conclusion

Overall, blended learning is a model of education that will benefit all learners. The need for secondary learners to have a choice in their learning path and control of their pace as they interact with content is easily addressed with blended learning. The method in which content is presented to learners can be customized to learners needs, school resources, and content specific activities. Online learning enhances face-to-face interactions for students as they come to class meetings with prior knowledge and more understanding of the topic at hand. Teachers can utilize personal interactions to check for understanding and clarify concepts or challenges, thus making better use of meeting time. Blended learning is not any less work for teachers or students, but does use learning time more efficiently for both teachers and students.

Participants

            The participants in this research will be 6 biology teachers and their students. Transition to blended learning will begin in Fall 2018, and test data will be compared throughout the year to data from the 2017-2018 school year. According to the 2016-2017 Texas A Performance Report for Caney Creek High School, the campus was made up of 1.4% African American, 48.1% Hispanic, 47.9% White, 0.6% American Indian, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, and 1.4% two or more races. While this is not the test group, it is an accurate representation of what the population will be in the 2018-2019 school year. Two vey important factors are that 66.1% of the overall school population is considered economically disadvantaged, and 59.6% are at risk. The characteristics of these two groups will impact the planning and implementation of technology strategies in the curriculum.

Process

To begin in the 2018-2019 school year, I will implement blended learning for two units each semester, for a total of four units this year. Biology teachers would incorporate methods and resources from instructional coaches, department colleagues, mentors and administrators as they worked through the curriculum and phased in this method of teaching. The units would be transitioned as follows:

In the 2018-2019 School Year

• Fall semester:
  • Cell Theory (September)
  • Evolution (End October-November)
• Spring Semester
  • Ecology (February)
  • Invertebrates and Vertebrates (March-April)

Before, during, and after each unit we will collaborate with instructional coaches and content experts to plan best resources and refine methods within the blended learning units. These units will be saved and formatted to be repeated and built upon the following year.

In Year 2: 2019-2020 School Year

Transition remaining 6 units to blended learning, and use the blended learning resources created the previous year for a total of 10 units as blended learning. Teachers will refine the other four units previously transitioned as they teach the full year as a blended learning environment.

 

Data and Analysis

            Throughout the year, there will be a variety of data collection. The primary research goal is to answer the question “How does 80% of student academic talk time and 20% of teacher talk time affect the learning in a biology classroom?” Learning situations that are online activities with built in discussion, lab activities discussions and debates, and group collaborative case studies will give students the opportunity to engage in academic discussion and conversations. Teachers will have to opportunity to film and time themselves teaching, and academic coaches and observers will provide feedback regarding the time on task in conversation as well as student engagement. Formative assessments will be given at the beginning, middle, and end of each unit, as well as standardized unit tests to compare learning across classrooms. Surveys of teachers and students will gauge the engagement and interest levels in the new learning environment. Data will be analyzed throughout the process in PLC meetings, at the end of each unit to make notes about adjustments and reteaching while the information is fresh on teachers minds, and at the end of the school year to understand the progress overall.

 

 

References

2016. Christopher Brooks. ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2016. Research Report. Louisville, CO: ECAR, October 2016.

Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2015). Blended. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

2. (n.d.). How to Grow a Classroom Culture That Supports Blended Learning. Retrieved August 04, 2017, from https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/03/05/how-to-grow-a-classroom-culture-that-supports-blended-learning/

Lynch, M. (2017, May 21). How to Implement Blended Learning in K-12 Classrooms. Retrieved August 01, 2017, from http://www.theedadvocate.org/implement-blended-learning-k-12-classrooms/

Lynch, M. (2017, May 21). Blended Learning: How to Make it Work in Your Classroom. Retrieved August 04, 2017, from http://www.theedadvocate.org/blended-learning-how-to-make-it-work-in-your-classroom/

Lynch, M. (2017, April 22). Research shows blended learning increases student achievement. Retrieved July 31, 2017, from http://www.theedadvocate.org/research-shows-blended-learning-increases-student-achievement/

Piehler, C. (2017, April 22). ThinkCERCA Launches Blended Learning Planning Tool for Classroom Customization. Retrieved July 26, 2017, from http://www.theedadvocate.org/thinkcerca-launches-blended-learning-planning-tool-for-classroom-customization/

Powell, A., Watson, J., Staley, P., Patrick, S., Horn, M., Fetzer, L., . . . Verma, S. (2016). Blended Learning: The Evolution of Online and Face-to-Face Education from 2008-2015. Promising Practices in Blended and Online Learning,1-20. Retrieved August 03, 2017, from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED560788.pdf

Schwartz, K. (2013, August 21). Four Essential Principles of Blended Learning. Retrieved August 04, 2017, from https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/08/21/four-essential-principles-of-blended-learning/

Stephens, T. (2016, December 23). 6 Common Misconceptions About Blended Learning. Retrieved August 02, 2017, from http://www.gettingsmart.com/2016/08/6-common-misconceptions-about-blended-learning/

Wilson, L. O. (2017). Brainbased Education – An Overview. Retrieved August 2, 2017, from http://thesecondprinciple.com/optimal-learning/brainbased-education-an-overview/

Zimmer, S. (2015). Blended Learning. Research Starters: Education