The best of both worlds?

Jacinta Sweeney runs the Bond Introduction to international development course, and finds that blending e-learning with a highly participative short course has the potential to deliver a complete package that suits everyone.

A Bond learning and training course Various phrases have been used to describe the e-learning experience, “rich and focused”, “surreal yet interesting”, “irritating and superficial”. It tends to be a medium that people dip their toe into rather than dive straight in.

Some would rather “wait to meet others before I discuss the big issues” or think “online learning and anything IT-related is for youngsters”. Ultimately, many people feel the need for face-to-face training courses over online ones.

Do we have to choose one over the other?

In September, Bond piloted an online module to complement the two-day Introduction to International Development course. The approach we took and the feedback we received confirmed the strengths of an approach which blends the best of online components - working in one’s own time, enabling time to reflect – with the best of face-to-face training – meeting and networking with others, delving deeper into the bigger issues - in ‘real’ time and with real people.

The impact of this blended approach to learning can be powerful. Francesca Purcell of Sightsavers attended the face-to-face Introduction to International Development course and worked through the online componants. She found it “very thought provoking”, even inspiring her to look into doing an MA in Development Studies.

How does blended learning work?

People who sign up for the next Introduction to International Development course on 5-6 January 2011 will have an opportunity see how e-learning works for themselves both before and after the two-day face-to-face course.

Before the course, they will have the chance to do some pre-course reading and to meet up “virtually” with others. Afterwards, participants can return to the online module to embed what they have learned and, if they want an extra challenge, to probe some key topics – the Millennium Development Goals, aid and debt and climate change – in more depth.

What does it include?

Participants work through a series of resources including basic quizzes, further reading and video clips that relate specifically to each of the topics covered in the course.

We all know that courses can be intense and finding the time to do follow-up when we return to the office can be difficult. Based on feedback, we have designed the e-learning element of the January course so that each topic can be completed within twenty minutes and downloaded so that participants can work through it in their own time.

We are excited about this new approach to learning at Bond and hope to introduce it on some of our other courses as well.