Why Does Structure Matter so Much?

Keeping students engaged throughout the semester is the biggest challenge of teaching asynchronous classes.

Achieving high levels of engagement is much easier when your course is designed and structured effectively for asynchronous teaching and the learning styles of today's students.

Blended Teaching will take your syllabus, and set up your course page in Canvas or Blackboard to maximize engagement. From there, you can customize your course design so that it's set up exactly the way you want it.

Why We Recommend Blended Teaching for Asynchronous Classes

There are lots of options for course content, but the primary approach used today in higher education is a combination of pre-recorded video lectures and assessments, typically with an assigned textbook.

When it comes to video content, we recommend using Blended Teaching.

The platform combines a complete set of videos for each class with pre-built, editable assignments, practice questions, and algorithmic quizzes and exams. 

All of these resources are embedded directly into Blackboard or Canvas for a seamless learning experience.

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Using Modules to Create Structure

Students will work through the course content at their own pace and in their own time. This makes structure incredibly important. They need to know exactly where they are and what they need to do next. We recommend a module structure (this can be set up for one module per week, or with one module spanning more than one week).

Like in a traditional classroom, students learn through repetition, so make sure each module is set up in the same way to help students know what to expect. 

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Give students more time for easier modules at the start of the semester to establish expectations, encourage communication, and build familiarity with the course setup.

You need to know how much time students need to understand the material and to reinforce the learning objectives. We recommend giving students less time for more memorization-focused modules, and more time on modules that are more focused on the application of knowledge.

How to Structure Your Modules

🧑‍🏫 Video Introduction

• Record a short video of yourself introducing the module (up to 5 minutes). 
• Tie the topics covered in the module to recent events or a local context.
• Record new versions each semester. 

👋 Introductory page

• Introduce the topics covered in the module
• Provide the key learning outcomes for the module
• Outline  the activities they need to complete

🖥️ Video chapters

• Assigning points can keep students engaged and on-track. Think of this as a digital participation grade.
• Typically, 1-3 hours of video content per week works best (depending on how long the semester is), combined with a weekly quiz and/or homework assignment. 

🏋️ Homework assignment

• Blended Teaching’s assignments focus on the application of knowledge and building critical thinking skills.
• Schedule frequent and consistent due dates to keep students engaged and on track.

💬Discussion

• Discussions encourage communication between students within the class, which is a powerful driver of engagement.

🧠 Module Quiz

• 10 to 15 multiple-choice questions.
• Allowing multiple attempts encourages students to repeat quizzes. Blended Teaching uses dynamic questions, so students can practice over and over to reinforce their learning.
• Schedule frequent and consistent due dates to keep students engaged and on track.

Interested in seeing if Blended Teaching can work for your class? Educators can access our course materials here.