STREAM: a Flexible Model for Transforming Higher Science Education into Blended and Online Learning
Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: : This paper presents a flexible model, ‘STREAM’, for transforming higher science education into blended and online learning. The model is inspired by ideas of active and collaborative learning and builds on feedback strategies well-known from Just-in-Time Teaching, Flipped Classroom, and Peer Instruction. The aim of the model is to provide both a concrete and comprehensible design toolkit for adopting and implementing educational technologies in higher science teaching practice and at the same time comply with diverse ambitions. As opposed to the above-mentioned feedback strategies, the STREAM model supports a relatively diverse use of educational technologies and may also be used to transform teaching into completely online learning. So far both teachers and educational developers have positively received the model and the initial design experiences show promise. The Underlying Incentives and Ambitions of the Model Traditional higher science teaching is usually composed by different kinds of teaching activities such as lectures, theoretical exercises in terms of assignment work in smaller groups or similar, and lab and/or field work. Generally, the lectures play a significant role as the activity where the curriculum is being taught. Oftentimes these lectures are one-way, non-interactive with a large audience, and various studies show that this way of teaching is ineffective and sometimes even frowned upon (cf. Hill et al., 2003; Kember & Wong, 2000). This overall design of higher science teaching has been used for decades and initiatives have been taken to improve the learning outcomes of, in particular, the lecture activity. Recently, pedagogical initiatives and strategies such as active learning (cf. Bonwell & Eison, 1991), including Flipped Classroom and Peer
Author: Mikkel Godsk
Institution: Aarhus University
Language: English
Topic: Online and Blended Learning
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1750537895