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Welcome Video

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Bridging Distance and In-School Learning – Blended Learning in Practice

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Teachers never stop learning

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Five Strategies for Learning Online - Teacher Academy Online Course

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Welcome webinar to Bridging Distance and In-School Learning: Blended Learning in Practice MOOC

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Overview of Module1: Explore Blended Learning

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Overview of Module1: Explore Blended Learning

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Bridging Distance and In-School Learning: Blended Learning in Practice - Module 1 Introduction

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Hello everyone!
I'am a secondary school teacher of the English Language in Athens and I have joined this MOOC in order to learn new teaching strategies, help my students learn more easily and become a better teacher myself.

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Early years education in the forest: learning without ceiling or walls

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Early years education in the forest: learning without ceiling or walls

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Many schools, particularly in urban centres, only have small closed-off playgrounds, with little access to nature. Luckily, many schools and kindergartens now have the opportunity to literally go into the woods.

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Learning can take place outside classrooms

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What a visit to a museum can mean for children:

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What a visit to a museum can mean for children:

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children take away a good experience of visiting a museum that lasts a lifetime.

activities play a crucial role in people’s experience and memory. Looking and listening is not always enough. Learning by doing has to be part of it.

skilled people who work in museums with children are the best and most interactive medium for providing a meaningful experience.

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De Qi van China - Chinatour voor scholen

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Designibg Hybrid Spaces with cultural Heritage

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Designibg Hybrid Spaces with cultural Heritage

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Museums, libraries and archives are essential non-formal education spaces that have been working for years in close collaboration with schools and universities. They are providers of endless primary sources that help us all to fight against disinformation and promote equality and diverse cultural representation.

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Louvre Museum Official Website

Highlights

Welcome to the Louvre

There are plenty of good reasons to visit the Louvre! So many works of art to discover in this fabulous museum that used to be a palace! So plan your visit in advance to make the most of it. Why not pick one of our visitor trails to follow a theme-based tour? And when you need a break, where better than the museum's restful gardens?

Louvre at home

Delve into the Louvre

Things to see

On Instagram

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Welcome to the Louvre - prepare your visit, explore the palace and museum collections and check out the latest news

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Virtual Tour of the Sistine Chapel - Vatican city

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Europeeana Classroom

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Historiana

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Historiana offers free historical content, ready to use learning activities, and innovative digital tools made by and for history educators across Europe.

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1.1) WHY SHOULD WE FOCUS ON BLENDED LEARNING?                      Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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1.1) WHY SHOULD WE FOCUS ON BLENDED LEARNING?                      Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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Blended learning establishes a new model of interaction between students and teachers. Learning is taken out of the four walls of a classroom and becomes a much
more exciting and integrated experience. The practices implemented are appropriate not only for emergency situations such as the one we currenlty find ourselves in, but also for grading up the educational process, in general,  to meet the demands of a technologically advanced world in which, however, the individual still holds the primary role and must be enabled to develop all aspects of his/her personality. It also promotes student engagement, responsibility and autonomy in learning, which is vital as each student learns at their own pace and is able to discover new talents along the way as well as have a sense of accomplishment.

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I believe that most of my learners (I teach Senior High School students, aged 15-18) would be ready for a BL approach but not all of them ufortunately..
Being born in the era of great technological advancement, they become very well-acquainted with new technologies at a very early age.They are extremely comfortable (much more than us teachers) with the use of new gadgets and all sorts of applications.My recent experience on remote teaching proved exactly that. They were able to send in homework and do projects without any problem and even our online testing was carried out just fine.
The problems we had to face basically lay in the poor internet connection some of them had, which oftentimes caused them to feel disappointed and demotivated.
Their independent learning ability/maturity is another field that needs betterment as not all of them seem willing to assume such responsibility for themselves and consider remote teaching as merely requiring connection to the teaching platform and the virtual classroom and nothing else. I believe that this is a problem that the implementation of the BL approach will tackle in time as students will be educated to see both in-class and online teaching and/or activities as equally important.
Finally, students attitude to BL surely also depends on parental support, ecouragement and the whole atmosphere in the home.
I noticed that in a couple of cases- due to lack of space apparently-students had to share the same room with their siblings during
the onine lessons, which made it difficult for them to concentrate. Many of them also lacked the right equipment and joined classes through their mobile phone. This alone was a major problem.
So, indeed, the issue is multidimensional.

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1.2) BRIDGING ON-LINE AND OFF-LINE LEARNING EXPERIENCES

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1.2) BRIDGING ON-LINE AND OFF-LINE LEARNING EXPERIENCES

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Putting the blend together - Education Talks

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1.3) WHY SHOULD WE FOCUS ON BLENDED LEARNING?

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1.3) WHY SHOULD WE FOCUS ON BLENDED LEARNING?

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One misconception, especially with regard to younger students,  might (or might not!) be that parents, in an effort to help their kids, do their tasks for them and often get too involved in the learning process thus hindering their kids' journey to independent learning and assuming responsibility for their actions and mistakes. This results in some students not really actively taking part in the Blended Learning process even though teachers may believe that they do. hide

by Sofia Nikolarea, Greece

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1.4) REFLECTING ON TEACHING AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

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1.4) REFLECTING ON TEACHING AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

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We have all come along way since last year when the pandemic broke out and we had to resort to remote teaching.
Personally, I remember how intimidated and stressed I felt at the beginning and how unsure of how I would be able to cope with all this. Yet, little by little, I started to become acquainted with the digital tools we had at our disposal  by watching tutorials and experimenting myself. So, I gradually became more confident. I will surely continue to use all these tools when our physical presence at schools becomes feasible.Tools such as Power Point or Google Slides presentations, , You Tube explanatory videos, interactive worksheets, online dictionaries, games and other resources, e-mails for communication and submission of written work or tests, I will continue to use in class -provided the required infrastructure exists- but also outside of it for more independence.
In-school learning provides the benefit of direct student-teacher communication, which is irreplaceable of course, sets the framework of the learning process, helps build trust, promotes socialization and the creation of strong bonds between peers and also between teachers and students. Technology ,on the other hand enhances and modernizes the teaching practice, is more appealing to the young and therefore more engaging. So, in order to keep the students' interest up, a combination of both is required.
By showing a Presentation or an explanatory video, for example, a topic may be introduced and discussion may be initiated, questions may be answered and clarifications may be given in class. Further investigation, collaborative tasks (ie,projects) or individual tasks (ie. online exercises) may be assigned for homework. The advantages of in-school and online learning are in this way combined.

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1.5) TEACHER COMPETENCES FOR  BLENDED LEARNING                  Sofia Nikolarea, Greece

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1.5) TEACHER COMPETENCES FOR  BLENDED LEARNING                  Sofia Nikolarea, Greece

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In my opinion, the competences required for the implementation of BL are Digital Literacy, Communicative Skils,Time Management Skills, Empathy, Patience, Creativity, Divergence as well as having an inspiring personality, being encouraging to students and finally having good judgement in order to set goals according to the capacity of his/her class and methodically work towards their achievement. hide

by Sofia Nikolarea, Greece

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1.6) BLENDED LEARNING TEACHER COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK

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1.6) BLENDED LEARNING TEACHER COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK

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Self-assessment tool for teachers

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The rapid shift to remote teaching and learning that schools experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for schools and districts across the state to provide targeted professional learning experiences for teachers to effectively guide instruction for our students.

In a collaborative statewide effort by REMC, MAME, and the Michigan Virtual Learning Continuity Workgroup, this free, interactive resource was produced for teachers and school administrators alike to help understand and develop the knowledge and skills needed for teaching in a remote learning environment.

Teachers and school leaders may find this web-based resource valuable as a personalized self-assessment tool to determine their degree of readiness for teaching remotely. It is a checklist-style, interactive self-assessment spanning the categories of culture, equity, and relationships; technical skills; instructional design; and providing accommodations to students in need.

After completing the self-assessment, the tool provides personalized recommendations for professional learning resources that educators can use to develop knowledge and skills identified as growth areas through the completion of the self-assessment. While this resource is valuable in its current state, it will remain a perpetual work in progress. As more and more resources are identified to help educators grow their knowledge and skills, they will be added to this tool.

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Teacher Self-Assessment Tool & Personalized PD Playlist Generator | Keep Michigan Learning

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The rapid shift to remote teaching and learning that schools experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for schools and districts across the state to provide targeted professional learning experiences for teachers to effectively guide instruction for our students.

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TEACHER COMPETENCES FOR BL (MY REFLECTIONS) Sofia Nikolarea, Greece            

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TEACHER COMPETENCES FOR BL (MY REFLECTIONS) Sofia Nikolarea, Greece            

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The BL Competency Framework and the self-assessment tool give invaluable guidance to teachers on how to improve their techniques and strategies step by step. Personally, I found out that my Adaptive Skills still need a lot of work, so I'm sure to return to the courses and/or webinars suggested in my personalised PD playlist to try and improve that part of my teaching approach.

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1.7) YOUR BL SCENARIO: Introduction to the final activity

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1.7) YOUR BL SCENARIO: Introduction to the final activity

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FEEDBACK ON THE RUBRIC Sofia Nikolarea, Greece             

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FEEDBACK ON THE RUBRIC Sofia Nikolarea, Greece             

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I think the rubric gives proper guidance for designing a BL scenario as well as serve as an assessment tool for peer evaluation.

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2.1) STRENTHS and WEAKNESSES of in-school and online learning environments

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2.1) STRENTHS and WEAKNESSES of in-school and online learning environments

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STERNGTHS OF IN-CLASS LE
There is more contact and socialization of students in a brick-and-mortar classroom which makes the learning process a more enjoyable experience. Teacher guidance and peer encouragement are facilitated as questions may be answered and clarifications and feedback may be given instantly.
Let us also not forget that, school offers an escape from a  less privileged home environment, where family problems and even domestic violence may often manifest,
for quite a few of our students,  allowing them to feel safe  and providing them with emotional relief at least for one part of the day.

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WEAKNESSES OF IN-CLASS LE
Depending on the "composition" of a particular group, students may  sometimes find it hard to concentrate, either in order to understand what is being explained at a given moment or perfom particular tasks, as less interested peers may be making a noise.
Moreover, there is certainly less independence in the learning process which , combined with lack of technical infrastructure as is often the case -unfortunately- constrains teaching in more traditional and less engaging methods.
Finally, low-profile shy students have difficulty expressing themselves and participating more actively as they don't feel comfortable with large groups and thus fail to realise their true potential.

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STRENGHTS OF ONLINE LE
Distance learning provides one with the opportunity to learn more independently and at their own pace. It is also
a more personal and quiet learning environment that enables higher concentration.
Students -and teachers of course- enjoy the versatility of online teaching tools, something exciting for all parts involved in the process.
Less confident students, benefit more from it as they unfold more easily form the safety of their own personal learning space.
Differentiated teaching is also promoted by distance learning as it allows teachers to design activities according to particular student needs.

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WEAKNESSES OF ONLINE LE
Just encountered one distance learning weakness... the page collapsed (actually, it's happened repeatedly during the last 15'!!!!)
Well, then, since distance learning so largely depends on the net, one of its main weaknesses is that technology may fail us  (poor connections/inability to connect to servers/sudden powercuts) at any given moment and ruin our ambitious plans for inspiring teaching.
It also requires a large amount of time for planning on the teachers' part and for completing tasks online on the students' part. Spending too much time in front of a computer screen is tiring both for one's eyes and brain and has often been the source of complaint.
Socialization and student -teacher interaction is sometimes hindered especially when it comes to synchronous teaching as students often while connected to a teacher's virtual classroom,
remain totally silent and inactive.

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CONCLUSIONS/COMMENTS
In times of technological progress, educational methods can and should be modernized and fully exploit the innumerable opprtunities offered. A combination of appropriate amounts of in class and distance learning should be provided so that  learning becomes an integrated experience, which on no account should be turned into a solitary one, but one that allows the individual to cultivate all aspects of their personality.

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How ready are your students for a BL approach?

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I believe that most of my learners (I teach Senior High School students, aged 15-18) would be ready for a BL approach but not all of them ufortunately..
Being born in the era of great technological advancement, they become very well-acquainted with new technologies at a very early age.They are extremely comfortable (much more than us teachers) with the use of new gadgets and all sorts of applications.My recent experience on remote teaching proved exactly that. They were able to send in homework and do projects without any problem and even our online testing was carried out just fine.
The problems we had to face basically lay in the poor internet connection some of them had, which oftentimes caused them to feel disappointed and demotivated.
Their independent learning ability/maturity is another field that needs betterment as not all of them seem willing to assume such responsibility for themselves and consider remote teaching as merely requiring connection to the teaching platform and the virtual classroom and nothing else. I believe that this is a problem that the implementation of the BL approach will tackle in time as students will be educated to see both in-class and online teaching and/or activities as equally important.
Finally, students attitude to BL surely also depends on parental support, ecouragement and the whole atmosphere in the home.
I noticed that in a couple of cases- due to lack of space apparently-students had to share the same room with their siblings during
the onine lessons, which made it difficult for them to concentrate. Many of them also lacked the right equipment and joined classes through their mobile phone. This alone was a major problem.
So, indeed, the issue is multidimensional.

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Get the right blend for your context and overcome obstacles.

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BARRIERS TO IMPLEMENTING BL:        Sofia Nikolarea, Greece  

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BARRIERS TO IMPLEMENTING BL:        Sofia Nikolarea, Greece  

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Lack of infrastructure I would say is the main barrier to implementing BL at my school. There is only one computer room which is  used by the ICT teacher of course and for the rest of us there is one room equipped with an interactive board and a projector which we use in turns so that means it is not usually available. Our Intenet connection also is not very reliable and often fails us. So, for safety reasons I always download and store what I want to present to my students. And I do the activities IF and WHEN the projector room is free. I'm considering buying my own mini-projector to solve the problem as it is something that discourages not only my students but also me from pursuing such activities. There are of course class discussions, trips and school visits _at least there were before the pandemic and, hopefully, we'll return there- but online research and work has to be put aside or assigned for homework and the result is not always satisfying.
And of course let us also not forget that the mindset of traditionally thinking parents and even colleagues who question the effectiveness of BL in an exam-oriented educational system like ours, especially with regard to Senior High School, is another obstacle that has to be overcome.

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The traditional relationship between classroom time and homework is flipped. Part of the teaching takes place on-line and, so, classroom time is used for more practiceand projects.

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The Flipped Class: Overcoming Common Hurdles

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BENEFITS OF THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM MODEL:   Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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BENEFITS OF THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM MODEL:   Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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-Gives opportunity for personalised learning, more practice and more student autonomy.
-Allows Ss to learn at their own pace and review material as many times as needed until they comprehend it fully.
-Teaches integrity and responsibilty breeding mutual trust and appreciation of students and teachers.
-Modernizes the whole teaching process.
-Renders classroom time less monotonous and is inviting to students.

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CHALLENGES OF THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM MODEL:                            Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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CHALLENGES OF THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM MODEL:                            Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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-Requires good planning and may be time consuming for the teacher.
-Students due to lack of proper equipment or interest or time may not engage in the activities after all.
-It will take time and effort to convince students of the benefits of flipped classroom as they are accustomed to traditional teaching and learning methods.

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Take a look at this video and reflect on the following questions: Do you think that this practice has been implemented well? Is the teacher utilising the strengths of the different settings? How could you follow a similar approach within your subject, considering your group of students? What elements of your current practice would need to be changed? What tools could you use to support the flipped classroom model?

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The flipped classroom practice has  been implemented most successfully, I would say, as the pupils' enthusiasm and positive comments on their teacher's methods combined with a high level of performance on the one hand, and the positive feedback from parents, on the other, prove. The teacher herself also seems to enjoy the whole process and has utilized the strengths of the different settings available as online and in-class teaching become complementary and teaching gets more personalised.
I think I should use this model in my classes too. I tried it during the remote teaching period and saw that it works.
Explanatory videos are a great starting point in a variety of situations and teaching contexts.They could be accompanied by a google form or a quiz used as proof of having watched the video. It would be time saving as it would allow classroom time to be devoted to more practice. And practice  makes perfect as we all know!
To solve the problem of school infrastructure shortage, students could use their mobile phones, most of which are cutting-edge technology.

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Rotating of Ss between different station of learning opportuniyies in a personalised way. each student has an Individual playlist of skills to develop and activities to complete. these vary from Independent on-line work (a bit similar tio flipped classroom), to smaller or larger face-to-face Group Instruction and interaction, to Collaborative Workshops .

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HOW TO CUSTOMIZE LEARNING WITH INDIVIDUAL ROTATION

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BENEFITS & CHALLENGES

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What is Individual Rotation? (Blended learning explained)

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BENEFITS OF IR MODEL: Sofia Nikolarea, Greece

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BENEFITS OF IR MODEL: Sofia Nikolarea, Greece

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Revolutionary teaching model. Enables the imlpementation of a variety of teaching/learning styles which are tailor-made to students' needs.
Offers flexibility to both students and teachers.
Encourages independent learning as each student can develop their personal learning plan in terms of pace, activities, space.

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INDIVIDUAL ROTATION CHART

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CHALLENGES OF IR MODEL: Sofia Nikolarea, Greece

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CHALLENGES OF IR MODEL: Sofia Nikolarea, Greece

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It requires careful planning and co-ordination of activities so that students do not get off track and achieve particular learning goals set by their teachers or themselves.
IT skills are definitely a prerequisite both for teachers and students and so is internet accessibility and apropriate infrastructure in homes and schools. That makes it perhaps harder to implement in rural areas with limited budgets for schools.
It is kind of complicated of course, but surely it pays off when implemented correctly.

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BENEFITS OF FLEX MODEL :                            Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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BENEFITS OF FLEX MODEL :                            Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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Personalising the schedule of studies according to the needs of students is great as it allows room for self-paced learning and autonomy. Small group assistance and dicussions as well as individualzed tutoring are also very helpful, especially to the weaker students, who need more guidance and more time to consodilate the teaching material. It is also great for peer collaboration.
This is all very encouraging, builds trust between a teacher and their students, with the latter feeling more confident in their learning as they know they will get all the support they need to overcome any difficulties they might encounter.

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CHALLENGES OF FLEX MODEL:                            Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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CHALLENGES OF FLEX MODEL:                            Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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The implementation of the Flex Model requires really good planning  and good knowledge of one's students' potential, so one should probably try it with students that they know and have taught in previous years, not with new groups.
One other challenge is that individual or even small group discussions with the teacher during classroom time are not easily facilitated with the large groups that we normally have to do with (each class consisting of approximately 25 students). It would be difficult to organise both in terms of space and time.

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Blending/Combining 2 different courses (one on-site and one on-line), NOT a blend within the same course.

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BENEFITS OF SELF-BLEND MODEL:                            Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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BENEFITS OF SELF-BLEND MODEL:                            Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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The self-blend model allows for more flexibility and differentiation of courses. On-site and on-line learning are supplemented according to the individual needs of students and a variety of leanring problems may be solved in this way as teaching gets personalised. Students become more self-aware and responsible for what they learn and how they learn it. They are also given the freedom of choice when it comes to the on-line course, which means that they may choose the course that best fits their learning profile and, consequently, remain motivated from beginninfg to end and  achieve the best possible results.

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CHALLENGES OF SELF-BLEND MODEL:                Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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CHALLENGES OF SELF-BLEND MODEL:                Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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Some of the challenges we are presented with concerning the self-blend model are:
-Finding the right course as the plethora of online courses available may be overwhelming for students. The teacher in this case has to provide appropriate guidance.
So, the teacher has to be updated with the latest and most beneficial online teaching resources in order to advise and direct students well.
-The age and levels of maturity, commitment and motivation may also be a problem. On the one hand, younger students are not as disciplined as needed to manage such independence in their learning  process. Older students , on the other hand - despite being willing to make the effort - might be burdened with a lot of responsibilities and have such a tight daily schedule that causes them to struggle to meet the demands of both online and on-site learning. Remaining motivated throughout in this case is really challenging.
-Finally the on-site and online courses need good  co-ordination and in case different students of a course attend different online courses, the teacher will surely have a hard time putting all the pieces of the puzzle together.

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The most obvious place to start is the Khan Academy, which has thousands of free online learning resources organised into courses by subjects, and which has been translated into many different languages.

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The most obvious place to start is the Khan Academy, which has thousands of free online learning resources organised into courses by subjects, and which has been translated into many different languages.

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What BL model would you like to implement?

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I believe that the Flipped Classroom Model would be the easiest to implement at the moment and a good way to start with BL approaches. Students during the pandemic and extended school closures have become familiar with the use of technology for learning purposes and are ready to incorporate it in their everyday routine. Of course, it's natural that they might object at first as they show signs of "online fatigue" but at least they know what to do and how to do it.
I also find the Station Rotation Model very intriguing but, as much as I am triggered to try it, I believe that it would be really difficult under current circumstances, namely the lack of space and organization in greek schools as well as the mindset changes required in order to successfully go through with such a project.

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IMPLEMENTING BLENDED LEARNING The most important principle for designing lively blended learning environments is to see their design not as information design but as designing an experience.

Cathy Moore

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In this module, you will:         -Find out more about individual and collaborative activities                                   -Explore synchronous and asynchronous activities        -Become familiar with new technologies that can be used for effective implementation of blended learning                                    -Acquire knowledge on how to assess learners in blended learning environments      

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In this module, you will:         -Find out more about individual and collaborative activities                                   -Explore synchronous and asynchronous activities        -Become familiar with new technologies that can be used for effective implementation of blended learning                                    -Acquire knowledge on how to assess learners in blended learning environments      

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Bridging Distance and In-School Learning: Blended Learning in Practice - Module 3 Introduction

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-Ability to take charge of one's own learning
-Opportunities to do so have to be provided by the learning environment
-Age of students matters in autonomy level.
-Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) matters in autonomy level

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In the second circle, representing the zone of proximal development, learners cannot complete tasks unaided, but can complete them with guidance.

The zone of proximal development ( ZPD) is a concept in educational psychology. It represents the space between what a learner is capable of doing unsupported and what the learner cannot do even with support. It is the range where the learner is able to perform, but only with support from a teacher or a peer with more knowledge or expertise (a "more knowledgeable other"). The concept was introduced, but not fully developed, by psychologist Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) during the last three years of his life. Vygotsky argued that a child gets involved in a dialogue with the "more knowledgeable other", such as a peer or an adult, and gradually, through social interaction and sense-making, develops the ability to solve problems independently and do certain tasks without help. Following Vygotsky, some educators believe that the role of education is to give children experiences that are within their zones of proximal development, thereby encouraging and advancing their individual learning skills and strategies.

Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)

The concept of the zone of proximal development was originally developed by Vygotsky to argue against the use of academic, knowledge-based tests as a means to gauge students' intelligence. He also created ZPD to further develop Jean Piaget's theory of children being lone and autonomous learners. Vygotsky spent a lot of time studying the impact of school instruction on children and noted that children grasp language concepts quite naturally, but that math and writing did not come as naturally. Essentially, he concluded that because these concepts were taught in school settings with unnecessary assessments, they were more difficult for learners. Piaget believed that there was a clear distinction between development and teaching. He said that development is a spontaneous process that is initiated and completed by the children, stemming from their own efforts. Piaget was a proponent of independent thinking and critical of the standard teacher-led instruction that was common practice in schools.

Alternatively, Vygotsky saw natural, spontaneous development as important, but not all-important. He believed that children would not advance very far if they were left to discover everything on their own It is crucial for a child's development that they are able to interact with more knowledgeable others: they are not able to expand on what they know if this is not possible. The term more knowledgeable others (MKO) is used to describe someone who has a better understanding or higher ability level than the learner, in reference to the specific task, idea, or concept. He noted cultural experiences where children are greatly helped by knowledge and tools handed down from previous generations. Vygotsky noted that good teachers should not present material that is too difficult and "pull the students along."

Vygotsky argued that, rather than examining what a student knows to determine intelligence, it is better to examine their ability to solve problems independently and ability to solve problems with an adult's help. He proposed a question: "if two children perform the same on a test, are their levels of development the same?" He concluded that they were not. However, Vygotsky's untimely death interrupted his work on the zone of proximal development, and it remained mostly incomplete.

When they have guidance and support, learners can accomplish a task that cannot be done by themselves. However, learners can fail even if support is given when the task is totally cognitively impossible.[10]: 216

Since Vygotsky's original conception, the definition for the zone of proximal development has been expanded and modified. The zone of proximal development is an area of learning that occurs when a person is assisted by a teacher or peer with a higher skill set. The person learning the skill set cannot complete it without the assistance of the teacher or peer. The teacher then helps the student attain the skill the student is trying to master, until the teacher is no longer needed for that task.

Any function within the zone of proximal development matures within a particular internal context that includes not only the function's actual level but also how susceptible the child is to types of help, the sequence in which these types of help are offered, the flexibility or rigidity of previously formed stereotypes, how willing the child is to collaborate, along with other factors. This context can impact the diagnosis of a function's potential level of development.

Vygotsky stated that one cannot just look at what students are capable of doing on their own; one must look at what they are capable of doing in a social setting. In many cases students are able to complete a task within a group before they are able to complete it on their own. He notes that the teacher's job is to move the child's mind forward step-by-step (teachers cannot teach complex chemical equations to six-year-olds, for example). At the same time, teachers cannot teach all children equally; they must determine which students are ready for which lessons. An example is the often-used accelerated reading program in schools. Students are assessed and given a reading level and a range. Books rated below their level are easy to read, while books above their level challenge the student. Sometimes students are not even allowed to check out books from the school library that are outside their range. Vygotsky argued that a major shortcoming of standardized tests is that they only measure what students are capable of on their own, not in a group setting where their minds are being pushed by other students.

In the context of second language learning, the ZPD can be useful to many adult users. Prompted by this fact as well as the finding that adult peers do not necessarily need to be more capable to provide assistance in the ZPD, Vygotsky's definition has been adapted to better suit the adult L2 developmental context.

The concept of the ZPD is widely used to study children's mental development as it relates to educational context. The ZPD concept is seen as a scaffolding, a structure of "support points" for performing an action. This refers to the help or guidance received from an adult or more competent peer to permit the child to work within the ZPD. Although Vygotsky himself never mentioned the term, scaffolding was first developed by Jerome Bruner, David Wood, and Gail Ross, while applying Vygotsky's concept of ZPD to various educational contexts. According to Wass and Golding, giving students the hardest tasks they can do with scaffolding leads to the greatest learning gains.

Scaffolding is a process through which a teacher or a more competent peer helps a student in their ZPD as necessary and tapers off this aid as it becomes unnecessary-much as workers remove a scaffold from a building after they complete construction. "Scaffolding [is] the way the adult guides the child's learning via focused questions and positive interactions." This concept has been further developed by Mercedes Chaves Jaime, Ann Brown, among others. Several instructional programs were developed based on this interpretation of the ZPD, including reciprocal teaching and dynamic assessment. For scaffolding to be effective, one must start at the child's level of knowledge and build from there.

One example of children using ZPD is when they are learning to speak. As their speech develops, it influences the way the child thinks, which in turn influences the child's manner of speaking. This process opens more doors for the child to expand their vocabulary. As they learn to convey their thoughts in a more effective way, they receive more sophisticated feedback, therefore increasing their vocabulary and their speaking skills. Wells gives the example of dancing: when a person is learning how to dance, they look to others around them on the dance floor and imitate their moves. A person does not copy the dance moves exactly, but takes what they can and adds their own personality to it.

In mathematics, proximal development uses mathematical exercises for which students have seen one or more worked examples. In secondary school some scaffolding is provided, and generally much less at the tertiary level. Ultimately students must find library resources or a tutor when presented with challenges beyond the zone.

Another example of scaffolding is learning to drive. Parents and driving instructors guide driving students along the way by showing them the mechanics of how the car operates, the correct hand positions on the steering wheel, the technique of scanning the roadway, etc. As the student progresses, less and less instruction is needed, until they are ready to drive on their own.

The concept of scaffolding can be observed in various life situations and arguably in the basis of how everyone learns. One does not (normally) begin knowing everything that there is to know about a subject. The basics must be learned first so one can build on prior knowledge towards mastery of a particular subject or skill.

More knowledgeable others, like teachers, parents, and peers helped the learner to understand things that they cannot acquire on their own.[19]: 80

Various investigations, using different approaches and research frameworks have proved collaborative learning to be effective in many kinds of settings and contexts. Teachers should assign tasks that students cannot do on their own, but which they can do with assistance; they should provide just enough assistance so that students learn to complete the tasks independently and then provide an environment that enables students to do harder tasks than would otherwise be possible. Teachers can also allow students with more knowledge to assist students who need more assistance. Especially in the context of collaborative learning, group members who have higher levels of understanding can help the less advanced members learn within their zone of proximal development. In the context of adults, peers should challenge each other in order to support collaboration and success. Utilizing student's ZPD can assist especially with early childhood learning by guiding each child through challenges and using their student collaboration as a tool for success. Meyer used the concepts of Cognitive Evolutionary Pressure and Cognitive Empathetic Resonance to provide a theoretical underpinning for how and why the zone of proximal development arises, and this also has implications for how scaffolding can best be used.

Scaffolding in education does have some boundaries. One of the largest hurdles to overcome when providing ample support for student learning is managing multiple students. While scaffolding is meant to be a relatively independent process for students, the initial phase of providing individual guidance can easily be overseen when managing large classrooms. Thus, time becomes a critical factor in a scaffolding lesson plan. In order to accommodate more learners, teachers are often faced with cutting parts of lessons or dedicating less time to each student. In turn, this hastened class time might result in loss of interest in students or even invalid peer-teaching. Cognitive abilities of the student also play a significant role in the success of scaffolding. Ideally, students are able to learn within this zone of proximal development, but this is often not the case. Recognizing students' individual abilities and foundation knowledge can be a challenge of successful scaffolding. If students are evidently less prepared for this learning approach and begin to compare themselves to their peers, their self-efficacy and motivation to learn can be hindered. These hurdles of scaffolding and the zone of proximal development are important to acknowledge so that teachers can find solutions to the problems or alter their teaching methods.

Media related to Zone of proximal development at Wikimedia Commons

Chaiklin, S. (2003). "The Zone of Proximal Development in Vygotsky's analysis of learning and instruction." In Kozulin, A., Gindis, B., Ageyev, V. & Miller, S. (Eds.) Vygotsky's educational theory and practice in cultural context. 39-64. Cambridge: Cambridge University.

Mayer, R. E. (2008). Learning and instruction. (2nd ed., pp. 462-463). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

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Zone of proximal development - Wikipedia

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The zone of proximal development ( ZPD) is a concept in educational psychology. It represents the space between what a learner is capable of doing unsupported and what the learner cannot do even with support. It is the range where the learner is able to perform, but only with support from a teacher or a peer with more knowledge or expertise (a "more knowledgeable other").

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-Students take on new learning roles
-Students develop autonomous perceptions and behaviours
-Students develop self-directed learning skills
-Students organize and use resources more autonomously.
-Students feel intrinsically motivated

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Student Motivation: Why Autonomy Matters

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DEVELOPING THE INDEPENDENT LEARNING SKILLS OF THE STUDENTS: Sofia Nikolarea, Greece  

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DEVELOPING THE INDEPENDENT LEARNING SKILLS OF THE STUDENTS: Sofia Nikolarea, Greece  

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I think the key to developing students' idependent learning skills is to give them the freedom of choice. If students get to choose the type of activities that they would like to engage in, the partner(s) that they would like to work with, the form that an assignment should have (essay, slide show etc.), then they would feel more responsible and would get more involved in the process. If they are treated as creators of their own learning themselves and feel that their opinion is valued by their teachers and that their personal needs and goals will be met through a process that they actively design (with the guidance of their teachers of course), they will be more motivated and inspired.
It is also important for them to realise that school education and community life are interrelated and that their learning is not merely about achieving better school performance but about cutivating all aspects of their personality.
If we manage to make them come to class and work out of their free will and not because it's mandatory, then we have achieved our goal.

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3.2) INDIVIDUAL AND COLLABORATIVE  ACTIVITIES

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3.2) INDIVIDUAL AND COLLABORATIVE  ACTIVITIES

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In designing on-line and on-site activities, there is a lot to consider. For example:
-Are students working by themselves/in small groups/with the rest of the class?
-How/Who will they ask for help in case they struggle with something?
-How does the role of the teacher change in either working environment (in-site or distant)?
-How do group dynamics change according to working environment?
-What is the role of parents in the process?
-What tools may be used and what instructions can be given?

Alternating between learning environments can be done smoothly and naturally with the right activities.

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EXAMPLE OF A BL ACTIVITY SEQUENCE:                      Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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EXAMPLE OF A BL ACTIVITY SEQUENCE:                      Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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Subject: ESL (English as a Second Language)
Topic: Renaissance Art
Students' age: 16-17
Duration: 5 or 6 45' sessions
Learning Objectives:
-To get students acquainted with Renaissance as a historical period
- To get students acquainted with Renaissance Art and some of its most iconic representatives
-To learn related Vocabulary
-To practice Passive verb forms
-To practice Writing Skills
-To use online tools to create a Slide Show Presentation
Activity 1(individual,distant) : (flipped model) Students watch a video and reflect on knowledge already acquired (through the subject of History) with regard to the historical periods of the Dark Ages and the Renaissance and/or do some relevant online research prior to coming into class.
Activity 2 (whole class,  in-site):
Students engage in a class discussion where they report what they saw in the video and discuss on the most important historical events that led to the end of the Medieval Era and to the dawning of the Renaissance.
Activity 3 (small groups, in-site):
Each group has to read a text about the life and work of an important Renaissance artist (the textbook may be used for this) and report back to the class, so that everyone gets an idea of who the most important art representatives of that time were and how they influenced the world of art.
Activity 4 (individual, distant):
Each student will have to read the rest of the texts at their own pace and do and submit online Reading Comprehension Activities (answer questions or do a T/F exercise). They will also have to look up difficult vocbulary items and learn them from a vocabulary checklist created by the teacher and uploaded in the e-class environment for this reason and do an online Vocabulary Worksheet. For both the RC and the Vocabulary activities online tools will be used.)
Activity 5 (whole class, in-site):
At this age students are more or less familiar with the grammatical stuctures of the English Language, so a quick revision of the main points of Passive verb forms, followed by a worksheet for further practice is enough to refresh their memory. This can be done in class.
Activity 6 (individual, distant):
Students produce a written text (250-280 words) on the following topic:"Express your views on how the Renaissance and the rebirth of human spirit in general                     -Enlightment period-  led to great historical changes in Europe such as the French Revolution."
(a certain amount of internet or History books research may be required to acccomplish this task)
Activity 7 (small group, distant):
Students collaborate online in small groups. Each group creates a slide show presentation of the most representative works of art of the Renaissance artist of their choice. Of course, each group has to choose a different artist. They present to the whole class.

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3.3) SYNCHRONOUS AND ASYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES-PART 1

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3.3) SYNCHRONOUS AND ASYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES-PART 1

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-Synchronous learning may take place either in person or at a distance via an online conference tool (ie.Zoom/Teams/Chatrooms/ Messenger/Twitter etc.)
Class discussions and decision making or organising projects had better be done this way.
-Asynchronous learning is always distant, doesn't take place in real time. Students interact with teachers and peers at their own pace, space and time. Teaching materials are provided at a distance.
Introducing new learning content is facilitated by asynchronous means as Ss may watch  explanatory videos and /or presentations repeatedly.
When designing asynchronous and synchronous activities, class dynamics and also the impact of those activities on students' progress have to be taken into consideration.

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SYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES WHY                                  Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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SYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES WHY                                  Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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-They are more engaging as peers may encourage or inspire one another to accomplish more.
-The atmosphere is more lively, the pace quicker.
-Opinion exchange is immediate and so is feedback.
-Problems may be solved and questions may be answered instantly.

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ASYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES                       WHY                                                    Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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ASYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES                       WHY                                                    Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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-They allow for more freedom and flexibility in learning as students have more time to process teaching material at their own pace.
-They allow for more personalised teaching, depending on the needs of individual students.
-Teaching material may be enhanced in a variety of ways.
-They enable students to familiarise with the use of digital tools.

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SYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES WHEN                               Sofia Nikolarea, Greece

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SYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES WHEN                               Sofia Nikolarea, Greece

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-To start class discussions
-To plan/organise projects
-To provide guidance
-To answer Ss' questions and solve problems
-For error correction at the end of a task
-For strengthening peer relations and friendly bonds
-For promoting collaboration

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ASYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES WHEN                                                                 Sofia Nikolarea, Greece    

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ASYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES WHEN                                                                 Sofia Nikolarea, Greece    

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-When introducing new teaching material
-When assigning homework
-When supplementing teaching material with extras
-Whenever classroom time is not enough

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SYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES HOW                                                                             Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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SYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES HOW                                                                             Sofia Nikolarea, Greece 

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Either in-site in a brick- and -mortar classroom, or in a virtual classroom such as the ones available through on-line teaching platforms (Webex, Zoom, Teams) or video conference tools and chatrooms.

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ASYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES HOW                                                                           Sofia Nikolarea, Greece  

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ASYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES HOW                                                                           Sofia Nikolarea, Greece  

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Asynchronous activities may more easily take place in an on-line environment such as that of the e-class or e-me platforms provided by the the Panhellenic School Network, Google classroom, but students e-mails may also be used.

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SYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES EXAMPLES                      Sofia Nikolarea, Greece     

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SYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES EXAMPLES                      Sofia Nikolarea, Greece     

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-Ss engage in conversation on the basis of a video they watched or a text they read asynchronously, draw conclusions or solve a problem.
-Ss may read and compare different texts and inform their peers about different aspects of an issue (ie. environmental problems).
-Ss may create a poster on a certain subject they have been taught and organize an activity (ie. an anti-smoking campaign) which will involve their local community.
-Ss may individually or in pairs or even short groups write a speech on a particular topic of their interest and deliver it in front of their peers or in front of the whole school.
-Ss turn to their teachers for on-the-spot guidance and have their questions answered in case they encounter difficulties.
-Ss work together on a project.
-Ss get to do more practice on subjects they struggle with.
-Ss exchange written work and assess one another.

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ASYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES                      EXAMPLES                      Sofia Nikolarea, Greece    

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ASYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES                      EXAMPLES                      Sofia Nikolarea, Greece    

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-Ss watch explanatory videos or videos that introduce a particular topic, reflect upon it and answer certain questions (open questions or gap-filling, T/F, or multiple choice).
-Ss engage in study of a particular topic in more detail, at their own pace and go over teaching material (ie. grammar rules, vocabulary lists, mathematical formulas and theorems etc) as may times as necessary for comprehension.
-Ss produce written texts (essays, articles, emails etc) on a subject discussed/ analysed in class.
-Ss do worksheets that their teacher has set for homework and submit them (on-line or in person when they return to class the next day).
-Ss do research and create slide show presentations on particular subjects (individually or in pairs/groups).

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3.4) SYNCHRONOUS AND ASYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES-PART 2

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3.4) SYNCHRONOUS AND ASYNCHRONOUS ACTIVITIES-PART 2

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Trying to balance Synchronous and Asynchronous actinvities in a Blended Learning design. What factors need to be taken into consideration?

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The amount of Synchronous and Asynchronous activities included in a learning design varies depending on the student group's ablities, struggles, general level of performance and even age.Time and available resources are also important in deciding what to do, when and how to do it. On the whole, however, it is important to keep balance.

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Liverworksheets, LearningApps, Miro on-line Whiteboard, KialoEdu, Google Docs, Google Slides, Zoom/Teams/Webex conference tools, VideoLink, Padlet, Kahoot,Quizlet, Cambridge on-line Dictionary, Vocaroo, Moodle, Edmodo etc.

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Founded in 2002 by Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman, the PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado Boulder creates free interactive math and science simulations. PhET sims are based on extensive education research and engage students through an intuitive, game-like environment where students learn through exploration and discovery.

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How to Mind Map

Start in the center: To make a mind map, start by writing the subject of your map in the center of a blank piece of paper or digital canvas. The subject can be a single keyword, an image, a question, or a problem that you're trying to solve.

Add branches: Branches are lines that extend outwards from the center and symbolize the main categories or key ideas that relate to your subject. Most maps have between four and six branches, but you can add as many as you need.

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MindMeister: Online Mind Mapping and Brainstorming

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Start in the center: To make a mind map, start by writing the subject of your map in the center of a blank piece of paper or digital canvas. The subject can be a single keyword, an image, a question, or a problem that you're trying to solve.

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3.6) ASSESSMENT IN BL ENVIRONMENTS Assessment for learning is any use of assessment that is primarily intended to improve, rather than measure learning.                  A teacher's job is to destroy the "bell curve" and provide all students with differentiated input according to their needs, so they all become successful.

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3.6) ASSESSMENT IN BL ENVIRONMENTS Assessment for learning is any use of assessment that is primarily intended to improve, rather than measure learning.                  A teacher's job is to destroy the "bell curve" and provide all students with differentiated input according to their needs, so they all become successful.

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An assessment functions formatively to the extent that evidence from the assessment is used – by teachers, by students, or by their peers – to make better decisions about the next steps in instruction.       Good practices for assessment activities, such as quizzes, tests, peer assessment and portfolios, are as valid for blended scenarios as they are in other contexts. 

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An assessment functions formatively to the extent that evidence from the assessment is used – by teachers, by students, or by their peers – to make better decisions about the next steps in instruction.       Good practices for assessment activities, such as quizzes, tests, peer assessment and portfolios, are as valid for blended scenarios as they are in other contexts. 

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FORMATIVE vs SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT                                               The information from an assessment can be used formatively or summatively. "If I find that a student knows 50% of his multiplication facts from 1 x 1 to 10 x 10, then that is a summative conclusion. However, if I look more carefully at the test results and see that the student is having particular difficulty with the seven-times-table, then that gives me, as the teacher, something to work with."  

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FORMATIVE vs SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT                                               The information from an assessment can be used formatively or summatively. "If I find that a student knows 50% of his multiplication facts from 1 x 1 to 10 x 10, then that is a summative conclusion. However, if I look more carefully at the test results and see that the student is having particular difficulty with the seven-times-table, then that gives me, as the teacher, something to work with."  