stable foundational content

My learning goal today was to evaluate how I might build capacity for blended learning among my staff. A key take away and concept I will think about is the notion of "stable foundational content." I think it might be a good starting point for many of my staff.

I think many staff like the idea of blended learning but struggle with how to make it a practical reality in their lives. They don't know where to begin and when they even think about starting, it seems overwhelming - there's so much to learn. One way I can help them is by chunking and focusing the learning on something that's very manageable - both to learn and to put into practice. To get them onboard with the initial investment of time and to motivate them to persevere to completion, I really need to have a deliverable that they're convinced will save them time relatively quickly.

That's where stable foundational content comes in.

I think my staff can easily identify the stable foundational content in their areas. They can pick a course or topic within a course that they're very excited about - that will enhance their motivation. If I can provide some scaffolding and practical support to help them put together an e package for their foundational content, I think quite a few staff might be interested in putting this together.

As I think about this, I'm considering that what I might do first is a brief survey of what kinds of things would be most useful to them to include in an epackage - lectures, group discussions, assignments, problems, etc. From there, perhaps I can arrange an all day, hands on workshop to help them build it. Or at least get them well on their way.