Blended and Online Education

PGCert / PGDip / MSc Blended and Online Education

Testimonials

At Leeds Met we have enrolled 5 staff on this course to help us with our initiatives to make advances with Technology Enhanced Learning. Colleagues tell me they have benefited hugely from this well-run and informative course.

Prof Sally Brown, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Leeds Metropolitan University

I feel that the team behind the BOE course have developed an excellent course which is inspiring for me, as I am currently developing an educational online course for my employer…The progressive nature of this BOE course is allowing me to become a proactive, rather than reactive educator.

Chris Horne, Sports Science Lecturer Forth Valley College

I wanted to become a ‘Tutor 2.0’ – someone who can exploit the capabilities of Web 2.0 technologies and critically utilise state of the art blended and online learning pedagogies to create and maintain a learning environment befitting 21st century learners’. The programme more than fulfils this for me.

The programme is very much ‘hands on’. Collaborative learning activities have involved critical reflection and practical application of cutting edge Web 2.0 technologies. Modules draw upon the experiences of participants and we have been actively engaged in exploring how best to facilitate blended and online learning.

The tutors have been excellent role models for effective online tutoring. They have motivated and inspired the group through a wide range of learning activities – which I’ve been able to transfer directly into my own interactions with learners.

John Sinclair, Senior Lecturer Edinburgh Napier University

I have found this course extremely beneficial in that it allows me to study and most importantly learn somewhat in my own pace, the range of technologies that we have used in just a short period of time (since Sept 08) has really increased my understanding and usage of these particular areas which are wikis, podcasting, second life, discussion boards, live classroom sessions (ElluminateLive!). Although I have had limited experience of these to actually be able to use this has certainly expanded my knowledge and learning and has also empowered me to feel confident in discussions with my work colleagues as well as giving me a clearer understanding of blended learning in the context of my job role.

Another aspect which I have benefited from is the interaction with the other learners enrolled on the course. Having a wide range of individuals who have different skills sets, knowledge and experience again has been beneficial to me as I have learnt from my peers. My peers also provide a great deal of support even though it is online and distant learning, in some ways it doesn't feel like that because of the activities that we have to undertake as part of the course.

The teaching staff have excellent knowledge and experience and my dealings with them through out this process to date have always been supportive, they have guided and supported me in a range of ways on many occasions and I am very grateful for their professionalism and experience.

Berni Durham-Jones, Lecturer Yale College

I have found this course extremely useful in that the practice illuminates the theory. This is a very hands-on course with many different ways of reaching the learner and catering to many different learning styles, supported by current research in this area. For example we have had virtual seminars with online discussions with other students from around the UK, podcasts with experts in the field, giving their personal experience of what makes a great on-line tutor and course. It has been great to meet other educators online and share our experiences and a great opportunity to look back and reflect on our own practice.

I have really enjoyed this course and it will help me to design and deliver blended learning more effectively, hopefully without making the mistakes that many past elearning initiatives have made.

Dr Steven Wilkinson, Principal Lecturer Leeds Metropolitan University

Having come to education from industry, I’ve found BOE to be invaluable in bringing my knowledge of pedagogy and academic processes up to the standard needed. BOE takes you from first principles of teaching and learning and lets you experience life as an online student so that you may better understand your own online learners.

Colin Gray, PGC BOE with Distinction
Academic Development Adviser Edinburgh Napier University

The course can be quite intensive at times and managing your other commitments is always a challenge but the tutor support is very good and they are always available for contact through a number of ways

This course has allowed me to strengthen my own teaching practices with underlying theoretical knowledge and give consideration for how I present and maintain my module in it’s virtual online form.

It has been a good experience exploring the number of ways in which we can communicate in a virtual world. While I am sure that I will not use all of them I have been able to identify a number of key tools which I intend to use to support my students online experience.

Simon Thomson, Principal Lecturer and Teaching Fellow Leeds Metropolitan University

I have found the MSc in Blended and Online Education to be both enjoyable and challenging. I think the experience of being a student and seeing online education and collaboration from a student perspective has been invaluable. The different approaches to learning and using different methods such as podcasting and screen recording has helped and inspired me to try new ways of working with students. The tutors are really helpful, supportive and knowledgeable too.

Martin Gaughan, Lecturer Edinburgh Napier University

As the Learning and Technologies Manager for CIPD I selected this particular programme on the basis that I could fit this around my busy work and life.

I want to challenge myself to continually explore new opportunities for using web technologies so that I can apply my learning back into the ongoing developments of our qualifications within my organisation.

Studying completely online was a little daunting at first and I suppose my preference would be to have some face to face contact with the group, however, I have found the high levels of engagement as a group through the many and varied activities we have undertaken have been extremely effective in helping us all grow as online learners. It is also reassuring that we have formed relationships with each other, some of course more than others, which is also good. There have been many opportunities already to test out new technologies in a safe learning environment and I look forward to exploring more throughout the programme. These have sometimes been challenging, however, they have enabled us to evaluate their effectiveness in terms of useful ways to learn.

Karen Ver, Learning and Technologies Manager Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, CIPD

I am a student on the MSc in Blended and Online Education at Edinburgh Napier University. The course is flexible, engaging, stimulating and challenging. The context is relevant to my own practice and provides rich, active and creative learning opportunities tailored to my individual preferences and needs. The learning environment and the resources are media-rich and enable experimentation and the formation of a learning community where learning with and from each other is organically embedded within the course structure, delivery and assessment. Lecturers are very supportive and the assessment is varied and personalised. Constructive feedback is provided throughout and it is linked to action to enable and motivate learners to enhance further but also emphasising on progress and celebrating achievement.

I am a very happy student.

Chrissi Nerantzi, Academic Developer University of Sunderland