The document discusses Dr. Alan Masson's experiences using a Hybrid Learning Model (HLM) to facilitate reflective practice among educators. The HLM uses visual flash cards to represent teaching interactions and roles in order to provide a structured view of practice and promote reflection. Practitioners found the HLM helped increase awareness of learners' perspectives and encouraged evaluating how expectations align with learning activities. Future work aims to develop the HLM into an online tool and connect it with other resources to further reflection, discussion, and community building among educators.

1. Facilitating reflective practice –
experiences to date.
Dr Alan Masson
Director: CETL(NI) for Institutional E-
learning Services (CIES),
University of Ulster.
Overview of session
1.! Introduction / background context
2.! Overview of the Hybrid Learning Model
3.! Experiences of using the Hybrid Learning Model with
practitioners and learners
4.! Opportunities and challenges of raising awareness
and promoting discoverability of support resources
5.! Summary / suggested questions
!! Supporting comments have been added in the form
of notes throughout the presentation

2. CETL (NI): Institutional E-Learning Services (CIES)
Aim: “promote, facilitate and reward the adoption of a
“learner centred” reflective practice approach to the
development of teaching and learning, in particular wrt the
use of e-learning technologies”
Cultural challenge: effecting changes in “teaching” practices -
key to learning experience
* CETL(NI): Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
(Northern Ireland)
Conceptual model of CIES tools and services

3. Two dimensions to project
o! Prompts for reflection
•! Artifacts to initiate changes of practice
o! Promote supporting resources and services
•! Facilitate realisation of changes of practice
•! Discoverability and community
Prompts for reflection
o! People based (cohort profiles etc.)
o! Practice based (models of practice
and case studies)
o! Resource based (tools, technologies and
resources)
Agents to challenge and influence

4. Fundamental challenges
1.! Describing practice*
2.! Disseminating practice*
3.! Ensuring the learner perspective is “core”
* In a universal manner (across subjects / institutions)
Use of rubrics for “effective practice” as a reference
framework was included in the funding proposal.
Review of this - look to use a modeling framework
instead.
Hybrid Learning
Model
Bringing together (then) emerging work:
8LEM Model (Labset, University of Liege)
30 teaching verbs (Bennett, Wollongong
University)

6. Hybrid Learning Model
o! Eight two sided flash cards (based on 8LEM)
o! Enriched with role specific Verbs (adapted from Bennett)
o! Resulting model further annotated with relevant context
information (objectives, environment, tools etc.)
1.! Captures interactions and roles
Modeling practice
using the HLM
An example of the HLM flash cards
in use.

12. Practitioner evaluation of
Hybrid Learning Model
quot;! Greater awareness of learner perspective
quot;! Clearly articulates expectations for learner
quot;! Provides structured view of their practice
quot;! Promotes reflection and debate
Practitioner comments
Process and structure comments:
quot;!“It creates a logic in planning teaching…It provides a
framework for evaluation”
quot;!“It allowed me to visualise the process in a simple
manner”
quot;!“Prior, my design process was more adhoc. This is
more structured”

13. Practitioner comments
Learner perspective comments
quot;! “It made me consider how best to describe the
[learner’s] activities that I require from them”;
quot;! “Looking at the learner perspective with fresh eyes”;
quot;! “Made me think of just how many different aspects
there are to the learner’s role”;
quot;! “I tend to underestimate the learner’s efforts”;
quot;! Encouraged me to think about it from the learner’s
perspective rather than just focusing on the teacher”;
quot;! “Made me think about balance of expectations vs
balance of activities”.
Practitioner HLM Use Cases
o! Planning and designing course materials / learning
activities;
o! Raising awareness of teaching and learning
processes and in particular the learner perspective;
o! Reflecting on, evaluating, reviewing and sharing
current practice;
o! Positioning technology within the context of practice
quot;! Model is a core component academic induction and a
number of other educational development activities
within the University of Ulster.

14. Example learner
engagement with HLM
!! Animated activity plan* presented to the
students in class (process walkthrough with
discussion) to introduce a “new” learning
activity.
!! Grid provided as a reference document
!! Resources also available online (VLE)
*Example animation available: portfolio_ex.swf
Tagcloud: year one student comments on use of model to introduce a
new learning activity
Tagcloud generated by Wordle

15. HLM grid as a learner support tool
Learner focused HLM Use
Cases
1.! Assisting students to adapt to new learning situations
by clarifying expectations and processes.
#! Seminars
#! Tutorials
#! Practicals
#! Portfolios
2.! Assisting students to understand role of support
services (i.e. Library, Careers) in the context of the
above activities.

16. HLM artifacts as change
agents
Promoting reflection,
discussion and sharing of
practice
•! Internally (individual)
•! Among practitioners
•! Between practitioners and
learners
•! Among learners
•! Among support services
and clients
HLM: Future Developments
1.! Fully on-line version of tool (UI challenge)
2.! Include richer annotations (i.e. Laurillard’s
Media Types)
3.! Import / export functionality with IMS LD
and LAMS
4.! More use cases:
#! Student research capture tool

17. Promotion of supporting
resources and services
Creating connections to:
o! Facilitate realisation of changes of practice
o!Requires – a “gentle push” approach
o! Raise awareness and aid discoverability
o!Metadata and Semantics
o! Create Communities
o!Sharing and discussion
Raising awareness
promoting discoverability
o! CETL approach: use simple educational
information models across tools and
resources
o! Use these data models to suggest
contextual links across tools and services
to users (concierge role)
o! Annotated demo provided (caselink.swf)

18. Joining up services:
challenges identified
1.! Reviewing the value and role of these
services / assets
2.! Formalising curation policies and practices
3.! Positioning these assets in the context of
other internal and external
“collections” (integration / interoperability)
Summary
1.! Visualisation tools like the HLM can have
a significant impact on individuals.
2.! Visual artifacts can inform and promote
communication among stakeholders
3.! Disseminating and sharing these artifacts
effectively is an opportunity and a
challenge.

19. Some questions…..
1.! What other artifacts could effectively
facilitate reflection?
2.! How can we best raise awareness /
enhance the discoverability of these
artifacts?
3.! How can we best facilitate conversations
and community around these artifacts?
More info @:
http://cetl.ulster.ac.uk/elearning/
e-mail: aj.masson@ulster.ac.uk