Cases on Active Blended Learning in Higher Education: (Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design)

Active blended learning (ABL) is a pedagogical approach that combines sensemaking activities with focused interactions in appropriate learning settings. ABL has become a great learning tool as it is easily accessible online, with digitally rich environments, close peer and tutor interactions, and accommodations per individual learner needs. It encompasses a variety of concepts, methods, and techniques, such as collaborative learning, experiential learning, problem-based learning, team-based learning, and flipped classrooms. ABL is a tool used by educators to develop learner autonomy, engaging students in knowledge construction, reflection, and critique. In the current educational climate, there is a strong case for the implementation of ABL. Cases on Active Blended Learning in Higher Education explores strategies and methods to implement ABL in higher education. It will provide insights into teaching practice by describing the experiences and reflections of academics from around the world. The chapters analyze enablers, barriers to engagement, outcomes, implications, and recommendations to benefit from ABL in different contexts, as well as associated concepts and models. While highlighting topics such as personalized university courses, remote service learning, team-based learning, and universal design, this book is ideal for in-service and preservice teachers, administrators, instructional designers, teacher educators, practitioners, researchers, academicians, and students interested in pedagogical approaches aligned to ABL and how this works in higher education institutions.

About the Author :
Brenda Cecilia Padilla Rodriguez (a.k.a. Brenda Padilla) is a researcher at the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon in Mexico, where she also teaches at graduate level and coordinates the MSc in Cognition and Education. She is a lecturer at University da Vinci (Mexico) and Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Spain). As an international consultant, Brenda applies innovative pedagogic principles to enable academic institutions, companies and non-governmental organizations to optimize their learning and training practices through the use of digital technologies. She is the founder of the consultancy groups E-Learning Monterrey, E-Learning Mexico and E-Learning International. Brenda’s research and supervision at Master’s and doctoral levels focus on open education, learning technologies, gamification and pedagogical innovation. Alejandro (Ale) Armellini is Professor and Dean of Digital and Distributed Learning at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom. His key role is to provide leadership in digital learning and learning innovation, including on-campus and distance provision, across all Faculties. Before joining Portsmouth, Ale was Dean of Learning and Teaching at the University of Northampton, where he was the strategic lead for the redesign of all programmes for active blended learning. Ale is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. Ale’s research and doctoral supervision focus on learning innovation, blended and online pedagogy, institutional capacity building and open practices. He holds visiting professorships at several UK and overseas universities.