The Means to a Blend: A Practical Model for the Redesign of Face-to-Face Education to Blended Learning

Abstract

Learning design models provide guidelines and guidance for educators and course designers in the production and delivery of educational products. It is seen as beneficial to base learning designs on general learning theories, but these must be operationalised into concrete learning design solutions. We therefore present one such educational design model: the Design Cycle for Education (DC4E). The model has primarily been created to support the shift from traditional face-to-face education to blended learning scenarios. The cycle describes eight steps that can be used iteratively in the (re)design of educational products and provides educators and course designers with a flexible but clearly structured design model that enables them to reinvent traditional course content for blended learning with appropriate learning design tools.