Dr Anthony 'Skip' Basiel – Blended Learning Solutions

Hybrid Group Model 09/03/2010

National Centre for Projects Management

Hybrid Group Model

Dr. Anthony ‘Skip’ Basiel

This proposed eLearning model is for groups of online learners that are collaborating on project work. They may be a team or a group of individuals that work independently but can share knowledge and resources.

In this online learning design the use of Web 2.0 systems and professional social networks are used to support the stakeholder interactions. This peer-review approach sees the course content to be learner-fortified and in-part learner-generated.

1) Starting point –

This group or cohort style eLearning design sees content as a ‘pre-set’ curriculum that the learners can ‘dip into’ as needed. It is not a procedural knowledge that must be done in sequence or a scaffolded design that sees incremental increase in the difficulty of the information base.

Because this is a project-based model there is no one set solution. The online learners will come to different solutions each time the problems and challenges are analysed based on the knowledge at hand and the expertise of the project team. In this way there is a flexible learning outcome for each module or project.

The evaluation criteria for the solutions to the projects must also be flexible. The knowledge and themes to master would be set by the learners to comprise the assessment criteria.

So, in this way the overall aim of the eLearning event can be represented as a circle in figure 1.

[ image of an outlined circle ]

Figure 1 Overall aims of eLearning events

2) Pre-test or ‘team member profile’

Next, we need to establish what components each member of the team brings to the table. Identify what elements of the theme of the project / problem are needed.

(e.g. do you need a technical ICT person or an artist / graphic designer? ). This set of experiences, knowledge and skills can be represented as a ‘slice of the pie’ in figure 2.

[ image of an outlined circle with a triangle filled in ]

Figure 2 Add the knowledge of a team member

A pre-test or skills assessment can help determine what expertise that may be of value can be brought to the table. These contributions can be than mapped against the needs of the project to identify what other people and skills are required. This activity may be also part of a feasibility study or needs analysis.

3) Team induction

We then need to establish the blend of personalities and leadership roles of the project stakeholders to get the right balance or receipt. How can we get a clear link between what needs to be done in the project and which people have the skills to get the job done.

4)  Action Plan / Gantt Chart
The next phase of the project model design is to set the milestones and benchmarks against a time line for delivery. The risk assessment tasks can be done here as well to plan back-up actions in case the project has problems.

5) Project proposal to project resolution

Presentations (oral viva) and written reports can be assessment activities. There needs to be good support resources on how to do these properly. Assessment criteria can be in-part pre-set, but should also have active input from the learners.

This model is linked to the Informatology conference talk at

http://mmse-v5.emea.adobe.acrobat.com/informatologytalk/