The Western Pacific University (WPU) academic staff had attended Blended Learning workshop . Under their Institutional Academic Capacity Building Partnership with the University of Sunshine Coast, the WPU academic staff attended a Pedagogical Design Principles and Strategies of Blended Learning workshop early this month.
The purpose of the workshop was to up-skill our academics on the Pedagogical Design Principles and Strategies of Blended Learning. This workshop was specifically designed for Western Pacific University’s newly graduated academic staff. Six (6) academic staff members of WPU have been under-going a training for competency in the Foundation of University Teaching Course by the University of Sunshine Coast since September last year. Additional staff members who had developed units for delivery in the 2022 academic year also attended the workshop. Other staff int he academic space also participated in the workshop for the purpose of relearning the ideals of blended learning.
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| Western Pacific University academic staff attend Blended Learning workshop [Photo supplied] |
The workshop was tailored for WPU and focused on pedagogical design principles and strategies for blended learning. It addressed reviews done on the 31 units developed so far for WPU on Moodle. It was a hands-on workshop and an external assessment of what has been developed using the Commonwealth of Learning Design templates. The workshop has value and contributes significantly to designing quality learning experiences for our learners and learner satisfaction whilst also embracing the ideals of blended learning.
WPU President, Dr. Janet Rangou, said that, “As a new University focused on models for digital learning, blended learning has been the pivot that we have taken since 2021. It is a model that we continue to embrace for digital learning with limited face to face sessions. As WPU moves to virtual delivery of programs, the foundations are set and competency skill sets are advocated, embraced and staffs are encouraged to continuously embrace what is ideal for quality student learning experience. The focus is student centered learning around the constructivist paradigm of learning whereby alignment of learning outcomes dictate the assessment, learning activities and the essential content provided for the learners.”
Throughout the year, there will be other workshops held to inform students and academic practices that pedagogical practice is an essential part of WPU's Professional Development and Mentoring.
Apart from workshops, in-services and seminars will be held in future as the good practices of facilitating blended, remote or distance learning, the ideals of micro-credentialing for Professional
Development, the use of Open Educational Resources and research to inform teaching. As indicated by our academics, there is a need for workshops as such to remain relevant to what WPU is striving
to do.
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