Defining Online and Blending Learning (LDT 523)
How Online and Blended Learning Appear to Me Online and blended learning is here to stay. My first formal introduction to online learning occurred during summer 2013. I enrolled in an online jazz course through Rio Salado College. I needed an extra course to satisfy the requirements of my program and my advisor recommended taking a subject of interest through a community college to save some coin. The course was traditional and broken up into modules. I am most grateful for being introduced to the wonders of John Coltrane’s discography. The course was fine, and I passed. However, in hindsight, I didn’t feel connected to my instructor or peers. There wasn’t a weekly “baking session” and I’m not sure Skype was widely used in academia. Blended learning existed well before I realized what it was. Several of my high school teachers utilized blended learning, requiring us to read articles and watch videos before arriving to class. We would use class time to discuss the material and dig de