Landmark Issue 19 2021 SINGLE PAGES

14 LANDMARK TEACHING & LEARNING How was our Blended Curriculum developed? An iterative process was adopted by the ‘Online Learning & Assessment’ (OLA) group working closely with academics and student representation. The model has drawn upon educational literature and research as well as examples from across the Higher Education sector. We held a ‘Show & Tell’ event in July for lecturers and representatives from partner institutions to launch the blended approach. The event included a showcase of online activities designed by our academics specifically to promote student engagement with learning e.g. using videos and other online resources, case-based learning, quizzes, eBooks, critiquing papers, etc. What istheBlendedCurriculum? The structure of the blended approach is best explained by ‘A student’s week at the RAU’. The week starts with an online introduction from the module leader, followed by online pre-recorded lectures and a range of other online activities specifically designed as part of the module content to help students prepare for, and get the most from, the face-to-face seminars at the end of the week. What are the benefits of the blended approach? Research studies across multiple sectors have reported many benefits for students including better engagement with learning, greater flexibility and improved outcomes. Student feedback suggests that our Blended Curriculum has been well received and is delivering the expected benefits. We continued to gather feedback and will capitalise on the opportunities presented through a blended approach as well as identifying further innovations to enhance the learning experience for all students. In preparation for the 2020-21 academic year, an innovative ‘Blended Curriculum’ was developed for teaching across the institution. The aimwas to ensure that the high-quality RAU learning experience was maintained via a combination of online and face-to-face teaching while conforming to government guidelines in relation to Covid-19. A curriculum for changing times