What is MA Arts and Cultural Enterprise?
MA ACE is a blended learning course developed at Central Saint Martins. Started in 2015, it offers both the benefits of face-to-face study and the flexibility of online learning. It is currently being taught to two cohorts, one in the United Kingdom and one in Hong Kong.
What is blended learning?
Blended learning usually refers to a teaching delivery that includes both online and face-to-face elements. According to JISC, “Blended learning provides a combination of face-to-face learning and dynamic digital activities and content that facilitate anytime/anyplace learning” (JISC, Developing blended learning approaches).
Blended learning is an integrated combination of future-proofed synchronous and asynchronous, campus and online methods. This approach makes use of educational technologies and pedagogical approaches to achieve learning outcomes, focused on the overarching student experience.
How does it work?
In their synchronous delivery, each units consists of weekly online meetings and an intensive, face-to-face weekend on campus.
Every week, learners are tasked to further their learning by participating to different asynchronous learning activities. Ranging from self-study (e.g. reading and watching materials from the reading list) to collaborative activities (e.g. guided reflection and contribution on the unit’s discussion forum), such activities are designed to allow each learner to be flexible with their studies.
What difference does it make?
Moodle
Using a clear structure, visual pointers and consistency, the MA ACE team have designed a Moodle site that is easy to navigate for both students and staff.
Flipped classroom
By providing lectures and reading materials before the synchronous sessions, Students are able to actively participate in open discussions, ask questions and share their experience.
What can we learn from this?
There are great benefits to design a course around the learner experience. Using only a few digital platforms helps both staff and student to get familiar with their learning environment. Various activities can be designed to suit either the online and physical spaces and engage learners as active participants both synchronously and asynchronously.
If you would like help and guidance on how to better integrate blended learning in your course, please contact the CSM Digital Learning team.