How do you design a good study start for blended and distance learning courses?

One of the challenges in blended and distance learning is that students engage too late or not at all in the online activities. The cause might be technical problems that are discovered too late or students feeling unsafe and insecure about what is going to happen online and what role they are to play.

Effective study start for blended and distance learning
This contribution accounts for the study start model used at blended and distance learning courses at the University of Southern Denmark and present the results from student evaluations. The study start model focuses on the creation of a safe, virtual learning environment, and activities are designed to facilitate interaction and active learning online. For this purpose, Gilly Salmon’s five-stage model and e-tivities concept are used. Specific activities are designed so that students get clear and precise instructions on the topic and how and when to contribute and interact. Furthermore, the learning goals of each activity are explicitly stated. This provides students with a clear and visible learning path that is easy to pursue when studying online. In addition, activities connect to students’ backgrounds and practice to enhance motivation and engagement.