The 2007-2008 academic year ended today. Spring Quarter 2008 grades have been posted. Graduation exercises are over. It has been a great year. Now, it's time to relax, read, explore, and work on writing articles.
A couple of years ago, I decided not to teach summer term courses. I decided to take the summer off, enjoy a different pace, relax, read, explore, and write. This was the first time that I had not taught summer courses in many years. What an experience! It was like taking a mini sabbatical. I returned to the Fall Quarter with a fresh state-of-mind and a renewed energy.
This summer, I have an interesting reading list. I am close to finishing The World is Flat, A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century by Thomas L. Friedman. If you have not read the book, I highly recommend it. Friedman is a great storyteller. Even if you don't agree with something that he says, he will certainly make you think. The ISBN for Friedman's book is 0-312-42507-4. Enjoy the read! 
Earlier this year, when Eduspaces came back to us, I set up a community to focus on what constitutes blended learning. My Spring Quarter 2008 has been so busy that I have not had time to get the discussion group started on the issue. I hope to jump-start the discussion soon.
I serve on my university's distance learning committee. Over the past year, we have engaged in extensive discussion about what constitutes blended learning. Our objective "was" to develop a way to measure the approaches being used by faculty to design/deliver their courses (i.e., face-to-face, blended, or online).
Administrators are hell-bent on using the Sloan-C Consortium definition of blended learning which emphasizes "butt time" (i.e., defining a course design based on the amount of time that a student's "butt" is parked in a chair in a face-to-face setting). What a crass way to define or catagorize course design!
While "butt time" may have some relevance, I keep asking about other things like how technology is integrated into course design. Should a course that includes face-to-face contact and use of technology-based activities that occur outside of class (e.g., online simulation-based problem-solving hosted by the textbook publisher) be classified as face-to-face or as blended?
This is a hot issue for many university administrators. It is amazing how fixed they are in their positions.
Oh well, perhaps we will be able to explore this issue during the summer months. If you're interested in joining the discussion, please send me a request asking to join the discussion community.
Best wishes for an enjoyable summer!
Rick Lillie (CalState San Bernardino)
