Blended and Online Learning Policy Development in Higher Education: Key Considerations
Keywords:
blended and online learning, policy, framework, higher education, U15sAbstract
The global use of blended and online learning (BOL) in higher education has recently increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This exponential expansion requires higher education institutions to prioritize scholarship and examine the policies, frameworks, practices, and structures that support a clear objective toward high-quality BOL that is not fragmented across faculty and programs. Within Canada, the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities (U15s) describe the top research universities that exemplify the production of scholarship that influences research and policy within and outside of higher education institutions. Through conducting two environmental scans of BOL policies at the U15s in 2022, the authors identified important elements of BOL policies that could be useful in future institutional planning and decision-making related to modality. The authors isolated key themes that would be beneficial for institutions to standardize and offered comprehensive strategies and limitations to ensure consistent regulation of BOL policies. Ultimately, there is no singular approach to creating effective policy regarding BOL. However, creating and implementing BOL policy is necessary for high-quality BOL practices.
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