Blended learning: best practices in a health and human service course

As the aging Canadian population increases so does the demand for Health Care professionals. Vancouver Island University Faculty of Health & Human Services (H&HS) has begun to use alternate delivery models including Blended Learning (BL) to manage community demand for their graduates. BL is a thoughtfully integrated design and instructional delivery model that contains both face to face and computer-mediated components. BL allows for flexibility, responsiveness, and provides added value to H&HS programs. The intent of this project was to explore the process of development and design of an H&HS course via D2L using BL instructional design guidelines and best practice strategies. The course received positive and supportive feedback from the beta testing and a wealth of suggestions for improvement. Although the project was a solo adventure, the collegial nature of the feedback reflected team collaboration. Revisions, as per the beta testing, are complete, and the course goes to pilot early 2016. Plans include the transition of other H&HS courses online with this course as a template. Outcomes of the project include the H&HS course pilot and the development of a "best practices" web-based resource to support H&HS faculty in their development of BL courses. The H&HS course is available via D2L at: HCAS 103T: Health Care Assistant: Intro - S15N01. However, given the restricted access to D2L, a video tour of the course outline is here. The best practice resource, Best Practices with Experience is available via Weebly at www.curiousden885.com