Because Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, has
too many students signing up for some of its computer science courses, the institution
is planning a “blended learning” approach to the courses to meet demand this
fall.
The program, funded by a $200,000 prize from the Google
Computer Science Capacity Awards program, will be like other blended learning
courses, but also combine video lectures with optional mini-lectures and group
meetings with instructors to reinforce concepts that need to be taught in
person. If successful, some of the materials from the course could be used in
high schools next year.
While there are no guarantees, some research indicates the
Carnegie Mellon approach should work, according to a report for Slate. A study by Columbia University’s Community College Research Center
found that students taking hybrid courses had results similar to those taking
traditional classes. Other research has found the blended-learning model helped
poor-performing algebra students do better than their counterparts in a
teacher-led class.
“Carnegie Mellon’s determinate efforts provide a spark
of hope—if the school is successful, others may follow in its path,” Amy X.
Wang wrote in a Future Tense blog post. “Perhaps we will begin to see more
diverse teaching methods, as well as fewer students crouching in the aisles of
overcrowded lecture halls.”