June 2009 - University of Hertfordshire

Editorial
3
Whether you are reading this through
the online version or one of our print
copies, we would like to welcome you
to the first issue of Blended Learning in
Practice, a new e-journal published by
the University of Hertfordshire‟s
Learning and Teaching Institute.
We are delighted to be developing this
journal to showcase some of the
innovative pedagogic practice and
research which is taking place at the Phil Porter and Amanda Jefferies
University of Hertfordshire through the
Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) funded Blended Learning
Unit. The journal is a bi-annual publication and we intend it to appeal to all who teach
within the further and higher education sectors as well as being of appeal to
established pedagogic researchers. Additionally, we are very pleased that the journal
offers our students the opportunity to have their views and experiences of learning
and teaching in further and higher education shared with the wider academic
community. We have deliberately adopted an e-journal format to allow full use to be
made of a variety of multimedia approaches and therefore several sections contain
links to audio-visual files to expand upon the traditional text-based content.
The journal comprises three main sections:
Research papers: This section provides an arena in which teaching staff can
present findings from pedagogic research that adopts a blended learning
approach. Three papers will be published in each issue.
Case studies: This section showcases detailed examples and case studies of
blended learning techniques in practice that can be deployed in our teaching.
In this issue Phil Porter demonstrates how to make the most of animations in
Microsoft PowerPoint to enhance learning and teaching.
The student voice: Each issue includes a specific section where students
discuss their experience of learning and teaching. In issue one, the theme is
„where I learn‟ and students discuss learning environments, making full use of
photographs and video clips. In our next issue, students consider the use of
technology in their learning.
Please select this multi-media icon throughout the e-journal to
view videos and hear podcasts.
Blended Learning In Practice June 2009