Blended learning - Barbara Allan

This essential guide should be on the desk of any library and information professional, records manager, archivist or knowledge manager involved in planning and introducing an ERM system, whether in a public or private sector organization. Information professionals currently face the challenge of providing end-user education and staff training to very large and diverse groups, whilst integrating the use of ICT into their teaching. But there seems to be a tendency within the literature to focus solely on face-to-face learning or on e-learning, and this is a lost opportunity.
This book offers a new blended learning approach, combining the two techniques to make best use of the advantages of each while minimizing the disadvantages. It provides information professionals with a practical guide to the design and delivery of such training programmes, illustrated with a range of library-based examples, checklists and case studies. Many organizations establish projects, sometimes using external funding, as a means of developing their education and training provision, and the book provides a practical overview of this subject in the context of blended learning. Key areas covered include:

• technologies in the classroom
• virtual communication tools
• integrated learning environments
• websites and web tools
• models of teaching and learning
• planning and designing learning activities
• individual and group learning
• coaching and mentoring
• engaging with communities of interest and practice
• managing learning and teaching projects.

Readership: This unique book will be of great value to any information professionals involved in establishing and delivering end-user education and staff development, whatever their previous experience. It will also benefit staff developers in school, college and higher education, library and information students, independent consultants and trainers, and information suppliers such as database providers.

Professor Barbara Allan is Dean of Westminster Business School. Her background includes managing workplace and academic libraries. She has spent many years working in business schools where her focus is on enhancing learning, teaching and the student experience, and the internationalization agenda. She was awarded a National teaching Fellowship in 2008 from the Higher Education Academy. Barbara is the author of several Facet Publishing titles including: Project Management (2004), Blended Learning (2007) and The No-nonsense Guide to Training in Libraries (2013).

"... an excellent resource that should help educational professionals to have an insight into the blended learning world. It generally helps the readers to develop educational ideas and start up designing blended learning programmes. It plays a role as a remarkable "start-up kit" and offers practical advice for those who wish to practise blended e-learning."