This is the first post in a series looking at how we induct & orient students studying in blended and online modes. I’ll be looking at how this compares to face-to-face inductions, and hopefully delving into some ideas about how we might achieve greater student engagement with the induction process. 

This series is also part of my assessment for my MSc in Blended and Online Education, specifically for the module on Supporting the Blended and Online Student Experience (SBOSE). 

I’ve chosen to focus on the induction aspect of the student experience for a few reasons. Firstly, as I work in eLearning support, the induction process is the part of the student experience I am closest to. I do very little teaching of students, but my team and I deliver all of the technology-related sections of induction for our face-to-face students. 

Across my whole career I have been heavily involved in delivering induction on face-to-face and blended programmes, and have developed induction materials for online students, so it’s an area I feel qualified to talk about. 

At the time of writing I have been involved with inductions for another intake of face-to-face students, and have been engaging in discussions with other staff about how we might redevelop our approach to take advantage of more blended techniques, so this blog should sit quite nicely alongside those discussions and hopefully allow me to address any ideas and issues I might be facing as part of that process. 

My other smaller goal with this assessment is to try and get me into the habit of blogging more regularly, as you may notice my other posts have been sporadic to say the least! I’m aiming for at least one post a week, maybe more if I feel I have enough to say!

In my next post I’ll take a look at the face-to-face induction process and how it influences, and is influenced by, orientation for online and blended students.