Managing Change: The Use of Mixed Delivery Modes to Increase Learning Opportunities

Science teaching in the new millennium will need to suit the students ’ needs and understanding, and employers’ expectations. Choosing to learn will help form the learning opportunities presented. This paper looks at the way the delivery of teaching and learning materials for large first year biology units of study has changed over a period of time during which there have been reductions in staff resources and increases in student numbers. The strategies currently used to manage student learning and improve the learning experience will be detailed. These include a mix of on-campus and on-line opportunities such as the management of laboratory classes in a peer-mode model and the recent re-purposing of existing on-line resources to provide a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). The VLE offers a safe, student-centred learning environment with access to synchronous and asynchronous communications, as well as access to learning and assessment materials. Reasons for the development of the VLE will be discussed along with some thoughts about the management of campus-based teaching in the experimental sciences in the future