The image above is the final version of an infographic on blended teaching that is being used in an open education resource book that I am the design lead for, and that I am co-authoring with three of the top five researchers in the field of K-12 Online Learning. This image has gone through many phases, and the finalized version here is version 7.0. Below is version 1.0.

This project was originally a graphic that I threw together on Blended Learning for the undergraduate course I teach. The top triangle represents the reason we blend; blending increases pedagogical practices, saves us time and money regarding the development and distribution of learning objects, and increases flexibility in regards to access and time. In order to reap these affordances, teachers must first have a solid foundation of technology skills (using an LMS, accessing the Internet, finding online learning materials, etc.).

Then, teachers can begin building their competency with each of Blended Learning’s four pillars:

Online Interactions (including synchronous and asynchronous communication with students and peers, as well as fostering learner-learner interactions and learner-content interactions),

Real Time Data (using data gathered from online applications or an LMS to direct, modify, and improve student learning or engagements),

Integration (using the online learning systems in tandem with effective face-to-face practices), and

Personalization (allowing students to work at their own pace, in a flexible space or place, with chosen content or activities).

Version 6.0 was the first version to add dispositions to the foundation of the monument, and it simplified the overall images by taking textures out of the background and removing extraneous detail. It also rotated the text on the pillars and made them all capitals to ease in readability. However, the text was rotated the wrong way, which is how version 7.0 differs.

One of the challenges I faced for this project was that we wanted to be able to highlight just one of the four pillars for each chapter. Figuring out how to call attention to that pillar was a challenge. Version 4.0 below was the first attempt at figuring out how to call out the pillars.

Between versions 4.0 and 5.0, we decided the best way to call out the pillars was to filter out the rest of the image. This resulted in the version below.

Below are the final images that are being used at the beginning of each chapter. Chapter 0 focuses on Blended Teaching foundations - Dispositions and Technology Skills, Chapter 1 focuses on Online Integration, Chapter on Data Practices, Chapter 3 on Personalization, Chapter 4 on Online Interaction, and Chapter 5 on putting them all together. The full text will be available freely here.