Borsoff and Carter - OLTD 511 - 1 

  

Blended Learning Program for 

Non-Graduated Adults   
12.14.2017 
─ 
Erin Borsoff and Brittany Carter 
Sea to Sky Online School, Sea to Sky School District #48 
OLTD 511: Blended Learning  

Overview: ​How to make the ideal blended learning program for non-graduated adults? 
The blended learning program is a new program proposal for S ​ ea to Sky Online School​, 
(SSO), to support non-graduated adults pursue and complete graduation requirements; 
whether it is for post-secondary preparation, for personal accomplishment or both. 
Blended learning differs from exclusive online learning as it involves a face-to-face 
component away from home in combination with the virtual environment. Students have 
some control over the learning elements of: time; place; path and pace. Each component is 
connected for an integrated learner experience. (Horn and Staker, 2015).  
The reason for this shift is that non-graduated adults are a high risk non-consumer group 
which needs connection and support for a sense of belonging to be successful. Students in 
this group often have anxiety and self-doubt associated with school and learning and find it 
difficult to stay motivated. These students have various reasons for being unsuccessful in 
the traditional school system; and for these reasons need ongoing mentorship, academic 
advising, one on one and small group tutoring as well as personalization of course material 
to suit their needs and goals. The blended model already exists for students on the regular 
grad track through SSO and is effective and successful in assisting with better completion 
rates and engagement. It can be argued that the same needs to exist for adults pursuing 
the same goals.  

 
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This program would build connection with other students that may be in the same or 
similar situation. The in person component of their grad program can promote 
collaboration with coursework and foster collegial relationships with simple things such as 
having a tea and coffee station.  
Since these students do not often advocate for themselves, having regular and scheduled 
access to a face-to-face teacher provides better consistency for follow through and course 
completion. These students often have a short motivation timeframe in which to finish 
their grad requirements, so organization of set times and place is needed to ensure 
success in the program. Often, questions can be answered more effectively in person 
rather than through e-mail when technology itself might be a hurdle.  
In contrast to the current mostly online model, the blended program would establish 
set-times and a designated teacher to ensure a reasonable timeline, promote support with 
technology and course progression and increase graduations rates.  

Goals: 
Effective blended programs: 
1. Boost student achievement through personalization 
2. Provide access for out of reach courses/opportunities 
3. Improve a school’s financial health 
4. All of the above 
(Horn and Staker, 2015. p.98). 

Specifications: 

What is the problem(s) to be addressed?  

Currently in School District #48 there exists a population of students whose needs are not 
being met. We would like to propose the further development of the current Sea to Sky 
Online Program to help these at risk students find success, while also increasing the 
enrollment and graduation rate for the school district.  
 
Our goal as educators is to improve the “educational effectiveness” of our program (Horn 
and Staker, 2015. p.98). Within our community there are many individuals, both school age 
and adult, who have become disengaged with the current school system. The online school 
provides a second option for this population of students. However, in its current existence 
our program lacks the face-to-face time which would greatly enhance the success of adult 

 
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learners completing their graduation requirements. The creation of a blended learning 

program would provide the learning experiences needed for this group of non-consumers 
to re-engage with their education and therefore increase graduation rates. The program 
would be directed towards adult learners and would assist them in meeting the necessary 
requirements to receive a high school dogwood. This at risk group of adults are 
non-consumers within the education system. They need access to flexibility and adaptation 
within the education system including availability of courses outside the traditional course 
catalog and credit recovery and/or make up options (Horn and Staker, 2015). By providing a 
program specific to this group of learners, we will be further able to provide them with the 
additional support they need in order to reinvest in their own learning.  

What experiences will this program provide for students?  

Working with a population of non-consumers means we must establish a space where 
students are eager to come and learn. Our blended learning program would work to 
provide a fresh start for our adult learners where they feel acknowledged and supported. 
Our program format considers the learning environment from the students’ perspective to 
align with their needs and foster engagement and motivation to learn (Horn and Staker, 
2015). The timeframe for motivation is limited, therefore teachers need to provide 
immediate support when students express interest in pursuing graduation.  
The blended learning program would allow students flexibility in both time and pace, as 
well as path and place. Teachers would be there to support students on their learning 
journey, with some mandatory support to help ensure success. Our role as educators is to 
provide an experience for our adult learners where they can “make progress, feel 
successful and have fun with friends” (Horn and Staker, 2015. p. 143). With this in mind, 
courses would be available for students 24/7 to work through at their own pace with access 
from any device with an internet connection. Our focus would be student-centered 
learning, allowing students to flourish to their full potential. Our program would work to 
provide our learners with a low anxiety environment, with flexible hours and designated 
drop in times to connect with course teachers and/or mentors. Students would be given 
choice over their learning through initial creation of their learning plan, as well as the pace 
and place at which they complete their graduation requirements. Through this process our 
adult learners will develop independence and the skills required to be a committed, reliable 
and mature individual (Horn and Staker, 2015). By using the online platform we are helping 
them learn the necessary tools to succeed in furthering their education and succeeding in 
today’s workforce (Fueleducation, n.d.). 
Horn and Staker suggest that in order for a program to be successful students must be 
exposed to several meta-experiences. The Sea to Sky Online Blended Program for 
non-graduated adults would provide students with the opportunity for student agency, 
individual mastery, and transparency in learning goals.  

 
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Student Agency: ​Students are provided opportunity to create their own learning 
goals and collaborate to create their specific learning plan.  
Individual Mastery: ​Pace is set independently by the student, giving the 
opportunity to work through material more rapidly when a concept is understood or slow 
down when more learning is needed.  
Transparency in Learning Goals: ​Through the personalized learning plan as well as 
contact with mentors and teachers, students will have clearly defined short and long term 
goals. They will have a defined path to achieve success in individual courses as well as to 
complete graduation. Goals will be created alongside students, so they can take ownership 
of these goals.  
Students will also be given the opportunity for ​mentorship​ and ​positive group 
experiences​ through our face to face sessions. These sessions would work to build 
community and engagement. These are areas we think our program can work to expand 
on as the program further develops and grows.  

How will the teams be organized? 

To make the shift from a mostly online program to a blended program, we can incorporate 
aspects of both heavyweight and autonomous teams. ​SD 48​ is a unique school district in 
that it encompasses multiple communities. Squamish will be the pilot for shifting the online 
adult program to a blended one as the majority of this demographic is located there; 
however, we can use different levels of​ ​disruptive ​intervention to perform different roles at 
various locations to support this implementation.  
Heavyweight: T ​ o make this significant breakthrough or improvement, collective 
responsibility is required to bring things together for project goals (Horn and Staker, 2015. 
p. 117). This new program would impact all SSO teachers in some capacity as a teacher 
from the flex program at one of SSO’s school-age program needs to be released to provide 
time for the blended adult program. All SSO teachers would be involved in this team. A 
“tradeoff of one department’s interests in favour of another’s [is needed] to achieve an 
optimal level of system performance” (Horn and Staker, 2015. p.117); meaning that a 
change in the architecture of the school is required. SSO teachers can help develop the 
plan that will work best and decide who will best suit the needs of this non-consumer 
group and shift schedules and responsibilities to implement the new program. Significant 
changes must be made to schedule face-to-face times and establish the initiative that 
non-consumers require a different structure than core-opportunities for mainstream 
students. An advocate (manager) with sway and power is needed to oversee the program, 
this may be a head teacher or an administrator.  
 

 
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Autonomous: O ​ nce a teacher has been relieved of some of their duties in the school-age 
blended program, they are available to be implemented in this new program as directed by 
the school principal and/or head teacher. This team consists of one to two SSO teachers, a 
principal, IT staff and senior school board administration. The autonomous level is critical 
for the disruptive model where there is a need to create something entirely different. 
Online only for adults is not necessarily working in all cases. Designing a new program will 
allow for freedom in creation of new processes and develop new priorities (Horn and 
Staker, 2015. p.120). Flexibility for a rebuild of structure from the ground up can support 
the needs of this group. It is acknowledged there are different goals for non-graduated 
adult than mainstream students. Knowing that curriculum doesn’t have to be followed in 
the same way as bricks and mortar schools allows for flexibility for to deliver personalized 
programs that focus on key concepts and overall evidence of learning. This team is also 
responsible for budgetary considerations and to oversee the function of program as a 
whole. 

What is the primary role of the teacher? 

In the initial stages of this implementation, one teacher is designated as a guidance advisor 
at physical drop-in sessions. This teacher will read existing transcripts, create grad plans 
and oversee the big picture for students. They will provide a go-to for consistent check-ins, 
both in person and in the SSO homeroom course in ​Moodle.​ As the program grows, each 
teacher will have small cohort or advisory group to oversee and to help with learning goals. 
This will be divided among location and expertise; but a main teacher will be appointed to 
be the “Mother Hen of the Program” for personalization of plans and to monitor quality of 
the program. Many students who lack positive adult role models need support of “wrap 
around advocacy and intensive mentoring” (Horn and Staker, 2015. p. 173). 

Other roles of the teacher include continuing to be the online teacher and teacher of 
record for the courses they create, to adapt and maintain the virtual environment as well 
as to provide face-to-face tutoring and guidance. Apart from running in person “connect” 
sessions, the teacher of contact and all SSO teachers will offer various virtual office hours 
through the week at different times so students have the opportunity to see each teacher 
and discuss their specific needs through ​Google Hangouts​.  

Teachers also need motivators to work. As depicted in Herzberg’s categorization, (Horn and 
Staker, 2015. p. 177) teachers need motivators that include achievement, recognition, work 
itself, advancement and growth - this program would provide many motivators for 
teachers. The blended environment allows for recognition to share ideas and creates 
opportunities for teachers to specialize and work in teams. (Horn and Staker, 2015. P. 179). 
This program is a blend between online learning and outreach support. When teachers are 
a part of the deeper redesign of the instructional model they help fulfil students’ jobs to 
make progress and be successful. Teachers need to be fully invested as they are “critical to 
the success of blended learning” (Horn and Staker, 2015. p.170). By effectively integrating 

 
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teachers into the design process, an opportunity is created. Teachers will gain experience 
and knowledge about grad requirements and plans as well as facets of the non-traditional 
teaching role that is unique to working with adult students.  

What hardware, software and physical space is required?  

The addition of our program to School District #48 would utilize much of our existing 
hardware and software. Students would use our current M ​ oodle​ platform through Sea to 
Sky Online to access course material and complete assignments and quizzes. Moodle 
serves as a unifying platform for our staff, allowing teachers to control the design and 
quality of their course content (Horn and Staker, 2015). Courses are a combination of 
material from multiple providers including: BCLN (BC Learning Network) as well as content 
and instruction created by the course teacher. Dependent on their course selection, 
students may be required to access online resource such as Rosetta Stone, Khan Academy 
and Youtube. Students would also rely on free programs such as Google’s G ​ mail​ and 
Hangout t​ o communicate and collaborate virtually with their teacher and peers.   
It is highly encouraged that students registering for an online course with Sea to Sky Online 
have access to a personal internet-connected device. This would be similar for our blended 
program, however we would also remind students of the availability of public computer 
access through community programs such as ​The Hotspot ​or T ​ he Public Library​. Within our 
budget we have included a request to purchase 3 to 5 laptops to be cared for by the face to 
face session coordinator. These computers would be brought to the weekly session for 
students to use in our space. In terms of hardware, we have also requested the purchase 
of tablets for each teacher to use when connecting with students either through video 
conference or through assessment. The tablets would function to provide teachers with 
more flexibility in their delivery of lessons and feedback by removing some of the 
limitations faced when using a keyboard to teach. Please see F ​ igure 1 ​for example. 

  
Figure 1​: A tablet being used to enhance student learning through personal feedback from 
the course teacher.  

 
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When selecting a location to host our face to face session there are some general factors 
that we considered. We would like to create a space for our students to move freely and 
feel comfortable. There needs to be choice for where and how they want to work, through 
“individual workstations, in learning teams, and in other breakout areas” (Horn and Staker, 
2015. p.234). In order to accommodate this range of work spaces, we would ideally be 
looking for a larger open area where there is the flexibility to move furniture and 
computers to align with our learning goals. With cost in mind, we suggest either hosting 
our face to face sessions at the Squamish Public Library or after regular classroom 
dismissal in Howe Sound Secondary School’s library.  

What model of blended learning will be utilized? 

I.  
Because this program supports a non-consumption problem, disruptive innovation is 
needed to provide something new to support adult learners in achieving graduation. A mix 
of modalities will work in collaboration with one another to offer a custom and personal 
learning plan specifically for each student. Disruptive models of blended learning improve 
the online environment “by adding a brick and mortar component that is distinct from the 
traditional classroom” (Horn and Staker, 2015. p. 76).​ ​Most students still need some face-to- 
face time with a teacher to keep them on track.  
 
Students in the adult blended program will benefit from the following models to promote 
personalization and flexibility in delivery: 
 
Flex program model: I​ n this model, the learning material is all online but a teacher is there 
to help and/or deepen learning of student. The Flex model will be available when the 
face-to-face teacher is also the teacher of record. This helps in flexibility of delivery as well 
as adaptations to personalize the course for the needs of the student.  
 
A la Carte model​: This approach allows for students to select courses to where the 
teacher of record is online. The student is still supported by their mentor teacher who is in 
direct contact with the course teacher to ensure adaptations are met for the individual 
student.  
 
The Flex model and A la Carte model is enhanced by the unique function of the ​Enriched 
virtual model. T ​ his program for offers “face-to-face learning sessions but allow students to 
do rest of the work online from wherever the prefer” (Horn and Staker, 2015. p. 50). 
Students have the option to meet a once or twice a week to ensure they are on track with 
their learning and progress. A study in Poudre School District in Colorado, showed that “ 
those students who participated in the onsite enrichment were more successful in their 
online courses” (Fueleducation, n.d.) 

 
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II.  
“Many blended programs... are choosing to rearrange their furniture and physical space to 
align with the principles of student agency, flexibility and choice” (Horn and Staker, 2015. p 
206). An open concept room allows for easy movement of guide to help all students in 
need. In order to meet the various needs of these adult learners, the physical space for this 
program will be located in two different locations. One being in the library at the local high 
school, where the teacher overseeing the blended non-graduated adult program works 
during school hours Monday to Friday; and the other at the public library after hours. The 
reason for offering the different spaces is that some students have anxiety and previous 
negative associations with school, so to offer them a neutral environment will help 
promote success without the possible stigmas around a traditional space and help them 
pursue their education outside of work hours. For others, accessing support in a school is 
not an issue- so it creates further flexibility to meet their grad requirements.  
 
The space needs to be designed to reflect an open learning concept conducive to the 
various supports and different methods of learning that will take place. Students will be 
using the space for individual work time in their online courses as well as meeting with the 
teacher for one to one help and perhaps collaborating with other students on similar 
coursework. The mix of students working at home online and on campus allows to enroll a 
greater number of students than the building optimally supports at one time 
(Fueleducation, n.d.), after hours availability helps to optimize the space.  
 
Figure 2: 
This schedule depicts choice of delivery for students and combines the 24-7 access 
of A la Carte courses with the Enriched Virtual model and perhaps the Flex model, 
depending on the course. When the flex model is not available, virtual office hours 
help support the learning of students who do not necessarily see their teacher 
face-to-face. 
 
Day of Week In Building At home Virtual Office Hours

Monday Drop-in at Howe Sound Courses available Humanities Office

Secondary 1:30 - 3:00 pm online Hours 7 - 8 pm

Tuesday Courses available Math/Science Office

online Hours 7 - 8 pm

Wednesday Drop-in at Public Library Courses available

5 - 7 pm online

Thursday Courses available Elective Office

online Hours 7 -8 pm

Friday Courses available

online

 
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Figure 3.1: 
We need to work in the parameters of the existing high school and public library l
locations. Currently, the school library is in transition of becoming more of a 
learning commons space which promotes more flexibility for multi-purposes.  

 
 
Figure 3.2: 
The public library space already establishes defined spaces for different activities. 
Students can use the computers provided or use their own to work independently 
or collaboratively.  

 
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How will a positive culture be shared and maintained? 

Creating a positive learning environment is essential to the success of a blended learning 
program. Both students and teachers need to feel comfortable and welcomed in the 
learning space. This atmosphere is created by setting appropriate cultural norms that 
individuals are aware of and actively follow. When a positive culture is created students will 
be more motivated to attend school and learn (Horn and Staker, 2015). Here are a list of 
norms that we hope to develop within our blended learning program:  
I.

Student Initiative   Details 

Personalized learning goals  Blended learning requires student 

ownership of their own learning (Horn and 
Staker, 2015). Students will be expected to 
show commitment to their personal 
learning goals and learning plan. They will 
invest time in the creation of this document 
with teacher support and should regularly 
reflect on their progress throughout their 
learning journey.   

Social experience  When students find rewarding 

relationships at school they are more 
motivated to attend and learn (Horn and 
Staker, 2015). In our blended learning 
program our adult learners will be 
expected to be respectful of other learners 
in our shared learning environment. 
Collaboration with others during the face 
to face sessions will be encouraged in 
order to enhance student learning.  

Open communication with teacher   In our program individuals will be expected 

to take ownership of their learning. Our 
culture will reflect that students must 
respect their teachers by providing open 
communication throughout their courses. If 
a student is expecting an interruption in 
their learning they should notify the 
teacher accordingly. It is expected that 
students will be at different stages in their 
learning and focusing on different tasks, 
and therefore the culture will support 

 
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flexibility, but will also respect the agreed 

upon learning plan timeline. 

Respect for learning environment  At the face to face session there will be 
many individuals present with a range of 
needs and tasks. The communal learning 
space should be kept clean and orderly. 
The space will require a balance between 
quiet and collaborative. Students will be 
encouraged to take breaks and socialize 
however they will also be reminded about 
responsibilities and process. Students will 
be given the freedom to develop their own 
culture as long as all parties feel respected 
and supported in their learning.  

Care of communal devices  Students will be required to use technology 

throughout their learning. It is expected 
that students use technology appropriately. 
Technology devices should be left in the 
same standard that they were when the 
student signed it out. All devices should be 
kept clean. Students should ensure that 
they are using both the physical devices as 
well as the web-based program for only 
appropriate conduct. 
 
II. 
Teacher Initiative   Details 

Organization of drop-in accountability   The teacher/mentor of the drop in session 

must ensure that student attendance 
requirements are being met. If a student is 
showing signs of disengagement, the 
teacher should reach out to said student to 
motivate them to reinvest their energy in 
their coursework, by reminding them of 
their learning goals and learning plan. 
Meeting face to face is an important 
element to the blended learning program 
as it helps to “assist and enrich” the online 
course work (Horn and Staker, 2015. 
p.231).  

 
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Flexible learning environment  The teacher needs to create a space which 

will foster learning as well as provide 
students with choice of how they want to 
learn. The classroom should have a 
selection of working areas including 
individual work stations, communal spaces 
and larger group tables. The teacher 
should provide the initial setup of the 
classroom but should also allow the space 
to be fluid in order to meet the needs of 
the students using the space. When 
students agree with the design of the 
school they are more motivated to attend 
(Horn and Staker, 2015).  

Maintenance of coffee and tea station  The teacher should promote a space that 
provides a welcoming atmosphere. The 
face to face sessions should provide a safe 
space for dialogue amongst individuals. 
The teacher should maintain features such 
as a coffee and tea station in order to 
promote socialization and the building of 
relationships.  

Timely attendance of virtual office  Teachers should ensure that they are 
hours  online 5 minutes prior and 5 minutes post 
office hour so that no student is missed. 
This simple addition of time shows 
commitment and organization. Students 
will be able to see that the course teachers 
are taking their role seriously. Course 
teachers should lead by example when 
creating a culture (Horn and Staker, 2015). 
By being punctual, students will see the 
importance of committing to their learning 
and respecting timelines.  

Punctual feedback  Teachers must provide assessment and 

respond to any emails within a reasonable 
timeframe. Students want to feel successful 
and desire a sense of progress and 
accomplishment (Horn and Staker, 2015). 
By providing punctual feedback teachers 
will encourage students to continue to 
engage with their coursework.  

 
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Culture is not something that can be created overnight. There is an intrinsic desire within 
us to work together to meet common goals which overtime will contribute to the 
development of a healthy and rewarding school community. As with all things, time is 
required for a process of trial and error as the learning community establishes what will 
work for the learning space (Horn and Staker, 2015). By outlining the above priorities for 
our face to face session we hope to establish positive culture norms that maintain 
motivation and structure for both the students and teachers involved in our program.  

How will the costs of the program be managed? 

 
This implementation is a relatively low cost initiative, as the Moodle LMS and BCLN 
membership are already covered by the online program. As stated by Staker and Horn 
(2015), “disruptive models of blended learning present a striking opportunity. At last 
schools can personalize learning, extend access and rein in costs in ways that seemed 
impossible before the arrival of this innovation” (p.222). This program will run in adjunction 
with Sea to Sky Online School’s existing blended program. No new staff will be hired at this 
time; teachers will work in teams to relieve a colleague to provide after hours support for 
this adult blended program. Some teachers may be re-assigned to help supervise different 
locations. ​ ​Since the program runs out of bricks-and-mortar schools there are little 
overhead running costs. DL program costs are already covered in the existing school 
budget. Costs will also be kept down with use of open source software such as Moodle and 
GSuite. Students will have access to existing inventory and tap into free applications and 
web-based programs (Horn and Staker, 2015. p 202). 

Having previously been withdrawn, the government recently decided to re-establish 

funding for adult learners looking to upgrade core high school courses. Coupled with the 
funding for non graduated adults, we expect to see an increase in enrollment of learners 
hoping to upgrade through Sea to Sky Online School. The features of the blended learning 
program would help ​all​ adult learners find success.  

Over time there could be an increase to teaching contract percentages if more hours is 
involved. Tech purchases will help grow the program once it is established but it is 
important to “begin by identifying the problem to solve or the goal to achieve”, (Horn and 
Staker, 2015. p 97), before investment is made in technology. Horn and Staker (2015) argue 
that “customization has a price tag” (p.198). Eventually, the program will increase in 
enrollment and registrations will help support financial endeavours and program 
investments.  

Conclusion:  
“Online learning helps students t​ o know​, schools should be able to focus increasingly on 
helping students t​ o do​ and ​to be” (​ Staker & Horn, 2015 p.81). An effective blended 

 
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environment is more than just giving a physical space for students to work on online 
courses- it enhances learning by giving a well-rounded experience that allows students 
flexibility and personalization to experience course materials in a way that best suits them.  

Non-graduated adults need opportunity for ongoing support both virtually and in real time. 
This non-consumer group requires new initiatives to make progress, be successful and 
meet their goals to graduate. We need to “rethink how schools do everything from 
academic monitoring to the development of self-direction in students” (Staker & Horn, 2015 
p.82). This program allows us to promote flexibility for students and boost achievement by 
providing access for out of reach courses/opportunities. We can do more with less! 

Key Terms: 
Autonomous:​ ​“Autonomous teams can consist of any combination of school leaders/ teachers, but 
generally need to be shepherded by a district administrator who can ensure real autonomy from 
existing accountability structures” to create solutions for non consumption problems. (Clayton 
Christensen Institute, 2017).  

Blended Learning: ​Learning that occurs part online and part face-to-face where students have 
some control over time; place; path and pace (Horn and Staker, 2015). 

Disruptive Innovation: ​Creates a new system of learning that is completely different from the 
existing structure to solve a problem where the is no alternative (Horn and Staker, 2015).  

Heavyweight: ​“Heavyweight teams should consist of all parties involved in an educational context 
to redesign the architecture and structure of the school day. (​ Clayton Christensen Institute, 2017).  

Non-consumer: S​ tudent group that is lacking in educational opportunities because schools cannot 
provide the experience. (Staker and Horn, 2015 p. 105). 

 
 

 
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Works Cited: 
Borsoff E. and Carter B. (2017). Classroom design. Figure 3.1 and 3.2 Made with: 
http://classroom.4teachers.org/ 
 
Clayton Christensen Institute. (2017). Blended learning universe. Retrieved on 12.4.2017 
from: h
​ ttps://www.blendedlearning.org/design/ 
 
Figure 1: h
​ ttps://www.myscript.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/pic-2-604x270.jpg 
 
Fueleducation. (n.d.). How top performing blended learning programs use time and space 
effectively. Evergreen Education Group. Retrieved on 12.4.2017 from: 
http://resources.fueleducation.com/blended-learning-white-papers-guides/effective-
blended-learning-programs-paper​.  
 
 
Horn, Michael B., and Staker, Heather. (2015). B​ lended : using disruptive innovation to 
improve schools. San Francisco, CA :Jossey-Bass. ​[Kindle ed.] Retrieved from: 
https://read.amazon.ca/