A Pedagogical Model to Support Online Teaching:

The Bridge21 Approach

Learn: What and Why

The Bridge21 model is a research-based, innovative and practical approach for teaching and learning (Byrne et al., 2019; Lawlor et al., 2018). It helps transform theory, such as the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework (Garrison et al., 2000), into practice by providing both a model of key elements to include in a learning experience, as well as an activity planning model for designing the experience.

The Bridge21 approach is underpinned by social constructivism (e.g. Dewey, Vygotsky, Piaget) and cognitivism learning theories (e.g. Chomsky, Bloom). It supports elements such as teamwork, project-based learning, flexible learning space/ environment, and reflection—thus aligning with the CoI Framework and best practices for online teaching (Boettcher).

It was developed in 2007 by researchers at Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, and, since then, extensive research has shown it to be an effective model for learning in a variety of contexts (Lawlor et al., 2016; Lawlor et al., 2018).

Bridge21 Elements and Description

ELEMENT	DESCRIPTION
Teacher acts as a facilitator/mentor	· Acts as a supporter and co-learner to teams, intervening where necessary · Designs — or guides the students in designing — the projects/ activities/tasks to be completed · Helps teams stay on task and meet deadlines, where necessary
Teamwork	· Teams of 4-5 learners that stay together for the duration of the project(s) · A team leader acts as the main point of contact between the team and the instructor · Recommend a mix of experience, disciplines, etc.
Project-based learning	· Projects are challenging and complex, require collaboration among team members, have time limits, and are situated in real-world scenarios · Projects require the production and presentation of an artifact
Technology- mediated environment	· Students learn with, rather than about, technology · Technology is shared to encourage collaboration: teams of 4-5 share 2-3 devices
Mastery goal Orientation	· No competition – each team’s level of success looks different · Encourage participants to do their best — rather than establish whom among the group is the best
Social learning environment	· People collaborate to learn together (peers, mentors and facilitators) · A learning atmosphere, underlined by trust, respect, and personal responsibility
Learning space	· Space (physical/virtual) is arranged for collaborative learning: students can easily and comfortably work together, share resources and interact
Reflection	· Students can reflect both in teams and individually on skills development, content knowledge, teamwork, etc. · Structured questionnaires can be used to guide reflections

ENGAGE: How to do it

The Bridge21 activity model (Byrne et al., 2016) is based on the concepts of design-thinking and design-based learning; this step-by-step process can be considered the “recipe” or the “how to” guide for implementing the Bridge21 approach in a learning activity; accordingly, it can help instructors build teaching presence, social presence and cognitive presence (Garrison et al., 2000) in online courses.

Bridge21 Activity Model

Want more details?

Watch this video (2.5min) demonstrating how the Bridge21 Activity Model works

Read Technology-Mediated Collaborative Learning: The Bridge21 Activity Model in Theory and Practice. (Byrne et al., 2019) to learn how to implement each step of the process.

APPLY to your course

Reflect and Review

Review your course syllabus/plan. Are there places where the Bridge21 approach can be used to help you develop social, teaching and/or social presence?
Are there places where you add more of the elements of the Bridge21 model into your students’ experience? For example:
- Teamwork
- Problem/Project-based learning
- Mastery Goal Orientation
- Reflection
Review any existing group-based activities in light of the Bridge21 approach, and ask: do students get a chance to build relationships/get to know one another? Are structures in place to ensure all group members have to contribute?

Plan a Learning Experience

Use the Bridge21 Activity Model to (re)organize a learning experience – perhaps an existing group project or a reformatting of a lecture!

Step	Description (what students are doing)	Time Allotted
Set-up
Warm-up
Investigate
Plan
Create
Present
Reflect

References

Boettcher, J. Ten Best Practices for Teaching Online. Designing for Learning 2006 – 2019.

Byrne, J., L. Fisher and B. Tangney. (2015). A 21st Century Teaching and Learning Approach to Computer Science Education: Teacher Reactions. In Computer Supported Education Vol. 583, edited by S. Zvacek, M. Restivo, J. Uhomoibhi and M. Helfert, 523-540. Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-29585-5_30

Byrne J., Kearney S., Sullivan K. (2019). Technology-Mediated Collaborative Learning: The Bridge21 Activity Model in Theory and Practice. In: Daniela L. (eds) Didactics of Smart Pedagogy. Springer, Cham.

Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T, & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2, 87–105.

Lawlor, J., C. Conneely, E. Oldham, K. Marshall and B. Tangney. (2018). Bridge21: teamwork, technology and learning. A pragmatic model for effective twenty-first-century team-based learning. Technology, Pedagogy and Education 27(2): 211-232. doi:10.1080/1475939X.2017.1405066

Lawlor, J., K. Marshall and B. Tangney. (2016). Bridge21 – Exploring the potential to foster intrinsic student motivation through a team-based, technology mediated learning model. Technology, Pedagogy and Education 25 (2): 187-206. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1475939X.2015.1023828