Blended learning or hybrid courses that combine face-to-face and online learning are increasingly offered at colleges and universities across the United States, with growing evidence that they can enhance student learning. Their various pedagogies and technologies have prevented acceptance of a single, authoritative model for designing and developing a successful blended course, however. So what can an instructor do? The findings of the U.S. Department of Education's report on evidence-based practices in online learning indicate that a significant factor for improving student success is to design courses that increase students' time on task. This article examines a multiyear pilot project at the Pennsylvania State University's Berks College that redesigned a lecture-based introductory chemistry course into a blended learning course. A central design feature was the creation of blended learning class guides that were integrated into Penn State's course management system, ANGEL. These inventive class guides introduced course content "prior" to student arrival in the classroom and incorporated various interactive learning materials to increase student engagement with course content. The guides directed students' learning and facilitated their use of the course textbook, assignments, and resources. The online guides also allowed students to spend more time on task outside the classroom. They played a vital role in dramatically altering the traditional lecture format course, leading to increased student success and course retention. (Contains 7 figures, 2 tables and 18 endnotes.)