The term ‘blended learning’ describes a teaching style that employs a combination of technology and online educational exercises to assist in the classroom, whilst students also reap the benefits of ‘traditional’ hands-on and in-person lessons.
Blended learning consists of a teacher physically in the classroom with students, with the student holding the power to direct the place, time, path and pace of their own learning.
Blended learning uses technology to combine in-class and out-of-class teaching, maximising the educational impact for students. As Rachael Hartley, senior client account director for education at technology consultancy Cognizant, defines: “While retaining the traditional student-teacher format, it breaks the ‘one-size-fits-all’ model by taking education beyond the physical classroom and allowing students to learn anytime, anywhere.”
Commenting further on the role that blended learning plays within classrooms, Rachael adds: “It redefines the role of the teacher, offering them more flexible delivery options, depending on the content, subject, and capabilities of the students. This trend means educators can focus on student understanding, rather than the delivery method itself.”
Although learning outside of the classroom is something that students have always been encouraged to do, the recent explosion in digital technology has meant that teaching can now be far more engaging.
Blended learning has become the latest educational programme to make an impact in classrooms today. From schools to universities, it’s being used to bring the digital world and in-class teaching together – but what exactly is blended learning, and what are the benefits for students and staff?
When we discuss blended learning, we refer to our ability to use a variety of learning environments to engage and interact with pupils. These learning environments include:
As the value of tech in teaching becomes increasingly recognised, teaching roles have evolved from the more traditional activities into blended education, which carries many benefits for teachers:
“Ultimately, technology works best when it supports the true essence of education and aids teachers in helping students assimilate skills.”
Dependency on technology
Because blended learning relies on the availability of digital technology, its feasibility may depend on your budget and on how tech-savvy your workforce/audience is. Still, these issues are becoming less and less of a problem as technology continues getting cheaper and populations around the world grow more digitally literate.
Learners who aren’t used to autonomy
While autonomy empowers your learners to work at their own pace, it can also hinder those who may be more used to rigid training structures. However, these challenges can be reduced by analysing your audiences learning styles and tailoring the program to their needs.
Reduced face-to-face interaction
Many facilitators find it easier to provide feedback in person than through online communication. For this reason, it’s important to find a healthy balance between both the face-to-face and remote aspects of blended learning.
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