BLENDED LEARNING

Blended Learning

 

1.1 Introduction

Since the advent of online learning and the fact that it has not been the panacea that everyone thought it would have been, schools and companies have increasingly turned to a more moderate blend of the technological methods and strategies with the traditional ones in an attempt to optimise the benefits of both. In this unit, you will examine the concept of blended learning, and discuss the benefits and limitations of using blending learning approaches.

1.2 Objectives

At the end of the unit, you will be able to:

(a)   Explain the term blended learning

(b)   Discuss the benefits and limitations of blended learning

1.3 Suggested Learning Path

·         View the PowerPoint presentation on Blended Learning – An Overview

·         Email tutor with questions

·         Do Task 1: Discuss two possibilities for Blended Learning in the Caribbean. Write your response in your journal.

·         Read Unit 1 notes.

·         Do Task 2: Elaborate on your response in Task 1 and post your extended response in discussion forum entitled “Possibilities for BL in the Caribbean”

·         Do Task 3 :Crossword Puzzle entitled “Unit 1 Blending Learning Quiz”

·         Email tutor with questions.

1.4       What is Blended Learning?

Blended Learning refers to a combination of online and face-to-face methods in response to learners’ needs and for the achievement of instructional objectives.

This means that multiple approaches, methods and resources to teaching or to educational processes are combined and utilized by the teacher who now expects the students to learn not only from assigned web pages and communication tools (e.g. email, discussion board and chat rooms) but also from face to face lectures, tutorials, person to person discussions and seminars. Examples include combining technology-based materials and traditional print materials, group and individual study, structured pace study and self-paced study, conference calls, tutorial and coaching. It may also include CD-ROM courses, video, simulations and integrated learning systems.  Overall, the best mix of resources is used to provide an optimum learning experience for all the students.

1.5       Advantages of Blended Learning

1. Blended learning allows businesses and schools alike to make maximum use of the technologies and other resources that they have available to them. This means that it allows both businesses and schools to take a look at all the technologies and tools that they have and see how it can best be used to bring the greatest benefit to employee/students and the organization even as they spend as little as they possibly can and still maintain effectiveness.   

2.     The organization offering the course can create his/her own content.

3.     The global reach of the blended approach to education and training continues to be one of its greatest advantages. Uses concerning distance are eliminated.

4.     The speed with which you can reach thousands of people is unmatched by traditional methods as they can all be reach simultaneously without the restrictions of time and space.

5.     Not all content can be properly delivered online. The challenges of using a purely online modality are eliminated when a blended approach is used.

6. By making use of traditional approaches where they work best and applying the technology related methods only where they are most appropriate for the achievement of the instructional goals, organizations can avoid the exponential increase in costs that can accompany a complete switch to online methods only. It also allows students to avoid costs that are incurred through travel, accommodations and other expenses that are tied to ‘time and place studies’.

7.     Blended learning allows learners the flexibility with their time to do their lessons anytime and any place until a meeting with the lecturer becomes compulsory.

8.     It can make it easier to deal with educational administration and communication with all students. Virtual office hours make tutors far more accessible than in a strictly face-to-face scenario.

9.     Students get their learning needs and styles catered to whether they prefer online or face-to-face because it offers both in a single course.

10.  For sessions held online, the communication between teacher and student is open and everyone can benefit from it because everyone can view the responses sent by the teacher.

11.  Some lecturers experience an improvement in the quality of students’ writing and discussion.

1.6       Disadvantages of Blended Learning

1. Before a blended learning scenario can be considered ready for use, the lecturer has to do long, detailed and extensive work. Preparation for start up is very time consuming.

2. There can be limited contact between lecturer and students and so some of the dynamism that comes with face-to-face interaction can be lost.

3. Based on what students are used to, they often prefer the paper versions of the materials than to see them online so the face-to-face sessions in the blended programmes usually have a comparatively more successful “feel” for the students.

4. The materials developed by the lecturers cannot simply be the same set that they had developed for handouts. They have to be reformatted so that they guide the students through a process of independent study when they are not in a face-to-face session. This additional task required of the lecturers is yet to be appreciated for what it is worth. 

5.     Students sometimes feel that they are given more work to do when distance modalities are used