What is Blended Learning?

Although the pandemic has created new challenges in education, the Malaysian government has recently mandated schools to initiate ‘blended learning,’ a concept relatively new to Malaysia, to curb the danger of students falling behind in their studies during these challenging times. In this article, Project ID will explain what the concept means to us and how it helps our students’ education.

Introduction to Blended Learning

Blended learning mixes online and face-to-face lessons to give students the best of both worlds. Simply put, besides from attending physical lessons, online resources will be added and students will have more control over their learning process, moving away from the ‘one-size-fits-all’ education mindset. This allows educators to design their lesson according to the needs of their students and community they are working with.

There are several models of blended learning which we will introduce in our next article, but for now, here are two simple demonstrations of how such concept would play out:

First, teachers will create learning content (with tools such as PowerPoint or Google Slides) in adherence to their lesson plan and upload the necessary files online (for example, to Google Classroom). On top of that, the teacher will share video recordings of lectures or relevant learning videos for the students to watch at home. When it comes to face-to-face classes, instructors will create scenario-based assignments for students to grasp the topics on a deeper level, encourage students to ask questions and push for group projects.

In another setting, the teacher would carry out physical lessons in class alongside online content such as YouTube videos or quizzes (via tools such as Kahoot, Quizizz and ST Maths). These extra materials will supplement the students who prefer to learn at a different pace, reinforce what was learned in class and assess students’ understanding of a topic.

Blended learning aims to optimize students’ learning experiences based on their specific needs; by combining the elements of instructional technology and physical projects, this new classroom concept just might be the booster our students need to unlock their learning potential.

How do we benefit as educators and learners?

1. Personalized Learning

Our previous survey found that students enjoy the flexible environment and schedule of online learning. By integrating online learning and giving students more control over their learning processes, they can plan out where, at what pace and how they want to study.

If a student prefers spending more time reading through theories than doing practical work, they can easily do so without the fear of falling behind their peers. They can also take breaks according to individual needs without distracting others.

There is also the split between early bird and night owl learners; with this model of learning, learners can choose to engage with the materials when they are most awake rather than attend traditional morning lectures half-asleep.

This personalization tailors to each student’s needs specifically, which is the key ingredient for student growth.

2. Develop Active Learning

Research has shown that we learn best through active work rather than passive listening. Active work helps learners reinforce their understanding of concepts by demonstrations or activities as the lesson proceeds rather than listening to long-winded explanations without the chance to apply them.

Passive listening is what it sounds like — listening to lectures without processing them. Active learning, on the other hand, includes lab work, group presentations, peer evaluations and other projects that boosts lesson interaction. By training students to apply what they have learned as soon as possible through interactive learning, teachers will be helping them retain information, hence optimizing limited class time.

3. Saving Time and Effort

Blended learning strips away students’ need to sit through hours of consecutive lectures and can instead use that time to engage with their material and ask relevant questions — habits that will develop active learning.

With some of the work being done and submitted online, teachers can cut down the time spent on grading assignments and direct their focus to helping students exercise their gained knowledge realistically.

4. Enhanced Engagement

The online aspect of this learning method makes it easier for students to engage with learning materials, since it’s no longer restricted to textbooks. Students are now expected to complete certain checkpoints (such as presentations, reports or quizzes) before they are allowed to move on to the next topic, which checks students’ understanding and ensures that they are absorbing what is taught.

What will be heightened won’t only be the students’ engagement with learning materials: In blended learning, assignments and activities are largely done in class with the presence of a teacher. Students learning online at their own time can prepare questions ahead of time and address it during physical classes, enhancing a two-way communication between students and teachers.

5. Student and Teacher Empowerment

By giving students more control over their own education, we are not only developing highly independent learners, we are also empowering them. With more responsibility given to students (seeing as how they’re in charge of their learning schedule now), they tend to become more disciplined.

With the aid of technology, teachers will have more time and effort to teach more students. This additional time and effort will be well spent monitoring and checking up on students’ progress instead of standing in front of a classroom lecturing. By doing this, teachers can more effectively address gaps in their students’ learning and encourage two-way communications — making the job of educators all that more fulfilling.

All in all, blended learning is the education shift from a teacher-focused model to a student-focused model. It allows educators to craft lessons following the national syllabus, while tailoring to the needs and community of the student. If designed and executed well, it will enhance the experience of both educators and learners — allowing for a holistic learning experience.

This article was written by Allison Lee, a writer for Project ID, with the research and support of PID’s programme team.

Project ID is an education social enterprise that runs high-impact programmes empowering students to lead self and others with 21st century skills. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, Project ID has run over 40 online workshops with more than 800 student participation across Malaysia.