Benefits of Blended learning

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Every student of the 21st century has ample access to information on the internet and the education system stands to benefit by helping students channel the infinite potential of information into constructive contexts like academics. The present-day education system must synthesize the power of information era to facilitate higher self-learning capacity in students. The information is out there and the education system should be conducive enough to allow students to explore and figure things out without being spoon-fed knowledge by teachers. The hybrid learning approach in education is an essential reimagination of the conventional education model by providing students with an opportunity to combine the uses of online study sources and a platform for student-teacher interaction (both online and offline).

Hybrid learning or blended learning refers to the application of theoretical concepts taught in a classroom in a practical world by employing tech mediated activities.

In a 2015 meta-analysis report, certain evidence-based studies indicated that student achievement was considered to be higher in blended learning when compared to full time online and offline teaching. Blended learning is known to improve the theoretical coherence by disseminating information pragmatically.

The blended learning approach can also be categorized in terms of the focus of learning by making three kinds of broad distinctions.

1. Skill- driven learning: Combines self-paced learning with optimal support from the instructor or facilitator’s side to develop certain specialized skills.
2. Attitude driven learning: This approach to blended learning uses digital media solutions to bring about a behavioral or attitude change.
3. Competency driven learning: this type of learning as largely focussed on developing professional skills and competency to survive and thrive in a professional space. For this purpose, students are assisted with knowledge management applications and mentoring by teachers.

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A few examples of blended or hybrid learning would be instructor delivered content, E-learning, webinars, conference calls, live or online sessions with students. Other more informal examples will be the use of events for interaction, social media-driven education and awareness programs. It increases the scope of delivering personalized education to a diverse range of learners by integrating the use of technology and classroom teaching.

There are a few models through which hybrid learning can be implemented in schools. They include the following approaches:

1. Face to face driver: The teacher is the primary instructor and drives the discussion and augmented with the use of digital media solutions for education.
2. Rotation: Students go through cyclic frequencies of independent online reading wherein they first research about the subject matter themselves and then share their findings in classroom interaction with the teachers and other peers.
3. Flex: A large proportion of the curriculum will be driven online, independent research by the students and this will be supplemented by the support of the teacher. This model is primarily driven by the use of different digital platforms to facilitate education.
4. Labs: The entire curriculum is routed via a digital platform but within the bounds of physical space. This setting is usually used within the traditional classroom context.
5. Self blend: Students choose to combine their traditional knowledge along with the things that they pick up from their research.
6. Online driver: Students follow the course guidelines of an online course wherein the teacher can make regular check ins and give steady feed backs. In this approach, face to face interactions are kept at a minimum and only fixed when there is an absolute need for one.

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“Blended learning designates the range of possibilities presented by combining Internet and digital media with established classroom forms that require the physical co-presence of teachers and students”. It has been noticed that the use of communication and information technology in collaboration has increased student participation in learning. This has subsequently helped students develop a positive attitude towards academics. The basic idea behind blended learning is that it promotes a coalition of self-learning driven activities as well as collaborative learning. This significantly enhances their social emotional development through the use of interactive mediums for sharing information. In this way, students gain a greater degree of understanding of the text by researching the material themselves and presenting their queries in a series of interactions with the teacher.

The advantages of blended learning are:

1. Hybrid learning is focused on reducing the overall costs of education by routing classroom discussions and texts on free open-source platforms of information. It is considered as a one-time investment as once the students have procured the electronic device, then learning can be facilitated without any recurring costs.
2. Schedule: Blended learning is a more flexible approach to education as students get to sign in to class projects and various operations whenever they want and complete tasks at their convenience without adhering to the rigid time restrictions of a traditional classroom setting.
3. Learner led learning: In this approach, the student gets primacy in deciding the course and approach to tackle curriculums and various other projects. It is a more learner driven approach wherein the student directly participates in the process of teaching and facilitation. As mentioned earlier, since blended learning is more flexible, it gives students the leeway to continue studies at their own pace without exerting undue pressure on them. Such self-paced learning gives more control to the student to make decisions about when they want to move ahead with a particular material.
4. Increased participation: A hybrid of classroom and online teaching helps students to be more proactive learners as opposed to the mindless passive absorption of information in classrooms.
5. Higher levels of personalization: Students get to learn and understand concepts at their own pace. Online participation also gives them ample opportunities to interact with industry professionals and teachers for review and feedback.
6. Extended reach: Students get to explore avenues that are outside the purview of a classroom. Students can reach out to a wide range of professionals and online sources that can give them a deeper insight into the concepts taught in classrooms.

The strategic advantage of mixing media with learning lies in the fact that we are living amidst a media-rich society which essentially means that, to a large extent, all learning is blended learning. In today’s day and age, it is important to consider the psychological impacts of teaching by letting students reflect on their awareness about various situations from an analytical perspective. The use of technology-based media opens up multiple avenues for students to explore in terms of blending learning in different contexts and becoming more imaginative by being in real-life situations that facilitate learning.

Blended learning helps progress the cause of the 21st-century students as they live in an increasingly integrated world that requires them to be culturally and socially competent. Gone are the days when just knowing about your subject matter seemed enough. The modern education system recognizes the need for students to be more socially adept as well as develop dynamic skills to have “communication and collaborative skills, expertise in technology, innovative, creative thinking skills and ability to solve problems”.

Blended learning imparts indispensable skills that help students adjust better to their work environments in a changing and interconnected world.

Written by: Kalyani Nair, TEGS