Blended Learning
Blended Learning:
What is it? How it works?
Blended Learning
is an innovation in education in which students learn through digital and brick-and-mortar
learning with their own control over time, path, and pace. In Blended Learning,
face-to-face content and activity are combined with digital content and
activity. There are 6 models used for Blended Learning, which are:
1) Face-to-Face Driver Model
Of all the Blended Learning models,
face-to-face driver is the closest to a typical school structure. With this
approach, the introduction of online instruction is decided on a case-by-case
basis, meaning only certain students in a given class will participate in any
form of Blended Learning. The face-to-face driver approach allows students who
are struggling or working above their grade level to progress at their own pace
using technology in the classroom.
Some schools have also found this model
to be a helpful way to engage English language learners (ELL), who sometimes
fall behind not because they are incapable of understanding a concept, but
because they’re not native speakers. A 2009 study of the Round Rock Independent
School District in Texas found that the math and reading test scores of third
and fifth grade ELLs increased following the implementation of Blended Learning
and the use of interactive whiteboards.
2) Rotation Model
In this form of Blended Learning,
students rotate between different stations on a fixed schedule – either working
online or spending face-to-face time with the teacher. The rotational model is
more widely used in elementary schools – 80 percent of elementary schools in
California that use Blended Learning follow the rotational model – because many
are already set up to have students rotate between stations. Students became more active learners and
often challenged themselves to work harder and learn material that had not yet
been introduced in their math classroom.
3) Flex Model
Schools who are supporting a large
number of non-traditional or at-risk students often choose the flex model of Blended
Learning. With this approach, material is primarily delivered online. Although
teachers are in the room to provide on-site support as needed, learning is
primarily self-guided, as students independently learn and practice new
concepts in a digital environment.
4) Online Lab Model
As schools face increasingly tighter
resource constraints, the online lab model of Blended Learning is a viable
option for helping students complete courses, including those not offered at
the specific school site. In this scenario, students learn entirely online but
travel to a dedicated computer lab to complete their coursework. Adults
supervise the lab, but they are not trained teachers. This not only allows
schools to offer courses for which they have no teacher or not enough teachers,
but also allows students to work at a pace and in a subject area that suits
them without affecting the learning environment of other students.
5) Self-Blend Model
Popular in high schools, the self-blend
model of Blended Learning gives students the opportunity to take classes beyond
what is already offered at their school. While these individuals will attend a
traditional school environment, they also opt to supplement their learning
through online courses offered remotely. In order for this method of Blended
Learning to be successful, students must be highly self-motivated. Self-blend
is ideal for the student who wants to take additional Advanced Placement
courses, or who has interest in a subject area that is not covered in the
traditional course catalog.
6) Online Driver Model
At the opposite end of the spectrum from
face-to-face driver we have online driver, which is a form of Blended Learning
in which students work remotely and material is primarily delivered via an
online platform. Although face-to-face check-ins are optional, students can
usually chat with teachers online if they have questions. This model of Blended
Learning is ideal for students who need more flexibility and independence in
their daily schedules. This approach is becoming increasingly popular – each
year, the number of students participating in online driver programs increases
by about 15 percent.
Does Blended Learning Work?
Not all students learn the same way.
This is not a particularly novel concept, but it is an important one. Students
never outgrow their learning styles, so why do traditional college classrooms
fail to engage all of them?
This is Blended Learning’s real
strength: it transforms a largely trans-missive method of teaching–say, a
professor lecturing for what feels like an eternity–into a truly interactive
one. It sounds ideal on paper, but does it work? A 2010 meta-analysis published
by the U.S. Department of Education suggests it does. According to the report,
students exposed to both face-to-face and online education were more successful
than students entirely in one camp or the other.
Blended instruction is reportedly more
effective than purely face-to-face or purely online classes. Blended Learning methods can also result
in high levels of student achievement more effective than face-to-face
learning. By using a combination of digital instruction and one-on-one face
time, students can work on their own with new concepts which frees teachers up
to circulate and support individual students who may need individualized
attention. The use of information and communication technologies have been
found to improve student attitudes towards learning.
Blended Learning also have
the potential to reduce educational expenses, although some dispute that Blended
Learning is inherently less expensive than traditional classroom learning. Blended
Learning has can lower costs by putting classrooms in the online space and it
essentially replaces pricey textbooks with electronic devices that students
often bring themselves to class. E-textbooks, which can be accessed digitally,
may also help to drive down textbook budgets.
Blended Learning often includes software
that automatically collects student data and measures academic progress,
providing teachers, students and parents detailed students data. Often, tests
are automatically scored, providing instantaneous feedback. Student logins and
work times are also measured to ensure accountability. Schools with Blended Learning programs
may also choose to reallocate resources to boost student achievement outcomes. Students
with special talents or interests outside of the available curricula use educational
technology to advance their skills or exceed grade restrictions.
Blended
Learning allows for personalized education, replacing the model where a teacher
stands in front of the classroom and everyone is expected to stay at the same
pace. Some online institutions connect students with instructors via web
conference technology to form a digital classroom. These institutions borrow
many of the technologies that have popularized online courses at the university
level. Some advantages of Blended Learning, particularly at a Kindergarten to
grade 12 level of education, can be found under the general concept of
educational technology . It is also one of the most effective ways for personalized learning at scale.
However,
Blended
Learning has some challenges. Blended
Learning has a strong dependence on the technical resources or tools with which
the Blended Learning experience is delivered. These tools need to be reliable,
easy to use, and up to date, for them to have a meaningful impact on the
learning experience. IT literacy can serve as a significant barrier for
students attempting to get access to the course materials, making the
availability of high-quality technical support paramount. Other aspects of Blended
Learning that can be challenging is group work because of difficulties with
management in an online setting. Reportedly
the use of lecture recording technologies can result in students falling behind
on the materials. In a study performed across four different universities, it
was found that only half of the students watched the lecture videos on a
regular basis, and nearly 40% of students watched several weeks' worth of
videos in one sitting. From an educator's perspective, most recently, it has
been noted that providing effective feedback is more time-consuming (and
therefore more expensive) when electronic media are used, in comparison to
traditional (e.g. paper-based) assessments. Using e-learning platforms can be
more time consuming that traditional methods and can also come with new costs as
e-learning platforms and service providers may charge user fees to educators.
Here
I attached an infographic from Knewton
Regards,
future educator
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