Blended Learning
Blended
Learning
In this blog post, I will talk about blended and hybrid [G1] learning
and include definitions of them both. I
will explain whether hybrid and blended learning are the same and give an
example of blended learning. I feel
blended learning is important to talk about when it comes to education and
online learning because it’s one of the hot topics when it comes to discussing
technology and integrating it with instruction. It’s one of the aspects of the 21st-century
classroom and continues to grow.
Blended learning is combining the traditional teaching
methods with digital technology to enhance the educational experience. It does not mean that technology does the
job of the teacher in the classroom but really just adds to the overall
learning of the students by creating a more engaging environment. By utilizing technology in the classroom and
blending it with traditional teaching methods, the students are able to
receive more information to reinforce the lesson presented.
Blended learning and hybrid learning are often used
interchangeably. While blended learning
does not take the place of face time between teachers and students but is
rather an online exercise to enhance the learning experience, hybrid learning
does replace much of the face time between teachers and students and most of
the course takes place online (Piper, 2008).
Hybrid
learning requires more active work by the students and also requires them to
be self-driven and efficient and practice good time management skills. The student is in the driver's seat with
hybrid learning, more so than with blended, because hybrid is done primarily
online and students don't sit in a classroom like they would in a typical
blended learning environment.
In a study done by the American Journal of Pharmaceutical
Education (2017), they were trying to determine instructional best practice
recommendations for use of blended learning from the students' perspective. Results showed that students benefited from
blended learning due to increased guidance on problem-solving activities, as
well as ensuring that all students were at the same knowledge level prior to
starting a course activity. It was also
determined that in order for blended learning to be successful from a student
perspective, the students showed that blended learning should be discussed in
the syllabus, communication be high, and provide a basis for accountability
(Margolis, Porter, & Pitterle, 2017).
Blended learning makes sense to me because some students
don’t do well when they’re asked to sit in a classroom and listen to a
lecture. Students learn differently and
require differentiated instruction in order for their learning experience to
be successful. I feel that blended
learning offers those opportunities for each student. I can see why the traditional teacher would
feel that blended learning might take away from the traditional role of the
teacher and potentially see it as more work and with something they don’t
entirely see the benefit of. In order to
be successful in a blended learning environment, you will have to possess
skills and mindsets the traditional instructor does (TNTP, 2014).
One
example of blended learning is a teacher in a traditional classroom presenting
a lecture on the slave trade and then asking students to go to Google Earth
and complete a map showing the various trade routes. It would be a good way to reiterate the
lesson the teacher has taught while incorporating technology into the lesson
to blend the two pieces of the lesson together.[G10]
One strategy teachers can use to assist them in
transforming their traditional classroom into a blended classroom is to start
small and just ask the students to watch a specific video at home for homework
that has been given to them in class and then write a short paragraph or page
about what they have learned. It’s a
small way to see if students can actively follow the directions and come
prepared to class the next way, and it’s a good way to assess if they have the
self-direction for a blended classroom.
Another strategy is to let students use an application for
a tablet for math facts or spelling words.
I know there are multiple applications out there for these particular
items, and when they’re assessed at the end of the week with a spelling test
the teacher will be able to see if the students are doing their homework and
if it’s a successful method of technology to incorporate into the
classroom.
A third strategy could be to have students do research at
home on a given topic and then come to class the next day prepared to discuss
what they have learned. It’s a way for the teacher to see if the students come
to class prepared, and then the research doesn’t take time away from the
discussion to be had in class. I think
it would be a good opportunity to see whether that particular method of
blended instruction would work in the classroom.
Blended learning environments are a good way to engage
students more effectively than a traditional face-to-face environment. It’s also a way to challenge students to take
more control over their own education and help improve their abilities to be
more self-driven. Blended learning
appeals to all learning styles and types and that’s an important distinction
in any classroom.
References
Margolis, A. R., Porter, A. L., & Pitterle, M.
E., (2017). Best Practices for Use of
Blended Learning. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 81(3) Article 49.
Piper, C., (2008). Hybrid
vs. Blended Learning. Retrieved from
TNTP., (2014). Reimagining Teaching In A Blended
Classroom. Retrieved from
Comments
Post a Comment