For Teachers: How to Create a Successful Blended Learning Experience?

Blended learning is gaining increasing popularity. Today, however, we will not look at its positive aspects, but will instead focus on the challenges faced by teachers who choose this learning model.

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By relying on modernity and relevance, they have to give up the control they once had over time and content – and embrace an asynchronous, individualized, and at first glance not-so-structured process.

What is blended learning?

For different people, blended learning means different things. The company involved in the creation and development of educational technologies – Knewton, suggests that this type of educational environment has 6 different models: face-to-face learning, rotation, flexibility, online lab, self-blended learning, and online learning. Specialists also add that „blended learning refers to any moment when the learner is learning – whether in an online or offline environment, while controlling the time, place, manner, and pace.”

These six models should serve as modeling clay. A blended learning experience should not be left to take on a specific form – it should be able to adapt to the environment in which it is used, to technological changes, and to the needs of learners.

If you want to get acquainted with blended learning, while avoiding the initial confusion that usually accompanies all change, divide your model into 3 main components: online learning, control over learners, and traditional classroom learning.

Component No.1: Online learning

The communication of any blended learning experience is implemented through one of the online learning platforms available on the market. Their use greatly facilitates content delivery, process management, and asynchronous learning. Whichever platform you choose, do not be afraid to experiment with it. On the contrary – do it – constantly change and update its form and content – this will undoubtedly ensure the necessary relevance.

Some educational institutions, including in Bulgaria, already use such learning management systems. If your school still does not have such technology, you can turn to one of the blog platforms for help. Most of them also have free versions. Of course, their functionalities are quite limited, but this is still a good start to creating an online connection between you and your students.
In addition, you can also use some of the online assessment tools, such as Juno or Google Forms, for example. They offer a number of ways to collect and analyze the gathered information.

Component No.2: Control over learners

For your blended learning to be successful, you need to view your students as democratic participants in their own development, whom you should first familiarize with the conditions of the public contract and the results expected from it. Only after that should you start working on the project content. But you must not forget that control is a privilege, not a right. You should also keep in mind that your students will need time to get used to their new status and begin taking responsibility for their own learning.

Component No. 3: Traditional classroom learning

The best option for traditional classroom learning is to achieve decentralization. Imagine students divided into 4 groups of 4-6 people each. The first group works on a given task, while from time to time its participants discuss something among themselves. The second group – checks homework. The third group is at the blackboard and draws a graph of the technological changes that took place in the period between the two world wars (for example). And the last group – sits at a table with the teacher, discussing the main questions for the lesson and adding new ones. In this way, 100% engagement of everyone present in the classroom is achieved, and they cannot „escape” the flow of thought.

The nature of traditional classroom learning must change. Teachers should be more like mentors who guide their students not toward 100% mastery of content, but toward building a democratic society. Of course, the students themselves will also need training to carry out this group task.

In conclusion, we will give you one final piece of advice: always take photos or video clips of what is happening in the classroom, and whenever possible, share your work online. People are, in essence, suspicious of things they do not know – so show yourself and others what blended learning actually is, and its advantages will reveal themselves.

Source: http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/10/08/ctq_tolley_blended_learning.html.