Benefits of Blended Learning for Student Success

A teaching strategy known as blended learning mixes in-person and virtual instruction to provide students and teachers with the best of both worlds. To guarantee blended learning’s efficacy and durability, specific issues are also present and must be resolved. This blog will examine the advantages of blended learning for educators and students.

Models of Blended Learning

You may read more in-depth information about the various blended learning models here. In summary, because blended learning is modular, it can be tailored to the specific needs of each learner and taken in many different forms. These modal kinds may consist of:

Online: With sporadic in-person encounters, instruction occurs primarily through an online platform. Rotation: Students alternate between in-person education and self-paced online learning. Though permanent, schedules are adaptable.

Flex: Most instruction is given online, and teachers offer small-group support as needed.

Personalized blend: The instructor creates in-person and online learning opportunities, bridging the gap between traditional and virtual classroom settings. Time is the variable; learning is the constant.

Online lab: Training is conducted in a physical laboratory and given by a teacher who works online and receives on-site assistance from paraprofessionals.

Students self-blend by taking online courses in addition to the face-to-face courses that traditional colleges offer.

Face-to-face: The teacher teaches mainly in person, using technology in the computer lab or classroom as a supplement.

Blended Learning: Why Is It Important?

Blended learning is crucial because it dismantles the outdated educational structures that don’t suit all students. With the resources and technologies of today, we can personalize the learning process for every student. Individualized and flexible time frames are another benefit of blended learning, allowing learners to progress at their own pace.

Programs for blended learning offer a safer learning environment

Institutions can create a safe learning environment for staff and students by separating most coursework from in-person attendance requirements and allowing students to finish it at home occasionally each week. Institutions can realistically employ social distance and ensure familiar places are adequately cleaned and disinfected between classes when fewer students are enrolled on campus.

Additionally, blended learning prepares educational institutions for a potential COVID-19 breakout in their region. Institutions can temporarily provide entirely online courses until it’s safe to return to campus by implementing a blended learning structure.

Different people pick up knowledge in different ways

It is a well-known fact that individuals learn in diverse ways. In 1992, researchers Fleming and Mills created the famous VARK model of learning styles. It comprises four learning styles: visual (best learned by sight), aural or auditory (best learned by hearing or speaking), read/written (best known when information is presented in written form), and kinesthetic (best learned by actual use or practice).

More distinct learning styles have been identified by other researchers based on the division of these modalities into Logical (a preference for using reasoning or logic to understand concepts), Social (a choice for learning through interaction with others), and Solitary (an appreciation for learning best done alone, through self-study).

A mixed-learning approach makes sense because there are many distinct learning styles to consider. Online, self-paced video delivery would be optimal for individuals who learn best visually, through reading, and ideally by themselves. Live instructor-led classes would be most beneficial for auditory and social learners. However, practical experience gained from participating in applied learning projects would suffice for kinesthetic and logical learners.

Students now possess more significant control over their education

With a blended learning paradigm, students can study the course materials and participate in the online portion of the lesson from any location with internet access, giving them flexibility over where they work. Students who need more help may think about purchasing essays, as this can help them perform even better academically. Students can also do the online component at their convenience, which allows them to better manage their time between academic duties and extracurricular activities. A sense of control and autonomy over one’s learning process is crucial for success, especially for adult learners.

Collect learner data to improve insights

Educators can leverage digital tools to collect data on understanding, participation, and attendance, which administrators can then analyze to identify patterns and apply to improve student performance. Admins can use the data gathered to support students in various ways, such as contacting specific students who might need more help, a reminder of their status, or modifying the course curriculum to cover information that most students missed.

Students are in charge of how quickly they learn

When given some degree of control over their education, people know best. Choice encourages people to interact with the content, lessens learner indifference, and eases some of the tension associated with the learning process. Classical and corporate learners are different. Due to the demands of juggling their personal life and excessive workloads, most employees need help with time restrictions. Additionally, their colleagues bring diverse expertise and information regarding the course subject.

Thanks to blended learning, employees can study online at their own pace rather than being dictated to by the group’s fastest or slowest learner. They can fast-forward over content they already know or stop, replay, and look for other resources. Additionally, individuals can access the content during their most attentive times and take breaks as needed. With this “flipped” blended learning approach, students can begin with the knowledge they have already acquired and then add to it with the one-on-one attention of virtual or on-site instructor-led classroom training, the group interaction of social learning, and, lastly, the practical experience of applied learning projects.

“Some element of student learning control is critical; otherwise, blended learning is no different from a teacher beaming online curriculum to a classroom of students through an electronic whiteboard,” according to Clayton Christensen Institute education researcher Clifford Maxwell.

Conclusion:

Every student, regardless of age, learns differently, and instructional strategies should consider this by creating curricula that equally appeal to auditory, visual, and kinetic learners.

Our ability to educate will improve along with information retention, engagement, responsibility, and enjoyment with the strong incorporation of technologies. Since learning styles never go out of style, blended learning is more crucial than ever in all fields, from education to business and all walks of life.