BLENDED LEARNING

BLENDED LEARNING

What Is Blended Learning?

Blended learning is just right because it combines elements of face-to-face instruction with elements of online instruction. The online element of a blended class can take place in the actual classroom, in a computer lab, or even at home.

Schools include blended learning into their curriculum for many reasons. Some of these include:

• It allows teachers to personalize instruction because students can work through material at their own pace.
• It prepares students to collaborate in an online environment.
• It expands the boundaries of the classroom because students can work with peers from other classrooms or schools in an online environment.

Models for Blended Learning

There are four models that schools can choose from when using blended learning. These four models are the rotation model, the flex model, the a la carte model, and the enriched virtual model. Let's take a look at each of these models.

• In the rotation model, students rotate through different types of learning activities, with one of the activities being online instruction. Sometimes the online instruction will take place in the actual classroom or it will occur in a computer lab. One special type of rotation model is the flipped classroom. In a flipped classroom, students participate in online activities before each class session.
  
  
• In the flex model, students engage in online instruction while they are in the classroom. Students can work at their own pace while teachers are available for individual help or guidance.
  
  
• In the a la carte model, students receive face-to-face instruction for most of their classes, but they may take one or two classes completely online.
  
  
• And finally, in the enriched virtual model, students complete most of the work for the class online, but they do have a few face-to-face class sessions.

Strategies for Blended Learning

There are many strategies teachers can use to support a blended classroom environment. Let's go over a few:

One strategy that might be used is referred to video or screencast Instruction. In this case, before students attend a face-to-face class session, you might consider posting a related video or brief screencast about the lesson's content. This video can introduce the students to the topic and teach some of its basic concepts.

When using online content to introduce lesson material, the key is to use a variety. Watching videos every day can get boring, so try to incorporate different tools such as videos, screencasts, website reviews, or online simulations.

Another learning tool that can be helpful is student blogs. Requiring students to blog about their experiences with the class material can help students deeply reflect about their learning. Blogs can also help students connect with each other, as they can read what other students are learning and leave comments for them.

Students can write blogs about many things. Some ideas include:

• Specific course content they find interesting
• New ideas they want to research based on course content
• Progress on course projects
• Reflections on their personal growth in the course

Technology has also allowed discussion boards to evolve. After a face-to-face session, teachers can extend the class discussion by utilizing an online discussion board. Teachers can post a question after class for students to converse about. Online discussion boards are helpful for students who may be hesitant to participate in an in-person discussion or for those students who need time to process their thoughts after class.

Finally, online collaboration encourages students to work together on projects using Internet-based tools. These tools can allow students to share documents, post research to a group discussion board, or participate in an online video conference to work on a project.

Lesson Summary

Blended learning combines face-to-face instruction with online instruction. It can help teachers individualize instruction, connect students with other classrooms and schools, and help students sharpen 21st century skills.