Since the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the phrase “blended learning” has acquired significance in education. Blended learning is an educational strategy that combines face-to-face teaching with internet learning.
The degree of study, student profile, infrastructure, and course material all have a role in how educational institutions choose to integrate these two aspects. There has been a shift in thinking about blended learning, with most educators now agreeing that the best results are achieved when students use technology to access information that assists in acquiring new skills and concepts while still using face-to-face class time to focus on specific issues.
When blended learning is used effectively, the results are pretty astonishing.
Here are a few stats to consider:
- A 69 per cent increase in student involvement was seen.
- A 39% increase in student retention was seen.
- The increase in test scores was 28%.
- Graduation rates have risen by 22%.
- A 22% increase in attendance was recorded.
Learning, teaching, evaluation, online instruction, and student assistance have all been influenced by the COVID-19 scenario. As a result, adhering to social distance has become an essential problem for schools, colleges, and institutions.
This is a chance for educational institutions to embrace contemporary best practices and new technology, despite the difficulties, even if this means going against the grain. Blended learning may help address these issues. Students’ time on-site is cut in half with blended learning, its default setting. If this is implemented on a bigger scale, the number of students present on the campus at any one moment will be reduced.
The new normal in which we find ourselves seems to be here to stay for some time to come. For the foreseeable future, new users of blended learning will be urged to discover methods to make it work for them at this period. The advantage of blended learning may prove to be not just a need for many providers but also a vital delivery strategy for their long-term success.\
Things to keep in mind while adopting a mixed learning strategy:
1. Get buy-in from all levels of the organization
When it comes to integrated learning, there should be no quick cuts. Much work goes into putting it into action, and it’s not an easy task. Blended learning must support the institution’s senior administration and academics to succeed. Those in charge must also accept that things won’t be great right away and that there will be growing pains. Patience is necessary for everyone, but the organization’s top executives for blended learning must succeed. If you’ve been teaching and lecturing for years, you may find yourself out of your comfort zone when teaching in a more modern way.
When it comes to student help, library and academic support staff will be an excellent complement to tutors. If students are involved in the implementation, staff-student relationships might go a long way to maintaining this shift. As a result, student input will be taken into account at every stage of development. An excellent place to start is by defining what your institution understands by “blended learning” so everyone involved can work toward the same objective.
2. Inductions are important
Confidence in systems and procedures helps students perform at their best. With induction, preparing your kids for the new school year and harnessing their natural desire to study is easy. Rather than figuring out how to use the platforms, you want your students to focus on the information itself.
Make sure that your platforms and systems include thorough, easy-to-understand inductions that many pupils have tried.
To provide study aids, such as suggested study programs and deadline warnings and reminders. Students who are fresh out of high school or attending college for the first time should take advantage of the induction program. A lack of familiarity with the campus and its systems and a lack of understanding with peers will leave them ill-equipped to deal with their new surroundings and surroundings.
3. Essential are pre-session and post-session exercises and reflections
Students’ ability to concentrate in class directly correlates to how well they prepare for face-to-face sessions. Make sure you don’t only provide them with reading stuff. You can invite students to view a video, listen to a podcast, do a crossword puzzle or an essay before class, or develop a mental map to help them prepare. How does this pre-session activity relate to the session?
If you want to get their input, ask them to bring their thoughts to the table. Providing students with a challenge and requiring them to attend the session prepared to present their techniques and ideas is a terrific way to get students engaged. In addition, students’ interests and areas of need can be gauged ahead of time with a pre-session survey, which you can use to your advantage.
4. Adapt to a virtual world face-to-face
Classroom sessions are the most common form of face-to-face contact time when it comes to blended learning. It is possible to get face-to-face interaction even if students cannot attend school due to travel limitations. Any video-conferencing systems available to instructors and students might be used to turn it into a virtual face-to-face meeting.
Although it may be difficult at first and take some time to adapt, this shouldn’t alter your strategy or outcomes. But recognizing the distinctions between synchronous virtual and face-to-face sessions can benefit you and your students in the long run. This includes virtual sessions, which should take no more than 45 minutes to an hour. It’s possible to utilise the opening 5-10 minutes of a virtual session for an informal catch-up with the students and the final 5 minutes for informal feedback or reflection.
5. Simple is best.
It’s tough to decide which of the many online tools, applications, and platforms is the best to use, especially in light of the constant stream of new ones being created due to fast development and invention. Think about how a particular tool/app/platform helps you develop an activity for a specific topic/unit or learning result and how it affects the student experience. Shiny and new isn’t always a guarantee of efficiency and use. If students can’t access the activity through their preferred app, tool, or platform, they won’t participate.
Student engagement and benefit from their educational experience are more vital than employing the newest technology. Before introducing new software or technology to your pupils, try it out on yourself, your coworkers, and close family members. Alternately, you may ask for volunteers from the class to help you try out these new technologies before implementing them for everyone. In the light of the input from a small number of student volunteers, you may adjust your strategy.
The Conclusion
To sum up, don’t be afraid of failing. Instead, take our counsel as educators: keep trying until you achieve!
