Blended Learning helps organizations and employees meet their training and learning requirements. If conducted properly, this method of learning can be extremely effective. To create a good blended learning session, it is important to move systematically from Instructor-led Training (ILT) to the Blended Learning models of training. Let us closely examine the required process in this post.
What is Blended Learning?
As the name indicates, blended learning is a training model that combines the traditional instructor-led classroom training and the technically enabled, self-paced online learning. The idea behind the emergence of this mode is to ensure that organizations and learners can best utilize the features of both these methods.
Why Blended Learning?
It is important to note that Instructor-Led Training will not become defunct. For many people and for different learning choices, ILT is a preferred mode of learning. There is, however, a clear advantage to digitization as many people prefer online learning as compared to traditional ILT sessions.
The concept of blended learning is especially beneficial in workplaces with a multi-generational workforce. In these workplaces, multiple options of learning are beneficial.
In blended learning:
- Some portion of the learning happens online where the learners can access the online courses on multiple devices – anywhere and anytime.
- Some portion of the learning happens in the instructor-led classroom
- Both the methods of learning mutually fulfil one another, giving learners an integrated and comprehensive learning experience.
Adopting Blended Learning – A positive note for businesses
Why is blended learning beneficial to organizations? Blended learning provides:
- Scalability: Organizations can increase the scalability of the training program by reaching out to multiple geographical regions of the world. This way, blended learning helps organizations to reach out to a larger number of people.
- Less learning time: Blended learning takes less learning time. A full day instructor-led training session for example, can be developed into a 3 hour online learning course.
- Reduced costs: The cost of providing blended learning is significantly less than the costs of traditional classroom training.
- Consistent approach: In instructor-led training, the effectiveness of the training depends on the instructor. In the blended learning mode however, the systematic approach of the online components ensure that the training is consistent for all the learners.
The Benefits of Blended Learning for the Learner
Learners receive many benefits from blended learning, such as:
- Flexibility of learning: Learners have varied options of learning, which improves their learning ability. Blended learning is an optimal mode of training for today’s learner, with the flexibility of learning modes and the ability to learn from preferred devices.
- Available 24X7: Blended learning gives students the ability to learn anytime. Apart from their regular online learning resources, they can also access the previous instructor-led classes online.
- Self-paced learning: As the pace of learning varies from learner to learner, a combination of the two methods provides students with a good learning experience. The learners can understand the concepts during the ILT session, and they have the additional capability to access theoretical information and quizzes through the online resources.
Blended Learning – How best to design the training
As blended learning is a planned activity, which utilizes different learning models, the design of the program is important as two contradictory approaches will be used – instructor-led training and self-paced online training.
Blended learning should be designed by learning experts, after going through the training content to determine the parts of the content that should go into the instructor-led and the online modes. The blended learning for a training program is planned after considering the content and using the appropriate instructional approaches and principles.
At FAST Rescue, we incorporate several types of blended learning methods, and customize them based on your training content.
Some of the blended learning models we use are listed here:
- Instructor-led training sessions: This method of providing face-to-face traditional, classroom sessions supplement the online sessions with additional conceptual explanations. This model includes activities of clarifying questions, providing feedback, mentoring, role play and hands-on practice.
- Rotation: In this learning model, learners move from one learning activity to another. This can either be structured by the training co-ordinator or it can be self-scheduled by the student.
For example, before attending an instructor-led classroom session, the students can complete the related online session to grasp the theoretical part of the training. When they proceed to the instructor-led portion of the session, the instructor can clarify any further questions they may have. - Personalized learning: Also known as Flex, this model helps learners proceed at their own pace. By accessing the LMS, the learners can choose what they want to learn. The instructor will be available to address their questions.
- Online lab: This method offers an online location. This activity takes place after the initial theoretical online or classroom training. Learners can access this online content through their computers, laptops, or mobile phones.
- Self-blended learning: This blended-learning model provides supplemental content, primarily in the form of video tutorials, webinars, blogs, white papers, etc. This model works very well for self-motivated learners who can delve into the subject matter on their own. In this scenario, the LMS should be able to combine diverse content sources to promote the inquisitive nature of the students.
- Online Driver: In this blended learning model, learners continue their learning by engaging with the instructor through chat, email, or message board. The LMS should monitor the learners while allowing them access to the knowledge base.
Conclusion
We hope this post has provided you with a detailed description of what blended learning is and how you can design it for your organization.