Blended Learning: 4 ways it boosts elearning
As an e-Learning Content Lab, we love the opportunities online learning represents, and aim to bring it to as many people as possible. Giving Learners the opportunity to benefit from the many tools and technologies available in the e-Learning sphere has the potential to really drive their sense of self-motivation and boost their ability to learn effectively.
We specialise in e-Learning course design, Learning Management System (LMS) platform development and all aspects of bringing a course from vision to concept, and from strategy to real life. As an all-around e-Learning service, our agency has a varied team who all collaborate closely to shape every aspect of the course, including working with your organisation to ensure it is fully standalone or suitable for a Blended-Learning experience as per your vision.
What is Blended Learning?
Blended Learning is an educational method based on the combining of elements of classroom learning and elements of independent online study. Classroom-based tutorial sessions, workshops or lectures, amongst others, can be combined with the multimedia tools of e-learning to provide an enhanced learning experience. As a dedicated e-learning agency we obviously believe in the transformative power of e-learning, but we also definitely see the merit of combining the best of both worlds. After all, the key element in learning is the user experience; this is what really makes or breaks a course.
Evidence-based studies have shown that Blended Learning produces higher student achievement than either fully online or fully classroom-based learning experiences, so it is definitely something to consider when deciding how to provide learning opportunities to your staff or members. Maybe it is a new concept for you, or you may have even heard of Blended Learning before without knowing it - if you’ve heard the terms “hybrid learning”, “technology-mediated instruction”, "web-enhanced instruction" or "mixed-mode instruction”!
Why Blended Learning works
Everything has pros and cons, and both e-Learning and Classroom-based Learning (CBL) have their fair share of them. Blended Learning, however, manages to effectively erase some of the most significant concerns people have with both of these learning types. Our team in Geneva has highlighted some of the key cons of e-Learning and Classroom-based Learning, bringing them together to reveal how Blended Learning can be a highly successful combination of digital and analogue tools.
Don’t misunderstand what we’re saying, though, as the downsides of e-Learning, in particular, are generally manageable through the right combination of technology, innovation and learning materials. Many organisations fail to take into account these potential shortfalls and therefore set themselves up for failure. But not us! Here at TheLearning LAB in Geneva / Genève Swizerland, as a specialist e-Learning agency, we always minimise these pitfalls and ensure that e-Learning can be a highly effective standalone learning system thanks to options such as live streaming sessions and group discussion forums.
Argument 1: e-Learning misses out on face-to-face instruction
Blended Learning eliminates one of the biggest concerns people express about e-Learning education; the lack of direct, in-person contact with an instructor.
Having information presented to them in an encouraging and engaging online environment and then reinforced through face-to-face contact drives Learners’ self-motivation, boosting their enthusiasm for learning and improving their knowledge and skillset. It allows for a smooth and very natural knowledge transfer from the instructor to the students which is particularly useful when it comes to more complex topics. Thanks to interactive and varied e-Learning resources at the Learners’ fingertips, they can review, reinforce and broaden their understanding of the topic as they wish and however works for them, offering benefits beyond the scope of the standard CBL tools.
Argument 2: CBL with a set pace can be restrictive to Learners.
One of the major concerns with CBL is based on the fact that CBL follows a pace based on the instructor’s intended schedule, which can restrict Leaners’ ability to make the most of the session.
For some Learners, the pace may be too fast and for others may be too slow. CBL simply doesn’t have the capacity to individualise the learning the way e-Learning can. Offering e.g. knowledge checks which allow users to skip sections they already know makes e-Learning highly customisable to the needs of all Learners. This pre-existing knowledge level amongst students can be very easily be taken into account in e-Learning, and student engagement with the online platform also shows instructors where the majority of the class stands, allowing them to adapt their lessons to the needs of the majority of the cohort. In addition, if a significant divide is discovered or some Learners appear to not be able to keep up, Blended Learning allows for the adaptation of both online and offline resources to ensure all Learners are successful.
E-Learning Agency Geneva Genève Switzerland - Content LAB
Argument 3: e-Learning doesn’t offer peer bonding
One of the most common arguments surrounding e-learning is the claim that it offers lower levels of peer motivation and peer bonding.
Blended Learning, taking the best of both worlds, virtually eliminates this issue by bringing Learners together in person. However, to build on the peer bonding during CBL sessions, there are also many learning tools available for use on the e-Learning platform itself. Peer marking, or the showcasing of selected (anonymised) peer responses, or even the simple options of using a group chat or discussion forum connects Learners to their cohort and gives them a measure of oversight as to what their peers are doing. Humans are social creatures, and adding a social element to any activity has a tendency to make it more successful. This barrier is one which can be overcome with or without Blended Learning, but which is facilitated by the addition of any kind of classroom element to an online course.
Argument 4: accessibility is a barrier in CBL
For professionals with busy lives, parents with childcare responsibilities or people with a disability, a CBL course can be a scheduling nightmare at best and logistically impossible at worst.
Learners with a disability may also struggle more to attend frequent in-person sessions. Many Learners will benefit from a combination of e-Learning and CBL, as Learners will miss out on key information if they are unable to attend any lesson but are able to regain control over their learning on the online platform. Due to the rigidity of timeframes and locations for CBL learning a catch-up session may not be possible, which would normally leave the Learner without options. Blended Learning means this doesn’t need to be a problem whatsoever - the lesson could be recorded and made available through a portal - or the Learner could even join the session live from their home through the use of video conference technology!
Blended Learning: worth the hype?
The answer to this question is a resounding yes. It all starts with crafting a user-friendly, reliable e-learning platform and the strategic design of engaging course content, ideally done by an agency such as TheLearning LAB which can set expectations, guide the process and meet the aims, bringing the necessary expertise to the table. When an existing (or in development) e-learning course can be assessed to identify the optimal addition of classroom-based learning elements, there is a Yin and Yang effect that balances out the potential risks and uncertainties.
For every concern or wish you may have about your course, there is an optimal balance to be struck between the two learning methods, and it takes a specialist touch to make that happen. Course design truly is is an art, and here at TheLearning LAB we have an entire team of artists specialised in all aspects of the craft. Want to know more, or want to see how Blended Learning could enhance your organisation's learning process? Don't hesitate to contact us for a consultation!