Blended learning will continue to play an important role in the coming classrooms.
In the beginning, when we were first introduced to online education, it was widely believed that it was a replacement for traditional class instruction. This was the reason for the constant resistance that online education was confronted with. After all, people were drawn to face-to-face learning, and the thought of it disappearing forever was apprehensible.
We have learned that the choices we make in our education affect the quality of learning, and face-to-face instruction isn’t going away. Although a completely online classroom is necessary for some people and under certain circumstances, it won’t completely eliminate face-to-face instruction.
At the same time, it’s difficult to envision an education future in which online learning does not play a key part. The cost-effectiveness and accessibility benefits—not to mention the insights gained from student data—are too significant to ignore.
Actually, the future of education lies in combining the two. Blended learning enables smooth transitions from in-person to online and back again, allowing learners and instructors to reap the benefits of both/and.
Here are seven of the most significant benefits of blended learning.
1. More Efficient Use of Time Spent On Teacher Preparation
Traditional education entails a great deal of unnecessary labor. Teachers are constantly printing handouts, repeating lectures, and doing administrative activities that might be handled in an online system. This effort consumes time that they should spend with learners, addressing their unique needs as they interact with the course material.
Routine and repetitive activities are mechanized or kept in a shareable manner in a blended learning course. Students may access course materials from any location, while professors are relieved of tedious busy work.
2. Learners Can More Easily Access Study and Review Resources
Blended learning provides learners with a centralized location for accessing instructional resources. In a typical lecture setting, students must take notes to retain the material. While taking notes can assist learners in organizing and recalling information, it can also serve as a distraction from the lecture topic. Learners who lack effective note-taking abilities, have difficulty hearing the lecturer, or cannot write quickly enough to keep up might fall behind.
However, online education enables students to review the content at their leisure. They may still take notes during an online lecture, but unlike in a classroom, they may subsequently rewatch the presentation and compare or supplement their notes as necessary.
3. Teachers Devote More Time to Student Engagement
When teachers are not required to spend all their class time presenting a lecture, and when certain administrative activities are automated, they may devote more time to higher-value interactions with students. This may entail more classroom participation, additional time spent working with learners individually, or additional time spent examining written tasks and providing individual feedback.
4. Active Learning Is Emphasized Throughout Class Time
Listening to a lecture is a passive learning activity, whether online or in person. As said previously, learners must acquire a new skill (how to take effective notes) before transitioning from passive listening to active reforming and recording. However, in a blended classroom, professors might devote more time to open discussion, assign group projects, or design realistic situations to assist learners in applying their new abilities.
5. Teachers Can Tailor Their In-Class Materials to Their Students’ Needs
Each class has its unique group dynamic. Some students may be more natural conversation leaders, while others may do well online but prefer to spend class time on hands-on activities. Some may be more interested in one part of the content, while others wish to devote more attention to another. Blended learning enables teachers to tailor their instruction to their students’ interests.
6. Online Quizzes Assist Students in Preparing For Exams
Short quizzes assist learners in assessing their knowledge, determining where they should concentrate their study time, and even improving their memory recall. While teachers can administer quizzes in class, they must also grade them, which takes time and results in a delay between when a student takes a quiz and when they receive feedback. Online quizzes may more rapidly assess a student’s understanding and even allow for many attempts if a learner wishes to fully drill themselves into the material.
7. Both Teachers and Students Have More Autonomy
Adult learners, in particular, require a sense of autonomy and control over their learning experience to succeed. Old habits are difficult to overcome, and it is nevertheless usual for adult-oriented programs to provide adults with the same amount of liberty as children. Blended learning disrupts this paradigm by empowering adults and learners with greater control over course material.
Online Learning vs. Face To Face Learning
The benefits outlined above point to one unavoidable conclusion: mixed learning is more successful than in-person or online learning alone. It is more efficient for teachers and students alike and more rewarding for both. Organizations that embrace online learning’s benefits can build stronger programs and achieve better outcomes. That is the most compelling incentive for anyone to make a move.