BLOGS

Top 5 blended learning best practices

Blended learning is one of the most efficient learning and development strategies around. That’s because it gives learners the “best of both worlds” by combining the benefits of e-learning and conventional classroom learning.

Danielle Agass

An immersive learning environment

When you blend e-learning with classroom learning, you create an immersive learning environment. In that world, learners have continual access and exposure to educational content. E-learning makes it easier and more convenient for learners to access information outside the classroom. At the same time, the face-to-face interactions that take place inside the classroom help strengthen the message and give learners a chance to interact in person with their instructors and peers. You can boost the learning efficiency even more with one of these blended learning best practices.

For a deeper dive, check out our blended learning guide.

1. Online office hours

Some students are intimidated by the classroom setting. They may not like to speak in front of a crowd, or feel uncomfortable with asking a question in front of others. Sometimes, they may also need to speak one-on-one with their instructor, to talk about personal learning difficulties or other private matters.

An “online office” gives learners access to their instructors in a comfortable, low-threshold setting. This helps strengthen the bond between learners and the instructor by creating an easy line of communication. As a result, the learner is likelier to engage with the content and get the personal attention they need.

How does it work? A teacher can schedule a few hours throughout the week to respond to incoming questions from students. Students may submit their questions by e-mail, instant messaging or even video conferencing. Just make sure that you choose a medium that will enable you to divide your time equally among all students.

2. “Flip” the classroom

One of the most interesting best practices and advantages of blended learning is that teachers can make learners engage more with content. Many students dislike the classroom setting because they feel like the communication is too one-sided. The teacher does a lot of lecturing, and, if there’s any time left over, there may be a Q&A round at the end.

A “flipped” classroom reverses all of this. In a flipped model, non-interactive activities are shifted to the web. Students can watch a pre-recorded lecture, presentation or instructional video via their online learning platform before coming to class. Then, precious classroom time can be fully devoted to discussions, answering questions and developing ideas in a group setting.

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3. Provide instant feedback with e-learning tools

Similar to lectures, conventional testing and assessment methods are often perceived as one-sided. The learner completes the test, hands it in and then waits to find out how well they performed. The whole time, they’re left in the dark. That can make them feel anxious about the results.

Thanks to the advantages of blended learning and online learning this is no longer necessary. Many e-learning platforms enable you to provide instant feedback. So, when a learner answers a question on a test or assessment, the platform automatically provides feedback. It can congratulate them for answering correctly or inform them that they’ve got the answer wrong and explain why.

4. Use performance tracking to improve content

Modern e-learning platforms enable educators to easily analyze their learners’ performance. This helps instructors to identify learning trends. For example, if a large percentage of learners are failing to answer specific questions correctly on an assessment, the teacher can take action by offering more information on that topic during the next classroom session.

This is actually a proven method from conventional education, but digital performance tracking greatly speeds up the process. Instead of the teacher having to individually review every student’s assessments, a good e-learning platform can automatically track and report performance statistics. This makes it much easier and more efficient for teachers to spot important trends.

Learn more about the different types of e-learning assessments.

5. Create an interactive community of online learners

Our last benefit of blended learning is that it opens up the classroom and brings it into the learner’s home. This strengthens the sense of community among learners as never before. Modern learners are often very skilled at navigating online communities such as their social media networks. This gives teachers a lot of potential for keeping learners engaged.

Try thinking of group assignments that encourage learners to interact with each other both on and off the e-learning platform. Some great activities include hosting an online discussion, producing and posting a podcast or creating a wiki-style knowledge base where learners contribute and build upon each other’s work. The result is a continuous, immersive learning experience that enhances classroom training.

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About the author

Danielle Agass is the Content Marketing Manager at Easygenerator and has been writing ever since she could pick up a pencil. A Brit by birth, she moved to the Netherlands in 2018 with her husband and their cat, Ron.