I’m going to write a little about blended learning. As a new lecturer, I’m finding my way around the teaching and learning landscape and, a few weeks back, was at a workshop where someone said something along the lines of ‘as we all know, blended learning is THE buzz word right now…’. That was the first time I had heard the phrase ‘blended learning’ and I had no idea what it was (and with everyone else nodding knowingly, was too embarrassed to ask). After looking into it, I realised that I knew exactly what the concept was – having taken part in blended learning as both a learner and an educator – but that I just did not know the exact phrase. So, this update is for those who, like me, are too embarrassed to ask what the buzz word actually is.

From Granite Schools: https://www.graniteschools.org/edtech/tip/blended-learning/

Blended learning, as the name suggests, is a blend. It is a blend of traditional face-to-face classroom methods and online digital media, where the online aspect can be made up of things such as pre-recorded lectures, online activities, a range of online resources such as YouTube videos, etc. It is increasingly recognised as one of the most effective ways of achieving learning outcomes and increasing student achievement, especially in a context of developing ‘21st century skills’ for the world of work.

The balance between face-to-face and online can vary (Dreambox Learning 2013). On a self-blend model, for instance, students can choose to supplement their classroom learning with an online course, while on a rotation model of blended learning, students rotate from online to teacher-interaction on a fixed schedule. These two models give a central role to face-to-face instruction. On a flex model, in contrast, the main means of instruction is online, which is supplemented by face-to-face support such as through tutoring, and the online driver model is when an entire course is delivered through online media. On such a model, the students can still check in with instructors if they so wish; in that way, an online driver model of blended learning is still a model of blended learning and not just simply online learning. At my institution, we have an online platform which we are encouraged to use to supplement our face-to-face lectures, such as through creating discussion forums and developing online activities. In a recent course on which I was co-lecturing, we ran a weekly online quiz and posted extra material for the students. This perhaps most resembles a self-blend model.

Infographic from Dreambox Learning 2013

Why is blended learning a buzz word? Three notable advantages include flexibility for the learner, of great benefit for those who are busy or in other parts of the country but still want to learn; increased learner engagement through the use of a range of continuous activities and feedback; and improved learner achievement. (See de Guia 2015; Dlamini n.d., Saritepeci 2015.) Disadvantages include the heavy reliance on technology, where the tools need to be reliable and easy to use, and the learners themselves need to be computer literate.

I am based at a public tertiary institution in South Africa. In this context, blended and online learning undeniably offers great opportunities for the many people who have to work full-time or do not live near educational institutions. However, while mobile phones are widespread, personal computers are not and access to the internet is not always easy or affordable (Wits Language School n.d.). Based on anecdotes, some of my students only have internet access when they were on campus. Nevertheless, with the educational advantages to blended learning, these are limitations that should be worked around rather than disadvantages that count against blended learning.

Sources
De Guia, Simon. 2015, February. Top 5 benefits of a blended learning platform. Retrieved 21 May 2018.

Dlamini, K. n.d. How the blended learning concept refines education.Retrieved 21 May 2018.

Dreambox Learning 2013. Six models of blended learning. Retrieved 21 May 2018.

Saritepeci, M. and H. Cakir. (2015). The effect of blended learning environments on student motivation and student engagement: A study on social studies course. Education and Science 40(177): 203-216.

Wits Language School. n.d. What is blended learning? Retrieved 21 May 2018.