What Is Blended Learning? Benefits, Models and Challenges

Many things have changed about our lives, including how — and where — we learn. Blended learning is in high demand, meeting the need for a mixed education framework as digital and remote tools, like learning management systems, become the new normal.

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An engaging, flexible solution is crucial for keeping education effective outside the traditional classroom. Teachers can’t be physically present to monitor students in virtual settings and can’t control their home environments.

Blended learning helps by balancing in-person learning with online education, providing a suite of tools to keep students motivated no matter where they are.

But how does it work? Read on to find the answer to this and more as we discuss how blended learning revolutionizes education.

Article Roadmap

• What Is Blended Learning?
• Primary Benefits
• Blended Learning and LMS
• Blended Learning Models
• How To Create an Effective Blended Learning Program
• Key Challenges of Blended Learning
• Final Thoughts

What Is Blended Learning?

Blended learning is a type of training approach that merges the traditional classroom with the capabilities of an online setting. While classroom instruction is typically teacher-directed and standardized, blended learning is student-driven and customizable.

It strikes a balance between instructor-led teaching, through presentations, lab sessions and demonstrations, and tech-based tools, like interactive courses, to help achieve learning outcomes.

Because it takes place in both physical and virtual classrooms, teachers can easily adjust the pace of learning based on student needs. Instruction happens in two ways:

• Synchronous, which happens at a fixed time and place, and involves direct student participation.
• Asynchronous, which allows students to work on their own.

Popular platforms like Tovuti, 360Learning, Brightspace and Docebo provide teachers with a suite of tools to educate as well as evaluate their students. They can hold group discussions, track student progress, upload and store educational material, and more. Regular feedback and fun, game-based learning modules help engage students.

While blended learning models are primarily used in education, L&D pros in the corporate and government sectors also use them alongside traditional training methods to train remote staff members.

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Primary Benefits

Blended learning opens new possibilities for addressing student needs and improving teaching methods. Below are some of its primary benefits.

Performance Insights

An accurate assessment is crucial to monitor learner progress, measure course effectiveness and address knowledge gaps. Are students achieving learning objectives? Do any need special assistance?

Built-in analytical tools offer insights into course completion rates, answer attempts, time spent on modules, daily progress and more. Teachers can use this information to identify problems in student performance or course material and take remedial action through tailored follow-up lessons and extra classes.

Cost-effective Education

On-campus education consumes a lot of money and resources. These include both the costs to operate a school as well as costs faced by students. For example, a report by Education Data Initiative shows that students who commute to in-person classes pay $3,400 per year in transportation costs that online students don’t.

Blended learning reduces expenses for schools and students by minimizing time spent in the building. Digitizing learning material, report cards and feedback forms also help cut down on paperwork.

Mobile Accessibility

DataReportal’s “Digital 2022: April Global Statshot” report shows that more than 96.2% of global internet users own a smartphone. Kids — and adults — these days are always on their phones. What better way to reach students than through the devices they use all the time?

While remote learning, in general, improves accessibility, smartphones are much handier than computers or laptops. Teachers can send text messages, schedule check-in calls, share learning material, organize group discussions and connect and collaborate with students on a mobile-friendly interface. All with far fewer time and location constraints.

The around-the-clock availability of an online learning platform makes it easier than ever for learners to balance their education with work and personal responsibilities.

Self-paced Learning

Every student is unique, and each one learns differently. Blended learning offers many ways to include students, especially struggling ones, by tailoring courses to their needs and helping them set personalized learning goals.

Teachers can adjust curricula and schedules, assign deadlines, monitor performance, and work closely with students to meet specific learning requirements.

Learners also have more freedom over their education. Interactive libraries of eLearning material, including microlearning, or bite-sized lessons, are accessible at any time. This flexibility lets students learn where and when they learn best.

Blended Learning and LMS

Blended learning is usually implemented by way of learning management systems, software applications that are designed to encourage and evaluate learning.

Here are some LMS features that can make your blended learning model effective:

Content and Course Management

LMS solutions provide tools and features to manage all eLearning content on a single platform. You can:

• Use the course builder’s drag-and-drop options, color templates and fonts to create interactive lessons across many subjects.
• Build quizzes, tests, surveys and assignments at course checkpoints to evaluate your learners and learning material.
• Assign categories to courses based on the topic, length, difficulty level and other unique characteristics.
• Access all eLearning material, including videos, PPTs, infographics and more, from an online content library.
• Create customized learning paths for each student based on their needs and preferences.

Reporting and Analytics

Reporting and analytical tools give you insights into how your students are performing and what improvements you can make to your instruction for better outcomes. Using these tools, you can:

• Access informative reports based on real-time data to monitor essential KPIs.
• Get a detailed view of student and program performance using data visualizations.
• Generate aggregate or filtered views by field, department or other criteria.

Mobile Accessibility

Many LMS solutions come with a branded mobile app, making the platform accessible on a smartphone or tablet. You can customize the app to fit your institution’s identity using personalized templates, logos and fonts. Here’s how mobile apps can supplement your primary LMS:

• Users can log in to their profile using their credentials to access all the platform data, like report cards, certificates, eLearning content and assessments, in one place.
• Students can view their points, levels, badges and rewards on a responsive leaderboard to monitor their performance and compare it with their classmates.
• The mobile app hosts offline-compatible content and courses that users can access without an internet connection. It then syncs their progress when they’re back online.
• Admins, teachers and students can stay in touch through group and personal messaging, emails and community forums.
• Real-time notifications and alerts keep everyone updated with the latest information regarding courses, assessments and performance.

Social Learning Tools

Social learning capabilities make your educational program more participative and engaging. They encourage students to share their takeaways from classes and learn from each other’s experiences. Some of these tools include:

• Discussion boards that provide an interactive space for students to engage with teachers and peers.
• Instant messaging via public and private channels to chat with teachers and peers.
• Video conferencing to hold virtual classes, host live sessions and conduct 1:1 meetings.
• Announcements about upcoming tests, new course additions, deadlines, meetings and other updates.
• An integrated calendar for easy visibility into upcoming classes, meetings and activities.

Webinar Integration

You can automate time-consuming processes and simplify tasks by integrating your LMS with video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Vimeo, GoToMeeting and Microsoft Teams, reducing the need to switch between programs. With these integrations, you can:

• Enable users to register and join live web conferences using a meeting link without switching platforms.
• Create live classes and inform students about their start and end times, topics, duration and other related information via emails, notifications and alerts.
• Generate daily, monthly and weekly attendance reports to monitor student participation and activity throughout sessions.
• Send follow-up and promotional emails to users and collect feedback using surveys, feedback forms and ratings.
• Share recorded sessions with students for future reference.

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Blended Learning Models

Many blended learning models exist, suited to user-specific factors like learner requirements, budget constraints, course structure and methodologies. Here are some of the most popular models.

Rotation

The rotation model combines traditional face-to-face and virtual learning, rotating students between the two on a fixed schedule. Students engage in online learning, group discussions, and pen and paper assignments, with teachers available to guide them in both settings.

There are four types of rotation models:

1. Station Rotation

Students rotate between stations like online learning, face-to-face interactions and peer discussions. They can spend time completing an online course, taking tests in a classroom or collaborating on group projects with assistance and feedback from the instructor.

2. Lab Rotation

Students switch between online learning in a computer lab and offline education in a classroom. They work independently, reading course material, writing assignments and reviewing skill lessons based on a fixed schedule set by the teacher. Teachers use classroom time to review what students learn in the lab.

3. Individual Rotation

Students move between different learning settings, like group sessions, class discussions or self-study, based on their individual needs. The teacher either creates or uses a built-in algorithm to generate a personalized schedule of activities for each student and monitors their progress using analytics tools.

4. Flipped Classroom

Students receive self-guided eLearning material, like videos, PDFs and modules, to study at home. They use in-person classroom time to share what they learn, helping teachers identify and address knowledge gaps.

Flex

Each student receives an in-school computer and is allowed to complete their work at a pace they set without a fixed curriculum, deadline or pre-determined goals. Teachers may be present to help but don’t conduct formal lessons, give homework or follow a specific mode of instruction.

A La Carte

Students are encouraged to take a class, online or offline, in addition to their regular course of study. They can choose a class aligned with the existing syllabus or something completely different, encouraging them to expand their knowledge areas, discover new topics, close skill gaps and enjoy learning.

Face-to-Face Driver

This model uses online education as a supplement to in-person classroom instruction. While nearly all of the education happens offline, teachers can use virtual learning tools and resources to address gaps, assign additional coursework and enhance students’ grasp of difficult topics. It’s especially helpful for underperforming students or those who need extra support.

Enriched Virtual

Students finish face-to-face classes with their teacher early on in the semester, completing their remaining coursework remotely. Most of the education happens in virtual classrooms from home, with teachers present over digital communication tools, like email and video conferencing.

Self-blend

Using solutions like Coursera or Udemy, students work at their own pace based on personal competencies, preferences and skills. Learning happens primarily through online interfaces, with teachers and students occasionally meeting in person to monitor learning outcomes and address concerns. Students also have some choice over what courses to take, both related to or different from their curriculum.

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How To Create an Effective Blended Learning Program

If, like many schools, you struggled with the sudden shift to online learning during the pandemic, or are implementing a blended learning program for the first time, you may be wondering, how do you ensure its success?

Here are some steps you can take to make sure your blended learning program gets the job done.

Define Objectives

Start by defining what you want the program to accomplish in your school or institution. One way to clarify your goals is to ask yourself some guiding questions:

• “What is the purpose of this program?”
• “What educational resources does it supplement or replace?”
• “What do our students need?”

Create an Outline

A course outline helps students stay on the same page as teachers during the class and ensures that teachers build content that progresses uniformly. It gives students insights into the eLearning material they’ll use, the expectations from each course and what skills they should have after completing the course.

To create an effective outline, teachers should:

• Provide course descriptions
• Define specific goals and learning outcomes
• Schedule activities
• Include a list of reading materials
• Establish clear assessment criteria

Make It Interactive

Making your courses interactive allows students to explore their learning environment even when their teacher isn’t present. They can move through courses at their own pace, take assessments, immediately check their results, and proceed to the next module if they pass.

Foster Communication

Your students should feel confident about receiving help as and when they require it. An effective blended learning module ensures that teachers are available through easily accessed digital communication tools, like email, instant messaging and SMS.

You can also encourage student communication by using surveys, feedback forms, and course ratings and reviews during and at the end of each course.

Diversify Activities

Any task can feel monotonous if you have to do it over and over again. Take full advantage of the fact that blended learning supports many different instructional approaches, like flipped classrooms, roleplay, creative projects, games and multimedia experiences. Diversifying the types of activities students have will keep them engaged and motivated to learn.

Digitize Resources

Identify where you can include media elements like video, infographics, games and animations. For example, in a biology class, you can play a video to show different body parts, or use an interactive click-and-drag diagram to allow students to explore the human body, instead of just reading from the textbook.

Assess Skills at Each Checkpoint

Evaluation tools, like assessments, give you insight into how your students perform and the impact of your courses. They can be a good measure of your course’s success and if it needs improvement for future classes.

Regular assessments ensure that students are on pace to achieve learning outcomes. They also help make you aware of any knowledge or skill gaps that may come up.

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Key Challenges of Blended Learning

Pushing for greater participation, transparency and engagement in a hybrid learning management system comes with challenges.

• Are students able to understand the assignment?
• Do they have the right equipment?
• Are they motivated to learn?

Here are some of the most common challenges involved in blended learning.

Digital Gap

Not all students have a reliable internet connection or even basic digital literacy. They may struggle to navigate new online platforms and devices. Educators can’t always address these barriers because they’re rooted in each individual’s economic, social and personal circumstances.

Providing equipment or offering rentals may help put the necessary technology into more students’ hands. Basic IT training can familiarize students with digital learning tools so no one falls behind.

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty is rampant in online learning. Without the presence of a teacher to keep them in check, students may plagiarize written assignments or try to cheat on tests.

Plagiarism checkers, timers, randomized questions, proctoring and secure web browsers help prevent students from using unfair means to pass assignments and exams.

Decrease in Student-teacher Relationships

It’s easier for students to feel isolated and detached from their teachers when they aren’t face-to-face. During school closures at the height of COVID-19, self-reported mental health problems and anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents increased.

Teachers can address this by remaining engaged, even when they don’t or can’t see their students in person. Built-in communication tools allow students and teachers to exchange regular feedback, not only in terms of academic performance but also informal check-ins.

Teachers can also set up parent-teacher meetings to keep parents aware of concerns and organize virtual team-building activities to encourage students to make friends with classmates.

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Final Thoughts

By integrating virtual and physical classrooms, blended learning offers an educational environment that suits many different learning styles and needs. For teachers and students struggling to adapt to an ever-evolving educational landscape, it provides a safe, accessible and engaging alternative to classroom-only instruction.

Finding the ideal blended learning software is tricky. Ready to get the best of both worlds? Get started with our free requirements template to organize your IT and software needs in one place. With the right blended learning tools, you can provide a first-class education for your school!

What’s your experience been with blended learning? Let us know in the comments.