With today’s technology-driven educational system, blended learning is becoming increasingly popular. This is particularly true of parents who choose a home school or a partial home school path for their children. When the technological approach to learning increased, it became apparent that parents and teachers needed to understand what blended learning was all about.
Blended learning is a combination of an online computerized learning model, like the one found at i-Ready Math, and face-to-face instruction like the one found in your traditional classroom. This allows students to try different learning models without jeopardizing their grades or socialization time. The technology provides an independent learning experience, and the face-to-face instruction provides socialization for students.
The majority of students benefit from blended learning, although how much they benefit depends on their individual learning styles. Students directly benefit by learning to work independently at their own pace. The digital learning is then reinforced by a face-to-face example of the concepts where they can ask questions, clarify points, and get immediate answers to questions. Although digital learning is an excellent way to introduce a concept, it is essential that students get feedback on the concept in a timely manner.
It is not only the students that benefit from blended learning. Teachers and parents can benefit too. The blended learning concepts in programs like i-Ready math and reading allow individualized progress tracking. The program advances as the child does. This gives teachers an idea of what concepts to present next.
An accelerated student who tests well on one concept can move on. But for a student who isn’t quite grasping the concept, the teacher can adjust the curriculum according to the student’s needs.
Parents benefit from this because they, too, have the opportunity to view and then reinforce key content and questions at home. They can also see exactly where their child is in the learning process.
There are six standard types of blended learning. The classroom or face-to-face-driven model focuses more on classroom instruction and uses digital education to supplement specific subjects. The flex model is more of an online model where the classroom is online, and students are allowed to set the pace. The online computer lab model is where students do both their face-to-face and digital learning at the school.
The online model where students work on digital work at home and then only occasionally meet with their teacher for clarification. The self-blend model where students work in a classroom but pursue alternate, more advanced learning online. And at last is the rotation model where students rotate through various stations with some stations being virtual and others being face-to-face.
Yes, blended learning works in most cases. The progress of students who participate in blended learning programs is being tracked through a variety of studies. These case studies are then analyzed. The vast majority of these cases concluded that blended learning is more successful than face-to-face learning or digital learning alone. When you combine the two, the student success rate goes up.
It is important to remember that no one type of learning model works for every student. Blended learning can offer various options for students to ensure they are successful in their learning experience.
The concept of blended learning allows students to learn in both a digital and classroom environment, giving them the best of both worlds. They learn both independence and social skills, all while learning the course material. As technology advances, you can expect to see blended learning more and more in the classroom and home school environment.
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Blended learning sounds awesome. I have ADHD, and it's a wonder I got through school. The classroom model was worst thing that ever happened to me. I learn best through self-study.
Thanks for posting!