Understanding Blended Learning

The reflection for week 1 has a focus on “Understanding Blended Learning”.  Several key questions can be addressed in this reading.  One question to consider is,  it most helpful to think of blended learning as an online enhancement to a face to face learning environment, a face to face enhancement to an online learning environment, or as something else entirely. Blended learning is a combination of online and face to face and I think they each enhance the other. The order of the enhancement is not the key to the relationship.  According to the reading, there are a variety of questions on the minds of the faculty and designers.  For example, how much of the face-to-face instruction must be replaced by online coursework? A challenge to deigning blended learning strategies is to sort out what content is best suited to which format –online or face to face.  The course will feature a combination of asynchronous and synchronous sessions along with blogs, podcasts, and multimedia simulations. Basically the design of the course depends on the instructor, students, and content.

“Since the intent of blended learning is to enhance learning by combining the best of both worlds…elements of the outline that appear to lend themselves to self-study online should be highlighted. Such elements tend to include easy-to-interpret, straightforward information that is relatively easy for the (student) to accurately grasp on his/her own.” (Troha, 2003) Blended Learning allows for multiple delivery modes provides for all learners.  There is differentiation for all learners.  On the other hand technology should not be used just to show off technology. That is, the instruction should drive the technology and the technology should not drive the instruction. Both the instructor and students must be comfortable using the technology. If not, it will only lead to frustration and a focus more on the technology that the content.

The next question to be answered is which components will occur online and witch will occur face to face.  The key to this would be the planning of the learning. Based on the reading, you may want to address guiding questions such as: “What’s the best mix of traditional, live, teacher-led presentation and synchronous or asynchronous, technology-driven methods of teaching?” It is important to determine your role as a teacher in the learning process. Should it be one that is primarily directive or facilitative? The answers to these questions will once again depend on the teaching/learning context and all the stakeholders involved.

Not only is planning the key to determine the delivery of the content, it is also essential in planning the schedule for the course (the meeting times and dates). Regardless of the instructional model that is selected to meet your needs, always be prepared to adapt.