Blended learning: a positive potential from the recent educational turnaround

The future of education looks murky at the moment. A global pandemic has required online learning , leaving students like you wondering how to deal with this new normality.
At the same time, by learning to function online, you also have the opportunity to open your mind to the possibility of a new kind of learning.
Are you willing to adjust to online learning?
Students like you across the world are facing the prospect of learning only or at least partially online. If you are attending school in person, you are probably following strict safety standards. Anyway, the future looks uncertain.
In its Student Voices of America Survey , the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) found that 32 percent of high school and college students surveyed would prefer not to attend school if it were conducted exclusively online.
However, 53% said that, although they prefer face-to-face classes, they would be willing to deal with online classes. Meanwhile, 68% of students surveyed were “very hopeful” or “very hopeful” that their governments, communities and families will overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19. There is certainly hope for the future and also hope for education.
For many, adapting to online classes has become necessary for health and safety. Some students face an online-only school year, but you may also have the opportunity to learn in a hybrid environment of some online and face-to-face courses.

As the world begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, this type of hybrid, also known as blended learning, will become increasingly popular and necessary as a form of safe and successful education.

 

What is blended learning?

Blended learning refers to a style of formal education in which students learn through traditional face-to-face teaching and online media. Educators using blended learning offer students like you the opportunity to enjoy some face-to-face classroom experiences, while also studying portions of your classes online.

With continual advances in technology, blended learning has the potential to be extremely successful for your growth as a student. At the most basic level, blended learning gives you the ability to have more control over the pace, timing, path, and location of your learning through online learning.

What are the benefits of blended learning for students?

While blended learning requires some adjustments, you as students are often the most adaptable when learning in new ways. Once you get used to blended learning, you will likely enjoy many different benefits.

Do you have any element of control
As part of blended learning is online, you have more control over some of your learning. You have the opportunity to learn online at your own pace, in your own space and using your unique learning styles.

If you are a student who is easily stressed when learning in person and have to understand the material according to specific deadlines, blended learning offers a sigh of relief. You get the benefit of learning face-to-face and then taking the time to understand the material on your own using online platforms.

Blended learning therefore offers benefits to students who learn more effectively in any environment, in person or online.

Technology allows for the personalization of learning
Using online learning, you can also experience more personalized education. Blended learning allows you to interact with a variety of platforms and online.

Because students can have different learning styles, the flexibility of online learning combined with the help of an in-person instructor helps maximize learning in the style that works best for you.

Classrooms integrate face-to-face and online learning to educate you
Blended learning allows you to integrate face-to-face instruction with online learning modalities, using both together to create a unique learning experience.

This kind of learning allows you to experience each lesson in a new way. For example, after listening to a lecture about a history class, you can then engage with the material online through digital field trips and videos.

Your education benefits from both forms of learning, allowing one to extend the other.

You learn how to thrive in a modern technology-based world
Since you will eventually become part of a modern workforce, the more adept at modern technology, the better.

Most people will need to interact with advanced technology in their future careers, so blended learning allows you to get even more used to this technology at school to prepare for that future . What are the benefits of blended learning for the quality of your education?

The blended learning possibilities also bring great benefits to the quality of your education, as long as your teachers are properly supported.

As a student, you will find that you will have more opportunities to work one-on-one with teachers, and teachers will have more ways to support you.

Teachers can monitor their data and progress more easily
Because blended learning uses technology, this technology can help teachers collect and analyze data to help you succeed.

Teachers can use online platforms to better understand how you are progressing and whether or not you are learning new material. This will inevitably help you succeed at faster rates and will prevent you from feeling left behind.

As you will learn online, these platforms will constantly collect information about you as an individual, which your teachers can use to help you on a more individual level.

Technology allows for more one-to-one communication
In a blended learning environment, teachers also have more time and resources to communicate with you one-on-one, not just in person, but also using online platforms.

In a face-to-face classroom environment, teachers often don't have the time or ability to connect with each student every day. But using email and educational social media, you can get in touch with your teachers, and teachers can get in touch with you.

You may even feel more comfortable getting in touch using online resources than in person, allowing teachers to interact with you in the same way, even if you are generally shy.

Costs are lower and schools have more flexibility and hopefully resources
Blended learning also provides an opportunity for schools to save on overheads and staff by meeting in person less often.

With more money to spend on student success, your schools can offer different resources than ever before. Your teachers will have more time to focus on helping you learn in new ways, and you'll have more time for other activities when you're not taking your courses online.

We hope this new flexibility will help you and your school enter this new normalcy with new possibilities on the horizon. Even though the changes can be daunting, by focusing on the potential you will have a much more rewarding experience with blended learning.