Blended learning: everything you need to know!

Active teaching and learning methodologies — such as peer teaching,  inverted classroom,  and gamification- based procedures  — are innovative and revolutionary strategies that are influencing teaching.
Known as a hybrid learning modality, blended learning can be defined as a teaching methodology that combines on- and off-line aspects to obtain the best possible result among students.
For this, he uses different and  creative  teaching methods such as debates, lectures, games, case studies, guided practice, simulations and others. Although the term is still little known in Brazil, it is becoming more popular every day thanks to constant technological advances and the need to keep up with these trends.

If you want to know more about blended learning, how it works, applications and benefits, then this content was made for you. Read on and find out more about this important and innovative methodology.

What is blended learning?
When it comes to the modernization of studies and new learning techniques, most educational institutions tend to take a very extreme position: either keep the traditional handouts and face-to-face teaching or migrate permanently to distance education — a modality of teaching a distance.

There is a path that manages to combine the two processes and make the way the teaching-learning process more flexible: blended learning (or b-learning). By combining the two pedagogical practices, the methodology seeks to improve student performance in both modalities.

Blended learning is the result of technological advances and  innovation in education , while its popularization in recent years is mainly due to the humanization of the relationship between student, teacher and institution – a condition provided by the combination of on and off-line aspects.

In this context, the teaching centers that apply this system in their courses provide a class format that reconciles face-to-face meetings in the institution's physical space and activities carried out in  virtual learning environments . This means that students view the materials on the EaD platform and discuss the contents in person.

In addition, as blended learning opens up a dynamic space for critical thinking, students have the opportunity to understand the issues in greater depth and also to bring questions and curiosities to face-to-face meetings.

The  hybrid teaching  promises to unite the best of both worlds in order to give better learning conditions for students, after all, the methodology integrates perfectly the use of technology to the traditional format.

Another relevant point is that the system can be structured with synchronous or asynchronous practices, that is, in situations where the teacher and students work together at a predefined time or in flexible periods. B-learning, however, is not completely asynchronous, as it requires individual availability for face-to-face meetings.

Although some people do not attribute a pedagogical value to these activities together, the essence of the methodology is quite clear: it uses technology in its procedures not only to add, but to provide  quality , improve and transform the learning process.

What is the meaning of synchronous and asynchronous learning?
When talking about blended learning it is practically impossible not to mention synchronous and asynchronous learning. For those who don't know the meaning of the terms, calm down, we'll explain.

Synchronous learning refers to all content that depends on the physical presence of the student and the teacher in the same environment or on the synchrony of accesses. This means that all participants must be connected at the same time for this learning proposition to really work — be it class,  chat , live stream, and more.

The main advantage of this mode is that, as students are acting collectively, they can start a group discussion, thus generating an important exchange of knowledge and information in real time.

Regardless of whether the debate is held in a virtual or face-to-face environment, this method involves the presence of a mentor or instructor available to the teams. Therefore, it is widely adopted in situations that require problem solving, group work, face-to-face interaction and comments from an expert on a particular subject.

Asynchronous mode does not require this concurrency between accesses — although the materials are also made available in a virtual environment. The difference is that the student can access them in their own time and speed, without the need for the teacher to also be connected at the same time.

In addition to the flexibility that the student has to study whenever and wherever they want, the mode gives students more time to analyze the content received. That way they don't feel pressured to ask questions when they're not, let's say, very inspired.

The asynchronous method is considered even more effective when practice is the key to learning the content, when materials need to be constantly updated, or when participants are geographically distant.

What is the difference between blended learning and distance education (EaD)?
Although some people confuse the b-learning system with the distance learning modality, it must be emphasized that this is not the same thing. In this context, the main difference between the methods is in the frequency and purpose of the meetings.

Hybrid teaching is not just based on sharing videos online or conducting a virtual chat, that is, the simple use of this type of technology in the learning process does not define this methodology.

In  EaD courses , the entire learning process is carried out in a virtual environment — such as classes, activities, questions forum, support, exams, etc. —, while the face-to-face meetings happen, eventually, just for the application of the   final evaluations . For an efficient and adequate practice, it is essential to invest in good  distance education management .

On the other hand, in educational institutions that use the blended learning system, face-to-face meetings are more frequent — on average, one weekend a month. Thus, the methodology is excellent for professionals who have a very tight schedule during the weekdays.

In physical meetings, classes are marked by dynamic exercises, practices and activities that aim to humanize the relationship between  teacher  and student. Consequently, this expedient expands and develops the learning process.