Research – blended learning

Blended learning

https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/enhancement/starter-tools/blended-learning

What is blended learning?
Blended approaches use multiple methods to deliver learning by combining face-to-face interactions with online activities.

Where did blended learning come from?
Blended learning (sometimes referred to as hybrid learning) has a complex heritage that has evolved from the distance and open education movements and the development of online or e-learning. The earliest references to the term ‘blended learning’ are from the late 1990s and, since that time, definitions of its meaning have varied according to particular combinations of pedagogy and technologies (Friesen 2012). The detail of the ‘blend’ is context specific influenced by institutional culture, learner need and is often bounded by the digital capabilities of teachers. Blended approaches which include ‘flipped learning’ and ‘self-blended learning’ are gaining in popularity as educators grapple with the rising tide of digital technologies, the increasing sophistication of online courses (e.g. MOOCs) and increased student expectation of flexible and differentiated learning provision. Blending synchronous face-to- face learning with synchronous and/or asynchronous online components provides a powerful response to this challenge; and used innovatively, can build a valuable bridge from formalised education to informal learning spaces.

How does blended learning work?
Blended learning combines face-to-face and online activities in a seamless and complementary flow of learning. For example, in the flipped classroom, online activity is introduced before a face-to-face class, in the form of reading materials and other artefacts. These resources provide a springboard for students to conduct further online research through personal learning networks (PLN) and digital curation activities. Subsequent classroom time is spent in small groups with the aim of deepening this learning through problem-based activities. This weaving together of different modes of delivery with a purposeful pedagogical underpinning is one example of a blended approach that combines synchronous and asynchronous elements. Other blends might be purely synchronous and take the form of a face-to-face class in which some learners join remotely via web conferencing tools. In short, there is a huge range of different blended approaches; the balance between online and face-to-face components, and the integration of other methods, depends on the needs of learners and the context within which the learning is implemented. The more innovative of these approaches increase student engagement by enabling learning, thinking and conversation across multiple spaces and over time.

            How will this help my project?

            Using techniques of blended learning in my project will help innovate the way that the student interacts with a tutor and vice versa. It will help inform me to get into the mind of a teacher as well as a student who would actively use this project. Ideas such as having an app that could be used to set homework or set up a classroom game which helps students understand concepts and find the ideas and key concepts that the tutor or teacher is trying to teach that seamlessly is implemented into the lesson plan.