2. Because blended learning is such a broad church, it's hard to
find examples that will match your situation exactly.
What's evident from the available research is that the basic
model for blended learning (combining f2f sessions with online
resources and/or a virtual community) is gaining traction in
higher education and schools, especially in the US.
It’s also true to say that education providers and organisations
are starting to migrate from e-learning to blended.
3. Traditional
(0%)
Delivered entirely faceto-face. Any resources
or handouts are printed.
Web
Facilitated
(1 to 29%)
Blended
or Hybrid
(30 to 79%)
The majority is taught
face-to-face, with
resources made
available online, or
where the syllabus or
assignments are
posted online.
Substantial proportion
of the content is
delivered online,
typically via online
discussion groups
alongside face-to-face
sessions, for practicals
and group work.
Online or
Flipped
(80+%)
A course where most
or all of the content is
delivered online.
Blending In: The Extent and Promise of Blended Education in the United States (Allen, 2007)
There's a wide range of approaches within the broad definition of blended
learning. 30% to 79% offers a wide spectrum of choice.
4. (Innosight, 2012)
(FSG, 2012)
(Kineo, year)
(Blackboard, 2009)
There are a limited number of evaluation reports on blended learning. The research
available is, in the main, either academic papers or commercial think pieces.
5. Key themes and issues arising
■ Blended learning is the younger sibling to e-learning and
online learning.
■ Blended learning has a higher acceptance and a higher
perceived value (because it’s closer to face-to-face learning)
than e-learning.
■ The pedagogy that best suits blended learning is still evolving.
It’s not about bolting on something digital.
■ ‘Social learning’ (and social enterprise applications) are on the
rise - where learners work collaborative on projects online.
6. Key themes and issues arising
■ Blended learning delivery is often defined by 'bricks and
mortar' - how accessible a building and its resources/classes
are to learners.
■ There is no single approach or strategy that works for all blended needs to be ‘blended’ into learning and training.
■ Having either informal communities of practice or formal
communities of learning combined with online resources
seems to be the favoured digital blend, especially in HE.
■ Establishing a culture that supports innovation and change is
an important step in successful blended learning
