Blended learning: benefits and recommendations for teachers

A new school semester begins and with it new challenges related to the changes that have become more evident since the last year 2020 and the COVID 19 pandemic. Several years ago, educational specialists have been talking about necessary changes in educational processes and methodologies to adapt to the needs of today’s world. Consequently, many universities already have academic degrees that students can complete virtual or hybrid, thanks to the advances in information and communication technologies.

However, this past year made the much-talked-about change a daily reality around the world. It was through practice that most of the teachers were able to learn about the integration of a virtual model in their daily didactic process. So much that many have chosen to continue with this model as the first option when teaching.

This school year begins from a different perspective since part of the students, administrative and teaching staff of the educational centers are already vaccinated. However, this does not exempt from changes and the possibility of resorting to online learning as a rapid response mechanism to an emergency. This is where we talk about blended learning, what is it, what are its advantages and teaching recommendations to use apply correctly.

What is blended learning?

Blended learning is not a new modality; for years it has been used and integrated into the classroom (K-12) because of its great benefits. Blended learning or hybrid learning is a learning style that combines face-to-face with online instruction, making use of the integration of resources, information, and communication technologies. This model offers online learning opportunities with synchronous and asynchronous activities, while face-to-face meetings have the purpose of developing a specific activity (exams, presentations, thesis, etc.). This model allows to carry out the uninterrupted educational process either from the face-to-face or virtual classroom. Among these integrations, we can mention MOOC platforms, social networks, forums, and blogs. This modality recognizes that learning can be acquired from different sources and supports the educator as a facilitator of the teaching process.

Teaching recommendations

Teachers should follow some recommendations for the blended learning process to be one of benefit for students. Here we mention them.

Offer opportunities and means of social communication as a learning object.
Stimulate prior knowledge.
Master the skills and abilities to teach the didactic of concepts.
Advise and provide hours of tutoring and clarification of doubts to students.
Facilitate self-assessment.
Provide constant feedback for material correction.

Advantages of blended learning

Blended learning has several advantages for both teachers and students. Among them, we mention some.

Considers the students’ time and their ability to search for information.
Focuses on the creation and adaptation of modules and materials according to the specific needs of each student.
Incorporates information and communication technologies as a facilitating element.
Presents the content in different modalities and updated in a way that serves as a form of continuing education.
Promotes active participation and discussion through different forums and educational elements.
Promotes the active involvement of students in their learning process.

In summary, blended learning is a model that is not going anywhere. Many academic institutions are using this model, as it allows the educational process to continue. However, the most important characteristic of this model is that it adapts to the needs of the students; so students can study at their own pace and get the most out of their learning process.

References

Aprendizaje Híbrido – Unidad de Apoyo a la Calidad e Innovación Docente ESUP/DTIC (UPF). Upf.edu. (2021). Retrieved August 11, from https://www.upf.edu/es/web/usquid-etic/aprenentatge-hibrid.

Vera, F. (2021). La modalidad blended-learning en la educación superior [PDF]. Retrieved August 11, 2021, http://www.utemvirtual.cl/nodoeducativo/wp content/uploads/2009/03/fvera_2.pdf http://www.utemvirtual.cl/nodoeducativo/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/fvera_2.pdf