A Blended Approach to Effective Learning
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In this webinar A Blended Approach to Effective Learning we will examine Blended Learning and how it is implemented in today's complex learning world. We are fortunate to work in an environment where there are many choices for learning.
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A Blended Approach to Effective Learning
- 1. www.aimsdigital.com A BLENDED APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE LEARNING
- 2. Copyright Aims Digital LLC 2 What is Blended Learning? A blended approach to learning combines face-to -face classroom methods with computer–based /mediated activities.
- 3. Copyright Aims Digital LLC 3 Blended courses combine various methods depending upon: Discipline Size of the class Student demographics Preferences of the instructor What is Blended Learning?
- 4. Copyright Aims Digital LLC 4 Components of Blended Learning The components of blended learning are: Classroom training Virtual training eLearning mLearning
- 5. Copyright Aims Digital LLC 5 Why Try the Blended Approach The advantages of using a blended learning approach are: Effective time utilization Building team spirit Use of technology Reinforcement on learning activities Simplifying course logistics Managing training activities
- 6. Copyright Aims Digital LLC 6 Offering the Best of Both Worlds Blended learning offers the best of synchronous and asynchronous learning strategies.
- 7. Copyright Aims Digital LLC 7 How Does Blended Learning Help in Employee Training? Blended learning lets employees choose their own learning style. According to several research reports, 70 to 90 percent of learning occurs informally and socially. Many organizations combine formal learning tools with virtual tools to support blended learning focused towards on-the-job success.
- 8. Copyright Aims Digital LLC 8 Benefits of Blended Learning to Organizations The benefits of blended learning to any organization are: Improved training costs and ROI Consistency Real-time access Greater retention More control to learners
- 9. Copyright Aims Digital LLC 9 Creating Effective Blended Learning Identify Objectives Define the learning objectives before you begin to create the content. Use these objectives as a road map, to guide you through the blended learning course.
- 10. Copyright Aims Digital LLC 10 Creating Effective Blended Learning Focus on Learner Motivation When creating effective learning, be sure to include: Key pieces of information Required learning material Expected learning outcome
- 11. Copyright Aims Digital LLC 11 Creating Effective Blended Learning Opt for a strategy that allows you to explore the core ideas through synchronous or asynchronous communication and activities. Determine Level of Interactivity
- 12. Copyright Aims Digital LLC 12 Creating Effective Blended Learning Integrate Group Collaboration Activities Design group activities for classroom training. Utilize tools and applications for online collaboration and discussion.
- 13. Copyright Aims Digital LLC 13 Creating Effective Blended Learning Develop Communication and Feedback Guidelines Ensure that the learners are able to communicate with the facilitator or instructor when in doubt. Gather feedback from the learners at the end of each session.
- 14. Copyright Aims Digital LLC 14 Creating Effective Blended Learning Include links to references and articles to conveniently access a wealth of information without having to undertake any research. Compile a List of Resources and References
- 15. Copyright Aims Digital LLC 15 Creating Effective Blended Learning Create an Effective Assessment Plan Use an effective assessment plan to pinpoint on the areas of improvement, and to utilize the knowledge and skills learnt. Provide a module recap to recall the essential bits of information.
- 16. Copyright Aims Digital LLC 16 Next Steps Am I getting the maximum leverage out of my training programs?
- 17. Copyright Aims Digital LLC 17 Questions? Questions?
- 18. Copyright Aims Digital LLC 18 Contact Information • Aims Digital LLC Steve case steve.case@aimsdigital.com 603-292-3935
Editor's Notes
- Welcome to this webinar on “A Blended Approach to Effective Learning”.
- A blended approach to learning combines face-to-face classroom methods with computer-based/mediated activities, resulting in an integrated learning experience for students. For example, a blended approach to a traditional, face-to-face course would mean that the class meets once per week instead of the usual three-session format. Learning activities that otherwise would have taken place during classroom sessions such as lectures, an in-class debate, and a quiz on audio and visual material can be moved online with the help of different tools.
- Blended courses combine face-to-face and online methods to varying degrees, depending on the discipline, the size of the class, student demographics, and the preferences of the instructor. There are no rules in place to prescribe what the ideal blend is.
- Blended learning aims at providing a holistic learning experience to the learners, ensuring learning happens using a judicious mix of the various deployment methods available today.
- The goal of a blended approach is to leverage the best aspects of both face-to-face and online instruction for the students’ benefit. The advantage of using a blended approach is that instead of using classroom time for presentation, you can use this time to engage students in clarifying their questions, and help them apply what they have viewed/heard to in the lecture, and to work with each other in face-to-face or team problem-solving. As well, online activities and assessments can usually be completed at any time of the day; anywhere the student has internet access. The first and most important reason for using a blended learning approach is to have a mixture of both offline and online activities, with the aim of getting the best out of both the strategies. So for example we could have a trainer sending preparatory material to students using the company’s learning management system, in order to give students the chance to prepare at their own pace and to give them specific support as and when required. At this point classroom activities become more effective as reinforcement to the online learning activities that have already taken place. Moreover using a blended learning approach you can simplify your course’s logistics. Imagine a class of 200 students and a number of seminars. Managing such a situation is complex on a number of levels, with issues ranging from finding a suitable day and class (physical space) to printing documents for so many people. By using a blended approach you can easily run a few seminars live, in class, and the remaining ones by using a videoconferencing app. You can also distribute your class materials through the Learning Management System (LMS), which is both simple and more ecological. After performing all of your training activities you can finally use the LMS for tests, surveys and to issue certificates. Another very important reason for using this approach is the chance to manage all of your training activities with a centred management tool: your LMS. You can easily set up your live training by selecting the location, date, class material and more. When dealing with complex learning paths, these kinds of features are fundamental in order to help your students not to get lost; tools like a unified calendar will make sure no one is missing training sessions whether online or offline.
- Blended learning offers the best of both worlds. Not only do you benefit from the implementation of a synchronous learning strategy, but also you have the chance to benefit from “go at your own pace” techniques that are part of an asynchronous learning strategy. So, the question is this: how do I develop engaging blended learning courses or modules that successfully merge these two approaches? How do I create blended learning environments that are informative, interactive, and immersive, without sacrificing flexibility?
- According to Training Today, learning experts believe that a big advantage of blended learning is its ability to more closely replicate how people actually learn on a job. It does this by including experience and interaction with other co-workers. Blended learning also lets employees choose how they want to learn the material, which is perfect for appealing to different learning styles among employees. Successful blended learning just means you have to find a balance that works for your organization. What’s nice about blended learning is that it can be customized and modified along the way! Many factors affect training, like subject matter, audience, learning styles, budget considerations and space and location constraints, which all affect the way you structure employee training. As much as 70 to 90 percent of workplace learning occurs informally and socially through reading books and articles, discussion with fellow employees, water cooler discussions and even trial and error, according to several recent research reports including the landmark U.S. Department of Labour Statistics report. One easy way to share informal content is through an online learning management system. Many organizations are successfully combining formal e-Learning with classroom training, mentoring support, simulations, online reference material and virtual tools to support blended learning focused toward on-the-job success.
- Blended learning programs reduce both time and cost of training by 50 percent, according to a University of Tennessee study. When compared to traditional training methods in the same study, blended learning showed a 10 percent improved result in learning outcomes. In addition, blended learning is a great strategy to break up concepts into smaller, more manageable learning segments, while allowing time for learners to process information, ask questions and discuss what they’ve learned with their co-workers. Since people learn in multiple ways, not just one, blended learning provides many avenues for learning the material. This enhances their on-the-job performance later, the ultimate goal of any well-planned employee training.
- As is the case with any learning strategy, you'll want to define your blended learning course’s objectives and goals before you even begin to create the content. You should ask yourself: What skills should the learners develop during the blended learning course? What information must be included in the blended learning course’s syllabus? What learning tools and instructional design models or theories should be used in order to deliver this information? If you have identified the blended learning course’s objectives beforehand, then you will be able to use them as a guide to move forward. Your objectives will become your road map since they give you the opportunity to see where your blended learning course is headed and what points you need to cover along the way.
- A blended learning course outline and syllabus offers benefits for everyone involved. The learner can use the outline to stay on track during the blended learning course, while the facilitator and the blended learning course developer can rely upon the outline to ensure the blended learning course is progressing at the desired pace. When creating your syllabus and outline, be sure to include key pieces of information, such as the learning objectives, the required papers/tests/presentations that need to be submitted, and the deadlines that learners must meet. Also, specify what will be expected of the learner in terms of participation and attendance, how the content will be delivered (highlighting the primary instructional methods and tools), as well as any materials that will be required.
- The wonderful thing about implementing a blended learning strategy is that you can determine exactly how interactive your blended learning courses, and the overall eLearning experience will be. How much of your learning will take place via live online training and how much will be based upon self-paced learning activities? You will want to determine this aspect of your blended learning strategy in advance, as it will dictate your blended learning course plan. Opting for a blended learning strategy gives you the opportunity to choose among a plethora of online learning tools and delivery methods. In fact, there are so many choices that it could be challenging to decide which tools/methods are ideally suited for a particular module or topic. Ideally, you should assess each module or topic to determine how to present the content more effectively and whether the core ideas can be explored better through synchronous or asynchronous communication and activities.
- Group collaboration is an extremely important component of a blended learning strategy. Learners gain the ability to share their knowledge with others, and to benefit from the skill sets of their peers. For classroom training sessions, design activities for groups and encourage all the learners to participate actively. For the online component of your training, you can utilize a number of different online tools and applications to get your learners to collaborate and interact with each other. For instance, you can ask the group to log on to a chat room, where they will discuss a particular problem or question that you pose, or they can share their opinions and thoughts via a social media platform.
- Ensure that the learners know how they can communicate with the facilitator or instructor if they have a question or concern, and when they can expect to receive a reply (i.e. by email, and the instructor will contact them within 24 or 48 hours). This will allow them to feel as though they have a solid support system in place, without tying the instructor to the virtual classroom round-the-clock. Also, determine how you will you gather feedback from your learners. For instance, will you be offering surveys at the end of each blended learning course, or will you be periodically.
- Thanks to the fact that a good portion, if not all, of your blended learning strategy is online, you have the ability to offer invaluable resources and references to your learners. For example, you may include links to reference sites and articles that enable your learners to further delve into the topic and learn even more. For example, you can include a list of relevant articles that ties your blended learning course plan into news stories that allow the learners to relate to the subject matter. Compiling this list also gives them the opportunity to access a wealth of information quickly and conveniently, without having to make their own research in the web for informative resources and reference tools.
- No blended learning strategy is complete without an assessment plan in place. How will you check the progress of your learners? Will you ask them to complete a quiz at the end of each module? Will you have them summarize the content after they have completed a self-study course, or engage in a lively discussion with their peers via online forums? Assessments can also give learners the chance to pinpoint personal areas of improvement and to utilize the knowledge and skills they have learned to boost retention. You may also want to provide a module recap at the end of each section, to draw their attention to the essential bits of information.
- Ask yourself – am I getting the maximum leverage out of my training progams? If you are using only one kind of learning deployment, the answer to that is probably NO. Consider combining your current method of training with other methods available – and you’d be surprised with the results!