Blended learning can increase flexibility for learners in several ways: - It allows learners to access course content and materials online, so they can learn anywhere at any time, not just during scheduled class meetings. This provides more flexibility over when and where they learn. - The online components allow learners to review lectures, lessons, and materials at their own pace. They aren't constrained by the pace of the entire class. - By moving some content online, it frees up class time that can then be used for more interactive, applied, and personalized learning activities like discussions, projects, labs, etc. This shifts the focus to applied, active learning during face-to-face meetings. Blen

1. By Arpit Kumar Srivastava

2. Traditional Learning
Traditional learning involves students travelling daily to
a physical space, at a prescribed time, to receive in-person
instruction. Traditional instruction can take the form
of lectures, group projects, labs, demonstrations, PowerPoint
presentations, etc., but does not incorporate online learning
modules. Additionally, educators often also prescribe additional
materials for students to complete, without additional
instruction, as homework on their own time. Students will
repeat this process over the course of several weeks or months
until the course ends. According to Dewey (1938), in traditional
education settings, educators are responsible for systematically
communicating information, skills, standards, and rules of
conduct to students, and enforcing that system.

3. Online Learning
As the name implies, online learning takes place over the
Internet. Students do not attend courses in person,
and the course content and instruction are delivered
primarily online. Allen and Seamen (2014) define an
online course "as one in which at least 80% of the
course content is delivered online." A student must
have access to a computer and the Internet, and have
basic computer literacy skills to take an online course
(e.g. able to browse the Internet, use a word processor,
send e-mails, and upload/download files).

4. Definitions of Blended Learning
 Blended learning is "a formal education program
in which a student learns at least in part through
online delivery of content and instruction with
some elements of student control over time, place,
path, and/or pace, and at least in part at a
supervised brick-and-mortar location away from
home," (Staker & Horn, 2012).

5. Definitions of Blended Learning
 Blended learning is "a pedagogical approach that
combines the effectiveness and socialization
opportunities of the classroom with the
technologically enhanced active learning
possibilities of the online environment, rather
than a ratio of delivery modalities”

6. Definitions of Blended Learning
 Blended learning is "a hybrid of classroom
and online learning that includes the
conveniences of online interaction without
the complete loss of face-to-face contact,"

7. Question-1
 A student attends lectures in a school. The teacher
assigns homework assignments after each class and
provides no additional instructions in class about how
to complete the assignments. The student, on her own,
uses the internet to complete her assignments.
What type of learning model is this?

8. Answer-1
Traditional: While the student does go online to
complete the assigned homework, the teacher was not
involved with the instruction or delivery of any of the
online resources the students used. If the teacher
provided some additional instruction about online
resources to use to complete the assignments, or were
to include those resources into the classroom
experience, this would become a blended learning
environment.

9. Question-2
 A professor has designed a course on edX. The professor
and teaching assistants are active in the discussion
forums, send weekly updates to students about the
course, and post lecture notes for each section for
students. The students use peer assessments to grade
each others' assignments and professors provide detailed
rubrics to facilitate the grading process. Some students,
on their own, set up local meetings at libraries and coffee
shops with other students in their area who are also
taking the course to discuss the class materials.
What type of learning model is this?

10. Answer-1
 Online: None of the course content or instruction is
delivered offline in a physically classroom setting.
While some students meet in person in physical
locations, these meetings were organized informally.
Remember, blended learning requires the instructor to
intentionally design the course to include both online
and traditional learning experiences.

11. Question 3
 A professor teaches a course on biology. The professor has
created online video lectures for students to review before
class. She also has created online assessments to
complement those videos to ensure that students are
watching them. Students go to an on-campus laboratory
once a week. The professor walks them through an
experiment from hypothesis to clean-up. For the last thirty
minutes of each class, the professor facilitates a discussion
about the students observations and takeaways, and she
encourages students to tie material from the lectures into
the discussions. A teaching assistant, records these
discussions and sends the notes to the students once class
is over. Students uses these notes to help them write their
lab reports.
 What type of learning model is this?

12. Answer-3
 Blended: This professor not only blended online and
traditional learning models, but also took great care in
the design of the different online and classroom
exercises and lesson plans. The learning modules that
students completed outside of the class informed what
happened in-class, and vice versa.

13. Benefits Of Blended Learning

14. Benefits of Blended Learning
Improve Access:
Use of new technology and online resources not only can
make learning materials more widely available to more
students, but also can make those materials available
to students in their local languages (UNESCO, 2014).
Additionally, online learning modules can provide
accessible education to students with physical or other
disabilities.

15. Benefits of Blended Learning
Student-driven
Online learning can provide students with more options
regarding subject matter and mode of instruction to cater to
their individual backgrounds, needs, and interests. Students
have convenient, on-demand access to course materials and
lectures, which allows them to progress through the course at
their own pace. Additionally, the more autonomous nature of
blended learning nudges students to improve their meta
cognitive awareness, which has been shown to be an important
element of student success (Bransford, Brown & Cocking,
2000). In other words, when educators use blended learning
models, they can encourage students to reflect and think about
how they learn and change their study habits to match their
needs

16. Benefits of Blended Learning
21st Century Skills Oriented
It is generally accepted that the global economy is driven by
knowledge (OECD, 2008; UNESCO, 2005; World Bank,
2002); yet, according to a study conducted by CISCO
(2008), school systems around the world are failing to
equip learners with the 21st century skills they will need to
be competitive in the job market. The Partnership for 21st
Century Skills organizes these skills into seven (7)
categories: creativity and innovation, critical thinking and
problem solving, communication and collaboration,
information literacy, media literacy, ICT Literacy, and life
and career.

17. Benefits of Blended Learning
Matches Broader Trends
Even though, currently, many countries have limited access
to the internet, once people gain access to the internet they
quickly integrate it into their lives (Pew Research Center,
2014). Additionally, when students’ engage with online
learning modules they enhance their technological literacy,
which is quickly becoming a necessary skill for the 21st
century (Pearson & Thomas, 2002). In fact, as students and
faculty become more adept at using technology, there are
greater expectations that technology will be used for
teaching and learning purposes (Dahlstrom, Walker, &
Dziuban, 2013).

18. Benefits of Blended Learning
Additional Opportunities to Collaborate and Interact
In an online environment, students from around the globe
can easily share, discuss, explain, and comment on
learning materials. It is also easier for students to
connect their lived experiences with technology to
classroom materials when discussions can be integrated
with social networking tools. By using current,
technological tools in classroom experiences, educators
can make discussions more interactive, help create a
borderless community of learners, and empower both
educators and peers to give more immediate feedback to
each other (Kassop, 2003).

19. Benefits of Blended Learning
It Matches How the Brain Works
Ratey (2002) found that brain cells only grow when people
are actively engaged. Additionally, the connections in our
brains disappear if they are not repeated and reinforced.
Bransford et. al (2001) explains that humans do not
passively record events in their brains, but rather their
brains actively process, recall, categorize and store
information in a variety of different regions of the brain.
They also highlight that the functional organization of
students’ brains depend on and benefit from robust,
engaging educational experiences.

20. Benefits of Blended Learning
Prepares Students to Become Lifelong Learners
The skills listed above are very dynamic. There is no end
point for creativity and innovation, students will likely
work with many different people from many different
cultures throughout their careers, media’s primary
form of distribution has changed from paper to
smartphones and will likely continue to develop, and
many future job descriptions have not been written.
Students will need to improve these skills throughout
their lives, and for the majority of that time, their
primary teachers will be themselves.

21. Challenges of Blended Learning
It is important to remember that designing an effective
blended learning environment is difficult. Students
and instructors often are required to acquire new skills
and spend more time preparing for class. Listed below
are some of the specific challenges that have been
highlighted by research:
 Deciding which elements of a blended learning model
requires in-person interaction and which ones are best
mediated by technology is a complex decision
(Aldrich, 2006)

22. Challenges of Blended Learning
 Dalhstrom, Walker, and Dziuban (2013) found that
while students expect technology to be used in the
classroom, they still want the instructor to provide
some guidance for its use. Therefore, it is important
for instructors to use technology purposefully in their
courses and make it clear how it is benefiting their
students.
 As technology becomes more integrated with
students’ academic and personal lives, students
become more wary of their privacy (Dahlstrom,
Walker, & Dziuban, 2013).

23. Challenges of Blended Learning
 Some institutions and regions are resistant to changes
in pedagogy that include the use of ICT
 Many faculty members have little training and
experience using online tools in the classroom, and
feel that they will not be able to use them effectively to
meet students needs

25. Types of Blended Learning Models
 Station Rotation
 Lab Rotation
 Flipped Classroom
 Flex
 A La Carte
 Enriched Virtual

26. The Station Rotation Learning Model-
The Station Rotation model allows students to rotate
through stations on a fixed schedule, where at least
one of the stations is an online learning station. This
model is most common in elementary schools because
teachers are already familiar rotating in “centers” or
stations.

28. Lab Rotation Learning Model-
The Lab Rotation model, like a Station Rotation,
allows students to rotate through stations on a fixed
schedule. However, in this case, online learning occurs
in a dedicated computer lab. This model allows for
flexible scheduling arrangements with teachers and
other paraprofessionals, and enables schools to make
use of existing computer labs.

30. Flipped Classroom
The Flipped Classroom model flips the traditional
relationship between class time and homework.
Students learn at home via online coursework and
lectures, and teachers use class time for teacher-
guided practice or projects. This model enables
teachers to use class time for more than delivering
traditional lectures.

32. The Flex Blended Learning Model
The Flex model lets students move on fluid schedules
among learning activities according to their needs.
Online learning is the backbone of student learning in
a Flex model. Teachers provide support and
instruction on a flexible, as-needed basis while
students work through course curriculum and content.
This model can give students a high degree of control
over their learning.

34. The A La Carte Blended Learning
Model (Self Blend Model) –
The A La Carte model enables students to take an online
course with an online teacher of record _in addition_
to other face-to-face courses, which often provides
students with more flexibility over their schedules. A
La Carte courses can be a great option when schools
can’t provide particular learning opportunities, such as
an Advanced Placement or elective course, making it
one of the more popular models in blended high
schools.

36. The Enriched Virtual Blended
learning Model –
The Enriched Virtual model is an alternative to full-
time online school that allows students to complete
the majority of coursework online at home or outside
of school, but attend school for required face-to-face
learning sessions with a teacher. Unlike the Flipped
Classroom, Enriched Virtual programs usually don’t
require daily school attendance; some programs may
only require twice-weekly attendance,

38. Common Challenges in Education
Problems with Access :
 In many countries, due to limited space and resources,
universities do not have the capacity to accommodate all
students who apply for admission; yet, the demand for
higher education continues to grow
 Women in a number of countries require learning
opportunities which allow them to also work and fulfill
their family responsibilities
 Current initiatives to promote equity in tertiary education
often take the form of scholarship and loan schemes, most
of which face challenges of sustainability and scalability

39. Common Challenges in Education
Limited Resources
 At a macro-scale many countries face limitations in
terms of classroom spaces, access to well-trained
teachers, access to the internet, access to reliable
modes of transportation, and access to quality health
care systems (UNESCO, 2014).
 Within schools, teachers face limitations in regards to
their time, the availability of instructional materials
(e.g. textbooks, science equipment, computers, and
chalk), access to additional professional training, and
access to a professional network.

40. Common Challenges in Education
Problems with Limited Flexibility and Engagement
 When learning is instructor-centered, there is a risk
that students will become dependent on the
instructor, and will not take responsibility for their
own learning experience (Jacob & Eleser, 1997).
 Non-residential students have difficulty feeling
connected with their classes due to their limited
interactions with their instructors and other students
(Davis, 1999).

41. Common Challenges in Education
 Students have different needs. Howard Gardner (1983)
describes a theory of multiple intelligences, Fleming
and Mills (1992) discuss how students can be divided
into four types of learners - visual, auditory,
read/write, and kinetic - and every student comes to
class with a different personal history and knowledge
base.

42. Question 1
 How can blended learning increase flexibility for the
learner?
 It allows learners to rewatch lectures and learn at their
own pace
 It frees up class time and allows instructors to use class
meetings in new ways

43. Question 3
 In what ways is blended learning student-centered?
 Allows students to review course materials at a time
and pace that works best for them
 Presents course content in different formats to suit
different learning styles