BLENDED LEARNING
Blended
learning is an innovative approach in creating motivating and meaningful
learning experiences to fulfil learner's technological demands in the rapidly
changing electronic era. From this study, I found that blended environment
encourages the foundation of creating independent learners with reasonable
critical thinking skills that are valuable for the current working
environments. Blended learning is also a solution for classroom insufficiencies
as well as teaching and learning flexibility. Nevertheless, not all the courses
in higher education settings could apply the blended learning. Therefore,
options should be given to the learners by the institution's administrator to
either choose a conventional teaching method or a blended course. This alternative
will overcome the issues for the low achievers who are unable to survive in
blended approach and caters the needs for difficult courses that require a
fully face-to-face classroom environment. Traditional classroom required the
instructor to present, interact, discuss, demonstrate and communicate with
students face to face. As well as the students interact and communicate with
each other face to face. The instructor has to distribute all the hands on,
assignments and exercises to the students all by her or himself. The
traditional instructor-led classroom learning is a proven learning with full
opportunities for interaction between the instructor and students as well as
between students and students. However, the requirement for the instructor and
students to be in a classroom on the day and time that have been designated in
class schedule has made it difficult to certain instructors and students. In
addition, the lack of equipment in the classroom may not support effective
teaching and learning process.
The
integration of ICT in teaching and learning has changed the way curriculum is
designed, the way we learn, and changing the way we communicate. E-learning has
become an increasingly significant part of the teaching and learning experience
to the instructors and also to the students. The virtual classroom learning
enables to address difficulties and limitations posed by the traditional
classroom learning. However, e-learning also has its own limitations. It
requires greater discipline from the students, and sometimes is boring. The
communication is limited between the instructor and students and may result to
lower attendance. It is also difficult to make sure students have actually
completed a course. All these constraints and limitations tend to lead to lower
teaching and learning efficiency. As both the traditional classroom learning
and pure e-learning offer strengths and limitations, it is better to combine
the strength of face to face learning with online learning into new delivery
method called blended learning.
As
both the traditional classroom learning and online delivery learning have
offered strengths and weaknesses, it is great to combine the strengths of the
two methods into blended learning. Blended learning applies the use of
technology in the physical classroom learning. The technology makes possible a
variety of resources and contributes to enhance experience in learning. Blended
learning is a natural idea of learning approach. This blending approach is
taking the best from self-paced, instructor-led, distance and classroom
delivery to achieve flexible, efficiency and cost effective learning. Blended
learning is an approach generated from disappointment of online and traditional
learning. It offers greater benefits to the instructor and learners in terms of
the teaching and learning activities.
The
strengths of blended learning that I faced are:
· Affordable and saves time
· Flexibility in terms of
availability- anytime anywhere.
· More affective interaction between
the learners and my instructors through the use of emails, discussion boards
and chat room.
· I had the ability to track my
progress.
The
weaknesses of blended learning that I faced are:
- A high level of self-discipline or self-direct is required.
- · Lacks interpersonal and direct interaction among students and teachers.
4 Questions to Evaluate a Blended
Learning Platform
1. Will this
program meet your classrooms where they are?
2. Is this program user-friendly?
3. How interactive is the program?
4. Will the program help meet clear objectives?
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