Structures of Blended Learning
Blended Learning Structures in Education
There are many factors that must be considered when choosing how to mix on-site and online teaching and learning activities. Learning activities. In some cases, most of the interaction between students and instructors, as well as the direct delivery of instruction, takes place in the classroom. In some cases, most of the interaction between students and the instructor, and the direct delivery of instruction, takes place in the classroom, while the material and possibly some additional activities take place online. In other cases, the majority of classroom activities take place online, while In other cases, most classroom activities are conducted online, with infrequent meetings to solve problems and support community building. In some hybrid arrangements, students can choose which activities to complete online and which to complete in the classroom In the classroom
Ideally, blends are personalized so individual students have the blend that best fits their age, life circumstances and learning needs. These are called à la carte models. Students choose what to take fully online, what to take fully in person and, when the design is available, blended courses where they choose when to go to in-person classes and when to watch videos, download readings and complete assignments online.
This kind of personalization is not always available. The most important thing is to ensure that students are able to be able to function well as learners in any delivery mode (single mode or blended), even if it is not their preference or best case scenario. Their preference or best case scenario. Teachers are valuable coaches who can help students Teachers are valuable coaches in any learning situation; it is the responsibility of teachers and learning designers to provide blended activities Teachers and learning designers should provide blended activities that are best suited to the discipline, learner needs, and course requirements. Not all unique and interesting blended learning designs are one-size-fits-all models.
Below are seven sample configurations of blended learning activities, offered by O’Connell (2016) for you to consider for your teaching situation. These examples of blended learning are drawn from higher education but can be shaped to fit any teaching and learning situation. Chapter 3 will provide further information about creating your own unique design of blended learning.
Blended Face-to-Face Class
New era of Blended Learning
7 Models of Blended Learning
Listen carefully to each video as they explain the different models while enhancing your understanding of constructivism
Also, sometimes called the “face-to-face driver model,” the blended face-to-face class model is based in the classroom, although a significant amount of classroom time has been replaced by online activities. Seat time is required for this model, while online activities are used to supplement the in-person classes; readings, quizzes or other assessments are done online at home. This model allows students and faculty to share more high-value instructional time because class time is used for higher-order learning activities such as discussions and group projects.
Blended Online Class
Sometimes referred to as the “online driver model,” this class is the in- verse of the blended face-to-face class. The class is mostly conducted online, but there are some required in-person activities such as lectures or labs.
The Flipped Classroom
The flipped classroom reverses the traditional class structure of listening to a lecture in class and completing homework activities at home. Students in flipped classes watch a short lecture video online and come into the classroom to complete activities such as group work, projects, or other exercises. The flipped classroom model can be seen as a sub-model of the blended face-to-face or blended online class.
The rotation model
In this model, students in a course rotate between various modalities, one of which is online learning. There are various sub-models: station rotation, lab rotation and individual rotation. Some of these sub-models are better suited to K–12 education; station rotation, for example, requires students to rotate between stations in the classroom at an instructor’s discretion. Others work well on a college campus; the lab rotation model, for example, requires students in a course to rotate among locations on campus (at least one of which is an online learning lab). In the individual rotation model, a student rotates through learning modalities on a customised schedule.
The Self-blend Model
While many of the blended learning models on this list are at the course level, self-blending is a programme-level model and is familiar to many college students. Learners using this model are enrolled in a school but take online courses in addition to their traditional face-to-face courses. They are not directed by a faculty member and choose which courses they will take online and which they will take in person.
The Blended MOOC
The blended MOOC is a form of flipped classroom using in-person class meetings to supplement a massive open online course. Students access MOOC materials — perhaps from another institution or instructor if the course is openly accessible — outside of class and then come to a class meeting for discussions or in-class activities. In 2012, according to Campus Technology, San Jose State University piloted a blended MOOC using MIT’s Circuits and Electronics course, with students taking the MOOC out of class while face-to-face time was used for additional problem solving (LaMartina, 2012).
Flexible-mode Courses
Last but not least, flexible-mode courses offer all instruction in multiple modes — in person and online — and students choose how to take their course. Please listen carefully to this Ted Talk as Moshiri talks about the new era of online learning through his own experience.