Digital Learning: Blended Learning – Part 5

Posted on Wednesday, 2nd January 2013 13:44. Submitted by ILX Marketing Team
Updated on Thursday, 29th October 2015 10:27

This is the fifth in our series on Digital Learning: Learning Without Limits where we examine the evolving nature of learning and its effect on individuals and organisations and the workplace.

Definition: blend /blend/ verb

To mix two or more substances.

Definition: learning /ˈlɜːnɪŋ/ noun

The process of acquiring knowledge from reading or studying.

Blended learning is essentially a combination of classroom and online training, where online encompasses a mix of everything from mobile to virtual. The exact combination you get depends on factors like the course and the course provider, but a good rule of thumb when you are choosing your provider, is to remember that the more experienced the learning provider, the more sophisticated will be the mix of learning methods.

Advantages: For the technologically phobic, blended learning is a good introduction to modern learning methods. Students can combine mobile, with digital, with physical classroom and with live, virtual classroom learning, like the type we offer for PRINCE2 and ITIL. The digital and mobile learning elements allow students to improve their tech and self-study skills, interact with their instructor and fellow students, research around a topic and allow them to study some of the content at home, in their own time and at their own pace. The physical or virtual classroom elements create variety and some face-to-face time for those who like the visual touch.

Disadvantages: One could argue that being a kind of half-way house between online and classroom learning makes blended learning a compromise. Students and instructors would have to feel comfortable switching from one learning method to another. Scheduling and communication strategies might have to be in place for both kinds of learning and, if either fails, this could have repercussions for the rest of the course.

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