Aldersgate College Technology for Teaching and Learning

College of Arts, Sciences and Education Junelyn G. Villar

Module 5: Blended Learning

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:

 Identify the strengths and limitations of blended learning as a delivery mode;
 Differentiate the models of blended learning; and
 Design a sample lesson (daily lesson log) to be used in a blended learning mode.

The Definition of Blended Learning

Oxford Dictionary Definition of Blended Learning: a style of education in which students learn via electronic
and online media as well as traditional face-to-face teaching.

Defining hybrid or blended education is a trickier task than one might think–opinions vary wildly on the
matter. In a report on the merits and potential of blended education, the Sloan Consortium defined hybrid
courses as those that “integrate online with traditional face-to-face class activities in a planned,
pedagogically valuable manner.” Educators probably disagree on what qualifies as ‘pedagogically
valuable,’ but the essence is clear: Hybrid education uses online technology to not just supplement, but
transform and improve the learning process.

That does not mean a professor can simply start a chat room or upload lecture videos and say he is leading
a hybrid classroom. According to Education Elements, which develops hybrid learning technologies,
successful blended learning occurs when technology and teaching inform each other: material becomes
dynamic when it reaches students of varying learning styles. In other words, hybrid classrooms on the
Internet can reach and engage students in a truly customizable way. In this scenario, online education is a
game-changer, not just a supplement for the status quo. But what does this theoretical model actually look
like in practice?

Garrison and Vaughan (2008) echoed some features of blended learning instructional delivery.

1. It considers the power of online and offline modes of learning. It should be noted that students in the
current milieu learn more with the presence of technology; however, physical presence and interaction are
also vital in co-constructing knowledge. With the merging features, blended learning is an essential mode of
instructional delivery learning toward flexibility and personalization of learning.

2. It ensures teacher support and engagement. The use of BL does not decrease teacher support and
engages. A BL teacher needs to address the learners by quickly responding to their online tasks,
intelligently preparing materials, and regularly facilitating in-classroom activities.

3. It promotes independent learning. One of the critical features of BL is fostering independent learning. BL
allows student to learn individually and to use instructional aids according to their learning styles.
Researchers agree that a student learns with a blend of self-paced online and face-to-face instruction.
 Aldersgate College Technology for Teaching and Learning
College of Arts, Sciences and Education Junelyn G. Villar

4. It supports peer interaction. The literature is rich with evidence that student-to-student interaction
sustains any online instructional delivery. Since BL is partly online, students can still interact with their
students through the proper use of online activities, like discussion forums, collaborative writing, and peer-
tutoring through technological tools. Notably, peer interaction heightens motivation to learn.

Capacity Building
Teachers are equipped with pedagogical and
technological skills to implement and sustain
highly effective BL environments. Meaning, there
should be specialized pieces of training to
teachers who will use BL as an instructional
delivery system.
Student Ownership
Students become agents of their learning process
with greater access to tools, resources, and progress
data. This implies that the teachers need to
intelligently plan activities and class routines that
enhance student’s responsibility to learn.

Elements of
BL

Technology Utilization Data Management and Usage

Teachers use technology to enhance and redefine
instruction meaningfully. The presence of
technology does not equate to meaningful use or
impact in the classroom. A thoughtful approach to
the specific technology chosen and how it is
deployed is critical.
The emergence of technology in classes presents
an unprecedented opportunity for teachers to not
only obtain data on more frequent basis, but also to
analyze that data and use it to adjust instruction
accordingly.

Models of Blended Learning

It is not possible that when you want to use BL, you will proceed immediately in constructing a
lesson plan. There are models of BL that you can choose from, depending upon the setup that addresses
students’ need and topic requirements. According to Horn and Staker (2014), the four models include the
following:

1. Rotation Model of Blended Learning

In this model, students within a single class rotate between online learning and other learning modalities,
either on a fixed schedule or at the instructor’s discretion. In this model, most of the learning still occurs on
a physical (brick-and-mortar) campus. The Flipped Classroom is the most classic example of the Rotation
Model in practice.
Aldersgate College Technology for Teaching and Learning
College of Arts, Sciences and Education Junelyn G. Villar

2. Flex Model of Blended Learning

Here, students switch between learning modalities on a customized, fluid schedule that uses online
learning as its cornerstone. Similar to the Rotation Model, learners still learn primarily on-campus, but
under the Flex Model every class is divided into online and offline components.

3.  A La Carte Model of Blended Learning

Under this model, a student takes one or more courses online in addition to traditional courses at a brick-
and-mortar campus. Unlike full-time online learning, in the à la carte model, students at a particular school
may choose between online and offline courses at their convenience.

4. Enriched Virtual Model of Blended Learning

In this model, learning is divided between online and offline components. Although face-time is required
between the student and teacher, in the Enriched Virtual Model, the student does not necessarily come to
campus every day.

With each of these blended learning models, video plays a key role in delivering course content to students.
Regardless of the blended learning model chosen, the right video platform must allow teachers to focus
on teaching rather than on the technology.