In our GoStudent expert talks we speak to experts in the field of education! Find out more on real-life insights from leaders in the ed-industry. 🚀
Since the pandemic, technology in education has gone through nothing less than a revolution. From being available only in elite schools, today it’s the new norm!
From the many benefits of the virtual classroom, blended and hybrid learning have emerged as two popular learning methods.
What is a blended learning approach? 🤔
Blended learning is a form of education that includes in-person, hands-on learning in combination with digital learning.
Why is blended learning effective? 🤔
Here are three key reasons :
👉 Facilitates Collaboration
Technology has a way of facilitating creation through shared knowledge, in efficient and enjoyable ways! 🙌
Dan Sutch, director of the Centre For The Acceleration Of Social Technology, who often works with educators in the UK, has seen the collaborative power of blended learning in the classroom.
One of his favourite examples is of grade three students in Nailsworth Primary School, Gloucestershire, creating a “Choose your own adventure story” together. In a virtual classroom the teacher discussed the elements of a story with them : structure, narrative and character analysis. After which the students each wrote a chapter of the story at home. When they returned in online class, all the chapters were digitally combined.
This way they created an expansive adventure story with multiple routes! 📖
This sort of collaborative skills allows students to build larger projects like a website or even a game together! Which encourages their digital creativity skills,that are increasingly important to have in this digital first world.
👉 Enables UpSkilling
Rachel Smith, a foreign language teacher for secondary students in the Isle Of Man and former digital educator of the year, felt that blended learning required her students to learn and hone their technical skills. 🤓
This included basic word processing, typing, reading written instructions more carefully and even exploring their online learning platforms.
This sort of focus and curiosity generated by upskilling, allows students to engage with their lessons more effectively!
👉 Allows Independent Learning
Smith also found that blended learning made her students “self-sufficient” learners.
This is because, unlike a classroom, in a blended learning model the teacher is not immediately present to answer questions from students. Which leaves them to look for solutions themselves! 💪
Has your child struggled to keep pace with the learning in his class? Perhaps Maths slows them down? Or maybe they grasp science concepts much faster than their peers and then spend the rest of the lesson rather bored?
Blended learning also allows students to manage the time and pace they spend on each subject. ⏰
Smith found that the short videos she provided to her students on each lesson were extremely useful for independent time management. Some students watched it multiple times, if they didn’t understand key concepts in the first-go. Unlike a classroom where they’d have to move on to the next class after a particular lesson had been taught.
🔥 Expert Tip : “As a teacher being able to teach remotely gives me more time to give personalised feedback to students,” says Smith. ”Learning during the pandemic hasn’t been all negative.”
What is hybrid learning? 🤔
Hybrid learning is a form of education where some students participate in-person and some participate remotely. Technology is used to teach all participants at the same time.
Hybrid learning is relatively less popular than blended learning because :
1️⃣ There can be a tendency to replicate in-person teaching methods online in hybrid learning, which is not usually effective.
2️⃣ To work well, it requires high-quality technology to be available from both the teacher and the student’s end.
Yet, hybrid learning seems most beneficial when students are unable to attend in-person classes due to medical reasons. More commonly now, when some students might need to quarantine at home due to covid. 😷
Our Advice : Even as students go back to school from remote learning in the UK, blended and hybrid learning will continue to lead the future of education.🚀
Especially because as the future of work becomes increasingly remote, qualities like collaboration, upskilling and independent learning, are essential for students to thrive in their careers.
At GoStudent we understand the value of in-person learning, and agree that online learning can’t replace it.That is why blended learning – a best of both worlds – is a great learning choice for students.
There are many ways even parents can support blended learning at home.
Or you can leave the blended learning guidance to GoStudent!
Our expert tutors make sure to personalise education for each student, in a way that ensures their progress. You can book a trial lesson with one of our tutors here!
