Blended Learning Examples & Strategies To Implement

Have you heard of blended learning? It became more prevalent during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has been a popular way of teaching for many years prior.

Blended learning combines the best of online education with in-person teaching in order to give students a well-rounded approach to learning. It allows teachers enough class time to focus on high-level learning, giving students the ability to complete tasks at their own pace and offering additional time to students who need it.

And while it may seem like the technique requires a major overhaul for implementation, you can incorporate the strategies into your already-existing curriculum. Our EdTech company gives some blended learning examples below to help you strategize and decide what will work best for your classroom.

What Is Blended Learning?

If you’re not already familiar with the term, you might be wondering, “What is blended learning?” Blended learning is the concept of integrating technology into the classroom (a.k.a EdTech, or Education Technology).

It’s a relatively new practice as the use of cellphones, laptops, and tablets has become increasingly more common in schools. While technology in the classroom may seem counterintuitive, with control and clear direction, a large number of teachers are able to successfully integrate the two together.

Here are five strategies for blending online learning and technology into your day-to-day teaching habits (from an e-learning company).

No. 1 Host Class Discussions Online

In-person or face-to-face discussions can sometimes be unproductive or difficult in a traditional classroom setting. Online class discussions, on the other hand, can help students – especially shy ones – share their ideas and collaborate better. Collaborize Classroom, a free, online tool, lets you design discussions or incorporate their pre-designed discussions into your curriculum. Students can then respond to posts with up or down “like” buttons, write their own comments, or respond to their peers.

Online discussion boards can replace tedious, sometimes-isolating homework with engaging processes. In Knovva’s free program, Living in a Connected World, students can see what their peers are doing, allowing them to better align themselves with standards. This gives students the confidence they need to master new concepts they’re learning in the classroom.

No. 2 Build Understanding with Educational Videos

Students are often tasked with learning new topics by reading a textbook or an article. While text-based learning tools are invaluable, they have limitations when it comes to inclusive learning. When deciding how to use technology in the classroom, educational videos are an ideal supplement to typical reading assignments.

One great example of a multimodal, online platform is TEDEd. Using TEDEd, teachers design or borrow lessons centered around TED Talks or TED YouTube videos. The customized lessons include options to ask students to “Think” (answer questions) and “Dig Deeper” (explore additional resources associated with the topic).

Videos like these can help students better visualize the information they’re learning, leading to a greater grasp of the concepts covered.

No. 3 Move Memorization Tasks Online

Teachers can free up in-class time by putting memorization or practice tools online. Here’s a great blended learning example utilizing this technique: an Intermediate Spanish class at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville moved its in-class grammar learning, memorization, and practice to the online environment. As a result, students had more classroom time for practicing their oral skills and interacting with the instructor.

No. 4 Provide Online Testing

Investing valuable in-person class time to testing can sometimes affect the timeline of lessons and the overall syllabus. By initiating blended learning by means of online testing, both teachers and students can benefit.

When teachers give students the opportunity to take self-paced assessment exams, they may receive invaluable statistics.

Replacing the traditional in-classroom multiple choice tests, teachers can instead use participation in the assessment as a grading method. Teachers can get an in-depth look at how long students took to complete each question, which can potentially provide insight on what concepts need to be reviewed or further developed.

And since they have more time in the classroom (thanks to the test being offered online), they have more time to cover the concepts that may be lacking.

No. 5 Design Flipped Classrooms

Instead of using class time for lectures, many teachers are turning to flipped classrooms, or classes in which much of the teaching is moved online so that the in-class instruction can be one-on-one instruction with students.

Methods that can be used for this type of instruction include video lectures about upcoming course content. This may open classroom time for more student-centered activities, such as collaborative projects and games. For example, students could pose questions about the video they watched, or instructors could assign real-world problems for groups to consider.

Key Takeaways: The Benefits of Blending Learning

Blended learning can give teachers more class time to interact with students while focusing on breaking down complex concepts and cultivating passionate students. Implementing these blended learning examples and strategies can give you the ability to use your face-to-face classroom time for more elevated pursuits.

If you want to start quickly and easily building blended learning into your classroom, encourage your students to seek out digital supplements for their learning experience. Knovva Academy, an EdTech company centered on student achievement, offers a wide range of educational Youtube videos that can help students delve deeper into a topic of interest.

For students interested in jumpstarting their interpersonal skills, they may also consider attending an educational event like the Model G20. Students can take part in a discussion about global challenges and identify government-level solutions alongside a body of international students.

About Knovva Academy

Knovva Academy is the leader in online learning, connecting top students from around the world with visionary educators, experts, and innovators. From courses taught by world-class instructors to international leadership opportunities, Knovva’s students access the tools necessary for becoming global ambassadors.