Blended and Online Learning, the Future, and Everything in Between

 Blended and Online Learning: My Personal Definition

    Online Learning encapsulates my life at the moment, and that is where 100% of the setting is computer based. Blended learning, or what I described is the marriage of the old and the new, speaks for itself as the blend of both traditional and online learning practices. 

    Both are two completely different formats and even in my utmost frustrations at the moment, I felt a sense of fortune to experience both, not only as a student, but also as an instructor. 

Blended Learning: The Intricate Balance of the Modern Classroom

Blended learning, or hybrid learning as it’s known for my post-pandemic colleagues, was a practice I firmly believed in; we all know technology integration is so important in this day and age. With so many tools and modalities out there that supplements children's’ education and makes the workload less intense for the teachers, there’s almost no escape from it. Most teachers will tell you that differentiation is strongly encouraged in the profession; adapting to the learners different styles, interests, disabilities, reading levels, math levels, and many more factors. How does one do this with the average class size of 24 students? This was a reported average, though I’ve yet to find such classes because in my past experience, in addition to the experience of my colleagues that are currently in-person teachers, the class size average is 28-32; anything lower than 28 is a good year. With all these kids running around, everyone knows that they will have different needs and it’s unrealistic to expect the teacher to do everything on her own; with the shortage and lack of paraprofessionals, it should be assumed that they will do this on their own.

This is where Blended Learning can be advantageous, with the right materials, the support, and if done properly. The most managed and well-equipped classrooms I’ve seen had teachers divide students up into groups and rotate into stations. Among them was a small group station they met with,  a computer station where they logged in to do self-paced work, a reading station or practice station, and independent work. I was very eager to try this when I acquired Chromebooks. I had the plan, the materials, but not the support of the administration, who were quite old school or “laggards”, as they would be described in Rogers Diffusion of Innovation (Singer, 2016). They believed that the traditional practices meant more contact with the students and therefore stronger connections; basically they wanted me to be hands on with all of them…while differentiating (makes complete sense, I know). It’s often hard to justify technology integration to a mindset of a different generation. I can talk about the advantages; sparking motivation through gamified assessments, promoting independent work while focusing on specific groups categorized by needs. However,  they still see it as a disadvantage, twisting the advantages; “gamified” means playing games, independent means “potentially messing around”, and focusing on specific groups means “not focusing on all”. And they aren’t entirely wrong to believe this sometimes, lack of consistency and time management can cause this model to fall apart; like balancing plates and dropping them because one lacked focus. Like everything else that goes wrong in education, there’s always tomorrow and a renewed sense to try again. 

It’s been fascinating to see blended learning make its way in the classroom. New laws have allowed non-degree holders to teach in order to alleviate the shortage, but the advantages usually end there. As a result, schools have partnered with organizations with trained teachers who have extensive content expertise. In-person teachers log their students in for part of the day to receive math instruction from an online teacher or reading from an AI based site, to practice and be assessed. I’m among the online teachers in these organizations. While each organization has their own trials and fear of downsizing, the shortages in the traditional classrooms are going to need support and can potentially turn to these organizations, creating a blended co-teaching model, so it is evident that blended learning is here to stay. 

Online Learning: Friend or Foe? Whatever You Want it to Be

Until this very day, everyone still argues with me about online learning. To explain the advantages and disadvantages: it depends who you ask. Those who see the advantage of online learning will express its flexibility, be able to roam around, and do the work at their own pace. They will talk about the setbacks when the internet is down, but that comes with the expectations. The disadvantages, usually from those it was thrusted on, will tell me about the lack of social interactions, the complete loss of instruction if the technology or internet fails, and how it’s simply not “real learning” in comparison to traditional methods. 

I personally chose to teach online for my own mental health; Arizona teacher, enough said. I have friends who are parents that reluctantly put their kids online for their safety after gun related incidents, but expressed frustration over having to monitor them and give them space to interact with social peers. After experiencing all forms of instruction from both an educator and student, it’s easy to see both sides of it and I can honestly say that, like blended learning, it’s a delicate balance, specifically mentally. Choosing to go online, I was motivated to make the best of it, even while experiencing the disadvantages,  but if one enters it with a failing mindset, their frustration will lead to failure and one can only hope they are solution-minded. 

Conclusion

With the emerging trends in technology, and its adaptability in learners’ daily lives, blended learning and online learning can be the new normal, if it isn’t already. Blended learning has helped ease the shortages by providing quality content while online learning nurtured flexibility and allowed learners to follow lessons at their own pace. The disadvantages can easily be solved and often lie on the mindset of its opposers and their fears, but if one is focused on solutions, the advantages transcend them and whether one is ready or not, the growing trends of digital learning compels us all to embrace these methods. 

References:

101 American School Statistics: 2024 Data, Trends & Predictions. (n.d.). Research.com. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from https://research.com/education/american-school-statistics#public

Singer, L. (2016, December 30). On the Diffusion of Innovations: How New Ideas Spread. Dr. Leif Singer. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from https://leif.me/on-the-diffusion-of-innovations-how-new-ideas-spread/