Blended Learning 101os-digital-learning-conference-16.weebly.com/... · What is Blended Learning? A good definition of blended learning from Innosight Institute defines blended learning

Blended Learning 101

An introduction for secondary teachers

What is Blended Learning?» Definitions of blended learning

range from so broad that practically any learning experience that integrates some use of educational technology might qualify

» While others focus on a specific percentage combination of online curriculum and instruction in a face-to-face setting

What is Blended Learning?A good definition of blended learning from Innosight Institute defines blended learning as:

A formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through online delivery of content and instruction with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace and at least in part at a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home.

Blended Learning Defined» Blended Learning is not Distance

Learning or On-line learning

» Distance Learning is any learning that allows instructor, students, and content to be located in different locations so that instruction and learning occur independent of time and place

Blended Learning Defined

»Blended Learning combines two modes of instruction:> online and face-to-face.

» In a Blended environment, students meet regularly with their teacher.

Why use Blended Learning?A talented California educator, Catlin Tucker, an expert on blended learning, wrote in her blog:

“My interest in blended learning came from my own desire to improve student learning, while being a more effective educator. My teaching practice was transformed when I began weaving together work done in the classroom with work done online. As a result, I encourage regular teachers (like myself) to embrace this term and use technology to create a blended curriculum that combines engagement and active learning in the classroom with meaningful work done online.”

Rationale for Blended Learning1) Few rigorous research studies of the effectiveness of

online learning for K–12 students have been published. Much of the current work is based on older students.

2) Students in online conditions performed modestly better, on average, than those learning the same material through traditional face-to-face instruction.

3) Learning outcomes for students who engaged in online learning exceeded those of students receiving face-to-face instruction

4) Instruction combining online and face-to-face elements had a larger advantage relative to purely face-to-face instruction than did purely online instruction.

5) Students performed better in studies in which the online instruction was collaborative or instructor-directed than in those studies where online learners worked independently.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies, Washington, D.C., 2010.

Models of Blended Learning

Classifying K–12 Blended Learning by Heather Staker and Michael B. Horn from Innosight Institute identifies four primary blended learning models.


Let’s look at each of these, individually


Rotation model –• A program in which students rotate on a fixed schedule or at the teacher’s discretion between learning modalities, at least one of which is online learning.

• Other modalities might include activities such as small-group or full-class instruction, group projects, individual tutoring, and pencil-and-paper assignments.


Rotation Model

Station-Rotation Model

Lab-Rotation Model

Flipped-Classroom Model

Individual-Rotation Model

Models of Blended LearningStation Rotation –• Students rotate on a fixed schedule or at

the teacher’s discretion among classroom-based learning modalities.

• The rotation includes at least one station for online learning.

• Other stations might include activities such as – small-group or full-class instruction, – group projects, – individual tutoring, – and pencil-and-paper assignments.

• Some implementations involve the entire class alternating among activities together,

• Others divide the class into small group or one-by-one rotations.

Models of Blended LearningLab Rotation –• Students rotate on a fixed

schedule or at the teacher’s discretion among locations on the brick-and-mortar campus.

• At least one of these spaces is a learning lab for predominantly online learning,

• Additional classroom(s) house other learning modalities.

Models of Blended LearningFlipped Classroom –• Students rotate on a fixed schedule between face-

to-face teacher-guided practice (or projects) on campus during the standard school day and online delivery of content and instruction of the same subject from a remote location (often home) after school.

• The primary delivery of content and instruction is online, which differentiates a Flipped Classroom from students who are merely doing homework practice online at night.

• The Flipped-Classroom model accords with the idea that blended learning includes some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace because the model allows students to choose the location where they receive content and instruction online and to control the pace at which they move through the online elements.


Individual Rotation –• Students rotate on an individually

customized, fixed schedule among learning modalities, at least one of which is online learning.

• An algorithm or teacher(s) sets individual student schedules.

• The Individual-Rotation model differs from the other Rotation models because students do not necessarily rotate to each available station or modality.


Flex model –• A program in which content and instruction

are delivered primarily by the Internet• Students move on an individually customized,

fluid schedule among learning modalities, and the teacher-of-record is on-site.

• The teacher-of-record or other adults provide face-to-face support on a flexible and adaptive as-needed basis through activities such as small-group instruction, group projects, and individual tutoring.

• Some implementations have substantial face-to-face support, while others have minimal support.

Models of Blended LearningSelf-Blend model –• A scenario in which students choose to take

one or more courses entirely online to supplement their traditional courses and the teacher-of-record is the online teacher.

• Students may take the online courses either on the brick-and-mortar campus or off-site.

• This differs from full-time online learning and the Enriched-Virtual model because it is not a whole-school experience.

• Students self-blend some individual online courses and take other courses at a brick-and-mortar campus with face-to-face teachers.

Models of Blended LearningEnriched-Virtual model –• Students divide their time between attending a

brick-and-mortar campus and learning remotely using online delivery of content and instruction.

• Many Enriched-Virtual programs began as full-time online schools and then developed blended programs to provide students with brick-and-mortar school experiences.

• The Enriched-Virtual model differs from the Flipped Classroom because in Enriched-Virtual programs, students seldom attend the brick-and-mortar campus every weekday.

• It differs from the Self-Blend model because it is a whole-school experience, not a course-by-course model.

Learning Management System

• LMS –• The technology platform through

which students’ access blended and online courses. A LMS generally includes software for creating and editing course content, communication tools, assessment tools, and other features for managing the course.

Learning Management Systems

Blended Learning Examples

Tips on Blending Your Class• START SMALL…Don’t try to blended an entire class or even every class you teach. Pick one project/activity and build from there.

• COLLABORATE…Find like-minded teachers and share the load. Blending your classes takes a lot of up-front work. Having someone to help is always a good idea.

• GET SOME ADVICE…Talk to peers who are already blending classes, read articles, take a class. Look for opportunities to learn more about Blended Learning.

• Most importantly, DON’T GIVE UP… Things seldom go exactly as we plan. Anytime we try something new there are bound to be bumps in the road. Learn from them and try again.

Finding your BlendUseful strategies for designing online components for blended learning• Establish which learning activities or content

do not require a face-to-face environment. These could include some of the following:– Administrative matters: Documents such

as class outlines, important dates, contact information, occupational health and safety policies, student class lists, class evaluations, student expectations, frequently asked questions, schedules, programs, etc

– Resources: Lectures, study notes, lecture notes, reading lists, web links, etc

– Procedural documents: Project briefs, assessment criteria, ‘how to’ instructions or demonstrations, etc

Finding your BlendFollowing this, determine which learning activities could be enhanced by being conducted within an online environment.

These could include:• Assignments: Self paced assessment and revision

modules, quizzes, past exam papers, online tutorials, examples of good practice, submission of assessment, etc

• Feedback: Peer feedback, audio or written feedback by teacher, etc

• Collaboration: Discussions, group work, etc• Preparation work: Resources and activities that

students can use to prepare for face-to-face classes

• News items: Weekly instructions and motivating comments from teacher

• External involvement: Visiting lecturers or guests, collaboration or input from students in institutions located in other states or countries, industry participants, etc

Top 10 Reasons to Blend your Class1. Save Time-Spend less time creating and copying handouts, assignments and activity sheets by using to an online education platform where handouts can be uploaded and attached to questions, topics and assignment descriptions.

2. Save Money-Copy machines, ink, paper and repairs cost school districts thousands of dollars annually. Teachers are forced to spend their own money to supplement classroom resources. Teachers can save money and paper by posting assignments, directions, notes, reading materials online. This also helps those “organizationally challenged” students who tend to lose or misplace everything handed to them.

Top 10 Reasons to Blend your Class3. Spend Less Time Grading-

Online discussions and collaborative group work free teachers from their role as the only source of information and feedback. When students engage in dynamic online discussions, they become valued resources in the class. They ask each other clarifying questions making it easier to eliminate worksheets that have limited potential to inspire.

4. Spend More Time in Class Doing What You Love-Teachers can focus on designing innovative learning opportunities that employ the limitless resources available on the Internet. This allows more flexibility in the classroom because students can spend more time working in collaborative groups to do creative tasks related to the subject matter.

Top 10 Reasons to Blend your Class5. Increase One-On-One Interactions with Students-

Teachers can use online tools to engage in conversations with students they may not normally have. Some students are shy or anxious about speaking with a teacher in class; however, online discussions provide students easy access to one another and their teacher. They can post questions and get answers outside the confines of a normal school day, in a setting familiar to them.

6. Provide Students Opportunities to Practice Standardized Exams Online-Most teachers do not want to spend valuable in-class time drilling students on standardized exam questions. Instead, they can use collaborative online education platforms that offer multiple question types to facilitate test practice for students. It provides a space for them to work together to develop stronger test taking strategies and skills.

Top 10 Reasons to Blend your Class7. Facilitate Group Work That Works-

Online collaborative group work allows students the flexibility to participate asynchronously when they have time, and eliminates wasted time in class. Technology also creates transparency because it is easier to see who has done what, making the work online more equitable. This work can then be woven back into the classroom where students can present to their peers about work done online.

8. Communicate More Effectively with All Students-Many online learning platforms have built-in message systems that make it possible for teachers to communicate with individual students or groups of students easily. Teachers can make announcements, amend assignments, change due dates, and address questions using the message option – without having to wait until the next school day.

Top 10 Reasons to Blend your Class

9. Build Community and Relationships-Teachers can use the online space to build student relationships. Online icebreakers are a fun way to get students talking, using each other’s names and practicing online etiquette. These fun informal conversations translate into a stronger in-class community.

10. Have Fun-The Internet gives teachers access to more information than ever before. Most educational platforms allow teachers to embed pictures, videos, PDFs and documents making it easy to take the best online resources and present them in the safe space of your online learning platform.

Some ResourcesContact:

Rick Messick or Steve [email protected]@lok12.org

Online:• www.christenseninstitute.org/blended-learning• www.edutopia.org• www.inacol.org

For Free Blended Learning Trainingwww.remc.org/projects/blendedlearning/

ANY QUESTIONS?

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