What Blended Learning is?

"Education no longer comes in rows and textbooks, but from a combination of sources."

The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), or better eLearning, in the classroom has become a necessary evil. Teachers are always looking out for advanced opportunities as to how technology can merge with face-to-face classroom pedagogy to enhance teaching and learning. Blended or Hybrid learning, in the circles of formal and non-formal education, is becoming one popular term as teachers are employing plethora of technologies to optimize the teaching and learning experiences and learning outcomes of learners. Before the advancement in computer revolution, digital materials have served in a supplementary role, helping to support face to face instruction. Hence, there is the need to fully establish the meaning of Blended Learning (BL) and the benefits it poses to  those who employ this concept.The first question asked by most people when hearing about blended learning, of course, is just “What is blended learning?” Even though blended learning has become somewhat of a buzzword in corporate and higher education settings, there is still quite a bit of ambiguity about what is meant when the term is used (Graham, 2004).

The question therefore is what is being blended?  According to Kurtus (2004), Blended Learning is a mixture of the various learning strategies and delivery methods that will optimize the learning experience of the user. Classroom training sessions, Computer-Based Training (CBT) via a CD-ROM, Web-Based Training (WBT) can be combined as a way to train the learners. WBT can be on demand or at a specific time with an instructor and other students involved.This definition clearly spell out the concepts of BL but does not expatiate in specifics what it meant by learning strategies and delivery method. In lieu of this, let's consider other definitions of BL. As opined by the Blended Learning Initiative (BLI) - Pennsylvania State University, a BL approach combines face to face classroom methods with computer-mediated activities to form an integrated instructional approach. For example, a blended approach to a traditional, face to face course might mean that the class meets once per week instead of the usual three-session format. Learning activities that otherwise would have taken place during classroom time can be moved online. In Graham (2004), While there are a wide variety of responses to this question (Driscoll, 2002), most of the definitions are just variations of a few common themes. The three most commonly mentioned definitions documented by Graham, Allen, and Ure (2003) are:

• BL = combining instructional modalities or delivery media (Bersin & Associates, 2003; Orey, 2002a, 2002b; Singh & Reed, 2001; Thomson, 2002)
• BL = combining instructional methods (Driscoll, 2002; House, 2002; Rossett, 2002)
• BL = combining online and face-to-face (F2F) instructions (Reay, 2001; Rooney, 2003; Sands, 2002; Ward & LaBranche, 2003; Young, 2002)

As cited in the Griffith University's "Strategic Plan 2009-2011 and Academic Plan 3", "Blended learning is realised in teaching and learning environments where there is an effective integration of different modes of delivery, models of teaching and styles of learning as a result of adopting a strategic and systematic approach to the use of technology combined with the best features of face to face interaction." (Krause, 2007). This definition encompasses many of the pedagogical approaches and practices.

On the other hand, Rovai and Jordan (2004) note, according to Colis and Moonen (2001), blended learning is a hybrid of traditional face-to-face and online learning so that instruction occurs both in the classroom and online, and where the online component becomes a natural extension of traditional classroom learning. Blended learning is thus a flexible approach to course design that supports the blending of different times and places for learning, offering some of the conveniences of fully online courses without the complete loss of face-to-face contact. The result is potentially a more robust educational experience than either traditional or fully online learning can offer.

Blended learning is an important building block of the new schoolhouse that offers students both flexibility and convenience, important characteristics for working adults who decide to pursue postsecondary degrees(Rovai and Jordan, 2004). From a course design perspective, a blended course can lie anywhere between the continuum anchored at opposite ends by fully face-to-face and fully online learning environments. The face-to-face component can be either on the main university campus or the professor can travel to a remote site in order to meet with students.Martyn (2003) described a successful blended learning model. It consists of an initial face-to-face meeting, weekly online assessments and synchronous chat, asynchronous discussions, e-mail, and a final face-to-face meeting with a proctored final examination.

According to BLI, as of now, there is no consensus on a single agree-upon definition for blended learning. In addition, the terms "blended," "hybrid," and "mixed-mode" are used interchangeably in current research literature. Creating high-quality blended instruction can present considerable challenges. Foremost is the need for resources to create the online materials to be used in the courses. Materials development is a time and labour intensive process, just as it is in any instructional medium. In addition, blended instruction is likely to be a new concept to many students and faculties. Instructional designers involved in course development or redesign will need to be able to answer questions related to:

• what blended instruction is
• why blended instruction  is employed
• how best to leverage the advantages of a blended approach

As a final point, the plethora of definitions deliberated offers a preliminary ground that give as the inkling of what the blended approach is all about. Unequivocally, as advocated by the definitions analyzed, BL cartels the rich qualities of traditional face-to-face model with the concepts of distributed learning; hence a working definition has been established.

Blended learning is a student or learner –centered approach which optimizes learning experiences and outcomes as the student interact with other students, instructors, and with thoughtfully organized content, support materials and activities through an attentive integration of computer-mediated activities and F2F environments.

References

Academic Committee Resolution (2009, October 15). Blended Learning Strategies. Retrieved November 1, 2011, from Griffith Unversity Website: http://www62.gu.edu.au/policylibrary.nsf/xmainsearch/b042e0082026f3d64a25765d0062ed81?opendocument

Bersin & Associates. (2003). Blended learning: What works? An industry study of the strategy,
implementation, and impact of blended learning. Oakland, CA: Bersin & Associates.

Blended Learning Initiative (2009). Blended Learning. Retrieved November 1, 2011, from Web Learning at Penn State: http://weblearning.psu.edu/blended-learning-initiative/what_is_blended_learning

Colis, B., and Moonen, J. (2001). Flexible learning in a digital world: Experiences and expectations. London: Kogan-Page.

Driscoll, M. (2002, March 1). Blended learning: Let’s get beyond the hype. e-learning.
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House, R. (2002, January 8). Clocking in column. Spokesman-Review.

Kurtus, R. (2004, April 6). Blended Learning. Retrieved November 19, 2011, from school for champions: http://www.school-for-champions.com/elearning/blended.htm

Orey, M. (2002a). Definition of blended learning. University of Georgia. Retrieved February 21,
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Orey, M. (2002b). One year of online blended learning: Lessons learned. Paper presented at the
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Rossett, A. (2002). The ASTD e-learning handbook. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Rovai, A. P., & Jordan, M. H. (2004). Blended Learning and Sense of Community: A comparative analysis with traditional and fully online graduate courses. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, Vol 5(No 2), 1-10.

Sands, P. (2002). Inside outside, upside downside: Strategies for connecting online and faceto-
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Young, J. R. (2002, March 22). “Hybrid” teaching seeks to end the divide between traditional
and online instruction. Chronicle of Higher Education, p. A33.