What Will Work in New Blended Learning Experiment? Lenny Gonzales As the blended learning movement grows in the U.S., schools will need to experiment with what works best in different types of settings. There’s still a lot to learn about different types of blended learning models, and a new nonprofit called Silicon Schools will raise and invest $25 million toward that effort. With partial grants from the Bay Area’s Fisher family (owners of Gap), and the advice of board members Michael Horn from the Innosight Institute and Salman Khan of the Khan Academy, the nonprofit, which has raised $12 million so far, aims to fund new and innovative approaches in existing blended learning programs with grants to each school. The effort is led by Brian Greenberg, who chronicled the successes and challenges of piloting the Khan Academy in Oakland’s Envision Schools on the Blend My Learning blog. Giving students more responsibility for the learning process was also a significant outcome of the Envision pilot program.
Blended Learning Toolkit | Evaluating what works in blended learning Since blended learning exploded onto the K-12 scene with promises of personalized and student-centered learning, it has proliferated into dozens of different models, with educators continually tweaking and changing those methods to find the perfect balance of face-to-face and online instruction to meet the needs of their students. Students work on computers at Florence High School in this <em>EdNews</em> file photo. Interest in blended education remains high, spurred partly by research offering support for advocates’ claims that blended learning is more effective than either online or face-to-face instruction on its own. But more research is needed to determine the effectiveness of the evolving blended learning models, including best practices and which models work best for which types of students, said Susan D. “The more we know about the variety of blended learning models in K-12 education, the more we know we don’t know everything that’s out there,” she said. Michael B. Mr. Like Ms.
Blended Learning at GrayHarriman.com What is Blended LearningWhy use Blended Learning?How does one create Blended Learning?What medium can be used in Blended Learning?What are the challenges of Blended Learning? What is Blended Learning? 1. 2. Why use Blended Learning? 1. 2. 3. 4. How does one design Blended Learning? To design blended training, the instructional designers start by analyzing the training or course objectives and braking them down into the smallest possible pedagogically (for children) or andragogically (for adults) appropriate chunks (learning object). After the course or training has been chunked, the best approach to deliver each segment of instruction (learning object) is identified. The course is then aggregated by grouping the instruction logically while taking into account the medium of delivery. What medium can be used in Blended Learning? The medium is not limited to technology and can include: Here is a table that categorizes the type of learning that may be used: Blended Learning Resources:
6 Types of Blended Learning Blended Learning is not so much an innovation as it is a natural by-product of the digital domain creeping into physical boundaries. As digital and social media become more and more prevalent in the life of learners, it was only a matter of time before learning became “blended” by necessity. That said, there’s a bit more to Blended and “Hybrid” Learning than throwing in a little digital learning. 6 Types of Blended Learning Face-to-face DriverRotationFlexOnline LabSelf-BlendOnline Driver The following infographic takes a different approach to the concept, labeling it “Disruptive,” and even offering an interesting matrix. The Challenge Of Blended Learning: Why EdTech Is Still In Its Infancy Why EdTech Is Still In Its Infancy first appeared on forbes.com and wiredacademic.com “The technology is five years behind where it needs to be.” It was the complaint of yet another school trying to build a blended-learning model that utilizes multiple providers. “The software content providers are proprietary. It’s impossible to get data out of them. So went the grumbling from another blended-learning school. What strikes me as most noteworthy about these comments, however, is just how un-noteworthy this state of the industry is in any industry. At the outset of any industry, the technology tends to be immature and not yet good enough for the majority of users. As Clayton Christensen and Michael Raynor observe in The Innovator’s Solution, “by definition, these products are proprietary because each company will develop its own interdependent design to optimize performance in a different way.” But as an industry matures, the technology improves.
What Is Blended Learning? These Videos Will Get You Started Blended learning is one of those buzz words in education and technology these days. It’s not bringing a blender to class and trying a ‘Will It Blend?’ type project. Sorry, had to include that joke. See Also: How Teachers Are Using Blended Learning Right Now If you’ve been curious about blended learning but don’t know where to get started, these videos are basically a boot camp in the form of video infographics. We all know the old adage: an image is worth a thousand words. Below is part II of the presentation on Blended Learning. References: - The rise of K-12 blended learning by Heather Staker - Blended Learning in Grades 4-12: Leveraging the Power of Technology to Create Student-Centered Classrooms by Catlin R.
Transforming schools with blended learning Blended learning—which combines face-to-face classes with online courses—is quickly gaining ground in education. In fact, some studies suggest that blended learning, also called hybrid learning, offers a better academic experience than pure brick-and-mortar classes or online-only courses. Whether students are out of school on extended absences, want to enroll in a higher-level course not offered in their local district, or need to recover academic credits, blended learning offers flexible solutions and different scenarios for students and teachers alike. With the generous support of Connections Learning, we’ve put together this list of stories from our archives, along with other relevant materials, to help you best determine how blended learning might meet the needs of your school or district. —The Editors