Blended Learning: Online And In-Person Education
Online learning is rampant, and there’s no telling if this is going to be the future of education. Studies suggest that around 42% of graduate students prefer to study online, whereas 30% of undergrad students preferred to study from the comfort of their homes remotely. There’s a reason that online learning has grown by 900% since it was first introduced. To describe it simply, online courses have gone from having 300,000 course takers in 2021 to 220 million course takers now.
So, how do you find balance in such a world, between online and in-person education? It’s not hard to see that everyone prefers to stay in the comfort of their home for work and study. But where do you find the balance? How do you differentiate home life from education? Let’s find out how you can balance the two with blended learning.
What Is Blended Learning?
Blended learning is a mixture of eLearning as well as traditional learning. In blended learning, students are expected to join classes as much as they are expected to be online for education. The blended learning model isn’t exactly new, as it was first introduced during the mid-1970s in the United States. But as you can guess, the past few years have hiked up the need for blended learning a bit. In 2020 and most of 2021, a lot of students still relied solely on online learning. That’s why blended learning models were introduced, so that students can:
- Learn online two days and in school for three days—or vice versa
- Continue to socialize with fellow students and teachers
- Partake in physical activities
- Avoid any mental health issues or drawbacks
- Continue supporting physical classes
While it’s a popular model, there are still split opinions in many parts of the world. Some students prefer totally online classes, whereas others prefer to visit school all the time. But in younger students, i.e., ages 4-14, there isn’t much difference between online and offline classes.
Why Is Blended Learning Important?
Blended learning is one of the easiest ways to personalize studies for any student. For younger students, it could be a better chance to study in an environment that they feel comfortable in, whether it’s at home or at school. Older students can benefit from blended learning by alternating between working and studying. And since a lot of blended learning courses allow students to go at their own pace, it ensures no student is left behind in terms of courses and learning. it also ensures that students gain a few other benefits, such as:
- They become efficient at learning
- They can engage with fellow students and teachers
- They learn to communicate better with students/teachers
- They collaborate easily and swiftly
- They can keep better track of their progress
- They receive better teaching
That’s why blended learning is a key element in today’s educational landscape.
5 Ways To Find The Perfect Balance Between Online And In-Person Education
It’s important to find the right balance between online study and offline study. So, now that we know a few basics about blended learning, let’s talk about the five ways you can maintain a balance between online and in-person education:
Effective Time Management
There are some schools and institutions that offer at-your-own-pace learning. In fact, most schools today offer this when a student wishes to take online classes. Now, instead of taking all classes online or offline, you can take a blend of the two. Most plans offer students two days in a physical class and three days remote attendance—or vice versa. For effective time management, it’s imperative that you focus on both, moderately. That’s why it’s important to find balance by effectively managing time. Here are a few tips to help you do that:
- Sleep on time and wake up early
- Establish a strict routine of studying
- Avoid play time during study hours and vice versa
- Set a goal for each day—as well as long-term goals
This way, you will be able to ensure a much more efficient study session for yourself or your child. This way, you avoid the online and offline class advantages and disadvantages—and instead focus on your studies. So, make sure you establish a routine and then stick to it.
Ensure Accessibility
Accessibility is one of the biggest challenges for schools and institutions. At the center of it are teachers who barely make things work without a classroom. As a student, it’s imperative that you stay in touch and be accessible to your teachers. Your teacher may not even require you to be constantly in touch. But being accessible means that you should always:
- Answer phone calls and messages
- Be responsive to emails and texts
- Always be mindful of sheets, documents, etc.
- Always make your presence known/participate in Zoom classes.
This may sound like a lot of work, but it’s important that you harness the power of online training. Now, your teachers won’t always call you on your personal phone, but that means you will have to be active on Zoom or other platforms when you are studying online. Then, you also need to be mindful of emails and make sure you have notifications turned on on your mobile device. This way, you will attend to emails as soon as they arrive. Being accessible won’t only make studying easy for you, but also make life easier for your teacher.
Devise A Hybrid Environment
Hybrid learning environments are the absolute favorite of students nowadays. There are times when you simply do not want to wake up and go to class. Likewise, there are times when you don’t wish to attend a class from behind a screen. That’s why around 82% of students prefer a hybrid setting. This means going to class every now and then but always staying in touch with your institutions. Moreover, 87% of the students in physical classes completed their courses, whereas students in the hybrid model completed it 91% of the time.
So, hybrid environments are the key to being more productive. Now, it’s imperative that there’s a check and balance in balancing out the benefits of online and offline classes. That means ensuring that:
- There’s a monthly balance of offline and online classes
- That you are taking enough of both types of classes
- Avoid missing out on one or the other
- Be punctual regarding class times for both methods
This method is convenient for both students and teachers. That’s why the hybrid model is the future of both higher and secondary levels of education.
Encourage Fun-Based Learning
Fun-based learning is something that always yields better results. In this video, the teacher is demonstrating the gravitational orbit of planets and the sun. Now, this wouldn’t be possible in an online setting, so a physical setting is more appropriate. But what’s the fun part of it all? It gives students a chance to participate and watch in order to learn instead of studying or reading boring text off the board. A study suggested that 74% of teachers incorporate game-based learning to improve lesson qualities. So, there are a few tips and tricks to encourage fun-based learning, such as:
- Being open to creative ideas from students
- Giving students a choice for the lesson of the day
- Introducing game-based learning or educational games in the course
- Creating group time and fun activities
- Incorporating physical activities to teach a specific subject
Thus you can ensure that you are giving your students a bit of fun while teaching them specific courses.
Focus On Personal Health: Mental And Physical Activities
Being online too much can take a toll on mental health. Being in a chair takes a toll on physical health as well. In either case, mental and physical health requires thorough tending. That’s why hybrid models are necessary, as they allow students to partake in physical activities as well as studies. Now, you can ensure other ways to increase mental and physical health. This applies in both cases, whether you’re a student or a teacher. What you can do is:
- Go for a run in the morning or sign up for a gym
- Always prefer the hybrid model over only physical or only online models
- Go to your class and socialize with students/teachers
- Make time for yourself in your week/day
The last point is particularly important as it can dictate how well you perform for the rest of the week. Therefore, make sure you keep a balance between your personal/professional/educational lives.
Conclusion
These are some of the ways you can keep a balance between online and in-person education. It’s important that your physical and mental well-being stays intact. For that, you will have to form a proper routine where you are sleeping and eating well. Then, you need to ensure you are focusing on class activities and learning equally.
