Top 5 Benefits Of Blended Learning and why you should use the approach
Highlights:
- What Is Blended Learning?
- Types Of Blended Learning
- Benefits Of Blended Learning
- Why Use Blended Learning For Your Employees?
- Blended Learning Models In Workplace Learning
- Final thoughts
Everyone knows that training is difficult. We learn this from school, which may be challenging for poor learners. Learning is one of the essential processes in our lives and a never-ending one. We continuously learn as it is critical for professional development.
Companies and organizations of all sizes better than others understand the importance of continuous learning. Modern white-label LMS offer business owners a wide array of opportunities and methods to efficiently train their employees, and blended learning is one of them. Business owners or managers need to know why blended learning is essential and beneficial for their business.
What Is Blended Learning?
Blended learning refers to a mixed approach to learning. You may also encounter the terms "mixed learning," hybrid learning," or "flipped classroom." The meaning of blended learning matches each of these three. Explanations of those terms also answer the question of what is a blended learning mode. The idea of such hybrid learning systems is to mix classic learning with digital content. For example, it can be video material that a learner will watch after a traditional lesson.
Face-to-face elements are losing popularity. This tendency gained momentum with the implementation of a blended e-learning approach, as a blended approach to learning can go beyond classic methods. It may include surveys, formal assessments, forming groups of learners, and digital audio, reading, and video materials. This type of learning has become popular among SMBs, large businesses, and organizations. But why use blended learning? The answer lies in its versatility and agility. Adhering to a blended approach to learning helps companies, businesses, and organizations to scale training and deliver learning programs that entirely suit their needs.
Types Of Blended Learning
A blended approach to learning comes in several types. It is essential to mention that each model differs in terms of requirements, learners' responsibilities, and the main emphasis on learning. Each model suits great its purpose by utilizing different types of learning. Some techniques are more useful in remote worker training than others. The best thing about the blended e-learning approach is its flexibility and scalability, allowing it to adapt to any goal and industry.
Here are examples of blended learning to grasp what different types of blended learning look like
1. The A La Carte Model
It partially relates to the learner's self-direction, and they can choose what courses they want to attend. Schools involve a strict number of classes that are a must for everyone and allow the learners to pick special ones. Often, these classes take place online and involve external specialists, allowing learning establishments to provide knowledge exceeding their capability.
2. The Flipped Classroom
This type focuses on developing problem-solving skills and facilitating autonomy. Learners work on learning materials at home individually and then apply the obtained knowledge in classroom activities. One can arrange online flipped classrooms with video calls instead of classic classroom activities.
3. The Enriched Virtual Model
This one shares certain aspects of the previous model. In this case, learners mostly work online. The difference from the conventional approach is that all the training activities are online. Still, it involves teachers just like traditional lessons and assumes a classic approach to learning.
4. The Rotation Model
This model suits many types of learning, including the blended one. It assumes that the educator must decide how much time should be spent on live learning and online. The main idea is to allow learners to rotate in-person and online learning. It implies a strict plan for learners to follow.
5. The Flex Model
The flex blended learning model offers flexibility. It focuses on delivering flexible and highly personalized learning experiences, tailoring and adapting the learning program to the learners` needs. Most learning is conducted online, while educators and mentors provide support at learners` requests and general control of the process.
Benefits Of Blended Learning
This approach has emerged as a highly effective approach to learning that combines traditional classroom methods with digital content. This unique combination inside a single blended program offers several benefits, making it an essential strategy for businesses and organizations.
Learners Get a Personal Experience
Blending learning models allow learners to receive a personalized experience tailored to their needs and preferences. By incorporating various types of materials, such as videos, presentations, and interactive activities, learners can choose the most suitable format for their understanding and engagement. This personalized approach fosters better knowledge retention and increases confidence in their abilities.
It Increases Engagement
Engagement is crucial in successful processes, and blended education excels in this area. Combining traditional and digital elements creates an engaging and interactive atmosphere that boosts motivation and engagement. Interactive events, simulations, and gamified activities stimulate learners' interest and enthusiasm, increasing motivation and outcomes.
It Improves Experiences
A blended approach to learning enhances the overall experience by offering a diverse range of materials and methods. Learners can access various content, such as audio, video, graphical, and text materials, enabling them to explore topics from different angles. This variety keeps learners engaged and deepens their understanding and critical thinking skills.
Create a Blended Learning Program
Businesses and organizations must follow a systematic approach to create an effective blended learning solution. They should identify the objectives, target audience, and the types of materials required. Companies can develop a well-structured and comprehensive blended training program by utilizing a blend of traditional classroom training and digital resources, such as a Learning Management System.
Learners Can Access Content Anytime, Anywhere
One of the significant advantages is its flexibility in terms of time and location. Learners can access the content conveniently, allowing them to fit the process into their busy schedules. Whether in the office, at home, or on the go, learners can access the training materials using various devices, such as computers, tablets, or smartphones.
Blending training into workplace training and employee development can significantly improve experience and knowledge retention and boost overall productivity. It stands as a powerful and effective solution in today's digital age. As businesses and organizations continue to embrace the blend of traditional and digital learning, blended education will undoubtedly remain a crucial pillar in education and training.
Why Use Blended Learning For Your Employees?
Blended learning opens new ways for learners to upskill and develop that classic and traditional learning methods can't offer. The aforementioned is especially true for modern businesses, as employee skill level directly affects the whole company or business results. A company that hires or trains highly skilled employees has a clear competitive advantage.
AcademyOcean concentrates on developing a reliable LMS that lets SMBs, large companies, and organizations use various training methods to gain a competitive advantage. Let's examine what benefits blended learning has for businesses and their employees.
- Ensuring diversity
AcademyOcean knows well everyone is unique and requires a personalized approach to learning. We consume new information visually by reading, listening, and learning by doing (kinesthetic). Those ways are often interchangeable, and some researchers even mention others, such as social, logical, and so on. One is known for sureâeveryone learns in their way. In turn, blended learning is a way to provide everyone with a convenient way to upskill and obtain new knowledge.
- Enhances engagement, retention, and the quality of learning
Learning is a multi-layer process involving various activities supplementing one another. From this perspective, blended learning helps to diversify learning activities, helping to deal with boredom and making learning more engaging. For example, discussions help a great deal to establish communication in a team reaching. By diversifying learning methods, one can fill learners' knowledge gaps and boost engagement.
- Control over the pace
Since everyone is different, people can only learn well when they control their time. The employee typically must deal with time constraints and struggles to balance work with life. Above this, they need to find time for learning, which often assumes sacrificing working or personal time. Blended learning offers flexibility and convenience.
- Scalability
The previous benefit mostly stood for learners, as they were getting flexibility in learning while their employees could enjoy quality knowledge. This one is most beneficial for business owners. Scalability is especially useful for large companies. For example, training for franchisees is most effective when one shares the information bit by bit, ensuring the recipient gets and understands everything. It allows for measuring the loading, allowing to avoid burnout.
- Decreasing costs
These days, learning is inseparable from any successful SMB, large company, organization, or business. Continuously investing in it may be very costly and inefficient. Blended learning helps to decrease expenditures required for arranging traditional learning. If a company finds a suitable LMS, it can store its data in a single place, regularly updating it. For example, we offer flexible ways of managing learners and engaging them via numerous features such as gamification.
Blended Learning Models In Workplace Learning
We have already touched on this aspect by discussing other matters. Here, we share the most beneficial models of blended learning for employee training.
Instructor-Led Training (ILT)
This method has recently gained popularity. It assumes that the trainer or instructor can select a time for training right within the LMS. With self-paced learning, employers and employees can synchronize, knowing each other's progress. Apart from giving your workers flexibility, it gives you extensive control over their progress, allowing providing valuable materials to fill their knowledge gaps.
Virtual Learning Space
Inside the virtual learning space, the learners can access all the available classes when necessary. Modern LMS solutions support audio, video, graphical, and text materials. They also may allow learners to communicate via built-in chat and exchange knowledge. It is also possible to record lessons conducted with trainers to have access to them later.
Web-Based Brief Lessons
It works excellently to help employees gain a fundamental knowledge of their work, responsibilities, and products. It also helps to prepare them to put their new knowledge into practice. For example, Boeing uses web-based lessons to give theoretical information to their workers at a comfortable pace and then asks the workers to demonstrate their new skills.
Performer-Centric Blended Learning
It combines digital simulations and scenarios with interactive exercises, allowing to get high retention rates. Combining cognitive and self-controlled learning will enable workers to master new skills swiftly. Adding collaborative and instructor-led models can significantly improve the quality of education. Such an approach helped Intel to build a reputation as a company selling highly reliable products with minimal defects.
Final thoughts
Considering the cost-effectiveness of blended learning and the results it brings to businesses, it's natural to assume that it will be an inseparable part of in-house training. It should boost the productivity and effect of training while being inexpensive for SMBs. Blended learning opens many opportunities for businesses and organizations.