Blended Learning is a relatively new format of Education as it combines the use of traditional learning with modern technology to support education. Blended Learning doesn’t just replace a lot of traditional methods it combines the strengths of both to deliver a much higher standard of learning.  An example of blended learning would be a lecture that is recorded by the tutor and then uploading that online for all the students to view and access when they want. An article i found highlights a few Pro’s and Con’s of blended learning below.

Pros

• Collaborative learning experiences. Collaboration between the students and instructor can increase substantially via an online training platform. With many collaborative tools (online discussions, blogs, instant messages, etc.) the students are able to connect with each other in or out of the classroom.

• Increased accessibility. Improves access as well as student attitudes towards learning. The students are given the tools to access the course materials anytime, anywhere.

• Better communication. Communication is improved between lecturers and part-time/full-time students. An online training platform can provide many communication tools such as news announcements, e-mail, instant messaging, online discussions, online grading tool, dropboxes, and more.

• Successful evaluations. Better student evaluations via the use of online testing and assessments with reporting features. Often times, the students can evaluate themselves better as well with immediate grading or feedback.

Cons

• Strong technological dependence. The tech resources and tools need to be reliable, easy to use, and up to date in order for the use of the Internet to have a meaningful impact on the learning experience.

• Lack of IT knowledge. IT literacy can serve as a significant barrier for students attempting to get access to the course materials. The availability of technical support is a must.

• Students can fall behind. The use of lecture recording technologies can result in students falling behind on the material. Nearly half of all students will wait and watch several weeks’ worth of videos in one sitting, rather than on a regular basis.

 How i intend to use blended learning in my own project

I Intend to use the idea of blended learning in my project as I feel that the use of features such as online lectures/ workshops will be vital to a service aimed at university students, In addition to this the digitization’s of university libraries supports students learning as well because it means particular academic texts can be read from the comfort of some ones bedroom and it also removes the danger of someone else already checking the book out before you.

The video below cover the fundamentals of Blended Learning:

 

Sources

http://www.digitalchalk.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-blended-learning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xMqJmMcME0