Nearly 70 per cent of the world’s student population is impacted by the widespread of the pandemic. According to reports, in India alone, 32 crore learners across the segments of pre-primary, primary, secondary, and tertiary have experienced adverse impact because of closure of educational institutions.
The Unified District Information on School Education (UDISE) reveals that India’s massive education network consists of 15 lakh schools, 25 crore students, 94 lakh teachers at the school level, and 50,000 higher education institutions. While imparting quality education to millions of students poses a challenge, transcending from physical education to online learning is a herculean task itself.
At a time when traditional learning has hurdles in its way, a survey on ‘How adults see higher education being delivered in five years’ time’, by the international research firm Ipsos, says the majority population in 29 countries responded that the future of education lies between online and in-person learning.*
In fact, Ipsos, in another survey for the World Economic Forum asserts that by 2025, higher education will be a hybrid of in-person and online learning.*
Such transformational changes in the education sector have inspired several educational institutions across the globe to redesign their teaching-learning methods to effectively impart quality education. And BLENDED LEARNING seems to be the way forward.
Soon, physical and virtual classrooms are going to co-exist, each complementing the other by using its individual strengths. While Blended Learning is not a new concept, it has emerged as the most preferred learning model for the future.
WHAT IS BLENDED LEARNING?
Blended learning is a comprehensive approach that combines the best of traditional learning and online education methods. A mix of old and new, this learning approach benefits all learners - the traditional type learners who do well in an organized environment that includes face-to-face interaction, and the other, who do well with digital learning approaches. The seamless learning provides a platform for endless possibilities.
A FUTURE BUZZWORD THAT GOES BEYOND CLASSROOMS
Sometimes called Hybrid, Blended learning not only changes the mode of learning and grasping, it also redefines conventional educational roles. Here’s how blended learning benefits faculty and students alike –
BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
The key advantage of blended learning is that it maintains human connection between the educator and the learner concurrently computerising and individualising the delivery of education. This allows the educator to play the role of a mentor as it takes the pressure off from imparting the learning as an instruction.
PLATFROM FOR ALL
Blended learning offers learner convenience and flexibility as this approach uses apps and varied measurable programs to teach concepts, which allows students the ability to control and engage the material at their own pace. This helps to balance a classroom that comprises both fast and slow learners as every type of student can practice and come to grips with new material with timing that is ideal just for them. It can promote extensive learning, reduce pressure, and increase learner gratification.
PEER SUPPORT AND COLLABORATION
Collaborating and making a connection with peers in a blended learning environment improves social characteristics of learners. This type of learning allows students to make and keep connections with other students, enables them to work together, enter into fruitful discussions, and provide useful feedback to one another, which may significantly improve learner’s knowledge and skills. Everyone is motivated to actively participate, which leads to high performances and quality outcomes.
TRACKING STUDENT PROGRESS GETS EASY
Tracking the progress of a learner is extremely imperative, however, the traditional ways of learning doesn’t always ensure to see how the students are performing before you evaluate them. Blended learning enables and empowers instructors with insights to keep track of the learners’ progress at any given time so that they can understand their strengths and weaknesses, and can effectively address the gaps.
LOW COSTS
Blended learning approach is extremely cost-effective and time saving. This type of approach requires fewer classrooms or training centers, fewer instructors, and less commuting time.
Blended Learning is the need-of-the-hour and seems to be the way forward as a consequence of Covid-19 impact.
Sources
* https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse
* https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/higher-education-online-change-cost-covid-19/
