LDT 523 -U2 WOL: Defining Online and Blended Learning

Two Types of Modern Learning: Online and Blended.

I’m going to discuss my own experiences and perspectives about these two learning styles Online learning and blended learning.  I’m going to discuss what these terms mean, why they matter, and how they can shape the future of education.

Brief Synopsis of what these two learning styles entail:

Online learning: When I think of online learning, I think of a virtual classroom, one that contains pre-recorded lectures, quizzes, discussion boards and collaborative projects. Enabling students to learn at their own pace, accessing this material anytime, anywhere.

Blended learning: Blended learning is really a combination of traditional classroom and online learning.  It’s a hybrid approach, combining online activities with face-to-face sessions. I’ve seen online modules cover foundational knowledge, while in-person sessions dig deeper with discussions, applications, and interaction with peers and the professor.
 

More detail on my thoughts of Online / Hybrid Learning

I need to point out that while online learning and blended learning both offer advantages, claiming one is more valuable than the other isn’t entirely accurate.  There is no Blended learning without online learning.  From my point of view there can never be a completely Online course completely unless it’s covering remedial or foundational topics.  A Graduate or advanced course like I’m planning to teach will probably never be able to be fully online.  I like how my current LDT523 has a weekly scheduled meeting allowing us to address the occasional sticky wicket.

Online Learning
Some of my thoughts on advantages on online learning include:

• Increased Flexibility and Accessibility:  Online learning allows learners access to course materials and allows completing  assignments at their own pace.  All that's required is an internet connection. This makes online learning highly accessible.  Removing bounds from busy schedules and geographical dispersion, or even learners with disabilities. While blended learning still involves scheduled in-person sessions, which can limit participation for those busy schedules and geographical dispersed individuals.
• Self-Directed Learning and Individualized Pace: Online courses allow learners to progress through subjects at their own pace.  Perfect for remedial topics.  Allowing learners to pause / repeat subjects to help with their understanding.   Blended learning involves synchronous sessions.  This can slow down a group when some students are not at the same level of understanding of a topic.
• Wider Range of Resources and Content: Online platforms are multimedia rich.  Exercise and simulations can enhance engagement, subject matter can be far reaching and almost unlimited in scope.  Blended learning has more traditional classroom resources textbooks and lectures, potentially limiting the learning materials.
• Cost-Effectiveness: Learners save on transportation, child care, accommodation, and other potential expenses associated with in-person attendance.  Blended learning requires both online and physical infrastructure like a building.
• Scalability and Reach: Online courses can be scaled to reach a large number of learners simultaneously, Blended learning, with its in-person component, limits the number of participants due to classroom size.

Online learning, to me is the perfect way to get all the foundational knowledge and remedial knowledge out of the way so the professor can concentrate on the important topics.

Blended learning
Blending online modules with in person sessions provides ability to cover foundational concepts that need covered by the teacher can be explored through pre-recorded videos, saving the in-person classes to delve much deeper into discussions, applications, and stimulating discussion.  In fact, in my research into the teaching of complex topics, what I have found is that many topics don’t lend themselves to online learning.  Some of the more complex topics that require interaction with the professor using white-boards and applying topics to unique scenarios can currently only be done either in person or virtually.

Various Thoughts:

• Advantage: Flexibility While I mentioned Hybrid or blended learning requires a Physical presence, while this can be physical.  It’s not completely required, with today’s virtual classrooms using zoom, teams and slack many of the physical presence requirements are being mitigated.
• Disadvantage: Digital divide and limited access: Not everyone has equal access to technology or reliable internet.
• Advantage Lack of social interaction for online learning. Face-to-face interaction and collaboration are crucial for some learning styles, and online environments can feel isolating.
• Advantage: Motivation and self-discipline: Online learning requires better time management, which can be challenging for some students.
• Advantage: Technical challenges: Technology glitches only happen during the final exam, when you need the technology the most.

Analysis:
The significance in both of these teaching and learning methods is flexibility.  Catering to diverse needs busy individuals, geographically dispersed learners, and students with unique learning styles or disability all have a level playing field.  Online resources offer individualized learning paths, tailoring content and pace to specific strengths and weaknesses.

On the flip side:  Technology is in many parts of the world, only for the privileged.  Online environments lack personal interaction and can breed isolation and lack of motivation.  The onus of motivation and time management is the responsibility of the learner.

Tailoring the Canvas for Diverse Learners:
So, how can these approaches cater to the unique needs of various learners? Online learning shines for independent learners with busy schedules, those residing in remote areas, or individuals seeking self-paced review. Blended learning, with its balance of individualized online activities and personalized in-person interaction, caters to a wider spectrum, accommodating diverse learning styles and needs.

Elevating Learning Outcomes:
The impact of these approaches on learning outcomes is huge. Online pre-recorded lectures free up classroom time, allowing the instructor to focus on complex interactive topics and discussions. Students enter the classroom with foundational knowledge, ready to dive deeper into complex topics, leading to better understanding, deeper engagement and retention.

Distinguishing the Shades:
But where does the line between online and blended learning blur? I feel the key lies in the proportion of online and face-to-face interaction determined by the topic or subject at hand.  Whilst online learning primarily occurs in the digital realm, with minimal or no in-person contact. Blended learning, on the other hand, strikes a balance.  Integrating online activities with face-to-face sessions to create a hybrid learning experience.

Gazing into my Crystal Ball:
The future is exciting.  I’m looking forward to creating more advanced course work, using Online portions for all the remedial and foundational subjects.  It is clearly a waste of my time to cover the same old rote information that’s been around for years in a classroom.  Once we hit a critical mass of understanding on a particular topic and it becomes more of a generalized topic it needs to be regulated to a simple call of the HTML to a online section that covers that subject without me wasting a whole class on the topic.  If a student or learner doesn’t have the basic understanding of the topic they need to do some research before they hit my class.

Emerging technologies virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence are all creating opportunities.  I imagine my students in virtual reality watching packets flow through a firewall and seeing how they are examined by the different processes giving them an understanding why and how it happens before I even get to the subject of complex reasoning of the flows.  Let alone the interaction of the various components.

Conclusion
I think while online learning is here to stay, I’m not sure it’s the end of the teaching profession.  Online allows a future where education becomes more flexible and lets us move beyond the walls of a classroom, also allowing the professors the ability to build upon the shoulders of giants. Teachers or professors will always be needed to help the learner tie all of the knowledge together.