What is blended learning?
E-learning is the delivery of learning material via technology. Instead of using a book, paper & pencil, you use your devices to obtain learning. Blended learning is just taking e-learning one step further by adding the Face-to-Face interaction with a live teacher. So imagine yourself wanting to learn more about how to become a better leader; or how to write professional reports; or how to create a marketing plan for your business. In a blended learning setting, you would receive your learning material online including perhaps short video clips, audio lectures, quizzes, articles etc. At various stages in your learning journey, you would engage Face-to-Face with your teacher who will perhaps explain salient points, engage you in debate about your take-aways from your learning so far; or perhaps your teacher will just be answering your burning questions on How To’s.
Is blended learning something for me?
When prepared correctly, blended learning courses are for everyone. You learn best when the material is delivered to you in your preferred learning style. Some of us like to close our eyes and listen in order to absorb learning; others like to use their visual sense in order to make sense of what they are learning; while a few of us need to use our hands and bodies in order to gain learning. We all utilise all three channels of learning, it is just that we have a stronger preference for one over the others.
A well prepared blended learning course takes into consideration the 3 major preferred learning styles.
What is pre-course diagnostics?
Before you attend one of my blended learning courses, you will go through a series of tests and interviews which are designed in such a way that enables me to understand two very important aspects that will contribute to the success of your learning experience: your preferred learning style and your current knowledge of the subject.
Your preferred learning style means that the material of the course would be presented to you in a way that supports your preferred learning style. If you are a strongly visual learner, I will add many different kinds of visual cues e.g. video clips, illustrations, PowerPoint slides with references and graphs, film clips etc.
The second and indeed very important criteria for successful blended learning – or any other learning for that matter – is understanding how much (or little) you already know of the subject. Let’s for a moment image that you wanted to learn how to write academic papers in English. If the initial diagnostic showed that you have no idea how English grammar works and thus couldn’t assemble a coherent sentence, then there would be little point in teaching you the difference between delivering a discourse of fact, claim and opinion.
What subjects can I learn with blended learning?
If it can be learned from a book, assisted by the face-to-face interaction with a teacher, then it can be learned via blended learning.
How long time does a course take?
Blended learning courses are meant to be flexible and devoid of time /space constraints. You allocate the time, do the work, engage with your teacher when needed and hence set the pace.
I have worked with course design and curriculum development for the past 25 years, and have a keen knowledge of how adults learn. If you are interested in creating a blended learning course for e.g. in-company training purposes, please do not hesitate to contact me for more information.