The Essentials of Blended Learning (Contributed) | Government Technology

Photo: Patricia Adriana De Saracho

Patricia De Saracho, works for the University of San Diego explains, The concept of blended learning has been around since the 1960s, but only recently has it taken off as a methodology, enabled by technology, for integrating traditional and virtual classrooms.

Countless teachers and school districts have been engaged in blended learning for a number of years.
Photo: Shutterstock

The educational practice commonly known as “blended learning” has been around for quite some time now, but a universally agreed upon definition is still hard to come by. So, what is blended learning? 

At its most basic level, the term refers to the use of online learning methods and technologies to complement and enhance the traditional classroom experience. “Blended learning is one of the most powerful and influential innovations in education,” according to aeseducation.com, because it combines “the benefits of face-to-face education with the anywhere-anytime power of the Internet.” 

The concept of blended learning dates to the early uses of technology to enhance training in the 1960s, and the term itself has been in use since the advent of the Internet in the 1990s. The practice began to grow in popularity following the 2006 publication of The Handbook of Blended Learning, which sought to introduce a more concrete definition to describe learning systems that “combine face-to-face instruction with computer-mediated instruction.” 

The Online Learning Consortium describes blended learning as an educational practice in which “a portion of the traditional face-to-face instruction is replaced by web-based online learning.”...

The Blended Learning ‘Learning Curve’ 
The high-tech, online aspect of blended learning means there is often a learning curve involved for teachers who may be less familiar with next-generation educational technology. 
Interestingly, the well-established benefits of online learning can also come into play in the teacher education scenario, now that more colleges and universities are utilizing virtual technology tools and methodologies to deliver Master of Education degree programs.
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Source: Government Technology