Blended Learning Strategies

Blended Learning Strategies

The Goal of blended learning

Blended learning has become the norm in large enterprises today as a method for delivering training to large, diverse employee populations. This trend is driven in large part by the need to deliver more kinds of training to more employees in more places – within existing training budgets. The definition of blended learning has also changed, from a simple blend of classroom training and e-learning courses to more complex programs that incorporate an array of synchronous and asynchronous learning modalities. The goal is to empower the individual to achieve understanding of a given topic, become self-sufficient, improve their job performance and ultimately drive results that support business objectives.

This “performance support” function is an increasingly important part of the job for many corporate training departments. Blended learning expands the traditional role of training beyond its usual scope of formal training by providing a robust set of tools that allow employees to obtain the information and instruction they independently and uniquely need.

Ultimately, good blended learning is about establishing a balance between the instructional advantages for the learner and the learning objectives. It allows learners to pick and choose how they want to learn and affords them greater flexibility and convenience. It can be simple or it can be cmplext.

Defining blended learning

Blended learning is defined as a combination or mixing of at least four different methodologies.

Mixing of technology based learning

Combination of pedagogical approaches

Mixing forms of instructional technology

Integrating instructional technology with actual job activities

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 70% of work-place learning occurs informally. Only 30% of employee learning takes place through formal activities such as leader-led classes, seminars, or structured courses.

Most of today’s investments in learning are on the formal side of the time to performance continuum.

You want a more systematic education that promotes ongoing learning within the workplace. How? Try incorporating a wide variety of learning activities. Companies can more efficiently utilize learning resources while offering employees more learning flexibility and improved performance support.

The companies having the greatest success with blended learning take a more methodical approach. Most learning “events” should be preceded with something to do, think about, read, etc. which allows the learner to be better prepared by going through the prerequisite materials.

Two key learning experiences

The synchronous (real –time) domain is the more traditional approach to online training.

Asynchronous (different time) means that the instructor and the learner are available at different time, a benefit for self-directed learners that like to learn at their own pace and time.

Synchronous instructional methods

Advantages

Allows the dissemination of unpublished material and learners to have access to peers and experts. Group discussion and practice can be engaging and add additional interest in a topic. Plus, it’s a good method for “people” people. It also provides gradual development of complex of difficult concepts and theories.

Disadvantages:

Can be expensive. Learners must attend sessions as a set time. Usually require large blocks of time from the learner.

Live Classroom Method

Consider Using This Method When	Consider Using Another Method When
Teams of people will be suing the information and skills to work together to achieve business goals	Business goals are not affected by whether people learn in the same place
Learners have job roles that permit extended absences from daily activities	Learning can be delivered in small chunks, integrated into the regular activities of the target-learning group
Skills involve extensive practice in face-to-face interaction with others or practice with complex physical skills	Business objectives make it difficult for learners to take extended absence from daily activities
Comprehension requires group interaction around subjective topics	Mastering subject matter is not affected by physical proximity.

Virtual Classroom

Allows instructors and learners to be different places at the same time and allows the instructor to archive the event for later viewing. The topics covered can be similar to those in a live classroom unless it is too complex or contentious.

Advantages

You don’t have to be at the classroom location. Information can be presented and desktops and computer applications can be shared across the internet.

Disadvantages

Everyone must be online at the same time. The instructor must have technical skills, adequate resources and is personally dedicated to making the event interactive. Just like live classrooms, informational sessions can place the learners in a passive role and learner attention may be lost.

Virtual Classroom Method

Consider Using This Method When	Consider Using Another Method When
Business will benefit from rapid distribution of information or skills to widely dispersed groups.	Content is highly contentious or complex
Content can be effectively delivered in less than one to two hours.	Retention requires extensive practice
Business will benefit from ability to capture learner and presenter interactions and content for reference and replay.	Business will benefit from professional quality broadcast recording.

Live Demo or Practice (labs) Method

Consider Using This Method When	Consider Using Another Method When
Business needs are not met by investing in detailed simulation of complex hardware or software	It could destroy working products
Team-based practice is critical to understanding of complex hardware	Business goals can be met easily and cost-effectively via simulation
Excess capacity of live product and instructors for in-person training	Limited live product and experienced instructional staff available.

Broadcast Method

Consider Using This Method When	Consider Using Another Method When
Business will benefit from rapid distribution of information to widely dispersed groups	No business significance to broadcast quality production values
Business will benefit from professional quality broadcast recording	No business value to providing video to supplement content message
Content needs to be created quickly, but will not be updated frequently	Frequent content upgrades require

Interactive Chat Method

Consider Using This Method When	Consider Using Another Method When
Learners have divergent needs that cannot be met by one-size-fits-all instruction	Content is highly subjective or potentially divisive
Expert resources are available for one-to-one information sharing and support	Experts cannot maintain regular schedules. Technology limits access.

Online Information via Website

Consider Using This Method When	Consider Using Another Method When
Basic concepts, policies, procedures, corporate information needs to be available to widely dispersed audience over an extended period	Content must be update frequently (depending on the IT support)
	Insufficient resources to maintain Website(s)
	Practice is key to mastering content

Online Instructional Materials Method

Consider Using This Method When	Consider Using Another Method When
Practice is key to mastering content	Content changes infrequently – once learners have mastered it, little need to refresh or update skills
Learners are geographically dispersed	Small learner population, geographically centralized, with limited turnover
Learner job roles demand rapid acquisition of new skills	Learner technology makes it difficult to access online content reliably
Learner job roles require maximum learning schedule flexibility	Insufficient resources to maintain Website(s)
Learners have the right technology to access content and practice at own pace	Limited or nonexistent performance and learning management systems
Resources exist to maintain and update content
Content can be linked to other learning resources

Online Reference Materials Method

Consider Using This Method When	Consider Using Another Method When
Learners need to access content during flow of work	Content changes infrequently – once learners have mastered it, little need to refresh or update skills
Learners are geographically dispersed	Small learner population, geographically centralized, with limited turnover
Learner job roles demand rapid acquisition of new skills	Learner technology makes it difficult to access online content reliably
Learner job roles require maximum learning schedule flexibility	Insufficient resources to maintain Website(s)
Learners have the right technology to access content and practice at own pace	Limited or nonexistent performance and learning management systems
Resources exist to maintain and update content
Content can be linked to other learning resources

Offline Instructional Materials Method

Consider Using This Method When	Consider Using Another Method When
Small number of learners makes distributing content easy	Rapidly changing content
Relatively long shelf life for content	Large, changing user base
Basic concepts, policies, procedures, corporate information never changes and does not need to be communicated widely	High need for portability
	Need to distribute content widely and update frequently

Threaded Discussion Method

Consider Using This Method When	Consider Using Another Method When
Learners have divergent needs that cannot be met by one-size-fits-all instruction	Content is highly subjective or potentially divisive
Expert resources are available for group information sharing and support	Experts cannot maintain regular schedules. Technology limits access.
Learners need to enter discussion at different times and be able to catch up on conversations that have occurred	Technology limits acces

Electronic Performance Support System (EPSS) Method

Consider Using This Method When	Consider Using Another Method When
Content supports users developing software application skills	Learning content is not software
Learner benefits from on the job access to context sensitive support	Limited need to refer back to content information once mastery achieve
Learner requires ongoing reference to context-sensitive support

Job Aids Method

Consider Using This Method When	Consider Using Another Method When
Content key points can be condensed into brief “how to” aids.	Content is highly detailed or complex
Job process changes are frequent, but small and easy to understand	Requires extensive interaction
Learners have already mastered the basics of the job role processes covered by the content	Learners have limited need for reference materials after initial training
Regulations require checklists or procedures to be completed exactly in sequence and according to a specific process without shortcuts or errors

Product Simulation Practice (Virtual Lab) Method

Consider Using This Method When	Consider Using Another Method When
Safe environment required – live practice could destroy live systems	More cost effective to work directly on live system. Possible to work on live system remotely
Learners can’t easily access live systems	Mastering complex skills requires team-based activities on working systems
Need for trained users are greater than system available for training	Regulations require certified hands-on practice with live systems

Live Practice Method

Consider Using This Method When	Consider Using Another Method When
In-person teamwork central to using new skills to support business results	Individual practice effective and learner population is dispersed
Small, geographically centralized learner population	Practice most effective if reinforced by application on the job immediately
Limited consequences of failure	Practice most effective if performed in small units spread out over several days or weeks
Access to repeated practice critical	Significant danger if practice on live system fails
Certification requirements mandate live practice.

Simulation-Based Practice Method

Consider Using This Method When	Consider Using Another Method When
Business critical concepts	Simple concepts – can be mastered with information sharing or informally by most workers
Legal implications of misapplication	Small business impacts
Complete comprehension is critical before live application	Stable concepts
Certification requirements exist