Blended learning shows the way

Blended learning is a way to bridge the gap between education imparted in schools and colleges and real-life. It is a combination of traditional teaching and technology, which is used to meet the preferred learning style of students, as well as aiding teachers. The idea is to take the educational experience beyond the periphery of the physical classroom and offer students-teachers a more flexible environment. Hence, it is important to adopt the set of approached teaching and manage blended learning environment with the current methodical setting.

Technology has transformed the learning system to an extent where it is not just about acquiring knowledge anymore. Integrating technology into the classroom is an effective way to connect with students of all learning styles. The personalised education will build the entrepreneurial traits in the aspirants, which is the need of the hour. The idea is to break the traditional passive learning model and adopt this hybrid form of learning, which is a blend of classroom and online learning.

In our education system, a teacher cannot be replaced with a mere technological device. Hence, the entire concept of blended learning is not to alienate teachers, but to work alongside traditional ways of imparting education and enhance the classroom experience.

Adapting to technology

Teachers can now be in more control and focus better on the understanding of students than just the delivery. The smart classroom experience is about adopting this new approach to impart wisdom and knowledge to our young generation.

The five major benefits one can derive from adopting blended learning are as follows:

Efficiency: For decades, teachers have spent days explaining math and science to the students with the concept of projectors. It is a difficult method as it was more of a dry and conservative method, where understanding the psyche of the students was difficult. Today, integrating technology in education helps students stay engaged. Blended learning through mobile devices and other wireless devices such as the IoT helps teachers to understand the student’s level of knowledge more accurately and it also helps improve the efficiency of the entire learning process.

Accessibility: Educational materials were earlier available only during classroom hours. Students may have been able to take their textbooks home with them but they didn’t have an effective way to interact with or engage with the material. With technological advancement and learning apps, students have more flexibility to access knowledge from anywhere. This results in gaining more interest in the material and outcomes are even more accurate and successful.

Pace: Blended learning allows students to understand each concept at their own pace. Therefore, it breaks the ‘one-size-fits-all’ model. This acts as a balancing technique between quick and slow learners. It promotes in-depth learning, reducing constant stress.

Teacher-student engagement: This particular learning helps students to get involved with their teacher or professor via technology; email, messages etc. Combining new tech like virtual reality with traditional classroom instruction is one example of how blended learning promotes teacher-student engagement. In the end, both teachers and students benefit from this shift in their relationship, as teachers can monitor the progress of each student more effectively.

Fun with learning: Students tend to get bored at some point with long lectures and even longer academic day. Now, due to technological advancements, the idea is to make learning more fun for the new generation. The students get experiential learning and the hope is that they will take up higher education in a more informative manner.

Better opportunities

With versatile talent and diverse culture, India needs combined support from government and global educators to avail the opportunities and benefits of blended learning.

The future is going to be a very different scenario, thanks to technological advances in emerging fields like robotics, genetics, medicine, and quantum science, amongst a multitude of other areas that are redefining our way of living. As a parent, you have a choice to make now.

You can either let your child become a passive consumer, or you can empower and encourage your child to be an innovator, creator and tomorrow’s change-maker.

(The author is the co-founder of Smartivity)