With growing competition, upskilling and reskilling of employees has become essential like never before. This has fueled the need to think beyond conventional classroom training and look for engaging and cost-effective training formats that cater to the dynamic learning needs of modern learners. Flipped classrooms have been a forerunner amidst budget-friendly training models. But when it comes to learner engagement and versatility, blended learning steals the show. Let’s explore why blended learning can be more effective than flipped classrooms.
How is Blended Learning Different From Flipped Classrooms?
Though blended and flipped learning have many similarities, they are not the same. Let’s explore how blended learning is different from flipped classrooms.
Flipped Classrooms
In a typical classroom training, the instructor explains the topic and learners take notes. The understanding of the concept delivered can be evaluated via worksheets or other tasks that learners complete away from the classroom. The flipped classroom is the opposite of the conventional classroom, as in this model, learners go through the training content via various self-paced learning formats like taking an online course or watching a video prior to participating in a classroom session. Unlike classroom training, in flipped classrooms, the trainer engages learners in collaborative activities like discussions and group tasks based on the content consumed by the learners. The trainer in a flipped classroom model helps learners get a better understanding of the concepts learned and apply their learning.
Blended Learning
Blended learning, on the other hand, is a more comprehensive strategy that offers the best of both worlds to learners. It is a broader umbrella that entails a combination of both classroom and digital learning formats. In blended learning, online and offline modalities are used alongside each other, each complementing the other to provide immersive learning experiences to learners. The concepts delivered to learners via online mediums like videos or online courses are not repeated in the classroom sessions. When a blended learning strategy is deployed, learning leaders choose which modality will be used to deliver which topic to make training an enriching experience. Training managers have a wide array of learning formats to choose from to design the perfect blend that suits their learners the best.
Training Formats Under the Blended Learning Umbrella
Modern learners need dynamic and engaging learning to keep up with the changing business world. Blended learning offers you the scope to mix and match various digital learning formats to offer an interesting platter to your learners and make learning enjoyable. Let’s take a look at the various online learning formats you can choose from to design the perfect blended learning strategy for your learners:
eLearning
eLearning is one of the popular training formats that has catered to the needs of global learners and has garnered much attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. It helped deliver training while corporations followed remote work models during the pandemic. This self-paced learning strategy is cost-effective and garners learners’ attention throughout the course as it is based on sound instructional design principles. You can use instructional strategies like storytelling and scenarios to enhance learner involvement. Gamifying your eLearning courses adds an element of fun to the courses. Gaming elements like badges, levels, scores and leaderboards instill healthy competition among learners and motivate them for learning.
Microlearning
Microlearning, as the name suggests, is a learning format that offers bite-sized learning nuggets that can be consumed by learners anywhere, anytime. It provides you with a wide variety of assets to choose from to offer versatility and flexibility to your learners. Some of the popular microlearning formats are videos, e-books, podcasts, infographics, digital flashcards and interactive PDFs. Microlearning modules can be multi-device and multi-browser compatible and are apt for learning on the go. Your learners can watch a quick video or pull out an infographic during work breaks or while commuting. Microlearning makes learning a part of the workflow so your learners don’t have to find time amidst busy work calendars. The quick learning bites are easy to consume and lead to better learning as learners are less likely to feel overwhelmed. Microlearning supports just-in-time learning and boosts better retention.
Virtual Instructor-led Training (VILT)
VILT is a version of classroom training where the participants and the trainer interact in a virtual environment. The concept is a cool alternative for instances where classroom training is challenging. You can use VILT to address your remote learners or the ones that are always on the field. VILT offers you the scope of delivering complicated concepts wherein learners can clarify their doubts instantly. VILT is also a fantastic platform to foster collaborative and social learning. Features like polls, chats and breakout rooms can offer avenues for peer-to-peer learning.
Simulations
Simulations mimic real-life work scenarios and boost the critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making abilities of learners. For roles that are critical, such as those of a doctor or pilot, watch-try-do simulations offer a fantastic scope to have hands-on experience of the task. With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR)-based simulation exercises can be highly effective for modern learners. Such simulation exercises can offer immersive learning experiences to learners and boost learner engagement and retention.
How Blended Learning Outshines Flipped Classrooms
Now that you are aware of the various digital learning formats that fall under the blended learning umbrella, let’s assess how blended learning can increase your training initiative’s effectiveness.
Flipped learning doesn’t offer you the variety offered by blended learning. Mostly, learners are asked to watch a video or read a relevant article before the classroom session to get acquainted with the concept that would be discussed at length in the classroom. Things are different when it comes to blended learning. As we discussed earlier in this article, blended learning offers us a wide range of learning formats that can be mixed and matched to offer enriching learning experiences to your learners. You also have the flexibility to blend various formats depending on your learner and training needs.
When it comes to flipped classrooms, the choices are limited, while blended learning is a comprehensive approach that offers you the scope to plan your learning strategy to cover the entire learning journey of the learners. Another benefit offered by the blended learning approach is that you can offer a huge library of supplemental assets to help deepen your learners’ understanding. Blended learning also has a scope to evolve and expand as per changing learner and training needs and the advent of new advanced technologies. You can collect learner feedback and use those insights to revise and revamp your blended learning strategies to suit dynamic training needs.
What Next? Let’s Blend It Like Beckham
David Beckham — the famous footballer, remembered as a talented and versatile player who blended being a winger and a central midfielder, contributing to numerous victories — the perfect analogy for blended learning, which gives you the opportunity to blend a variety of learning formats to offer winning, immersive learning experiences to your learners.
What are you waiting for? Blend it like Beckham to boost your learners’ performance and productivity and get the desired scale and speed to skyrocket your business.
