4 blended learning challenges and how to tackle them
17 March 2021 — Written by Aishwarya Muralidhar
“If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.” – John Dewey
The success of a blended learning model is dependent on us changing with the times; adapting the way we teach by incorporating the technology that we have available, enabling teachers worldwide to teach better, and students to learn effectively.
In the previous post of this series, we talked about how blended learning is on its way to becoming the new normal. And why wouldn’t it be? It enables student autonomy and is a reliable model that we can bank on during these uncertain times.
But, like all good things, blended learning has a few challenges too. Before you adopt blended learning in your classrooms, take a look at the challenges it can impose. We’ve picked out the most prominent ones along with ways they can be addressed:
Effective self-paced environment
Students can tackle online modules at a pace they’re comfortable with. Self-pacing allows students to learn as they want to. However, having regular checkpoints is necessary. Otherwise, students who learn at great speeds will move ahead, while those that aren’t, fall behind. How can you ensure that there isn’t a disparity in learning outcomes? How do we help students keep a brisk enough pace so that they don’t fall through the cracks?
Include regular checkpoints with a timed deadline. This gives everyone the time to complete their modules while being held accountable. Discussions after each checkpoint can help those that are struggling to catch up before moving on to the next one.
Ensuring authentic mastery
How do we ensure students really learnt what was taught? Although students can move through documents at their own speed, it also allows them to speed through them without learning the topic at hand. Take it offline!
Online coursework often tends to focus on completion rather than mastery. It’s important to find a solution to this problem so that students truly have positive learning outcomes. Standard tests and quizzes online can help to an extent, but not as well as having revision sessions led by students. If the sessions still had gaps in understanding the topics, students can go back to their work modules and then reconvene later. Group activities and projects can also help!
Student engagement
It can be hard to keep your students actively engaged in an online environment. From technical issues to distractions, keeping students engaged can be a challenge. Including collaborative activities can push students to engage with others and pitch in.
Don’t forget to keep it fun! Include regular fun sessions so that students can interact with each other. This can also allow the class to get to know the teacher too! Offer opportunities for them to take ownership of their work and give them choices. These choices can vary from what kind of project they can do to choosing the reward they can receive when they complete a goal.
Giving students the ability to choose can help build their engagement because they can leverage their strengths to meet learning requirements.
Easy-to-understand learning materials
Digital experiences can include videos, demonstrations, written materials, and online discussion groups. How do you know if your online material is effective and easy to understand? Simple. Get feedback from your students and tweak it! This can be done through polls after module completion or through live interaction.
Learning material can also be broken into chunks according to their difficulty. This can help you understand where students are facing difficulty and change course modules if necessary. The blended learning model is new for students and teachers as well. Don’t be afraid to try new things to find what works best for you and your class!
Conclusion
These challenges can easily be overcome with time. Your best ally throughout this process of adopting this model, are your students. Ask them what’s working and what’s not, to maximise the benefits of blended learning. Having an open conversation regarding this can help strengthen your bond with your students. Making you more approachable, and in return, your classes relaxed and interactive.
In the wise words of Aristotle, “ For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.”
Make the switch to blended learning if you’re on the fence about it and know that you’ll be able to make the transition a success, with time.
Are there any other challenges with blended learning that you’re concerned about? Write to us! Stay tuned to the Beyond 8 blog for more insights on blended learning in the coming weeks.