Blended Learning (Distance Learning)

introduction

Blended learning has become a more widely discussed distance education concept and practice since the year 2000 and beyond. Also known as hybrid learning, these terms refer to more than one delivery system being used for one course. In most cases, when they use the term blended learning in a distance learning context, educators are referring to face-to-face learning combined with some elements delivered through technology.

This chapter will describe the background of this development within distance learning, its benefits, and possible future trends.

background

In 2008, the education and training communities have begun to ride the surge of technology innovation and adoption of the past decade. This fact is evidenced by the growth of distance learning, with online learning being the predominant format. While distance learning has deep historical roots to Ancient times when messages were carried from town to town, 20th Century distance learning has spanned the mail-dependent correspondence course, radio transmitted tutorials and still familiar public TV courses including GED as well as community college courses.

In business, videoconferencing added an additional popular educational delivery format in the midst of this timeline, but was too expensive to be widely adopted in the 1980′s-1990′s for home users and their own education (King & Griggs, 2007). Since 2005, Web 2.0 technologies and more interactive and participatory options have become available for students and teachers alike- blogs, vlogs, podcasts, wikis and dynamic multimedia of all sorts.

With the first wave of distance learning arriving at the gates of higher education, there was the universal cry of “bricks or clicks?” As is often the case, change was nervously perceived solely as an “either/or” possibility. Universities at first decried online learning as inferior to face-to-face learning, and then major institutions began to participate in the trend. Fast forward to 2001-2003 and we see some major universities pulling back out of their major investments in online learning (Carlson, 2003; Carr, 2001). Why? Because they had invested in the either/or perspective when a “both” option, blended learning, was available during the time of gradual social adoption of new technologies.

Blended learning can be thought of on a course or programmatic level. That is, a course can be offered partially by distance technologies and partially face to face. In addition, why could not a program of study be offered in a blended format- some courses via distance education and some face to face? At a time in 2008+ when we know students look for options, convenience, and flexibility to adapt their learning to their complex lives, this is a critical point some schools, colleges, and universities continue to by-pass as an option (French, Hale, Olrech, & Johnson, 2004; Garrison & Kanuka, 2004). The details of administering a blended program are not difficult if an institution is already hosting blended courses. Therefore, we will focus on blended classes, which are a microcosm of the same dynamics.

MAIN FOCUS OF THE CHAPTER

Development of Practice

Today you will find blended learning in many more places than you would have just 2 – 4 years ago. Indeed, the widespread adoption, institutionalization, and sophistication of support services among continuing education and degree earning programs is surprising. Given the history of community colleges, and their mission, student population, and faculty, it should be no surprise. However, given the relative quietness of this blended learning trend in higher education over the last 10 years (1995-2005), it is pleasantly surprising to see the mushrooming development of what has such sound pedagogical and and ragogical bases. (Baker, Dudziak, & Tyler, 1994)

A review of recent topics in distance learning reveals a relatively significant number devoted to the specific topic of blended learning. These books show the need, interest and development of practice in this area. Spanning the publication years of2003-2007, at least 6 books provided insight into this article and practice in blended learning. In addition, research articles published in the educational journals on the topic have proliferated in the last five years, when previously one would have to explain the term at length to those not directly involved in the distance learning development field (Bonk, Graham, Cross, & Moore, 2005). This trend in quality research and publication would appear to confirm the interest and need for educators to understand this specific dimension of distance education.

Forms of Blended Learning

Blended learning may be most easily explained in a table with the variables of technology and time as options, and one can see how they can be combined to create various “blended options.” Several authors are providing frameworks and taxonomies for depicting blended learning (see for example Garrison & Vaughn, 2007). Rather than introducing each of those and their specialized terms and definitions in this brief article, I will provide a simplified, yet conceptual table for the reader.

Table 1 is only designed to be representative of the principles of blended learning and cannot be an exhaustive list as new technologies and capabilities arise each day. However the chart immediately reveals several significant and powerful characteristics of blended learning: (1) there are many possible combinations of time and technology combinations to create unique blended learning opportunities, (2) based on context, learner needs, time constraints, and technology availability multiple options may be at a glance, (3) more than one blended learning option might be selected for a school, class or student based on the specific needs.

Brief examples of these blended learning options are provided in the next table (Table 2).

Benefits of Blended Learning

Researchers, trainers and educators have identified several benefits of blended learning:

• Flexible scheduling: A blended class may meet on campus one day per week and have an online session another day (Garrison & Kanuka, 2004). In this way students and teachers only have to be at a designated physical location one time per week and can schedule the other time based on their life needs.

• Decreased classroom space demands: This benefit is related to the flexible scheduling and the fact that blended learning classes meet on campus less frequently per semester, thereby freeing up classroom space for additional course offerings or activities.

Table 1. Blended learning options matrix — technology and time

• Academic adjustment strategy: Blended learning can also be used as a strategy to help students, faculty, and administrators adjust to online and distance learning. Rather than yielding control of classes to an entirely distance delivery, they can start with the combination approach and still maintain a sense of traditional control, “face-time,” personal contact, contact hours, or whatever the issues might be that are of concern.

• Multiple instructional methods: Because of the multiple technologies used in these formats, a variety of instructional methods can easily be used in a blended learning class. Bersin (2004) and Conrad and Donaldson (2004) provide helpful, directive resources for instructional methods, with distance and blended learning.

• Multiple learning styles addressed: With more instructional methods and more modes of communications being used, it stands that a greater span of learning styles will be addressed with blended learning (Garrison & Kanuka, 2004). For example, in many cases not only the auditory learner, but also the text and visual learner can be accommodated. • Increase 21st century literacy skills: As students engage in blended learning courses, they use digital media and related 21st century learning skills in authentic ways. Therefore, in addition to the content of the course, they have opportunities to develop information literacy skills, and hone their critical thinking and other related skills. In addition, in a society that is based on digital information, they enhance both their advanced academic preparation and valued workplace skills through this learning.

These are a few of the prominent benefits of blended learning at this point in time. The list can be quite extensive when viewed from the possibilities and perspectives of social interaction, global partnerships, interdisciplinary study, collaborations, and further advanced yet emerging technologies.

Table 2. Blended learning options examples

FUTURE TRENDS

As stated earlier, since 2005, Web 2.0 technologies have provided more interactive and participatory options for students and teachers alike to be included in the technological aspects of blended learning. These Web 2.0 technologies include: blogs, vlogs, podcasts, wikis, and dynamic multimedia of all sorts. In addition, the inexpensiveness and ubiquity of technology has changed options for students at home. Therefore, they can now, and will in the future, more fully use desktop (and laptop) videocams, microphones, scanners, digital voice recorders, and MP3 and portable video players.

For example, rather than these items only being for the more prosperous students, they will be standard issue. Much like textbooks used to include CD or DVDs from 2002-2006, now they are including password protected links to websites for proprietary access; however this presumes frequent online access and sufficient bandwidth. Why could not a foreign language text book instead be packaged with a MP3 player/digital voice recorder (average cost in 2008 about $30)? Students would have the specific vocabulary, conversations and dictation preloaded and portable. Additionally they would be able to record their responses and submit them to the teacher at the next class or via remote access at a designated site if needed.

In addition many schools, colleges, and universities are using distance technologies and blended learning to build global partnerships (Bonk et al., 2005). Blended learning may enable these global partnerships to substantially participate in accredited curriculums. Such relationships would achieve a wider representation of experiences and participation. Ultimately these partnerships could bring a positive social learning outcome to Web 2.0 technologies through blended learning on a broader basis.

CONCLUSION

More than a “fill-in” strategy, blended learning has emerged in just the last 5 years to be a valued approach for course delivery. Frequently combining many of the benefits of distance learning with traditional face-to-face instruction and support, students and teachers gain greater flexibility of scheduling, a variety of instructional methods, and increased opportunities for interaction. Emerging technologies and public user sophistication and comfort with them will steer which educational technologies can be best integrated into the vast varieties of blended learning options that can be created. As always, it is important to have frequent communication among teacher and learners to know what works and what does not. Exciting years are ahead as we see what current and future educators create in this area.

KEY TERMS

21st Century Literacy Skills: An aggregate of skills commonly focusing on information technology skills, information literacy skills and critical thinking skills (Gura & King, 2007). The importance of these skills is demonstrated in the importance for success in daily, academic and workplace success in the 21st century. Individual interpretations of the term also exist which focus on K-12 educational processes rather than skills (Partnership for 21st Century Learning (n.d.)), however in general the primary definition is referred to when the term is used.

Asynchronous / Synchronous Learning: When teachers and students are engaged in learning at the same time- meeting face to face, online or any other way simultaneously, this is termed synchronous learning.

Asynchronous learning stands for non-simultaneous learning and affords the convenience of learners and teachers being able to log-in, read material, engage in discussions, post assignments, etc, whenever is convenient for their schedule, commitments and time zones. Technology options can extend the possibilities in many directions for both asynchronous and synchronous learning through for example online discussion boards, chat, video conferencing, podcasting, etc.

Knowledge Management: “discovery and capture of knowledge, the filtering and arrangement of this knowledge, and the value derived from sharing and using this knowledge throughout the organization” (Bernbom, 2001, p. xiv).

Podcast: Audio or video files hosted on the web but served up via a special scripting language (XML) which provides automated and usually free subscription to users. Therefore users can elect to “subscribe” to a podcast and every time they open their program to listen to them (e.g., iTunes ®, MusicMatch ®, Windows Media Player ®, etc.) the latest episodes of the podcasts will download for them without any action on their part. Podcasts may be listed to on a computer or transferred to a mobile listening device such as a MP3 player. There are many educational podcasts available. (King & Gura, 2007)

Vlog: Video blog, usually a short video narrative or story created for and posted on the Internet for public viewing. Technical formats dominating in 2007 include Quicktime movie files (*.mov), and MPEG4 files because they are relatively high quality and can be small in file size.

Web 2.0: Development of the World Wide Web to include more Web-based programs, otherwise known as hosted services, collaborative and easier content creation technologies. Examples of Web 2.0 technologies include Goggle ® applications which are run over the Internet rather than needing to be downloaded; social networking sites, such as Linked-In and MySpace; and content creation technologies such as blogs, wikis and podcasts. Controversy regarding the term exists as the original vision and capabilities of the Web included some of these abilities in fundamental ways although they were not widely adopted at the time.

Wiki: A universal definition is that a wiki is a webpage that can be easily changed by anyone. A web-based interface that has been developed to most fully encourage and ease collaboration. More than the collaboration of a web-based bulletin board, a wiki allows users to add, delete and edit pages in the environment to name just a few of the fundamental construction functions possible.