Your blended learning strategy will only be effective if you create it right. If you start out wrong with your strategy, then your implementation will go down the drain as well.
Also known as hybrid learning, this type of eLearning program has two approaches: the synchronous and asynchronous learning strategy. The former is all about pacing the lesson together with the instructor and other learners of the lesson. The course is completed together with other learners and you oftentimes get to interact with the instructor in real time. The latter is actually about going at your own pace. You get to decide when you want to start and continue with the lesson.
Using only one approach is easy. However, what if you want to make your elearning course a combination of these two approaches? How can you make your blended learning strategy highly interactive while keeping the flexibility of your course? Here are some tips that you may want to look into.
- Identify your goals. As with any eLearning strategy, you need to start with your goal. Any strategy will fall to pieces if you do not have anything to focus on. This is what your goal will give you. Identify the skills that you want the learners to develop through the course. Choose the relevant information that will be included in your course. These will help shape your course even before you start.
- Have a course outline. This is a great way to give your learners something to expect throughout the course. It will help them identify what is next and thus prepare for the next lesson – at least, if you included key information and materials needed for the next lesson. Not only will this be for the learners, it will also be for the instructor. You get to identify the pace of the course through this outline. You can specify how long each portion will take and keep track of the progress that the class have gone through.
- Decide on the level of interaction that will happen in the course. If you will combine the two approaches of blended learning, you need to identify carefully the interaction that will take place throughout the course. You have full control over this. You can choose certain portions of the outline to have a full interaction while the other parts can be done at the own pace of the learners. It will not only be convenient, it will also encourage everyone to go from one lesson to the next. You can choose what specific tools will be used in each part of the lesson – based on the level of interaction that you want to happen to each.
- Time the group collaborations. Since you want to use both synchronous and asynchronous blended learning strategies, it is important to time when the collaboration will happen throughout the course. Do not make it happen all the time because you want to maintain the flexibility of your course. However, you want to make sure that your learners will meet up and brainstorm with each other when it is most needed throughout the course.
- Create a clear and effective feedback and assessment system. Finally, you want to know if your blended learning strategy is meeting its goals. Having said that, make sure that you have a system in place that will allow your learners to give you feedback. It can also be in the form of an assessment so that you can gauge how much they have learned through your program.
Following these tips while making your blended learning strategy will allow you to set up your course for success. While it may all seem complex, being organized and going through one step at a time will help simplify things.
Image courtesy of jscrreationzs for FreeDigitalPhotos.net