What Is Blended Learning? A Guide

Different types of learning offer unique advantages. Some learning modes involve technology, such as an online education module. Others take the more traditional route with in-person instruction in a classroom. Blended learning combines both to provide more flexibility and greater adaptability to suit learner’s requirements and preferred learning styles. 

Each learning method has different expectations, including the pace at which learners must complete assignments, read or watch educational material, and learn concepts. Discover the advantages of blended learning and its various models to gain a deeper understanding of the method.

What is blended learning? 

Blended learning is a teaching method that combines technology and digital media with traditional classroom activities led by an instructor. It is also called hybrid learning as it integrates the two teaching approaches. Blended learning aims to give students flexibility and customization in their learning experiences to meet individual needs.

Benefits of blended learning

One of blended learning’s primary benefits is its ability to provide better accommodations to meet varying learning styles or paces. Instructors can use various resources to engage and motivate learners and help them understand and retain concepts, including gamification, interactive apps, videos, collaborative online files, and ebooks. More information is also readily available to learners when completing assignments or preparing for class meetings.

Flexibility and adaptability are some attractive attributes of blended learning. Blended learning allows students to learn at their own pace, with lecture videos or documents that teachers would typically hand out in class available online. However, learners who prefer guidance from an instructor maintain the ability to learn in an in-person, pedagogical method.

In the workplace, blended learning can increase engagement and work performance. Companies can use blended learning for employee training to reach workforces that consist of employees who live across the country or the world. Blended learning allows employees to learn according to their availability from a time and location perspective. This flexibility is important for the modern workforce because 13 percent of workers nationwide are fully remote, and 27 percent follow a hybrid model as of spring 2024, according to data from WFH Research [1].

Blended learning models 

You can choose from various blended learning models that work best for your learners by deciding which approaches to use and how much of each to present to learners. When selecting the model, consider the knowledge and skills of your learners along with your available resources to create engaging experiences and successful outcomes for students.

Flex model

In the flex model, online learning takes the lead, with learning explicitly tailored to each learner’s needs. Instructors provide support during class sessions in this model, but they encourage learners to move at their own pace using online resources.

Rotational model

Learners participate in classes under the rotational model, and a teacher uses online resources alongside their instruction. Learners rotate between working independently and speaking with the teacher, typically on a fixed schedule. 

A la carte model

The al la carte model, also known as the self-blend model, allows learners to choose between online and in-person classes at their convenience. Online classes have instructors who are available for questions. Learners can choose which classes they prefer to take online and which classes they prefer to take in-person.

Enriched virtual model

The enriched virtual model divides instruction between online and in-person modes, with more time generally spent online. Learners only sometimes come to the physical classroom regularly, with differences between the content they learn online and at school.

Face-to-face driver model

Technology supplements the in-person experience under the face-to-face driver model. This model differs from other blended learning models because it uses technology as a component of the in-person, instructor-led classroom experience, emphasizing in-person instruction. A portion of a lecture may call upon technology as a tool for instruction, but its use is optional to the entire lecture.

Blended learning examples in practice

To envision how blended learning works, it can be helpful to see it in action. 

In one example, instructors at Innovations Early College High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, use the flex model to deliver the bulk of instruction online and in small groups. This face-to-face interaction supplements the online content that students use to learn while class continues. The high school allows learners who are progressing well at their own pace to skip in-person lectures and requires those who need support making progress to participate in small-group sessions. Implementing a blended learning model has led to higher graduation rates than other schools across Utah.

Other schools have incorporated blended learning into their station rotation learning model. In station rotation, learners spend a certain amount of time—20 minutes, for example—learning via technology, such as using a computer or tablet. Then, the students rotate and learn face-to-face with an instructor. This learning method combines several aspects, including social interaction and engagement with the lesson via different methods, such as pencil and paper or participation within a group.

Why consider implementing blended learning

This type of learning can benefit professionals engaging in lifelong learning and development and those learning at school.

Blended learning presents many advantages in employee training. Companies can develop training modules that combine in-person instruction with online readings and education modules as standardized methods of training new employees. Blended learning, in this instance, allows companies to reduce costs and maximize return on investment (ROI) because they need fewer people to train employees with online resources at their disposal. Periodic online quizzes or surveys allow employees and employers to monitor progress reliably.

Teachers can spend more time focusing on the skills students hone while they can access lecture content and readings online instead of going through them in the classroom. Megan Toyama, a history teacher based in Tacoma, Washington, said she shifted her approach because of the benefits of blended learning. “Instead of lecturing, I now spend my class time helping students develop their skills—such as learning how to write an argumentative claim or how to select evidence. Those are skills that are a lot harder for students to grasp on their own,” she said about her approach in the classroom now that blended learning gives students access to her recorded lectures.

Challenges associated with blended learning

Although blended learning offers many pros, it also presents a few potential drawbacks. Teachers and instructors may need additional work to adapt materials for varying presentation methods. Moreover, learners without equal access to technology and digital illiteracy could create inequality in the learning experience.

Other possible challenges include the following:

• Learners’ resistance to change

• The need to balance learning standards with personal choice

• Having enough time to provide personalized blended learning experiences

Getting started with Coursera

Blended learning offers a hybrid approach to education that blends technology and traditional teaching methods. It offers ample benefits, including the potential to boost learners’ engagement with the materials. 

You can learn how to implement blended learning into your own instruction with the Blended Learning: Personalizing Education for Students course on Coursera. The course, offered through the New Teacher Center, dives into vital issues that impact learners, teachers, and schools, and you can apply these concepts to a workplace environment as well. Another option, Macquarie University’s Online Education: The Foundations of Online Teaching, which is part of the Online Learning Design for Educators Specialization, can help you prepare to present previously in-person materials online to help you adapt to a blended learning model more effectively