Educators have found that the best way to integrate online and face-to-face learning is to implement blended learning.
Here are five tips for doing so:
Define the goals of your blended program.
What are you trying to accomplish? Who is your audience? What will the students gain from experience? How will you measure success?
Choose a platform that works for you.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with several platforms until you find one that fits your needs. Remember, though, that the platform should complement your teaching style, not dictate it.
Look for a platform that allows you to focus on your subject matter and provides an opportunity for interaction with students. If possible, work with a few different platforms before choosing one.
In this way, you can test drive them before making a decision. If budget is an issue, start small by offering just one or two courses online as a pilot program and measure its success before scaling up.
Establish clear expectations for both students and instructors and make sure everyone understands them.
For example, whether or not online coursework will be counted toward graduation requirements). Be sure to set realistic expectations about student interaction with instructors in online courses; it’s best to encourage it but don’t require it.
Plan your lessons.
You can develop an entire online course or choose to incorporate online components into existing courses. Either way, the approach should be clear and consistent. Be sure to explain how students will access course materials and interact with instructors and peers in online forums.
Take advantage of your blended learning opportunities. Incorporating elements of blended learning can improve your face-to-face teaching and bring a fresh perspective to your subject matter.
It also provides an opportunity for you to observe students in a different environment, which may allow you to better meet their needs and help them achieve their goals.
And because blended learning allows students to engage with the material outside of class time, it frees up more class time for interactive activities that require student participation and increase retention of the subject matter.
