Steps to Creating a Successful Blended Learning Course

Blended Learning refers to the combination of face to face and digital education. Blending the classroom with digital learning provides learners with an enriching and engaging experience.

So how can you create a blended learning course? We have put together a few tips to help you seamlessly integrate classroom and online learning.

Define your learning objectives

With every learning strategy, you need to clearly define y our objectives and your goals. Strategic and well-defined objectives work as a guide to help you develop a successful course.

Your objectives need to cover both face to face and online aspects of the course.

Ask yourself:

• What are the key takeaways you want to give your learners after they complete the course?
• Is your course supposed to help them to gain a specific skillset?
• What should they come away with after the course?
• What information needs to be included in the course?
• What strategies or models will be used to deliver learning?

Once you have identified your objectives you can define them. You will use them as the foundation for designing your instructional strategies that are appropriate for both learning environments.

Create a clear syllabus

When you design a blended learning course, it is vital to have a clear syllabus. It is also important to have an outline for each module. You need to choose what modules will be delivered via the classroom and which will be online.

By having a clear course outline, you help the learners stay on track throughout the learning process. This is important for when the student must independently learn online. A course outline is also an important tool for the facilitator.

What your outline should consist of:

• Papers
• Tests
• Presentations
• Specify Deadlines
• Requirements of Participants
• Attendance Requirements

Level of Interactivity

Blended learning courses give you the freedom to choose the level of interactivity you want from your learners. You need to determine how much learning should take place through self-paced learning activities and online training.

Classroom interactivities encourage learning and student interaction. Online learning interactivities are usually used to teach difficult concepts and provide self-assessment for students.

Blended learning and the different levels of interactivity provided by classroom and online learning help learners form a connection between both environments. By introducing online activity after a face to face session, and then requesting feedback in the next classroom session, allows learners to connect the two learning environments seamlessly.

Online interactivities include:

• Wikis
• Blogs
• Virtual Field Trips
• Case Studies
• Virtual Labs
• Problem Solving Exercises
• Concept Mapping
• Simulations

Classroom Interactivities include:

• Case Studies
• Group Discussions
• Problem Solving Exercises
• Learning by Doing

Activities and Group Collaboration

Group collaboration is an important part of blended learning. When learners work together, they can share knowledge and learn from each other. Group collaboration usually happens easily in the classroom but it’s not that easy online. However, implementing online discussion forums and chat rooms solves this issue effectively.

Make an Assessment Plan

Create an assessment strategy that measures learners progress. When it comes to blended learning, you need to choose between online formative and summative assessments or subjective classroom tests.

What you need to put in place:

• Choose what will best help you track learner progress
• Ensure quizzes/assessments help learners assess their achievements and assess what areas require improvement
• Make sure results are measurable

For a successful blended learning class, you need to make sure that both environments work together cohesively. If you follow these tips, you are sure to create a successful learning solution.