While the e-learning market is anticipated to be worth approximately $65.41 billion by 2023, it’s not the only learning medium that should be considered. Many instructors in the workplace still provide in-classroom training sessions and often combine their in-classroom instruction with e-learning methods, blending their learning methods together.
In fact, the blended learning market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11.38% from 2018 until 2022, and there’s good reason why. Continue reading to learn more about the benefits of blended learning, as well as nine tips and best practices for implementing it in 2018.
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Benefits of Blended Learning
Here are some of the benefits of blended learning methods to consider:
- Blended learning offers more flexibility with schedules and employees in remote locations.
- Extensive research and studies have indicated that blended learning is more effective than either stand-alone in-classroom instruction or stand-alone e-learning courses.
- Courses that embrace blended learning methods significantly reduce costs for travel, printed materials, and more. And they yield a much higher overall return on investment.
- The productivity and efficiency of instructors and course developers are significantly increased when they follow blended learning methods.
Tips and Best Practices for Blended Learning in 2018
- Determine Distinct Yet Comprehensive Learning Objectives
As you’re developing course materials that will be accessed online and in person, be sure to distinguish a clear learning objective for each learning task that follows from the previous learning task so they continue to build off of one another. Otherwise, your materials may become redundant or confusing.
For instance, you wouldn’t want to have learners read about a new process online for homework and then the next day in class read the same document aloud, as that would be redundant. And you wouldn’t want learners to be taking online assessments that are not at all related to the material you’re covering inside the classroom in person. While each learning task should be new, there should still be a comprehensive and sequential flow to them.
- Design Learning Objectives and Courses to Meet Organizational Goals
If you ever find yourself lost or disorganized as you’re developing blended learning courses, you can get back on track by continuously matching your learning objectives to meet organizational goals you designate for each course. For example, if you’re developing a blended course to increase your sales team’s performance, remember that each learning task you create, whether it’s online or in person, should aim to help learners uncover how they can unlock and master their selling potential. This way, you’ll be able to remain focused on the purpose of the course for each learning objective regardless of its medium.
- Use Reliable and Mobile-Optimized Platforms
While blended learning methods can be more effective than other learning methods, sometimes they can entail more work and longer hours as learners bounce between being present for classes and work and completing learning tasks online. Make it easier for them to access learning content whenever it’s most convenient for them by hosting all your blended learning content inside a mobile-optimized platform they can access from their mobile devices while they’re on the go.
(Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post, which will highlight six more tips and best practices for blended learning in 2018.)