Week 11: Blended Learning

"Learning strategies and teaching strategies work best when they're aligned to the needs of the individual student"- When Does Blended Learning Work Best?

This by far is my favorite topic of the semester! I think blended learning is something that will really take off in the coming years. This provides students a means of engagement and a different type of learning they have no seen before.

As said in What is Blended Learning? , "courses can be blended in many ways and for many reasons." In this particular class we use blended learning in different ways. For example at the beginning of the semester we met face to face to go over the basics of this course. This helped students to meet the professors and ask any questions they may have about the class. After we met face to face for 3 weeks the class then became online. But the class is not just online, we have the option of meeting the professors face to face in the lab if we need any extra help. This gives students the opportunity to ask any questions or get things cleared up that they may be confused about. The online aspect of this class has changed my outlook completely on online learning. The professors do a great job of giving you multiple resources to learn about the information being presented. The only thing that I do not like about this class are the quizzes. For some reason I have always struggled with online test taking.

My philosophy on blended learning is that it is a great tactic to use in the classroom. It gives the students motivation to learn in a personalized way. 21st century learners love to use technology in any way possible. I think that if we teach our students an effective way to use technology they will thrive. Although I love blended learning we have to do it in the right way. If we use the technology as a means keep the students busy we are using it in the wrong way. We need to use technology in a way that is blended with traditional instruction. Overall I think blended learning is awesome!