B-learning or Blended Learning is all the rage. The expression has become ubiquitous at the world's major training fairs and among HR directors at large multinationals. But what exactly is B-learning or Blended Learning ?
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Definition of b-learning or Blended Learning
The term (in English, blended learning ) refers to the combination of face-to-face training (with teachers in a classroom) with online education (courses on the Internet or digital media). B-learning is therefore a hybrid learning system in which these two systems are mixed.
The idea behind this teaching method is to distance oneself from the dichotomy between the classroom and the computer. According to b-learning , it is not about betting on one or the other, but rather taking advantage of the advantages of each of these modalities. The key is in the right mix and in not leaving aside (due to old inertia or recent fashions) either of these two teaching methods.
In Spanish, b-learning is also known as semi-presential learning, blended learning, combined learning or hybrid learning.
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Advantages of b-learning or Blended Learning
The key to the success of b-learning programs lies precisely in getting the best of both worlds.
On the one hand, face-to-face training allows teachers to be in direct contact with students, facilitates interaction in the physical world between students and is an effective tool for transmitting knowledge. Its use can make the organization of tasks more efficient, encourage teamwork and allow personalized attention based on the needs of each student.
On the other hand, online training gives students more flexibility to take courses at any time and place, facilitates the sending of all kinds of documents (text, videos, slides, audios, infographics, etc.) and allows for the collection of a large amount of information about the learning process carried out by each student. This methodology can also be applied to many students at a low cost and allows content to be updated much more quickly.
Combining these two teaching methods (at least if done well) has been shown to be more efficient than face-to-face learning and to increase student motivation and engagement.
Examples of B-learning or Blended Learning
Although the definition of b-learning is simple, in practice there is no single way to apply this learning method. Depending on the needs of teachers and students, as well as the content of the subjects, b-learning can vary in its use of the online and offline worlds. While in some cases face-to-face classes are the priority, in others a rotation model is chosen or digital teaching is the priority.
The American school network High Tech High in San Diego, for example, has established a b-learning system in which many of the classes are divided in half between face-to-face training and digital training.
Its primary and secondary school students, a total of 5,300 students spread across 13 public schools, use programs such as ALEKS to supplement math classes and others such as Rossetta for language learning.
In 2010, the numbers seemed to support the blended learning model: 100% of students were accepted into college, and 93% of them passed the California High School Exit Exam (compared to the statewide average of 80%).
The business world has also enthusiastically embraced b-learning . The American company Cisco Systems, for example, has been including online video viewing as part of corporate training for its employees for years.
Other companies, such as the consulting firm Ernst & Young, have also taken advantage of the economic savings and geographical dispersion of their workers to combine courses in conference rooms with an ambitious digital training program.
Education in the 21st century
B-learning is the latest example of the transformations that education is undergoing across the globe. New technologies, the popularisation of e-learning, the need to develop new technological skills, the growth of game-based learning and the omnipresence of mobile phones in the 21st century all point to a new way of educating and learning.
For b-learning gurus, the solution is clear: bring together the best of the online and offline worlds to create a learning system that adapts to the student and is more active, flexible and efficient.
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