At its most basic level, blended learning combines in-person instruction with online material, typically in the form of on-demand training videos that learners refer to outside of class. This scenario is already typical in higher education and K–12 institutions. Businesses, however, need a more dynamic implementation of blended learning than this fundamental strategy, with extra alternatives. Options include:
- An instructor-led live virtual classroom (LVC) that allows learners to learn from any location while still receiving the personalized feedback of in-person instruction.
- Real-world projects that may be instantly applied to businesses, while also helping learners gain practical experience.
- Using online social learning features to interact with other online learners.
- Gamification, the use of game-like components in the learning process, such as interactive leaderboards, point systems, and competitive rules.
- Learners with some prior knowledge or skills can jump ahead and start training at an appropriate level using adaptive learning.
- Using a learning management system (LMS), employees can track their progress and assist as needed.
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Why is blended learning needed in the corporate world?
- Self-paced learning: Introduce blended learning to support top-notch corporate training if you want to make the most of both online and offline platforms. A successfully blended learning environment allows all employees to learn at their own pace and receive assistance as needed. With the help of solid blended learning-based corporate training, passing the knowledge to developing minds becomes simpler. Due to the different face-to-face and technologically enhanced ways used in blended learning-based corporate training, employees become more engaged and improve critical thinking.
- Affordable employee training: The adoption of blended learning makes the training process more affordable and enables a company to allocate the remaining funds to other projects that will support the growth of the company. You must now be wondering how blended learning-based corporate training might lower costs. Well, it eliminates costs for lodging, transportation, meals, and travel. A few consumable resources can be reconfigured for employees that receive blended corporate training, saving a ton of money. Even though high-end online training deliverables are a cost associated with online training programs, these costs can be minimized by using free educational technologies.
- Enhances the effectiveness of corporate training: When innovation is included in a typical learning setting, it completely alters the nature of learning and has a significant impact in this area. It is a known fact that visualization aids in information retention, and blended learning corporate training gives employees this benefit. One of the key benefits of online training is that staff members pick up information quickly and retain it for life. The accomplishment gap significantly narrows with the addition of high-quality content, and thus every employee may contribute successfully and equally to the company.
- Saves time: By offering speedy learning, question-and-answer sessions with instructors to clear up any issues, and tracking learning, a capable blended learning platform can assist in saving the valuable time of employees. One of the main benefits of blended learning in corporate training is that it gives employees the ability to monitor their performance both online and in-person, enabling them to put what they have learned online to use.
- Tracks employee progress: Every type of learning process benefits from performance tracking since it informs the learners of their progress to date and what still needs to be done. Corporate training that uses blended learning makes it possible for staff members to monitor their performance whenever they want, which is otherwise quite challenging. The typical training approaches make it difficult for staff members to gather feedback. However, employees can occasionally track their performance and activity on a successful blended learning platform. Additionally, with online blended learning systems, it is possible to track how long it takes for an employee to complete a task, how many times they attended the course and what has been the effectiveness of blended learning.
Challenges of incorporating blended learning:
- Maintaining instructor’s authenticity: It’s simple enough to put learners in front of pre-made informational movies with an endless stream of pre-written questions when using technology in the classroom. But does it work? Instructors need adaptable instructional delivery methods created to maintain the instructors’ authenticity, as they are the most significant change agent in the classroom. Instructors naturally take a backseat while using external content, making the learners feel bewildered about their instructor’s sincerity towards the course. This thus ensures the routine use of technology does not undermine a teacher’s capacity to forge deep connections with learners.
- Creating effective self-paced learning: As a result of having direct instruction through videos, employees can take charge of their training and progress at a pace that feels comfortable to them. But this ease in training comes with its own set of troubles. The idea that some learners need more time than others to grasp skills is the foundation of self-pacing, a fundamental tenet of many blended learning programs. Self-direction is a challenging talent, and learners need scaffolding to acquire it. Pupils who are excellent at managing their time thrive while those who aren’t unfortunately lag. As a result, successful learners learn rapidly and independently via an online portal, but failing students quickly fall through the cracks and experience loneliness and a sense of being lost in the classroom. Therefore, it is important to choose a program that allows students to pace themselves during the training rather than simply letting them run amok with their time. Establish strict end-of-unit deadlines that keep them from getting too far behind and allow them to start over after each unit. Learners could start over with new objectives and thought patterns after learning from their failures in the prior unit.
- Developing learner authenticity: It is compulsory to get learners working independently on the new software, but how could we make sure they were learning? Numerous computer-based programs push trainees to quickly complete the designated course without actually understanding the knowledge or abilities required for succeeding in the area. Therefore, it is essential to observe if the training program is authentic enough to ensure the mastering of the 3 R’s, viz. Review, Revisit, and Restart the process. Blended learning could be an effective way of employee training, provided it is incorporated well.
Conclusion: Those looking for the ideal fusion of teaching and technology find blended learning to be a fantastic option. Blended learning offers the convenience of offline learning in the online mode, avoiding the struggles associated with an offline mode. By observing well, the challenges encountered in blended learning-based corporate training can be addressed.
