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Flashback to the beginning of the pandemic, schools were closed and kids had to stay at home. Parents everywhere were skeptical of zoom classes — just exactly how much does it live up to regular in-person classes, if at all?
Stepping into the present, schools are opening again, but online learning is here to stay, or at least parts of it. Say hello to blended learning…what exactly is it?
Simply put, blended learning (also known as hybrid learning) combines regular in-person class with online learning materials.
Students are still learning from teachers in the classroom, just that they also gain access to an array of online educational resources that boosts their learning. This could include:
Blended learning enhances students’ learning. Research shows that blended learning improves students’ performance, boosts their engagement with peers and reduces failure rates.
At this point, you might be getting confused — is blended learning just online homework?
Well, no.
Here’s a simple breakdown of one of the many methods within blended learning — flipped classroom.
Flipped classroom: Students are introduced to new content at home online, then practice it in the classroom. It usually involves:
Essentially, it takes the best part of in-person teaching and online learning — skipping the boring lectures by turning them into videos or webinars students watch at home, and engaging them with fruitful discussions and interactive group or personal projects.
Moreover, since it involves them learning independently, blended learning motivates students to take initiative to learn and shapes them to become responsible lifelong learners.
So, to sum it up,
What blended learning isn’t ❌ Boring lectures in class and hours of online homework
What blended learning is ✅ Optimised learning that combines exciting in-person learning activities with rich online learning opportunities
With that in mind, how can my child benefit from blended learning?
Source: CourseKey
Every child is unique, and it makes sense how they learn is unique, too!
According to psychologists, there’s actually 4 distinct learning styles, including
With so many learning styles, how can you make sure your child is learning the best way?
Here’s how blended learning can help —
👁 Kids who learn visually or by written words can benefit greatly from videos and learning materials online.
👂 Kids who learn with auditory instruction benefit from online webinars and in-person classes.
🤚 Lastly, kids who are kinesthetic learners benefit from hands-on projects and activities!
Blended learning works well for your child no matter their learning style! By learning in a way that works for them the best, your child gets the most out of any learning experience!
Raising your hand and not being called on by the teacher sucks. Studies show that low engagement in class makes kids less passionate to learn.
With blended learning, there are more ways for your child to interact with both teachers and learning materials. Tools such as kahoot or quizlet lets kids answer questions and reinforce learning in creative ways.
Moreover, kids who are usually shy in class can feel more comfortable answering questions virtually, whereas they wouldn't in class.
We’ve all experienced the stress of having to hand in homework on-time, or having to read a book by a certain date.
Learning should be fun, and the pressure and anxiety of having to keep up with peers isn’t fun, especially for children.
Blended learning helps because it’s asynchronous. In other words, it allows children to learn at the pace they’re able to, not the pace they’re demanded to.
Kids who are science geeks get to skip ahead and check out the fun science facts in next week's chapters, and kids who learn slower don’t have to worry about lagging behind.
Online learning materials are flexible — kids can replay videos if they’ve missed a concept, they can even go on the internet to clarify concepts they don’t understand well!
After learning at their own pace at home, kids return to the classroom with an improved understanding of what the teacher is going to talk about. This creates a more efficient learning experience for your child and their classmates, and the class can jump straight into the fun stuff, such as hands-on activities and projects!
Source: SimpliLearn
As great as blended learning is to children’s growth, not every school offers such a learning experience.
Here’s the catch — with the myriad of tools online, parents can curate their own blended learning experiences for their children!
As mentioned above, the components of blended learning include:
In-person classes: Your child’s regular schooling should suffice.
Online learning materials: Youtube is home to a library of educational videos, but remember to fact-check them before showing them to your child!
Hands-on learning activities: You can create or discover on the internet of crafts or projects that reinforces your child’s learning (e.g a volcano explosion experiment when your child is learning about dinosaurs)
This could seem like a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to be!
Big Bang Academy’s blended learning solution Big Bang STEAM combines the best of blended learning and ships it to your doorstep. Learn science effectively with fun video adventures, and follow it up with hands-on experiments!
Learn science effectively with:
- 500+ Interactive animated science adventures
- Quizzes and minigames to keep kids engaged
- Hands-on experiment kits to reinforce learning, shipped monthly to your doorstep
Try it at 55% off! Register now and learn from the best!
📚Related Articles
Approaches & Development of STEM Education in Hong Kong
Utilising Hybrid Methods to Enhance Science Learning
How do Children Learn Science? 4 Must-read Ways & 4 Useful Tips
Written By
Maison Li
Maison is a content writer at Big Bang Academy. Inspired by innovation, Maison strives to showcase the latest science learning solutions to the world.