Education 2.0 & 3.0

Any time I start work on a new learning project, someone always asks me how I think the learning content should be delivered. Should it be an eLearning course or instructor-led training? Should it be a how-to video or job aid? And while these questions are important to answer, my response is always the same: Why does it have to be one or the other? Why don’t we try designing blended learning?

This piece is co-authored by Chelsea Waite, research fellow, education, at the Christensen Institute.

In February 2016, the Christensen Institute debuted the Blended Learning Universe (BLU)—an online hub of blended learning resources—in response to more and more schools across the U.S. implementing a blended-learning strategy for students. Researchers at the Institute define blended learning as a formal education program that must have three components: it must be part online, with students having some control over the time, place, path, or pace of their learning; it must occur, in part, in a brick-and-mortar location away from home; and the modalities along a student’s learning path must be connected to provide an integrated learning experience. While there is great diversity of practice, the Institute identifies seven common models leveraged by educators:

For all L&D managers in the corporate world, delivering successful training within available time and resources is a continuing challenge. Presenting information to learning in the right way can be the key to achieving learning outcomes. And since a lot of moneys and time is invested into creating impactful training, there is a definite trend of developing higher levels of interest in how learners want to learn, in addition to what they need to. The ultimate aim is to make learning exciting enough to become a lifelong pursuit for learners and there are various ways of achieving this. Today, one of the most popular one is using blended learning ideas.