When talking about blended learning I used to think of learning in the classroom combined with learning at home. But I was terrible wrong. Of course the definition of blended learning still is:
A formal education program in which students learn:
(1) at least in part through online learning, with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace;
(2) at least in part in a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home;
(3) and the modalities along each student’s learning path within a course or subject are connected to provide an integrated learning experience
But that doesn’t mean the online part must be followed at home. Some great examples of blended learning are shown in the MOOC Blended Learning: Personalize Education for Students. In this MOOC the possibilities of Blended Learning broadened my horizon.
The first model they discussed was the Rotation Model.
Imaging a class of 40 students (normal nowadays). A course build with the rotation model in mind is a course in which the students rotate on a fixed schedule or at the teacher’s discretion between learning modalities, At least one of which is online learning. The students learn mostly on the brick and mortar campus. There are a few possible ways to use the Rotation Model
- station rotation, a model in which students experience the rotation model within a contained classroom or group of classrooms. The Station Rotation model differs front the Individual Rotation model because students rotate through all of the stations, not only those on their custom schedules.
- Individual rotation, a course in which each student has an individualized playlist and does not necessarily rotate to each available station or modality. An algorithm sets individual student schedules.
- Lab rotation; a course in which students rotate to computer lab for the online-learning station
- Flipped classroom; a course in which students participate in online learning off-site in place of traditional homework and then attend the brick-and-mortar school for face-to-face guided practice or projects.
The other models were the Flex Model, the A La Carte Model and the Enrich Virtual Model. In another blogpost I’ll write about these models.
– See more at: http://www.blendedlearning.org/models/#sthash.ZJHZrhfD.dpuf
s.schouwenaars 