The Heart of Blended Learning

As we've been assembling resources for blended learning (check out our TLI Blended Learning page) and working on creating a simple, visual definition for blended learning in the TLI department, we've also talked a lot about what blended learning IS and what blended learning ISN'T.

The number one misconception we've heard about blended learning is that is "has to have" something, most commonly a playlist. Other misconceptions are that it is a lesson bursting with technology in which all students are working on individualized tasks. Blended learning should not be isolating.

Blended learning does not have to be "personalized" learning, though it is all about creating the space and opportunities to make learning more personally meaningful. If student learning isn't at the center of plans for blended learning, then the learning is merely "technology rich."

Catlin Tucker, THE blended learning guru, posted recently about "Blended Learning: What It Is and What It Is Not," and I love how she clarifies:

I’ve also heard the phrases blended learning and personalized learning used synonymously, yet they are not the same thing. Blended learning creates exciting pathways toward personalization, but personalization requires a partnership between the teacher and the learner. This partnership is easier to achieve in a blended learning environment where teachers have the time and space to work directly with students, providing individualized instruction, support, and feedback. 

Student need and student agency (i.e. choice and voice) are at the heart of blended learning; when we use technology to empower learners and facilitate great instructional practices in our face-to-face learning environment, we create space for powerful learning to occur.