Blended learning: What it is, and how it stands out

Why do I need to train my employees? 
How can training impact my organization's growth?
Is it really worth spending money on training my employees?

Do these pressing questions bother you or your organization? Training your workforce is an essential strategy that you cannot overlook. According to reports from Deloitte, employees who receive training in their workplace have demonstrated a 37% increase in productivity compared to their colleagues who don't. Although there are various approaches to employee training, blended learning is what we’ll be focusing on in this article.  

What is blended learning?

As the name suggests, blended learning combines both online and classroom learning. Employees can learn the concepts better with both online and offline learning methods. You can design the training technique according to your employees' preferences, which helps them learn more effectively.

Let's consider a scenario: You own a digital marketing agency and want to upskill your marketing team in data analytics to improve campaign performance. Employees can take courses on Google Analytics, SQL, and data visualization through an LMS.

You can also organize instructor-led, in-person training sessions with industry experts on data-driven marketing. Employees can collaborate with their team members through activities such as group projects and discussion forums.

Certification and gamification are great incentives to encourage better performance. This blended approach, combining both physical and virtual learning environments, allows employees to learn at their own pace and on their own schedule.

Hybrid learning vs blended learning 

Blended learning and hybrid learning have become a recent trend in many organizations. While they both focus on combining online and traditional face-to-face instruction, they're distinct in approach and application.

In hybrid learning, employees have the flexibility to choose between online or in-person participation. Employees working from different parts of the world will benefit from this learning.

In blended learning, employees' learning will include both traditional classroom and virtual environments. This means that employees attend classes in person, but can also take a virtual class to access online resources, group projects, and activities.

Benefits of blended learning

Let's delve deep into the key benefits of blended learning.

Diverse methodologies reinforce the concept better

Studies show that combining different activities helps many employees learn better. When employees upskill in new technology, use instructor-based training to introduce them to new concepts, then use webinars, online videos, and hands-on projects to help them understand how the technology works. Reinforcing learning through both theoretical and practical approaches is key to solidifying understanding.

It empowers employees

Each employee is unique, and so is their learning pace. Because most employees have time constraints, tailoring the pace to their schedules will enhance the efficiency of the training. Facilitating the proper time and opportunity for employees to improve their skills and talents will motivate them and improve their productivity. 

Cost-effectiveness

Blended learning can be more cost-effective because it replaces the need for physical resources, space, and instructor time. It also saves travel time and costs for the instructor and employees. But the return on investment will be high because employees tend to pick up the intended skills more effectively.

Personalization

You can break the one-size-fits-all learning strategy and provide tailor-made learning needs based on the employee’s strengths and weaknesses. Imagine this blended learning scenario: Before training even begins, employees can take a look at the learning resources and concepts. They can familiarize concepts beforehand, giving them enough time to understand them better during classroom training.

Scalability

As an organization grows, so do its training needs. Dedicated classroom training will take a lot of time to set up and participate in for larger businesses, making it expensive. Similarly, a solely digital learning approach will make the training less personalized. With the blended learning approach, you can offer training content for all employees in the digital environment, and trainers can provide needed support for employees to enhance their skills.

Types of blended learning

There are various types of blended learning available. Today, we're going to discuss the most common models.

Face-to-face driver model

This model is the most similar to a traditional classroom experience. Face-to-face classroom training is the main mode of delivery, but technology supplements that learning. This approach offers individual and personalized support for the employees.

Online driver model

This model is the complete opposite to the face-to-face driver model. Employees learn at their own pace, drive, and motivation, while receiving minimal support from the trainer. The online driver model works well for employees who are in a hybrid work environment. This model provides a learner-centered environment. 

Rotation model

Employees divide into small groups, and these groups rotate between different learning modalities on a fixed schedule. There are three types of rotation models.

Lab rotation: Employees rotate between online learning and traditional classroom learning for instruction.

Station model: Employees rotate among various stations including one-on-one instruction, online tasks, group projects, and self-paced learning.

Flipped classroom: Employees learn the concepts through webinars, online classes, and materials at their own pace and use the in-class time for the activities, discussions, and group projects on the concept to reinforce their understanding.  

Flex model

Employees have control over how, when, and where they can learn. Most of the time, employees in the hybrid model will take advantage of this learning technique.

Enriched virtual model 

This model has the flexibility of combining online instruction with structured, scheduled in-person sessions. It requires employees to participate in occasional in-person interactions or activities, which enriches their overall learning experience.

À la carte model

Employees take one or more courses entirely online while continuing to attend a traditional learning environment for other concepts.

The challenges of blended learning 

Blended learning comes with merits and demerits. Here are the key challenges of blended learning in organizational settings.

Defining common goals and methods

You need to have a clear vision of what you want your employees to achieve, and how the different modes of instruction will support that. You also need to consider the balance and integration of online and face-to-face activities and how they'll complement and reinforce each other.  

The trainer's digital skill gap

Finding the right trainer for this model can be very difficult. The trainer must have a clear vision and strategy, along with the essential abilities and expertise to synchronize with the online and offline training.

Employee engagement

One key challenge for your employees is adapting to the blended learning environment, which requires them to plan, monitor, and evaluate their own learning. Organizing employees under your learning model will be more challenging due to their varying preferences, backgrounds, and readiness levels for blended learning.

Technological challenges 

Finding reliable and accessible technology for your employees will be another big challenge. This means that you need to choose the appropriate tools and platforms that align with your employees' learning objectives and goals.

Tracking employees' progress  

It's essential to analyze and monitor employees' performance, engagement, and growth in order to evaluate the efficacy of blended learning initiatives. It may be difficult to track employees' progress and assess the training program's success given the variety of learning mediums used in the blended approach.

Assessing  the employees' comprehension 

When blended learning incorporates both online and in-person settings, it can be difficult to gauge the level of your employees' comprehension. Integrating in-person and digital learning assessments makes the evaluation process more intricate and complex.

How can online training platforms overcome this? 

Addressing these challenges proactively will ensure the successful implementation of blended learning programs.

• Identify your training objectives, target audience, and available resources. Design a curriculum that aligns cohesively with the needs of both online and offline training methods in an efficient manner.
• Train your trainer to handle efficiently both online and offline.
• Enhance employee engagement by incorporating interactive elements like gamification, rewards, and certification, and foster peer collaboration through group projects, discussion forums, and activities.
• Choose the right technology and platform—like an LMS, virtual classroom platforms, and webinars—that are well-suited for both online and offline training methods.
• Implement robust analytics and reporting tools to monitor and manage your blended learning program, such as tracking attendance, participation, and completion.
• Use quizzes, surveys, and tests to evaluate employee learning progress. Provide feedback and support to enhance their learning experience.

How to implement blended learning in your organization effectively 

Here are the steps to implement blended learning in your organization.

Define the learning objectives 

It's essential to clearly define the learning outcomes you want to achieve before you begin creating and delivering blended courses. You need to determine if your training is for onboarding, reskilling, upskilling, or ongoing learning programs. Your training should also offer adaptive learning experiences where learning goals align with business objectives.

Choose a blended learning model 

After defining your goals, choose the blended learning model that suits your organization. Develop a curriculum outlining the subjects you want to cover. Analyze the content and determine the appropriate teaching method—traditional or online classroom for each of the content.  

Select the right tool 

Once you've chosen the model, you need to select the right technology and tool that enhances both online and traditional learning experiences. The essential tools and technologies to consider are: an LMS, collaboration and communication tools  , webinar tools, and mobile learning apps. You can use platforms like TrainerCentral to manage all of these tools from a single console.

• Will this tool satisfy both employees' and trainers' needs?
• Can it scale as my organization grows?
• Can I measure the outcome of the training?
  
  Once you find the answer to these questions, you're ready to proceed to the next step.

Implement and evaluate your blended learning plan 

The next step is to implement blended learning and monitor its progress and results.
Make sure the online and offline teaching methods are well-coordinated and consistent. Plan and design proper assessments to understand how well your employees receive your training. Develop multiple assessment methods, including online quizzes, polls, scenario-based tests, and group discussions, to evaluate your employees.

Track progress and optimize  the content

Tracking progress in blended learning ensures that employees engage with the content, enhance their skills, and achieve the learning objectives. Use tools like learning management systems, dashboards, and analytics to manage attendance, engagement, and participation. This will help you understand your employees' strengths, weaknesses, and skill gaps so you can modify your training methods appropriately.

Reward your employees

Recognizing and rewarding employees for their learning achievements boosts motivation, engagement, and retention in blended learning programs. Use badges, certificates, and gamification to enhance employee engagement.

Receive feedback and improve

After the training, ask employees for their opinions. Use polls and surveys to identify which training method is most useful, what they liked and disliked, and their ideas to improve it. This will help you understand their pain points so you can create a training approach that benefits all of your employees.  

Wrapping up

With blended learning, many organizations have made significant advancements in their training program. The right blend of the traditional classroom with online learning improves learning outcomes. Keep your employees' needs and preferences in mind when choosing a blended learning model.

So the next time you organize a training session for your organization, opt for the most suitable blended learning model and choose the right technology tool to ensure a smooth transition to the blended courses.