blended learning
Lebanese University
Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences
English Department
Master 1
A New Method Introduced Into the World of Teaching: Blended Learning
Joanna Karim
Informatics
1
The concept of learning and the process of teaching are constantly changing. In the twenty first century, traditional teaching methods are being altered and sometimes replaced by contemporary ones which go in line with societies’ and learner’s development in almost all levels and/ or fields.
Blended learning is one of these new methods adopted in teaching. This method is referred to as hybrid learning because it combines different teaching practices. Traditional classroom teaching or lecturing is combined with online learning. These materials should support what is being learned to insure further understanding .Students can reach the materials they are required to study on their own, from their home. In addition there is an opportunity for extended online teaching through questions and answers sequences. Students can ask questions to the teachers to be clarified or answered online. This dynamic new method of learning will engage students and motivate them. (Teach Thought Staff, 2013).
According to the Teach Thought Staff (2013): “Blended learning’s real strength is that it transforms a largely transmissive method of teaching–say, a professor lecturing for what feels like an eternity–into a truly interactive one...” moreover they assert that this proved to be more effective that the other methods which are used separately. (1)
Another interesting definition of blended learning is that it is a program based on a mixture of online sources and face to face interactions. These enable the learners to take control over their own learning including time, place and speed at which they acquire or learn a certain activity, lesson or task. A nice quotation from Babu M, Sameer (2009) is the following: “Blended
2
Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences
English Department
Master 1
A New Method Introduced Into the World of Teaching: Blended Learning
Joanna Karim
Informatics
1
The concept of learning and the process of teaching are constantly changing. In the twenty first century, traditional teaching methods are being altered and sometimes replaced by contemporary ones which go in line with societies’ and learner’s development in almost all levels and/ or fields.
Blended learning is one of these new methods adopted in teaching. This method is referred to as hybrid learning because it combines different teaching practices. Traditional classroom teaching or lecturing is combined with online learning. These materials should support what is being learned to insure further understanding .Students can reach the materials they are required to study on their own, from their home. In addition there is an opportunity for extended online teaching through questions and answers sequences. Students can ask questions to the teachers to be clarified or answered online. This dynamic new method of learning will engage students and motivate them. (Teach Thought Staff, 2013).
According to the Teach Thought Staff (2013): “Blended learning’s real strength is that it transforms a largely transmissive method of teaching–say, a professor lecturing for what feels like an eternity–into a truly interactive one...” moreover they assert that this proved to be more effective that the other methods which are used separately. (1)
Another interesting definition of blended learning is that it is a program based on a mixture of online sources and face to face interactions. These enable the learners to take control over their own learning including time, place and speed at which they acquire or learn a certain activity, lesson or task. A nice quotation from Babu M, Sameer (2009) is the following: “Blended
2
References: Blended Learning _ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved May 18, 2014 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blended_learning Dziuban , C http://www.edutopia.org/blog/blended-learning-engagement-strategies-andrew-miller Teach Thought staff (2013, January) Tucker, C. (2013, March). The Basics of Blended Instruction. Retrieved May 20, 2014 from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar13/vol70/num06/The-Basics-of-Blended-Instruction.aspx