Blended learning is often used to describe the blending of electronic and online media with traditional face-to-face methods. To us, that specific definition is limiting and can restrict one’s thinking. Often instructors teach with one primary method for a lecture, every lecture; for 80+% of the content. There might be the occasional other method introduced or used, but it is not the primary vehicle or mechanism for learning. Blended learning in our view is the use of multiple methods seamlessly integrated, each contributing a substantial part of the value equation. The methods may or may not be high-tech, online; that does not matter. The same issues exist for the most part regardless of the specifics.

The blending can be done in parallel, concurrently, or in a sequential pipeline fashion where the learning from one learning experience is leveraged by the next.

Our thoughts...

• Whatever methods are used, they need to match the content, learning outcomes, the students’ ability to use them, and the instructor’s ability to use them.
• Each method has to be thought about and rationalized as to the contribution versus the cognitive cost and effort of using the primary method. That is, if you can achieve the same outcomes with the primary method (or close enough), why introduce another?
• The instructor has to think about what supports are required when the methods are being used and if used in parallel, what the implications are.
• It is important to always consider issues and problems during the use of a method and the more methods in play, the more planning and complicated the risk scenarios become. The more that go wrong, the more contingencies to have up a sleeve.
• It is recommended that before combining or blending any methods, that the students and instructor have been exposed to and are comfortable with both methods. The students should be focused an trying to learn the ‘content’ and not multiple tools at the same time. We suggest tutorial or lab time be used to introduce the methods before use in the primary lecture.
• If two methods are used concurrently, it is important that the students have tried this before and are comfortable before the primary lecture. The methods must also be complementary without kludges and work arounds. The learning should be the focus, not trying to get the methods figured out, working together.

• If two methods are used in a sequential fashion, there are less risks and moving parts to worry about. The learning should still flow, but there is only one method for the students to worry about at a time.
• Assessments (assignments, tests, etc.) should also support and match the methods or context of learning and this can be tricky when multiple methods are used. While this is true for all methods, blending increases the complexity and challenges; what should be assessed, how it could/should/would be assessed, and the quality of the assessment.
• We suggest that with any method, a big deal is not made out of the method. At the beginning of the term, the various pedagogical methods used in the course can be discussed, examples given, and so forth, but the course should not be about the methods, it should be about the course material and learning. We have seen some instructors emphasize the tools more than the course and this can be more so with blended learning. The best tools just work and function in the background without extra cognitive effort!
• The more high-tech and extravagant a tool is, the risk for things going south will increase. It should not be assumed that the method will work, or work for everyone, or work equally for everyone. Switching from one method to another, or using two at the same time creates a higher cognitive load on the student. If things go wrong, the perceived impact will be higher as will the stress levels.

Further reading

• Picciano, A.G. (2009). Blending With Purpose: The Multimodal Model. Special Issue on Blending, Journal of the Research Center for Educational Technology, 5, 1, pp. 1-14.
• Albiladi, W.S. and K.K. Alshareef (2019). Blended Learning in English Teaching and Learning: A Review of the Current Literature. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 10, 2, pp. 232-238.