What is Blended Learning?

Is it worth mixing face-to-face and online learning? We explore exactly what it means to do blended learning, and how it could benefit your learners.

Blended learning is transforming the way businesses approach employee training. It offers a flexible and efficient way to combine in-person learning with digital resources.

And it works too

According to research, 83% of students agreed that using digital technologies is convenient.

But how does it work in practice?

Whether you’re new to the concept or looking to enhance your current approach, this guide will provide the insights and tools to make blended learning work for your organisation.

We’ll discuss:

What blended learning is
The benefits of blended learning
The challenges of blended learning
How to create a blended learning process
Why an LMS is necessary to achieve blended learning

Let’s get started.

What is blended learning?

Blended learning is an educational approach that combines traditional in-person teaching with online learning experiences, often via an LMS.

This model blends face-to-face instruction, such as lectures and group discussions, with digital resources like videos, readings, and interactive modules.

The goal of blended learning is to create a more flexible and personalised learning environment.

By integrating technology, you can boost student engagement, foster collaboration, and provide more access to educational resources.

The structure of blended learning can vary, with some programmes featuring primarily in-person instruction supplemented by online components, while others focus on online learning with in-person sessions reserved for discussions or additional support.

Benefits of blended learning

Just like anything, there are benefits of using blended learning over 100% face-to-face learning, and to just online learning.

Here are some key benefits of blended learning that you’ll want to capitalise on:

Flexibility in learning

Blended learning offers employees the flexibility to learn at their own pace and on their own schedule, which is especially valuable in a business environment.

It allows team members to balance their professional responsibilities with personal learning time, ensuring they can acquire new skills or knowledge without disrupting their work commitments.

This can result in improved learning retention and better time management, as employees can engage with content when it suits them best.

Cost-effective training

With blended learning, businesses can significantly reduce the costs associated with traditional training methods, such as travel, venue rental, or printed materials.

By leveraging online components, organisations can create scalable training programs that reach more employees at a lower cost.

This is particularly beneficial for companies with remote teams or multiple locations, as it allows them to standardise training without the need for costly logistics.

Enhanced employee engagement

Blended learning often incorporates a variety of learning methods, such as videos, quizzes, and group discussions, which can increase learner engagement and make the learning experience more interactive.

For businesses, this means that employees are more likely to stay motivated and invested in their professional development.

By offering diverse learning opportunities, you can cater to different learning styles, improving both the quality of training and overall employee satisfaction.

Improved retention and skill application

Blended learning enables employees to access content multiple times, at their own pace, reinforcing their understanding of key concepts.

This repetition, combined with opportunities for hands-on learning and real-world application, leads to better retention of information and practical skills.

For businesses, this means employees are more likely to retain and apply what they’ve learned, resulting in improved performance and productivity.

Greater scalability

One of the key advantages of blended learning is its scalability.

As businesses grow or expand, they can easily scale training programs to accommodate larger numbers of employees without sacrificing quality.

With online resources, training can be delivered to an unlimited number of employees, making it ideal for companies that need to onboard new staff or provide ongoing development to a large workforce across different regions or departments.

Increased accessibility

By combining online and in-person learning, blended learning can increase accessibility for those with diverse learning needs, such as learners who may require more time to understand certain concepts or employees who need flexible schedules.

It also provides opportunities for learners in remote or underserved areas, who might otherwise lack access to certain courses or training, to engage meaningfully in their education.

Challenges of blended learning

While blended learning offers numerous benefits, it’s not without its challenges.

From technology limitations to ensuring consistent engagement across both online and in-person formats, there are a few hurdles you need to navigate to make it successful.

Technology limitations

While blended learning relies heavily on technology, not all businesses or employees will have access to the necessary tools or resources.

Issues such as outdated hardware, unreliable internet connections, or a lack of technical support can hinder the effectiveness of online components.

Or, it could be as simple as not being able to invest or support a learning management system.

For businesses, this means additional costs may be incurred to ensure that all employees can participate in the digital aspect of training, which could delay or complicate the implementation of blended learning programs.

Lack of engagement in online modules

One challenge of blended learning is maintaining employee engagement with the online portion of the training.

Without the structure of in-person sessions, some employees may find it difficult to stay motivated or focused on digital content.

For businesses, this can lead to lower completion rates or a lack of enthusiasm for learning.

Finding ways to keep the online modules interactive and connected to real-world applications is essential to overcome this issue.

Pro Tip

One easy way to improve engagement is to add an element of competition to your learning. This can encourage learners to engage more as they try to top a leaderboard, or earn more points

The importance of competition in learning

Time management difficulties

While blended learning offers flexibility, it can also present time management challenges.

Employees might struggle to balance self-paced online learning with their everyday work responsibilities.

Without clear expectations and deadlines, some may put off engaging with the online content.

This can make it difficult for businesses to track progress or ensure that employees are staying on track with their learning objectives, potentially delaying skill development.

Resistance to change

Some employees or managers may be resistant to the shift from traditional in-person learning to a blended approach.

They might feel uncomfortable with the technology or prefer the structure and familiarity of face-to-face training.

For businesses, overcoming this resistance can be a challenge, as it requires a cultural shift and ongoing support to help employees embrace blended learning methods.

Training managers and providing adequate support can help ease this transition and increase buy-in from the team.

How to create an impactful blended learning process

Building a successful blended learning process involves more than just combining online and in-person elements.

You need a solid strategy to ensure both components complement each other effectively.

Here are the five basic steps you’ll need to take to create a learning process:

1. Assess learning needs

The first step in creating a blended learning process is understanding the specific needs of your employees and the goals of the training.

Take some time to evaluate what skills or knowledge are most crucial for your team and how they prefer to learn.

You can do this through surveys, interviews, or performance reviews.

This ensures that the blended learning program is aligned with both business objectives and employee preferences, making it more effective from the start.

2. Choose the right blend of online and in-person elements

Next, determine the right balance between online learning and in-person sessions.

Consider what content is best delivered digitally, such as theory-based lessons or standard procedures, and what should remain in-person, like hands-on activities or group discussions.

The key is to create a blend that maximises the strengths of both methods, allowing employees to learn flexibly online while still benefiting from the interaction and collaboration that face-to-face learning provides.

3. Select the right tools and platforms

Choosing the right technology is crucial for a seamless blended learning experience.

Look for platforms that are user-friendly, accessible, and allow for interactive elements such as videos, quizzes, and forums.

Make sure the platform can also track progress and provide feedback, so you can monitor how employees are doing.

It’s important to choose tools that match your employees’ tech comfort levels and fit well with your company’s needs.

4. Develop engaging and varied content

To keep employees engaged, your blended learning content should be dynamic and varied.

Incorporate a mix of videos, articles, quizzes, case studies, and discussions to cater to different learning styles.

Also, consider breaking up larger topics into smaller, manageable modules to prevent information overload.

Related: Guide to bite-sized learning

Engaging content will not only help learners retain information but also encourage them to actively participate in the learning process.

5. Provide ongoing support and feedback

Finally, ensure that employees have access to support throughout their learning journey.

Whether it’s through online forums, scheduled check-ins, or access to instructors, providing consistent guidance will help learners stay on track and resolve any issues that arise.

Feedback is equally important; offer constructive comments and encourage self-assessment to help employees improve continuously.

This ongoing support will make the blended learning process feel more like a partnership, which boosts motivation and success.

Why you need a blended learning LMS

Integrating an LMS to deliver blended learning streamlines the entire training process and makes it more efficient for both businesses and employees.

With an LMS, you can centralise all your learning materials.

No matter if it’s digital content or in-person schedules, you can blend them into one easy-to-access platform, making it simpler for employees to stay organised and engaged.

Key LMS features that support blended learning

When it comes to delivering effective blended learning, choosing the right LMS is key to creating a seamless and engaging experience.

With the wrong LMS, you won’t have access to the right features.

Having the right features means you can easily integrate online and offline learning, measure it and engage learners throughout.

Here are some key features your blended learning LMS needs:

User-friendly interface

A user-friendly interface is essential in an LMS to ensure that employees can easily navigate the system and focus on learning rather than struggling with technology.

Look for a platform that is intuitive and simple to use, so employees, regardless of their tech-savviness, can easily access course materials, track their progress, and participate in discussions.

A clean, well-organised layout will keep employees engaged and reduce frustration, ensuring that learning remains the focus.

Pro Tip

We’re hosted by Totara, but we’ve spent considerable time building a platform and theme that suits learner needs. It’s intuitive and user-focussed, plus really clean and simple.

Check out the BuildEmpire Edition

Integration of multiple learning formats

To effectively deliver blended learning, your LMS should support a variety of content formats.

This includes videos, articles, quizzes, discussion forums, and live webinars.

Having all these resources in one place makes it easier to deliver a rich, diverse learning experience.

The ability to integrate in-person sessions with online content is equally important, as it allows you to create a cohesive learning journey that blends both worlds seamlessly.

Tracking and analytics tools

One of the key features of an effective LMS for blended learning is robust tracking and analytics.

These tools allow you to monitor how employees are progressing through their online modules and in-person activities.

You can track completion rates, quiz scores, and participation levels, helping you identify areas where learners may be struggling.

With this data, you can provide timely interventions, refine the learning process, and ensure that your employees are staying on track to meet their goals.

Collaboration and communication tools

Blended learning is most effective when it encourages interaction and collaboration.

Look for an LMS that offers communication tools such as discussion forums, messaging systems, or virtual classrooms where employees can collaborate with their peers or instructors.

Pro Tip

We’re hosted by Totara which pulls together an LMS and LXP to create one well-rounded learning platform. You can access forums, playlists and more as part of your core learning software.

Learn more about Totara Learn and Engage

This helps build a sense of community and allows learners to share insights, ask questions, and engage in real-time discussions, enhancing the learning experience and promoting deeper understanding.

Mobile compatibility

Given the flexibility that blended learning offers, it’s important that your LMS is mobile-friendly.

A mobile-compatible platform allows employees to access learning materials and complete assignments on the go, whether they’re commuting, traveling, or working remotely.

This ensures that learning can happen anytime, anywhere, increasing engagement and allowing employees to fit training into their busy schedules without being tied to a desktop.

Looking for a blended learning LMS?

BuildEmpire is a platinum partner of Totara with over 20 years of experience building learning platforms.

Totara allows organisations to create custom learning paths that blend online and in-person learning, adapting the journey to each learner’s needs.

Through its “learning plans” feature, administrators can set up pathways with a mix of e-learning modules, assessments, and workshops.

Plus, our seminar management tool is perfect for blended learning programmes that include in-person training components.

Administrators can easily:

schedule face-to-face sessions
track attendance
manage enrolments
and send reminders

The system can also accommodate different session types, including instructor-led, on-site, or even off-site sessions, making it versatile for various types of blended learning activities.

Totara supports social learning by enabling collaborative tools like forums, chat rooms, and group activities.

Learners can discuss topics, share insights, and collaborate on projects, simulating the social interaction of face-to-face sessions within the online platform.

This helps learners build a community and maintain engagement throughout the blended learning programme, making learning more collaborative and enjoyable.

And that’s not all.

Totara includes support for self-directed learning, enabling employees to explore resource libraries, microlearning modules, and supplementary materials on their own time.

This autonomy allows learners to reinforce their knowledge outside of formal training sessions, encouraging continuous learning and enabling them to build on the skills they acquire in both online and in-person settings.

If you’re left wondering what a blended learning platform with BuildEmpire could look like, then book a demo with our team.

We’ll show you the core features of Totara, plus the extra add-ons we’ve implemented to help create a more engaging, user-focused platform.

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