Could Blended Learning Be Forever?

For most parents, teachers and students, distance learning is not ideal. Not only are knowledge and skill more difficult for most teachers to impart in digital space, but students seem less interested in engaging with their schoolwork, and parents are weighed down with more responsibilities than ever. 

As a result, in some parts of the country, schools have adopted blended learning, a mixture of face-to-face and digital learning that allow classrooms to remain smaller and safer. Blended learning can deliver greater education access in communities that lack sufficient resources for full-time distance learning, and it alleviates some pressure on students and parents. However, it maintains many of the downsides of distance learning, like keeping parents at home during digital days and expecting teachers to balance two entirely different teaching platforms.

Yet, as the weeks turned into months and the months into almost a full year with COVID-19, many in the education system are beginning to wonder: Is blended learning forever? Will distance learning become an integral element of education into the future? 

Learning Styles Will Probably Vary 

It is safe to assume that once we have a COVID vaccine, there are some sectors of education that will fully return to normal — that is, 100-percent in-person learning. For instance, digital learning has by and large failed elementary students, who lack fundamental literacy, tech and social skills to make distance learning functional. Further, there are a large number of public school districts that lack the tech resources (and funding) for teachers and students to successfully complete digital learning in the long term. On the other hand, it seems remarkably likely that higher education will offer a greater number of distance learning options, which could lower tuition and make legitimate advanced degrees more accessible to more people.

Still, it is important to remember that there is no single educational environment ideal for every member of an academic system. Some teachers function better when they can pre-record their lectures and post assignments to a digital blackboard; some students need hands-on learning opportunities to truly grasp difficult concepts. The fact is that more diverse options within education is far from a bad thing. It is entirely possible that some wealthier school districts might begin offering long-term blended or distance options for students who demonstrate a proclivity for such education formats.

Parents and students might use this opportunity to sample a different learning style and determine whether continuing with a blended or fully digital platform is advisable. Students might mark how their interest and participation have shifted within this new learning environment, and parents and teachers might pay close attention to the success (or lack of success) their students experience. Then, when COVID becomes a thing of the past, students can make more informed decisions regarding the style of education that suits their needs best.

Parents Can Make Blended Learning Work Right Now

In truth, parents shouldn’t be worrying about whether blended learning will persist beyond the end of COVID; parents should be working with teachers and students to ensure that blended learning works right now. 

As blended learning is brand-new for most schools and classrooms, many teachers lack the blended learning tools necessary to help students and parents during this time of stress. Parents should be patient with educators and be willing to contribute to their school system in any ways necessary, which might mean contributing financially to teachers’ classroom funds or volunteering for school programs that assist with blended learning platforms. 

At home, it is more important than ever that parents engage with their children’s education. Because students have limited opportunities to ask for help from educators, parents need to be aware of what their child is learning and provide assistance when their children are struggling. Parents shouldn’t put undue pressure on their kids, especially considering the unprecedented stresses kids are already experiencing. Instead, giving them the right supplies, space and support will make blended learning easier on everyone.

Blended learning probably isn’t forever — at least not for everyone. Still, that doesn’t mean parents are given a pass from working to make blended learning as successful as possible for the duration. By working together, teachers, students and parents can make this strange period of education a bit more straightforward and ensure that everyone learns and grows in a positive way.