The Future of Blended Education

“Technology is finally poised to disrupt how people learn [1].”  Had Khan Academy been established in the 1990s, it may not have succeeded.  However, many factors came together in the early 2000s that made it the perfect time and place for such and organization.  It was during a time when disruptive innovation in technology was really beginning to fully emerge in the educational rink.  Why?  Obviously because technology finally existed that proved to be effective, but also because educators were beginning to realize the benefits of technology in the classroom, in both secondary and post-secondary education.  Students learn at different paces and have different needs.  Some need a very hands-on approach while others need very little direction.  This is the same for both young children and adult lifelong learners.  This seems like an obvious statement, but until recently, teachers have had few options but to teach all their students the same material at the same rate.  This created three positions in the classroom – students who weren’t challenged enough, middle of the line students who were probably the targets for the lesson plan, and students who fell far behind.  So what options are out there?  Let’s take a look.

Open education resources:  This is where Khan University comes in.  They provide alternate learning methods to traditional textbooks and can be utilized in both online and in person education. [2]

Full-time online learning:  Cyber School is becoming more and more popular among parents who are concerned about safety in school and/or about the quality of their public schools.  Online learning offers convenience, flexibility, and safety.  And in many instances, students can complete high school earlier than students of the same age at traditional schools.  There are also some drawbacks to online learning.  Students miss out on an important social aspect of a traditional school.   Also, depending on the state, the cost might be high.  And finally, students receive less guidance and must rely especially on intrinsic motivation [3].     

  

Blended learning:  Is there a perfect ratio of both in person learning and online learning?  Online learning has advantage of accelerating learning, more flexibility, and less overhead.  In class learning provides the opportunity to teach social skills and collaboration.  Combined with some in person learning, a blended curriculum might just be the future of education.  

Is blended learning really the future?  Or do you think the world is heading somewhere else?  What will be the next disruptive innovation in education?

[1] http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelnoer/2012/11/02/one-man-one-computer-10-million-students-how-khan-academy-is-reinventing-education/

[2] http://www.ed.gov/oii-news/use-technology-teaching-and-learning

[3] http://study.com/articles/An_Online_High_School_vs_a_Traditional_High_School_Diploma_Some_Pros_and_Cons.html