With the introduction of the Internet and other technological developments, the world is changing quickly. To make studying more enjoyable and engaging for students in all grade levels, the teaching profession has also adjusted to these developments and is utilising technology to the fullest!
The pandemic pushed teachers to look into technology as a potential tool to help students progress in their academics over the months of quarantine, and surprisingly, remote classes proved to be a massive success for both the teachers and students thanks to the unique flexibility the mode provided.
The post-COVID-19 era was a relief for both students and teachers as it meant physically going back to school and interacting with each other without any social distancing and, more importantly, a hands-on approach to learning various concepts that were difficult to comprehend in the remote setting! However, digital education being seen as an excellent resource prompted many top CBSE schools in Bangalore and worldwide to make blended curriculum a new normal, thanks to the many benefits this modern education method provides the students!
The blended learning courses that the teachers came up with allowed students to develop many essential skills necessary to face the challenges of higher education. A few skills that students have developed thanks to the new resources they have unlocked are –
- Research skills
- Presentation skills
- Teamwork skills
- Collaboration skills
- Communication skills
- Logical reasoning skills &
- Creativity skills!
In this article, we look at the benefits, drawbacks, and a few examples of the blended curriculum, as well as how teachers and schools leverage technology to provide students with every opportunity for their holistic development.
Benefits Of Blended Learning
The blended learning method of teaching, which started as necessary due to circumstances, soon became the new normal for teachers and students. The teachers, however, went a step further to utilise this opportunity and turned the entire ordeal into an enriching resource to make lessons fun and learning more fruitful for all the students. A few benefits that a few of the very good international schools in Bangalore have seen are –
Improved Engagement
The blended curriculum, over time, has introduced many innovative ways to teach complex topics via engaging presentations, infographics, and educational videos. These new resources are part of the student’s visual learning process, which has helped them understand, learn, apply and retain knowledge in fun and creative ways!
The educational videos have helped students develop curiosity on topics that were otherwise considered boring and have further prompted them to explore more of the topics and expand their knowledge base beyond traditional classrooms and books!
Improved Collaboration & Presentation Skills
The blended learning courses have helped students work together with their peers more efficiently by bouncing off ideas and coming up with the best option while completing their projects and assignments. Students can take complete advantage of traditional resources and the Internet to get the desired results on their projects, further expanding their research skills!
Students have also improved their presentation skills, thanks to the many times they have presented their work during their remote classes. This combination of excellent teamwork, collaboration and presentation skills has made them confident public speakers and presenters!
Flexible Learning Options
With the Internet available anywhere in the world, teachers have ensured the proper utilisation of time via online classes during extreme situations when students cannot travel to school. Teachers have taken the blended learning curriculum’s flexibility to their advantage and created fun online activities to make learning fun while at the same time covering a few basic topics of a lesson to save more time during the class. These simple activities are fun for the students, not making homework bothersome for the young minds but something they look forward to!
Drawbacks Of Blended Learning
While blended learning has many benefits, a few drawbacks hold back this modern learning method from being used to its fullest potential to help students in their learning journey.
Unavailability Of Resources
Blended learning requires students to have a desktop, laptop or phone; while most students have access to these resources, not everyone can take advantage of the blended learning courses due to the lack of resources. This challenge is one of the drawbacks of blended learning, making it difficult for teachers to provide equal opportunities to all their students.
Dangers Of The Internet
The Internet is an open space and, when not used properly, has more disadvantages than advantages. Lack of supervision during classes or research for projects can lead to students accidentally stepping into the less savoury side of the Internet, defeating the entire purpose of this resource in the blended curriculum.
Increased Screen Time
Blended learning can cause students to spend more time in front of their laptop, desktop and phone screen, which is not advisable. Without proper regulation and control of screen time, the disadvantages of blended learning are highlighted more, overshadowing the many advantages of blended learning courses that are essential for students to ace in their future grades and professions in the long run!
Now that we understand the benefits and drawbacks of this modern learning method, let us look at a few examples that advocate for the blended curriculum with a vision to help students transition into using technology for higher education and professions!
Examples Of Blended Learning
A few examples that showcase the advantages of blended learning that top schools like the Global Indian International School use to help their students in their holistic development are –
Gamification
Teachers can develop simple quizzes or puzzles like crosswords to help students get a headstart on the lesson by including a few jargoons and explanations to these jargoons as answers to these puzzles. This will help the students gain basic knowledge of the lesson before the teachers explain the concepts in depth in the classroom and, at the same time, will also pique the student’s curiosity to learn more about the topic for a fun and exciting session!
Fun & Collaborative Projects
Teachers can help students perform group projects with their friends on topics from the lessons. The teachers can also allow the students to use the Internet as a resource to collect, ideate and compile information for the project. Students can then bounce ideas and develop the best presentation for the project, making the entire process a journey filled with learning and fun!
Video Lectures
Video lectures have become a norm in today’s modern learning methods and play a crucial role in the student’s progress in any given academic year! With the help of technology, teachers have created a few of the most beautiful infographics and animated videos to help explain complex topics in a fun, simple and engaging manner for better understanding and application of the topics!
We hope this article has provided all the information on blending learning programs. To get more information on the best school in Bangalore with fee structure, visit Global Indian International School’s website by clicking here. Start your children’s journey towards a school year filled with learning and fun through a few of the most innovative teaching methodologies now!
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