Breaking down blended learning: Experts share tips for creating a seamless learning journey

Picture this: you're craving a yummy cake, but you don't want just any cake. You want the perfect cake. A cake that's not too sweet, not too dry, with just the right amount of frosting, and of course, a cake that's baked to perfection. How do you go about making the perfect cake? You don't just dump in all the ingredients, stir it up and hope for the best. No, you follow a recipe, step by step, to ensure that each ingredient complements the other, resulting in a delicious and satisfying dessert.

Blended learning is the recipe for a fully integrated and seamless learning experience. It's all about finding the right mix of learning components and delivery methods that work together, creating a balanced and effective program. But what does it take to create a successful blended learning program? In this article, we'll look at the insights from Leena Jayaraj and Anjali Kolhatkar, the Vice President and Associate Vice President of Instructional Design at DelphianLogic, to understand the factors and considerations that go into designing a successful blended learning program.

Let’s start with understanding what makes a blended approach the right fit for a learning solution.

For example, conceptual content may be best taught through self-paced digital modes, while applying subjective concepts (e.g. leadership skills) and physical hands-on work may be more effectively taught through classroom workshops.

Let's look at an example of a successful blended learning program designed by DelphianLogic:

We created an award-winning blended learning program for a Swiss manufacturing giant with employees all over the world. The program offered a blend of the following synchronous and asynchronous learning components:

• Videos to set the context and discuss concepts
• A selection of curated off-the-shelf learning content to cover the theories and technicalities of subject matter
• Online learning modules built on Storyline 360 to address the concepts, principles and the application-level and discovery-driven learning in the curriculum
• Interactive and self-paced read-and-understand resources built on Articulate Rise to scaffold the deeper dive learning modules and act as performance support materials
• Weekly live virtual masterclasses with experts and thought leaders on best practices, innovation and methodologies
• Scenarios
• Infographics
• Scored assessments created on Storyline 360

The program made sure it covered all audiences, their needs and limitations, their interests and motivation and the complexities at which the various modules needed to be addressed. As a result, the program set a new benchmark for how the organisation builds and maintains learning journeys and achieved an overall learner satisfaction score of 7.67 on a scale of 10.

The building blocks of blended Learning

Leena stresses the importance of ensuring that each component of a blended learning program functions as a stand-alone piece. In a blended program, there may be one or several learning paths. These paths are designed to progress from basic to more in-depth information and complexity, so that learners can build upon their knowledge.

To integrate blended learning components, prerequisites can be set for each component. This ensures that learners access information in the correct order, without any gaps. Additionally, DelphianLogic uses similar delivery methods for similar types and objectives of content. For example, videos may be used for big picture views, Rise courses for basic concepts, and Storyline courses for scenario-based courses.

The success of a blended learning program can be measured through feedback gathered from clients. This feedback may be formal or informal, but the most important factor is that it helps inform future design decisions.

Accommodating accessibility and diverse learning styles?

Leena challenges the notion of diverse learning styles and instead states that it is the content type and learning objectives that should drive instructional design. For example, learning how to drive a car cannot be taught through eLearning for "visual/auditory learners". Instead, kinesthetic learning is the only option.

DelphianLogic ensures accessibility for all learners, including those with visual and auditory impairments. Alt text and long descriptions are used for learners with visual impairments, while verbatim transcripts are used for learners with auditory impairments.

The personalisation question

When it comes to personalisation in a blended learning program, "It's all about choice," says Leena. "Depending on the objectives of the program, learners can be given the option to learn what they want when they want to. The method of learning is usually pre-determined when we create a specific blend of learning components and their delivery methods. But there are ways to integrate some amount of choice for learners in this aspect," she adds.

For example, DelphianLogic provides a pdf summary for learners who don't want to go through the whole eLearning module. It also offers knowledge test modules that allow learners to evaluate and refresh their current understanding instead of going through the whole learning module. This personal touch not only makes the learning process more engaging but also more effective.

If you're interested in learning more about blended learning, or if you're ready to get started with a blended learning program of your own, DelphianLogic's team of experts can help you out! We'll work with you to integrate this methodology into your organisation's training programs and help you achieve your learning objectives. Let's talk and get started on this exciting journey towards more effective and engaging learning experiences for your team!