Online vs Blended Learning

 What is the difference between online and blended learning?

Watson describes the difference between online learning and blended learning by describing the mode of transferring the information. Online learning includes only online delivery of instruction, while blended learning combines online learning tools with face-to-face instruction (Watson, p. 2). I would go even further and suggest that online learning in its most pure form is online instruction delivered by a computer without an instructor, while blended learning may have the same online instruction with an instructor present either online or face-to-face.

Blended or hybrid learning combines components of online learning such as elearning courses and online training, but there is also face-to-face interaction with an instructor either online or in person. Blended learning includes some synchronous learning where the instructor and learner are in the same “place” (in person or online) at the same time and will likely also include asynchronous learning activities. 

The distinction between online learning and blended/hybrid learning includes a lot of overlap and is best described as a continuum. I’ve included my idea of what may qualify as online vs. blended learning on the graphic below.

What do online and blended learning look like?

Online learning looks like a corporate or organizational training video administered by a computer program or an elearning course. Some online learning is more advanced and may include avatars as instructors and more interactive modules, but there is no human instructor other than perhaps a coordinator who checks that employees have completed the training modules. Online learning encompasses all of these things and can be integrated into blended learning.

Blended learning and hybrid learning look like a high school that has students who come to meet in person several times a week, but also uses an LMS to allow students to review, learn, and submit assignments. It might also look like an online class that meets via video meeting each week for learning and discussion and includes elearning content to be completed asynchronously outside of class. John Watson of the North American Council for Online Learning describes blended learning as “combining the best elements of online and face-to-face education” (Watson, p. 2). 

In what ways can online or blended learning be useful for meeting the needs of learners?

Online learning is constrained by what you can code into a computer. For example assessments in this type of online learning are much more conducive to true/false or multiple choice rather than higher level skills like critical thinking or essay writing. With that said, online learning can be useful for regular training or reviews that need to be completed yearly to keep up on certifications, shorter courses with simple and straightforward content, or learning that requires the learner to create a product that can easily be submitted online.

Blended learning has a broader application as it can be used to teach more complex skills that require critical thinking and/or interactions with professionals in a field, customers, patients, or peers. Blended learning is used by institutions and organizations to lighten the load of instructors and improve the learner experience by including well-designed online components that support the in-class learning. Online Higher Education: Beyond the Hype Cycle states that “almost every course taught today is a hybrid and incorporates at least some online component,” such as instructors including videos and supplementary online materials as well electronic submission of many assignments (McPherson and Bacow,  p. 138).

Blended has the benefit of being delivered with synchronous components of blended learning in person or online as well as asynchronous components. Synchronous sessions are excellent for peer-to-peer and teacher-to-student discussions in real time and to present complex topics directly from an instructor that incorporates active learning. While a synchronous class session may last 2 hours and be at a set time, asynchronous learning online can be done in a more flexible format that allows students to choose when and where to complete their work. Online components of blended learning also make it easier for students to access and review lectures, notes, and lessons. Blended learning can take advantage of the two-way interactions between instructor and student as well as between students that are essential to learning, while also allowing for the flexibility of self-paced learning and capitalizing on technology that can make communication more efficient. Think: More frequent teacher feedback, easier and faster submission of assignments, and the ability to learn how and when you want.

The applications are endless, but choosing an online vs blended learning model should not be done lightly. Consider the goals, outcomes or objectives of the course. Consider how the content is best taught, in what sequence and format?  Will students need to produce a product or master a skill? How can you best measure the quality of the learning via the product or skill and is it more conducive to learning online or in a blended learning environment with an instructor? 

Although the demand for online learning is growing, there will likely always be a need for both blended and online learning. Much of the traditional face-to-face classroom learning is now considered blended learning, and is best for teaching mastery of skills and higher level skills that benefit from instructor and peer interactions (McPherson and Bacow, ps 151). Online learning is best used for simpler, more straightforward concepts or in conjunction with a blended learning program. While neither is going anywhere anytime soon, the continuum of online to blended learning will surely continue to change and adapt to the needs of educators and learners alike.

McPherson, M. S., & Bacow, L. S. (2015). Online Higher Education: Beyond the Hype Cycle. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 29(4), 135–154. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.29.4.135

Watson, J. (n.d.). Blending Learning: The Convergence of Online and Face-to-Face Education.