Introduction

Blended learning has often been used to describe the use of technology in the classroom.  It is, however, not simply using a computer or ipad in the classroom. There is so much more to it than that.  Blended learning, as defined by Horn & Staker (2017), includes the following three parts: it is an educational program where students have some control of their learning (in an online method), the students learn part of their time away from home, and all modalities of learning are connected within the curriculum.

The use of blended learning in the classroom encourages students to have a greater sense of ownership over their learning.  Incorporating blended learning into the modern day classroom can be done in a number of ways.  If it is done correctly, both students and teachers can benefit in many different ways. 

This literature review discusses the four different models of blended learning that are used in classrooms across the world.  This literature review also provides examples of how blended learning in the modern classrooms provides various advantages for both students and teachers. 

 

The Four Blended Learning Models

Blended learning is not a one-size-fits-all.  In each grade level and each classroom within that grade level blended learning may look very different.  What works in an upper elementary classroom may not work the same as what works in a primary elementary classroom.  What works in high school may not be appropriate for use in a kindergarten classroom.  As a result, there are four main blended learning models that are used in the various classrooms.  Those models that were created by the Christensen Institute are as follows: the rotation model, the flex model, the a la carte model (also known as the self-blend model), and the enriched virtual model (Understanding the Different Blended Learning Models, 2016).  Before a teacher is able to implement blended learning into the classroom, that teacher must decide which model would be the best fit for the students in the class.  The different models of blended learning can be found in the following graphic:

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The Rotation Model

The rotation model is the most used model in an elementary setting.  In the rotation model, students may work in groups, in pairs, by themselves, or with a teacher (Lynch, 2021).  Within the rotation model, there are 4 different types of rotations.  They are: station-rotation, lab- rotation, flipped-classroom, and individual-rotation.

 

Station Rotation

Station rotation is the most common blended learning model that is used in the early elementary classrooms.  This model is where the students rotate around the brick-and-mortar classroom going to various stations in a rotation.  The stations might include a teacher-led small group, an individual or partner learning center, or individual concept practice such as learning centers as well as a technology enriched center where the students are doing online learning (Horn & Staker, 2017).  This model most resembles the traditional centers or learning stations that are commonly seen in primary elementary classrooms.

 

Lab Rotation

In the lab rotation model, the students often rotate between the classroom and a technology lab on a fixed schedule (Horn & Staker, 2012).  The reason this model can be effective, according to Horn & Staker (2017), is that it will “free up teacher time and classroom space by using a computer lab and a different staffing structure for the online content” (p. 41).  This model would be useful for the classroom that does not have many classroom computers or the space to house many computers for online learning.

 

Flipped Classroom

The flipped classroom model is the model that “flips” the learning on it’s ends.  Horn & Staker (2017) stated “in a classroom that’s flipped, students consume online lessons or lectures independently, whether at home or during a homework period on campus” (p. 43).  This blended learning model would best suit high school students or college students.

 

Individual Rotation

As mentioned by Horn & Staker (2017), “in an Individual Rotation, students rotate on an individually customized schedule among learning modalities… [and] students do not necessarily rotate to each available station or modality; their daily schedules are customized” (p. 45).  This rotation model is the one rotation that is most structured.

 

Flex Model

The flex model is the blended learning model in which students navigate their own way through their online learning, often outside of the traditional classroom, while the teacher is available when needed by the students.  “Students move through a Flex course according to their individual needs.  Face-to-face teachers are on hand to offer help, and in many programs they initiate projects and discussions to enrich and deepen learning” (Horn & Staker, 2017, p. 47).

 

A La Cart (Self-Blend) Model

In this model, students attend the traditional brick-and-mortar classroom while taking specific online courses off-campus or during free time at the school (Horn & Staker, 2012).  This is one of the blended learning models that one might see in a high school.  The course that is online is often one that is not taught by one of the teachers at the school, therefore the teacher that is in charge of the course is an online teacher (Horn & Staker, 2017, p. 49).

 

Enriched-Virtual Model

As stated by Horn & Staker (2012), this model is “a whole-school experience in which within each course (e.g., math), students divide their time between attending a brick-and-mortar campus and learning remotely using online delivery of content and instruction (Horn & Staker, 2012).  This model can be (Horn & Staker, 2012) described as a sort of revolving door between the classroom and online learning.  This model can be used in a high school or a college setting.       

All of the previous mentioned models of blended learning can be used in a variety of situations and classrooms and they all come with their own advantages.

   

                                             Advantages of Blended Learning

There are many advantages to implementing blended learning in a classroom.  Both students and teachers can benefit from blended learning.

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Student Advantages 

Some of the advantages that may arise for the students when blended learning is being implemented in the classroom are as follows:

• The students will have the opportunity to pace their learning as needed.  When they do not feel rushed to complete their tasks, they will likely finish instead of abandoning their work. They become “agents and owners of their own learning process” (Wycoff et al., 2016, p. 8).

• Blended learning provides “students more ownership over their work to bolster motivation and develop student agency” (Horn & Staker, 2017, p. 61).

• They are learning real-world skills when they take ownership of their student centered learning (Giarla, 2021).

• Students are more engaged and develop a better sense of responsibility for themselves and their learning (Chiu, 2021).

• According to Giarla (2021), they are “more likely to be interested in, focused on, and excited about the subjects they are studying”.

• “Blended learning could create new learning patterns and reduce students’ boredom so that it can improve students’ achievement” (Miskiah et al., 2020, p. 3962).

• Learning becomes more meaningful and genuine (Shamsuddin, 2020, p. 196).

• “Students are more active in learning” (Miskiah et al., 2020, p. 3959). 

• Student learning is more student-centered instead of teacher-centered which sparks more interest from the students (Verner, n.d.).

Teacher Advantages

Although the student advantages for using blended learning are extensive, there are also many teacher advantages for using this in the classroom.  

• The teachers get more engagement in their lessons. 

• While some of the students are completing the online work and lessons, the teacher has more opportunity to give targeted instruction in small group settings.

• Differentiation within the lessons and how they are delivered is easier and more individualized for the students.

• The data that is collected from blended learning can be more purposeful.  The data that is collected can help the teacher provide more individualized instruction in order to target specific skills that students need support with (Macaruso et al., 2020, p. 2840).

• “Teachers can focus on implementing competency-based learning, such that students only move on when they have truly mastered a given concept” (Horn & Staker, 2017, p. 147). 

• The use of blended learning in a classroom promotes self-efficacy in teachers.  Those teachers tend to “explore more alternative methods of instruction, seek improved teaching methods, and experiment more [with teaching]” (Azukas, 2019, p. 286).

• Blended learning offers “flexibility of implementation models, where educators can choose a model that that best fits their pedagogical approach” (Wilkes et al., 2020, p. 596).

                                             

                                                           Conclusion

 

Through the use of blended learning in the classroom, students and teachers will both grow and learn through encouraging student ownership. The modern day classroom can be done in a number of ways.  If blended learning is incorporated into the classroom and is done correctly, both students and teachers will grow and thrive. 

Blended learning is not something that is ever going away.  It is here to stay. As mentioned by Wycoff et al. (2016), “the blended learning school is designed both to learn and facilitate learning” (p. 10).  If teachers want their students to be more engaged in their learning and more self-driven, there must be a shift toward the use of blended learning in the classroom.  Our world is becoming increasingly more blended, therefore, in order to help students in the real world, teachers must move toward adopting a blended learning environment.    

                                                          References

Anthony, E. (2019). (Blended) learning: How traditional best teaching practices impact blended elementary classrooms. Journal of Online Learning Research, 5(1), 25-48. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1208838

 

Azukas, M. E. (2019). Cultivating a blended community of practice to promote personalized learning. Journal of Online Learning Research, 5(3), 275-310. ERIC. EJ1241727

 

Castelo, M. (2020, July 28). What is blending learning & how can it help schools reopen safely? EdTech Magazine. Retrieved November 27, 2021, from https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2020/07/understanding-blended-learning-what-districts-need-know-perfcon

 

Chiu, T. (2021). Digital support for student engagement in blended learning based on self-determination theory. Computers in Human Behavior, 124. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563221002326

 

Dziuban, C., Graham, C. R., & Moskal, P. D. (2018, February). Blended learning: The new normal and emerging technologies. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 15(3). https://educationaltechnologyjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41239-017-0087-5

 

Giarla, A. (2021). The benefits of blended learning. TeachThought. Retrieved November 27, 2021, from https://www.teachthought.com/technology/benefits-of-blended-learning/

 

Horn, M., & Staker, H. (2012, May). Classifying K-12 blended learning. Innosight Institute. http://hdl.handle.net/70130/5105

 

Horn, M., & Staker, H. B. (2017). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. Wiley.

 

Horn, M., & Staker, H. B. (2017). The blended workbook: Learning to design the schools of our future. Wiley.

 

Lynch, M. (2021, May 28). 4 Models of blended learning to implement in the classroom. The Tech Edvocate. Retrieved November 27, 2021, from https://www.thetechedvocate.org/4-models-of-blended-learning-to-implement-in-the-classroom-2/

 

Macaruso, P., Wilkes, S., & Prescott, J. E. (2020, June). An investigation of blended learning to support reading instruction in elementary schools. Educational tech research dev, 68, 2839-2852. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342350815_An_investigation_of_blended_learning_to_support_reading_instruction_in_elementary_schools

 

McCarthy, J. (2018, September 24). Tech Integration in blended learning. Edutopia. Retrieved November 27, 2021, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/tech-integration-blended-learning

 

Miskiah, Suryono, Y., & Sudrajat, A. (2020). The effects of blended learning on elementary school students' creativity and activeness. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(9), 3958-3964. https://www.hrpub.org/download/20200830/UJER20-19516819.pdf

 

Shamsuddin, N. (2020, March). Students' learning style and it's effect on blended learning, does it matter? International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 9(1), 195-202. https://eric.ed.gov/?q=blended+learning&pg=2&id=EJ1246410

 

Stefan, H. (2019). What do we mean by blended learning? Tech Trends, 63, 564-569. https://doi.org/10.1007s11528-019-00375-5

 

Understanding the different blended learning models. (2016, August 2). Raise Your Hand Texas. https://www.raiseyourhandtexas.org/blended-learning/understanding-different-models-blended-learning/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAy4eNBhCaARIsAFDVtI3ElcbmyuVHnjGx2U04Tc4LgdYehdCOCAz-JifStW9uz3sVOWDwCc8aAu3fEALw_wcB

 

Verner, S. (n.d.). Making the shift: Moving from a teacher centered classroom to a student centered classroom. Busy Teacher. Retrieved November 27, 2021, from https://busyteacher.org/14770-move-from-a-teacher-centered-class-to-student.html

 

Wilkes, S., Kazakoff, E., Prescott, J. E., Bundschuh, K., Hook, P., Wolf, R., Hurwitz, L., & Macaruso, P. (2020). Measuring the impact of a blended learning model on early literacy growth. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 36, 595-609. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jcal.12429

 

Wycoff, T., Green, J. T., & Tucker, C. R. (2016). Blended Learning in Action: A Practical Guide Toward Sustainable Change. SAGE Publications.