Advantages of Blended-Learning

What if Pandemic never happened? Well ofcourse it would be a lot better for all of us. No lockdowns, no
businesses closed, no economy decreased, no anxiety attacks, no deaths. We could say that pandemic
brought a lot distress and sufferings to all of us. Well except for those manufacturers of face shields and
face masks. While most of us believed that pandemic is greatly terrifying, I also want to believe that
everything happens for a reason. Pandemic brought us closer to our families, made us rethink and
realign our priorities and new chances, opportunities and trends in some fields, especially in education.
Pandemic brought a natural development to the growing accessibility of eLearning and online resources.

As we move forward from what seemed like forever under the pandemic, changes and adjustments are
bound to happen once again. When the schools were shut down, teachers and students were forced to
adjust to remote learning, most of this is online learning. After more than 3 years of continuous struggle,
we have finally eased health restrictions and safety which somehow took off some baggage now that we
are back to face-to-face classes.

As a frontliner in education during the pandemic, i witnessed the eagerness of the Department of
Education to continue the teaching and learning process. In this time, online learning and self learning
modules had been the trend in education. In our field, this is called blended learning. Students used
technology as medium of education and home as their classroom. Many educational apps powered hy
technology had risen such as google classroom. These ways made the teaching and learning process
ALIVE even in the darkest times in the human history. Now that restrictions in physical interaction is
lifted and covid 19 is somehow undercontrol, the question would be, is blended learning still a trend?
With the global competition brought by the advancement of technology, the answer is YES!!!

My co-teachers, my task this afternoon is to inform you the advantages of adapting blended-learning in
the post-pandemic era. But before anything else, what exactly is blended learning? According to the
dictionary, blended learning is a style of education in which students learn via electronic and online
media as well as traditional face-to-face teaching.

It is already given that the inclusion of online learning or remote learning, in general, is the new normal
for education. We realize that there are parts of the learning process that can be done at home while
also considering those that can only be done in a school setup. But how beneficial is the blended
learning setup to both teachers and students? As we gear up for the reopening of classrooms and
schools, I listed down the reasons why Blended Learning is the way to go.

1. It enhances safety. During these dire straits, there’s nothing more we can do than to practice safety
measures such as social distancing. Though the WHO says that covid-19 is under control, there are
reports of new emerging variants. Through this, students can browse their modules at home without
risking their health and safety.

2. It saves money. Blended learning saves both the educator’s and student’s money. Although you
would have to spend on internet bills unless it is subsidized, blended learning reduces costs of course
preparations and by repurposing lesson contents. Travel and venue expenses when training is also
expected to reduce by integrating eLearning and online trainings. On the student’s end, travel and food
expenses will also be reduced if there will be days where they only stay at home while remote learning.
3. Blended-learning promotes autonomy. Studying at home surely provides students ease and freedom
to do things at their own will and pace. According to Otto Peters, (Studying in this way, students is no
longer forced to follow the lead of a teacher and is no longer subjected to the conformity pressure of
the learning or peer group.” Which means students can manage their time on their own since they can
access their modules in advance. If not done wisely, they may end up cramming until the last minute of
their deadlines. Hence, this prompts them to practice proper time management at an early age.

4. Easy access to resources. With blended learning, students have more chances in accessing more
resources for learning easily. Porter, (1997) stated that “learners at home or at work can access web-
based information or use the internet to send and receive email, work with mailing lists, and download
bulletin board notices.” There are now many available learning materials which they can use online
while at the same time access resources from physical libraries. However, it is important to note to still
monitor if these resources are credible or not.

5. Blended learning allows flexibility and reinforces engagement, learning and retention. Some
students juggle work and school at the same time. Blended learning helps students like them manage
their time according to their priorities other than education. Some students also have their own pace
when it comes to learning so, the blended learning setup is advantageous when managing one’s time.
For the teachers, it enables them to be more creative in delivering the lessons because they are not
limited by the four corners of a classroom. They can use multiple modalities. Which in turn helps to
reinforce the engagement, learning and retention of students with their lessons. The use of multiple
modalities also enables the teachers to design their courses in a way that is student centric.

6. It enables Edtech. With the rapid advancement of technology, there are new gadgets and software
that can help support education in an online setup. The innovation of Augmented Reality (AR) and
Virtual Reality (VR) is a great help in producing educational materials and activities in blended learning.
With the right equipment and its availability in educational institutions, students will get a more
inclusive learning experience even when learning at home.

7. Attainment of Soft Skills. Soft skills are character traits and interpersonal attributes required in the
workplace for professional success. It is proven that blended learning helps foster soft skills such as time
management, critical thinking, and team cooperation. According to Digital Marketing Institute, “A study
published by Elsevier tested a group of calculus of their study was that the ability to communicate via
email or online improved participation. And that because students were actively discussing and
vocalizing their understanding of concepts, blended learning helped build confidence and success. It was
concluded that communication skills changed favourably with a blended learning course.

8. Immediate feedback. With the use of auto checkers in online learning management systems, student
assessments and outputs are evaluated automatically, and feedback is posted as soon as the students
submit their quizzes unlike face-to-face student assessments where it would usually take time for
students to view grades because of manual checking. Blended learning may also give students a chance
to monitor or trace their grades in their course activities. Immediate feedback helps saves time for the
teachers which can be used as a time for consultation.

Indeed, blended learning takes endless forms and can be customized for any learning method. What you
choose to pursue in your own will depend in part on the technology available at your school and the
devices your students have access to at home.
As teachers work through the unknowns of the 2022-2023 school year, educators will have to continue
to examine and evaluate how to maximize teacher – student interactions as well as online learning tools
to support instruction and student development. Former DEPED secretary Leonor Briones cleared that
the country has been practicing distance learning for decades. Several colleges have been giving online
modules and tests to their students as part of their curriculum. While this year is sure to bring more
challenges, it is equally likely that there will be incredible growth and development along the way.

Our children and their following generations are already and will continue to grow up in a world that’s a
stark reminder of how rapidly the human civilization has changed, society and world where
smartphones and tablets are widespread, affordable. The rapid changing landscapes should be a marker
to show that teaching methods need to evolve to keep up with the times and incorporate integrated
technologies into the learning modal, these technologies aren’t going to go away, they’ll continue to be
integrated into our society and it’s time to embrace them for the advantages they bring.

My dear collegues, thank you for having me this afternoon as one of the keynote speakers. May we
continue to serve in the Department of Education with pride and integrity!

Once again, good afternoon and may God bless us all.