Blended learning - the successful mix of face-to-face and online

It's the mix that makes the difference! When classroom teaching and online teaching are combined, this is known as blended learning. This combines the advantages of online teaching with those of face-to-face teaching.

What is blended learning?

Blended learning is a mixture of face-to-face and online teaching. The proportions of face-to-face and online self-study phases in the semester are not fixed. Rather, it is a question of the teaching situation, needs, requirements and preferences. As a lecturer, you decide which units are to be completed online and which topics are to be covered in the joint phases on site. The implementation can look very different. The spectrum ranges from digital enrichment through occasional explanatory videos with worksheets to complete online self-study modules with the start of the semester and completion in person.

Blended learning offers you and your students flexibility, needs-oriented teaching and learning processes, the opportunity to implement more interaction in the face-to-face phase and thus achieve greater learning effectiveness.

If you are thinking about using blended learning in your teaching, please contact us!

 

We offer advice on all aspects of blended learning and digital teaching. We also provide you with individual support in (media) didactic planning and in the creation of media components with our flexible range of services. You are welcome to contact us for this. As a first step, you can use the aspects and questions listed on this page as an introduction. 

Contact persons at the ZML
Svenja Geißler
Phone: +49 721 608-48154
E-mail: svenja.geissler∂kit.edu

Michael Gauss
Phone: +49 721 608-48206
E-mail: gauss∂kit.edu

Planning a teaching scenario with digital components

Just as with traditional courses, a number of aspects need to be taken into account when planning blended learning scenarios.

General preliminary considerations

  • Think about the framework conditions that apply to your course (lecture, seminar, exercise, semester hours per week, ECTS credits, semester of the students, previous knowledge, spatial conditions).
  • Define and formulate the objectives of your course accordingly.
  • Select the content in a targeted manner and structure it to create a learning curve.
  • Think about how you would like to convey this content in a targeted manner.

Specific preliminary considerations

Once the content has been defined and structured in line with the learning objectives, the next step is to consider what is relevant for blended learning. The first key questions in planning could be:

  • Which parts/topics/(sub)chapters are suitable as online input?
  • Which parts of the event should take place in person?
  • What should the digital elements be used for?
  • Which materials support self-study?
  • How will the thematic units be structured using different media?

If you are thinking about using blended learning in your teaching, please contact us. We will advise you free of charge and support you individually in your (media) didactic planning and in the creation of media components with our flexible range of services.

Things you should know about Blended Learning:
  • Explaining the procedure at the start of the semester: Always explain the procedure for your blended learning concept at the start of the semester. An occasional repetition and possibly an appeal to personal responsibility during the self-study phase has never done any harm.
  • Time required and student perception: Students initially find some blended learning scenarios time-consuming, especially the inverted classroom. However, using them during the lecture period saves a lot of study time when preparing for exams. The semester workload therefore remains the same. It is important to ensure that the digital enrichment of teaching does not lead to an overload. You can't teach more content with blended learning - you can only teach it in a more targeted and flexible way and deepen it better.
  • Guidance in the online environment: Online is not the same as face-to-face. The learning material must be guided. This means that learners know at all times what they have to work on independently, when and how.
  • Use the time gained in attendance phases: Blended learning concepts often make it possible to gain valuable practice and consolidation time in the face-to-face phase because input is outsourced to the self-study phase. However, this must not lead to an overload due to more input. The time gained in attendance phases allows for more individual support and more interactive work. Use our method box for this.
  • Communication is crucial: Communicate this use of time, communicate when exactly which tasks, topics, ... are due in the self-study phase and how the tasks are to be handled. ILIAS has great functions for this.
  • Guiding questions and a clear structure: Guiding questions help students to reflect on what they have learned and their own skills during the self-study phase and when preparing for exams. Short references or references to previous phases (without long repetitions) facilitate orientation and help the interweaving of synchronous and asynchronous phases to succeed. The clearer the structure and the greater the involvement of students in the learning process, the better the learning experience.
  • Use existing materials: Use existing materials to enrich your teaching or for blending individual sessions.

The path to your own blended learning scenario

You know your framework conditions, objectives and content. You have thought about which of this content is suitable for online self-study units and which you would like to teach or deepen in face-to-face sessions. Now it's time for the concrete planning.

If you want to extend parts of your course with self-study units or even replace sessions with self-study units, you can use the following models as a guide. These models are individually adaptable and can also be combined with each other. You can fill these models with your content and suitable methods.

 

Models and methods

Suitable media for blended learning scenarios

Media play a central role in blended learning. The teaching concept combines different forms of teaching and learning, in particular online learning with face-to-face teaching. Both parts can and should be designed using media.

At KIT, we support you with systems, platforms and tools. They offer various options for designing the online components.

Learning platform for the exchange and provision of learning materials

ILIAS is the learning management system at KIT and thus the linchpin of blended learning.

 

  • This is where you coordinate your courses.
  • This is where you make self-study material available.
  • This is where communication can take place - between you and your students and between the students themselves.
  • Knowledge can be tested here.

 

All important information about ILIAS and ILIAS workshops can be found on this page and its subpages. You are also welcome to contact us.

Video conferencing systems for exchanging ideas with students

Whether it's an online discussion round, virtual topic consultation hour, online consultation session, hybrid courses or online session, the video conferencing system makes it easy for you. Breakout rooms, whiteboard, chat, reactions, ... Zoom and MS Teams offer you everything you need.

 

Create your own videos for teaching

Do you need a quick explanatory video on a weekly topic or would you like to create a series of learning videos for the whole semester? The ZML shows you various options.

 

Recording:

 

 

Follow-up:

 

 

Student groups can also create a video instead of a presentation.

Audience response systems for live events (on-campus and/or online)

Check whether everything has been understood or get a picture of the mood - with audience response systems, you can quickly create a survey or quiz in which your students can take part using their smartphones.

 

Create your own interactive content

You can easily create your own interactive content. Whether it's an infographic, hotspot image or drag-and-drop task, a self-test, interactive video or an entire interactive script. We have put together a few examples for you here:

 

Studio recordings with support from the ZML
  • Of course, it is also possible to receive support from the ZML production team or to use the studios. Please feel free to contact us.