Blended learning combines audiovisual education with traditional methods, enhancing student engagement and retention. Studies show that incorporating multimedia content improves comprehension, caters to different learning styles, and fosters deeper understanding, making the learning experience more effective and impactful.
Blended learning has revolutionised the educational landscape of India by seamlessly integrating new-age audiovisual technologies with traditional systems of classroom training. This approach combines the qualities of physical teaching as well as digital learning to create an effective learning environment which is more interactive, engaging and flexible. Blended learning tools enable educators to customise teaching models for different learning styles, thereby enhancing creativity and critical thinking and laying the foundation for more comprehensive learning experiences.
The National Educational Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Medical Commission (NMC), emphasise the use of technology to promote education and encourage flexible teaching methods. In line with this vision, the University Grants Commission (UGC) suggested in 2021 that up to 40 percent of courses be conducted online, with the remaining 60% being taught using traditional offline methods. This proposal seeks to update and improve India’s education system by embracing blended learning as a key approach for future progress in education.
AUDIOVISUAL TOOLS: INCREASING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND DIVERSE LEARNING
Audiovisual tools play a critical role in boosting student engagement and catering to diverse learning methods. These tools enhance involvement, accommodate various learning preferences, and provide students with the flexibility to learn at their own pace. Studies indicate that audiovisual materials enhance memory retention, deepen understanding and increase active engagement among students.
By catering to students with special needs and abilities, audiovisual tools create an inclusive learning environment. Video conferencing tools facilitate online meetings, connecting teachers and students for classroom discussions, rigorous debates and online presentations, replicating the experience of a physical classroom. When integrated with learning management systems (LMSs), they enable teachers with valuable input into student progress and achievements. The analytics dashboard tracks achievements, identify areas for improvement and suggests customised feedback based on data-driven evaluations. Additionally, teachers also receive feedback from students, which allows them to improvise their course plans and customise them accordingly.
LMSS: ENHANCE LEARNING QUALITY
An LMS serves as a comprehensive educational platform, essential for teaching the current generation. By providing an interactive learning environment, it allows students to move beyond the traditional methods of rote learning. It acts as a common platform where educators can easily post course materials such as syllabi, lecture notes, reading materials, reference books and other resources. The organized framework of an LMS allows students to easily access information and helps in delivering content efficiently. LMSs foster blended learning by smoothly combining online learning with physical classroom teaching. This enables synchronous as well as asynchronous learning and caters to multiple learning preferences and timelines. In alignment with the goals of the National Educational Policy, LMSs focus on using technology-based learning methods to guarantee high-quality education and promote educational accessibility and digital literacy skills for both students and educators.
GAMIFICATION AS PART OF A BLENDED LEARNING MODEL
Gamification has emerged as a new and innovative approach to learning. It works on the principle of converting educational content into interactive game-like experiences. Elements such as badges, rewards, and leadership scoreboards foster student motivation, engagement and learning outcomes. Given the short attention span of today’s generation, gamification serves as an ideal approach to captivate student interest while fostering critical thinking and creativity skills.
TOOLS OF BLENDED LEARNING: BRINGING THEM TOGETHER FOR A HOLISTIC LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Altogether, blended learning has proven remarkable in enhancing flexibility and accessibility to education, while also boosting student’s morale and engagement. By leveraging technology, blended learning has enabled education to reach even the remotest parts of the country with limited infrastructure, providing learners with uninterrupted access to high-quality learning experiences.
LMSs serve as the basis of the blended learning model. They operate as a centralised platform where teachers and professors can seamlessly administer course materials, deliver high-quality content and track student progress and achievements. Audiovisual tools such as videos, virtual reality simulations and augmented reality enhance the whole experience of teaching and learning by turning abstract notions into practical- and application-based concepts, facilitating deeper understanding among learners.