The back-to-school buzz is in full force with parents and learners hoping for a year with minimal disruptions. Many schools will start the year using the blended learning model – a hybrid educational approach combining online education materials with traditional in-person classroom teaching.
Here are 5 tips from Nicholas Riemer, lecturer and EdTech entrepreneur of The Invigilator App, to prepare your child for blended learning.
1. Open dialogue
If your child has never experienced blended learning before, it’s a good idea to let them know what to expect for the term ahead.
2. Set up a designated workstation at home
Just as your child would have a desk in class, it is helpful for them to have a designated work area at home.
3. Help them prioritise their self-learning
Depending on which lessons will be done using online materials – and perhaps even at their own pace – it’s helpful to check in with your child and ask them what their priorities are for the day.
4. Understand the online assessment criteria and proctoring tools
Educators are seeing the benefits of blended learning which sometimes requires learners to do tests and assessments online.
5. Help them to stay future-focused
It is understandable that many pupils miss how school “used to be” and that’s okay – we all miss the freedoms of our pre-pandemic lives. However, now that the working world has changed so drastically, it’s unlikely that the school learners of today will enter the economy they envisioned. Remote working, Zoom calls, the ‘gig’ economy and companies without offices have quickly become the norm and this is unlikely to change much in the future. Children need to understand that there’s a very real possibility that they could start their first job from the comfort of their home – and this model of learning will provide them with the autonomy to learn in their own time and at their own pace.
It’s essential that we get learner buy-in for blended learning, particularly as it’s likely here to stay as many schools continue implementing rotational learning.