Blended learning offers students and businesses the “best of both worlds,” combining an online learning management system (LMS) with in-person resources like reviews or individualized instruction or training to create a truly custom learning environment optimized for results.
Multiple studies have supported the advantages offered by a blended learning approach, including a recent meta-analysis by the U.S. Department of Education. If you've been wondering what some of the advantages of blended learning are and how those advantages might benefit your business or organization, here's a brief list of some of the biggest benefits blended learning can offer:
- It saves businesses money. Keeping an eye on the bottom line is important to businesses of all sizes, and blended learning using a quality LMS helps save money in several ways:
- resources are online, so there are no costly printed materials
- resources are automatically updated, so there's no need to order new copies of materials every time a regulation or standard changes
- students learn at their own pace using self-guided materials, so you don't need to hire instructors or pull employees from their day-to-day tasks to teach others
- learning can be done anywhere, so you can eliminate the cost of off-site seminars or dedicated classrooms
- It boosts efficiency. Blended learning reduces the amount of time supervisors and other personnel must spend teaching new concepts, regulations or techniques to employees. Plus, because employees can learn anywhere and at anytime that's most convenient to them, interruptions in productivity can be minimized. And because evaluations can be performed on an ongoing or rolling basis, employees can undertake new tasks as soon as training is complete.
- It improves learning. As noted, studies have shown people respond most favorably to learning environments that are geared to their needs. Using an LMS as part of a blended learning strategy enables employees to learn when they're most energized for learning, and that means they can learn more quickly and retain information better because their brain is more receptive.
- It's more flexible. Using an LMS lets businesses incorporate a range of learning activities including written modules, videos and interactive instruction for a more immersive and effective learning experience aimed at real-world situations and results.
- It makes it easy to monitor progress. When learning activities are conducted online, supervisors can easily determine where each employee is in the learning process by monitoring quizzes and other evaluations right online. It's also simpler to determine which employees might need additional assistance in completing tasks, and because online learning is more confidential, students are more likely to reach out for help when they need it without fear of embarrassment.
- It makes compliance and recordkeeping a snap. Once employees complete learning objectives, an online record is created that can provide a virtual snapshot for use in audits, employee evaluations and other job-related activities.
