How can blended learning combine the strengths of online and in-person education to support deeper engagement, flexibility, and student success?
Introduction
Blended learning is more than a change in how we deliver content; it’s a shift in mindset. It invites us to reflect intentionally on how and where our students learn best, and on how to balance the strengths of digital tools with the irreplaceable value of face-to-face interaction. Defined as “the thoughtful integration of classroom face-to-face (F2F) learning with online learning” (Garrison & Vaughan, 2011), it treats both modes not as separate spaces but as interconnected parts of a single learning environment. What happens online should prepare for, inform, or extend what happens in person, while in-class activities build on and deepen online work.
This approach enables teachers to make the most of F2F time by focusing on higher-order learning activities such as discussions, problem-solving, and collaboration, while using online spaces for exploration, reflection, and reinforcement. The combination gives students both flexibility and autonomy in their learning, while keeping them motivated and connected through meaningful interaction with peers and teachers.
While blended learning is not a new concept, it is an educational model that is gaining renewed attention in educational institutions. At the University of Twente, it is regarded as an instrument with the potential to support fundamental goals of our education, such as self-directed learning and student engagement (see Vision on Learning and Teaching).
Reference: Garrison, D. R., & Vaughan, N. D. (2011). Blended learning in higher education: Framework, principles, and guidelines. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Foundational Concepts
Among the crucial aspects that are often neglected, we find students’ motivation and social connections in such environments. This emphasis has become even more pronounced since the COVID-19 pandemic, as researchers have observed a decline in students' motivation and social connections. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework offers insights into this aspect, serving as a social constructivist model for understanding teaching and learning processes in blended environments. This framework integrates the three key interconnected presences:
- Social presence: The ability for students to interact with others in a meaningful way.
- Cognitive presence: The extent to which the students can construct and confirm meaning through sustained interactions.
- Teaching presence: The design, facilitation, and direction of cognitive and social presence for meaningful learning.
Figure: Community of Inquiry framework
Contact information
CELT offers support for teachers to develop blended learning for more active and connected learning experiences. Contact us to:
- Find out whether blended learning could benefit your course, module, or programme.
- Evaluate and improve an existing blended learning course.
- Turn your course into a blended course.
- Organise a workshop on blended learning for your team.
