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by Thomas Stanley, Project Learning LLC Ideas for Creating an Interactive Blended Learning Experience There are, sometimes frustratingly, a number of ways to teach in the online world. Some programs are credit retrieval, others are expanded correspondence courses, and still others ask the student to do some thematic activities.

The Red Cross understands the benefits of Blended Learning. In-class instruction twinned with simulation learning allows learners to "debrief" with instructors after simulations in order to understand their mistakes, ask questions, and then re-try scenarios online. New research sponsored by the American Red Cross shows that simulation learning in combination with traditional classroom experience is more efficient and effective in preparing people to act in a crisis than traditional classroom learning or online learning alone.

A recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education found that students involved in blended learning programs generally performed better than students who participated in face-to-face instruction. According to the study, "The difference between student outcomes for online and face-to-face classes was larger in those studies contrasting conditions that blended elements of online and face-to-face instruction with conditions taught entirely face-to-face."

As school districts look for ways to give their students a personalized learning experience without expanding their budgets, blended learning can be an effective option. This approach to schooling combines face-to-face instruction with online learning and has yielded strong results since officially being researched as an education strategy.

Founded in 1943, ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) is an educational leadership organization dedicated to advancing best practices and policies for the success of each learner. Our 175,000 members in 119 countries are professional educators from all levels and subject areas--superintendents, supervisors, principals, teachers, professors of education, and school board members. GREAT WEBSITE!

Students and faculty can provide valuable information through their feedback regarding experiences in the blended environment. Regularly assessing student and faculty satisfaction can also provide the additional benefit of monitoring trends for those cohorts and also for varying demographic groups. These sample surveys can provide you with examples to begin to think about measuring student and faculty attitudes.

BL resources, tutorials

Great Introduction and Guide to BL.

Over the past few years, the Flipped Learning method has created quite a stir. Some argue that this teaching method will completely transform education, while others say it is simply an opportunity for boring lectures to be viewed in new locations. While the debate goes on, the concept of Flipped Learning is not entirely new.

Jon Bergmann Teacher, Author, Speaker, Educational Consultant, Flipped Class Pioneer Editor's Note:This post was co-authored by Aaron Sams, Managing Director of FlippedClass.com and founding member of the Flipped Learning Network. The greatest benefit of flipped learning is the restructuring of class time, which is more of a pedagogical solution than a technological solution.