Trend analysis of an educational technology trend - blended learning. Presented by Christopher Wright for EDU 2513 Current Trends in Educational Technology, Southwest Baptist University.

A trend in educational technology is when a new technology and sound pedagogy are slowly adopted by more and more educators to assist student learning.

Blended learning is the intersection between traditional face-to-face instruction and online learning. Many different models of blended learning can by found and it is called many different things like hybrid learning or flipping the classroom.

Researcher Luiza Caraivan (2011) pinpoints three different blended learning models being used in education. The first model is called the supplemental model. The supplemental models relies heavily on the traditional face to face style of instruction with supplemental materials available online that students can access anytime they have a connection to the Internet. Next, Caraivan (2011) highlights the replacement model. With the replacement model, many face to face activities are replaced with interactive online activities. Students and teachers are encouraged to communicate online. Time in the classroom is used for using and working with online content and encourages teacher/student and student/student collaboration. Finally, Caraivan (2011) discusses the emporium model. Here, there are no face to face interactions.

One popular version of blended learning that has surfaced in K-12 education is called flipping the classroom. This model flips the typical classroom on its head. Rather than using class time to give students content that they need to learn, student go over class content before class via the Internet through videos, links, and other interactive elements. Then classroom time is utilized for teachers to give students whatever support they may need (Hosler, 2013). For example, students may need to watch a video covering the objectives being covered. The next day at school, students will be required to use what they learned about in the online video. Classroom activities might include class discussions or projects.

Primitive versions of the blended learning model started appearing in the 1990s, however, early methods lacked the ability to engage students in their learning. Through the years, though, advancement in web technologies have made the creation of more engaging activities in online interaction available (Carivan, 2011). Eventually colleges began utilizing form of the blended learning model and soon it became more prevalent in K-12 education (Chou, A., & Chou, D. 2011).

Source: Going the Distance: Online Education in the US 2011
http:mmskoanconsortium.org/sites/default/files/pages/OnlineLearningSurvey-Inforg...

One model of the student centered learning is called Project Based Learning (PBL). Students are required to use what they have learning in some kind of project that is typically developed by the student with input from the educator. Projects should have a emphasis on real-world application and collaboration with students and experts.