One of the earliest examples of distance learning can be attributed to Pitman Training, recorded as early as the 1800’s. Sir Isaac Pitman invented Shorthand and established his training company back in 1837. They went on to develop a distance learning programme that allowed people, anywhere, to learn Shorthand without having to travel to classes.
While this isn’t the same as Blended Learning, it is an early example of the shift in focus; the idea of taking learning out of the traditional classroom and taking it to where the learner is, instead.
Fast forward to the next century and many universities have moved to embrace true Blended Learning; Stanford and the Open University in particular. They have worked to combine distance learning, classroom learning, one-to-one tutorials and even created TV programmes to allow students to gain qualifications without having to attend university full time.
Despite some of the heavy content, the TV programmes were entertaining with the ‘geeky’ professors delivering lectures sporting long hair and flared trousers. These TV programmes were aired at ungodly hours; late at night or very early in the morning and with the advent of the VCR, it became a much more manageable way for students to consume the content.
The benefits to this were huge, as it made gaining a degree (or higher) much more accessible, allowing many more people who wished to learn the opportunity to do so; people who either didn’t have the time or money to go to university full time. It also allowed people to study while they also worked or brought up their children.
If you are curious to see what these looked like, here is a YouTube link;
This type of qualification still exists and has evolved into a slightly different direction to create a MOOC.
What is a MOOC? It stands for Massively Open Online Course and is aimed at unlimited participation and open access via the internet. In addition to the usual, traditional course materials; filmed lectures, readings and problem sets, MOOCs also provide interactive courses including user forums to support community interactions among students, professors and teaching aides.
MOOCs are a more recent development in distance education, though they were first introduced in 2006 and emerged as a popular mode of learning by 2012.
The idea of it being open is a key part of its success, as it allows access to everyone and many academics and universities offer them for free. They are relatively short, often only lasting a few weeks, but they are a wonderful way to learn from peers and experts at a higher educational level, without going down the formal education route. They don’t offer a specific qualification, though there is the option to pay for a certificate at the end, as proof of completion.
Originally, MOOCs were purely part of the world of education, though businesses soon caught onto the approach, partnering with universities to offer MOOCs to their employees. For example, Microsoft offer MOOCs that are open to anyone to complete on the tech side of the business, such as coding, or learning more about their products and services. This is also rolled out to their internal employees.
In most organisations, over the last 20 years, Blended Learning has meant a mix of Face to Face (F2F) workshops bolstered by eLearning.Completing eLearning modules prior to a training programme can be a great opportunity for learners to consume content and knowledge before the workshop, so that it can be explored further in the F2F session, thus making better use of time together.
Completing eLearning modules between sessions in a longer programme can help to keep the learning alive and in front of mind.
Finally, completing eLearning modules once a training programme has finished, provides opportunities for learners to further embed their learning; refreshing what has been learned or extend their thinking around a learned topic.
Visit our website to learn more about blended learning at virtual training.
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