Blended Learning in TalentLMS

Effectiveness of blended learning

While both regular online learning and in-person training can be equally effective, they each have different strengths and weaknesses.

Studying theoretical subjects or material that the learner must memorize aligns with asynchronous (self-paced) online training. Instructor-led training (ILT) is best suited to subjects that require physical demonstration, interpersonal skills, or verbal evaluation.

The effectiveness of blended learning comes from allowing you to incorporate both of these approaches into your online training program.

Blended learning strategies and approaches

Blended training can be approached in multiple ways, whether in business, higher education, or commercial training offerings.

For some businesses or organizations, it may not even be needed. In many cases, an online-only eLearning program can give most of the benefits of blended learning in a simpler package.

This depends on the kind of training required and the subjects and skills that need to be covered. The "History of England", for example, can be taught entirely through conventional text-based online courses. "Driving", on the other hand, not so much, even if the theoretical part of the required training can be completed without an instructor involved.

If a business, organization, or educational institution already has a classroom-based learning program in place, an LMS that supports blended training methods can be leveraged to gradually move most of that training online.

Blended learning courses are also used instead of more traditional text and media-based online learning, with webinars becoming an increasingly popular method of training delivery. This is often the case, even for content that can be covered in a text-based course, as it offers a visually engaging way of learning that can be effective for certain types of learners.

Coming up with the correct blended learning models is part art, part science, and businesses will need to analyze their particular needs and training use cases, as well as their existing courses, to determine where a blended eLearning approach might make more sense over ILT training and vice versa.

In general, anything that requires people skills, lab time, or physical demonstration leans toward Instructor-led training. Subjects that can be understood by studying text alone can be served by a simple text-based online course.

Alternatively, consider your learners, as opposed to your training material. Some may engage more with visual material or when shown something by an instructor, while others may learn faster through independent study.

Note that many subjects that require physical demonstration can also be taught through a combination of text and multimedia assets (images, videos, etc), without the need for ILT.

Examples of blending learning: corporate and workplace training

As stated, typical online training lessons can cover a lot of ground with regards to corporate training but aren’t a good fit for subjects that involve physical skills or interpersonal communication.

In the workplace, assembly line workers, for example, can be taught with theoretical courses. However, some rounds of physical interaction with the machinery they will operate are essential.

Similarly, there are all kinds of skills that simply cannot be taught through conventional courses alone. Examples can be found in most industries, from sales , F&B service, and more.

Conclusion

eLearning and Instructor-led learning are two training methods with differing strengths and weaknesses. Blended learning refers to eLearning platforms' support for combining both types of training.

With TalentLMS's support for blended learning, you can combine eLearning and Instructor-led training in a balance to meet your learners’ needs.

Start with a free account today, and see for yourself how this industry-leading LMS can help you take your learning program to the next level with blended learning best practices.