Blended education

The quality of education gets a big boost when the possibilities of online education are combined with face-to-face education on campus. Therefore, there is plenty of experimentation with new online teaching formats and techniques to improve education for students.

Studenten aan een tafel achter hun laptops

Blended education explained

Blended education, or blended learning (‘to blend’ = to mix), combines physical and digital learning in a conscious and integrated way. This means that classroom and online activities, learning materials and tools complement and reinforce each other.

The aim of blended learning is to shape education in such a way that it becomes more effective, efficient and flexible with the help of IT. This contributes to higher learning efficiency and greater satisfaction among both students and teachers.

Benefits and challenges of blended education

Blended education is more than a mix of online and offline learning. It requires a thoughtful approach that meets the needs of both teachers and students.

Since the corona crisis, much research has been done on online and blended education. The report The Future of Blended Education Started (in Dutch), a survey of 1,500 students and staff in higher education, shows that organising online education is tricky. For instance, there are concerns about the quality of (practical) education, teachers‘ workload and students’ well-being. At the same time, online education also offers advantages: flexibility in time and place, innovative teaching methods and better opportunities for individual guidance. The report concludes that both students and lecturers prefer a mix of online and physical education.

The report provides some advice for an ideal ‘blend’ (mix) of online and physical education:

Back to the drawing board
An institution-level vision is important, but primarily rely on teachers' practical experiences.
Involve students in the design
Full customisation is not feasible, but give students control over their educational mix. For instance, ask them to help design a subject.
Invest in online teaching quality
Train teachers in didactic skills for online education and invest in their professional development.
Ensure online bonding
The role of the lecturer is important, but also ensure community-building and connection from within your institution.
Use the campus as a meeting place
Let the campus be not only a place of work or instruction, but also a place for collaboration and co-creation.