The pros and cons of blended learning depend on whether you are a learning “liberator” or a learning “receiver”; Each group has its own “opinion” on the pros and cons, of course, since the groups approach the issue from a very different point of view.
The main beneficiaries are:
1. The learner: the end user of the learning process
2. The employer: the one who provides the learning, either personally or through another, as a training professional.
Let’s look at the pros and cons of each group …
1 Advantages for me as an apprentice
- I can study some of the content whenever I want
- I can work at my own pace
- I can experience different learning tools.
- I can use the internet, which I use a lot at work and at home anyway.
- I like the balance between face-to-face and individual work.
- I like the variety of approaches
- I like to have time to explore a topic, do some research and reflect on the results before having to give a response to the trainer.
- I can work on my training when it suits me
- They are focused solutions rather than focused problems
- I can build a network of allies through group forums.
- It keeps me flexible and agile, which is useful for modeling in my management role.
OBJECTIVE
- I need to be more motivated than if I were in a classroom.
- I need to make sure that distractions in the office don’t interfere with the results of my training program.
- I need to meet the deadlines set by me or my guardians and not let other things get in the way.
As a by-product, we could almost say that blended learning gives the student the opportunity to learn new technical skills or develop self-motivation, time management and concentration skills (all important in other roles and other jobs, as these are key transferable skills) .
2 Advantages for me as an employer
- I can get my message across the entire company easily and quickly by using a combined approach
- I can save money on trainers and training days.
- I can save money by keeping people in their workplaces and not training
- I can encourage staff to take their development seriously
- Motivated and fully developed staff will be more effective
- I can offer and encourage much more accessible ways of learning.
- It’s just a one-time investment for reusable content
- I have a resource that is easily updated
- I can make the training content adapt to the changing needs of the company.
- There is a greater strategic alignment
- More proactive teams can better cope with changing environments
- I can finally build a complete learning organization!
OBJECTIVE
- I shouldn’t just focus on savings; what is the real cost?
- You may have to make a short-term technology investment.
- I will have to make sure to keep up with new developments as technology advances.
- I must ensure that I use the right people to design and deliver blended learning programs that may include improving the skills of my L&D staff.
- Students may still need face-to-face contact to establish relationships.
- I need to make sure that training still takes place within working hours as much as possible and that staff are not expected to work outside of normal hours just because they can
- It could represent a very new learning path for our organization and I will have to sell it.
- It means taking training really seriously!
Better advice
If you want to introduce blended learning approaches, clarify the pros and cons for yourself and your company, as well as for your students.
