eLearning Blog

Blended Learning Using Cloud Authoring

Disappearing (thankfully) are the days when we would sit for a day listening to someone “present” a topic and it would be called training.

Best practice means that the learner is now being placed at the centre of training and styles are adapted to suit them, with the goal of providing the most impactful training to encourage knowledge retention. This is where the blended learning approach has grown in popularity.

What is Blended Learning?

Blended learning refers to an approach to learning which puts the student at the centre, incorporating both online and offline elements to maximise learning potential. It is widely referred to as integrating the “best of both worlds”, allowing users the ability to undertake learning online but also allowing them the opportunity to receive face-to-face interaction and support from tutor and peers.

3 Ways eNetAuthor Can Support a Blended Learning Approach

eNetAuthor has a number of features which can aid organisations in employing a blended learning approach:

1. Project Preview Functionality

The project preview functionality within eNetAuthor allows for the viewing of content across differing devices pre-publication.

This is a useful means by which the course author can visualise how the content will be displayed and make any necessary amendments before the course goes live. If all previous training was carried out via class-room style training, it may not necessarily follow that a straight import of text is the best course of action. Thus by allowing the previewing in advance, the content creator can properly assess whether the theme of the training is conveyed and make any necessary changes.

With the comment functionality, notes can be left against the relevant page to reflect change requests. This can be a useful communication tool between all project collaborators.

Viewing content in this way also allows collaborators the opportunity to develop chunks of micro-learning in mobile ready format to support the classroom style training and help the organisation employ a blended learning approach.

2. Ability to Incorporate Interactive Elements

Using a tool like eNetAuthor, consolidation points can be built in to the learning where knowledge can be tested via interactive elements such as quizzes.

These can be of specific benefit to the trainer in that they allow them to gauge the level of current knowledge of attendees in advance and tailor classroom training to suit the exact needs of the learners.

Incorporating a more personable element to online learning, eNetAuthor allows for the insertion of video content. This is useful in breaking up chunks of text/reading and caters for visual and aural learners.

3. Flipped Learning Approach

eNetAuthor can also be used effectively as a tool to apply a flipped learning approach to your training.

A flipped learning approach is a type of blended learning in which the learner has exposure to the course content pre face-to-face training. This in turn means that learners have had the opportunity to think about the subject and that the “classroom” time is used productively to address questions/queries.

For example, you may choose to deliver a prerequisite online course to the face to face training. This could be used to “set the scene” for the learning, cover any information deemed necessary and set expectations and learning goals. It can mean the learner comes in to the face-to-face training prepared with questions and misconceptions they wish to address. In this way learners can be engaged from the onset.

eNetAuthor can also be used effectively as a tool to develop a level of post training followup up, surmising relevant points and testing knowledge retention at a significant intervals after the face-to-face training, in turn encouraging an element of self-directed learning in the learner.