BLENDED LEARNING APPROACH

3.1

Introduction and definitions

Until recently, “blended learning” described all teaching/learning concepts that provide a didactically meaningful combination of classroom events and virtual learning based on new information and communication media.

The Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien (IWM) offers the following definition on its portal, www.e-teaching.org:


“All teaching scenarios that do not exclusively take place face to face or online may be deemed blended learning or hybrid learning; i.e. a combination of virtual and non-virtual teaching settings and methods”.1

As pandemic times prevent or severely restrict the possibility of classroom teaching, we understand blended learning as a didactically meaningful combination of:


  • synchronous2 “in-person” classes in a virtual or physical classroom (or in a hybrid classroom; i.e. some students in a physical classroom with a live webcast for those not present)
  • with independent asynchronous3 learning based on new information and communication media.



1 Source: www.e-teaching.org, 15 June 2020
2 Synchronous: sharing a physical, hybrid or virtual location at the same time
3 Asynchronous: not dependent on time or location