In times when weightage is given to the idea of creating an army of self-starters, we can seldom make way for traditional learning pedagogy. Even though conventional classroom learning will never cease to exist, the need of the hour is to create a student-centered learning model dominated by exploration and experimentation.

The latest on the block is blended learning. Blended learning, as the name suggests, involves using a mix of technologies, apps, and resources to gather knowledge and solve problems that come in the way of effortless learning.

Blended learning tags along benefits like 24/7 access to learning material and freedom to learn at one’s preferred pace, which has led to multiple institutions embracing the idea of introducing a student-centered model of blended learning.

As an institute that is passionate about this idea, we at Dayawati Modi Academy, one of the best CBSE schools in Meerut, have decided to shed light today on the key elements that go into achieving the ideal student-centered model of blended learning.

  • Clear Understanding of the Desired Results:

Every action taken in the said direction should be able to tick off a certain goal. When we at DMA started off with introducing a blended learning model at our institution, we began with listing out the goals we intended to achieve out of a blended learning model.

This acts as an apt starting point to put together a student-centric blended learning model. The desired result here appears in the form of the following:

  • Information that needs to be disseminated
  • Instructional tools to be used
  • Kind of knowledge to be imbibed by learners

 

  • Define the Framework:

Once you have figured out your ultimate goals, it is time to lay down the blueprint. The blueprint helps with putting together the student-centric blended learning model.

This step is crucial for educators to be able to assess the success of the model and is vital for the learners to know exactly what is expected of them.

This framework helps to draw assignments, submission deadlines, and participation requirements of the said model, which helps students to stay on track.

  • Consider the Angle of Self-Paced Learning:

When laying out a student-centric blended learning model, it becomes crucial to understand that the said model must look beyond the regular teaching-learning format.

Apart from enjoying easy access to online and offline resources and also gathering relevant information from the tutor, this model should be designed to support learners through self-paced activities as well.

With that done right, we firmly believe that no child will remain deprived of enjoying absolute liberty and independence in learning. Cross-border learning should also be one of the goals worth considering while creating this model.

  • Sowing Seeds of Collaboration and Communication:

As an economy, we have slowly moved away from competition and are heading in the direction of collaboration. This is something that we at DMA believe should form a part of every student-centric blended learning model too.

Since blended learning is essentially online, introducing arenas that make collaboration mandatory, such as initiating a group chat every time a common problem pops up, should form a pivotal part of every blended learning model.

Free flow of communication should also become a part of the student-centric blended learning model as it helps ensure that learning in the virtual classroom is not just fruitful but also has scope for gathering feedback and further improving the model accordingly.

  • Have an Assessment Plan in Place:

In the absence of an assessment plan, you would be shooting in the dark. Hence, every student-centric blended learning model should first aim for an assessment plan.

This can appear in the form of a quiz at the end of every model or a learning summary in the case of self-paced activities.

Summing Up

We at DMA, a well-known CBSE school in Meerut, see the student-centric blended learning model as something that has rather become essential owing to the changing dynamics of the modern world. We can no longer remain hooked to the age-old method of teaching. The 21st-century learners are different and have to sustain and survive in times that are way different from how it was a decade back. It is hence not just wise but rather mandatory for educational institutions to embrace a student-centric model of blended learning. We at DMA have initiated steps in this direction and are hopeful that the endeavor will turn out to be truly beneficial for our pupils.

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