Blended Learning Essentials

Explore blended learning methods

This course is designed to help anyone teaching in the vocational education and training (VET) sector understand the benefits of blended learning. You will find out how to use technology more effectively to support your learners, and understand how to better embed it in your classroom.

Supported by industry experts, you’ll connect with teaching and training professionals who understand the practical challenges of using blended learning.

You’ll discover the importance of being able to blend digital learning methods into your teaching, to help your learners become familiar with the digital workplaces they’ll be joining.

Prepare to embed blended learning in your teaching practice

You’ll learn the principles of blended learning and will review a number of case studies to see how it can be applied in different environments.

After an activity that encourages you to review your own readiness to implement blended learning - and what processes you may need to follow, to develop it - you will explore how other educators have overcome similar challenges.

Consider how your VLE can support blending learning

You may be able to better support blended learning within your virtual learning environment, but it never hurts to have some extra resources ready. This course will review your current VLE options and offer a range of open educational resources to expand your options.

Design blended learning options that suit your learners

Once you’ve understood the principles and resources available, it’s time to look at designing your own approach.

Upon completion of this course, you’ll have a solid foundation in blended learning and a better understanding of your options when it comes to using it within your teaching. You’ll also be ready to move to the next course in this ExpertTrack, which focuses on implementation.

This course is aimed at everyone working in further education, skills training, vocational education, workplace learning and lifelong learning or adult education. Whether you are directly supporting learners or delivering training, this course will help you use blended learning more effectively.

Technology has fundamentally changed how we learn, making it more engaging but also challenging. This course shows you how to embed blended learning practices in the vocational education and training (VET) sector.

You will explore how new technology can assist learning from experience, how to overcome challenges in the sector, how to develop your own skills and discover the optimal uses of blended learning.

With over 90% satisfaction rate from previous learners, this course will support implementation of blended learning in your practice.

Use technology to improve learning outcomes

Digital tools can be used to improve various aspects of the learning process, starting with developing the learner’s voice. You can also use this opportunity to collect data from your learners to design and optimise your blended learning options.

Help your learners build skills independently

Independent learning is a key skill, and you can help your learners develop it with the help of blended learning technologies. You can support them in the initial stages and give them the opportunity to use online resources later on without always needing your help at each juncture.

Make blended learning affordable in your organisation

Blended learning needs to work with your organisation’s overall goals and budgets to be worthwhile. Discover more about the costs and benefits of blended learning, from the point of view of teacher time, and find out how blended learning can support your organisation’s overall ambitions.

This course is open to everyone, but is particularly aimed at those working in further education, skills training, vocational education, workplace learning, and lifelong learning or adult education. We provide a range of accreditation pathways, whether you are directly supporting learners or delivering training and seek to use blended learning more effectively.

Why join the course?

Almost every job now involves a range of digital skills, yet employers report a shortage in skilled new starters. This course will enable you, as a teacher or trainer, to develop your learners’ digital skills for successful employment and progress in the modern workplace.

Through real-life case studies, resources and practical support, you’ll be able to help your learners manage their online identity and digital information required for their work. You’ll be shown how to assist learners to create digital content and provide you with tools for communicating effectively and working collaboratively.

Build different approaches for teaching digital skills

Explore the different ways of teaching digital skills and find out how you can apply them to your own subject and teaching approach. This will allow you to prepare learners to meet the demand for digital skills in the workplace. You will test out a number of different exercises and platforms to develop their understanding further.

Teach your learners to create and publish digital content

Creating digital content is a common task across a variety of positions and industries. Teach your learners how to create basic and advanced content, and review the tools available for both the training and the task. You’ll even learn how to help them work collaboratively online, adding another set of useful skills to their repertoire.

This course is open to everyone but particularly aimed at those working in the vocational education and training sector, including: further education, skills training, vocational education, workplace learning and lifelong learning or adult education.