And for students who are struggling, one-to-
one tuition would be available over FaceTime,
allowing for more engaging teaching.
One of the most obvious benefits of blended
learning is that collaboration between students
and teachers can be higher than usual in an
online environment, thanks to blogs, messaging
platforms, and interactive learning materials.
Accessibility is also improved, as all students
can access course materials from anywhere and
at any time, with no real time constraints on
classes. Communication can also be improved,
with emails, instant messaging, dropboxes,
and message boards complementing in-class
discussions. Student evaluations can also be
improved using the latest tech, in some cases
allowing coursework to be instantly graded.
It’s important, though, to mention the potential
downsides of blended learning. One of the
biggest is that there’s a strong dependence
on technology and though most kids now
have access to an iPad or computer, that’s not
always the case. Among the 20% of American
households who make US$25,000 or less a year,
just 63% of schoolchildren have access to a
computer and the internet. IT literacy can also
be a challenge, especially among parents who
are helping their children get online. Technical
support, therefore, should be offered to parents
and children, perhaps via school drop-in clinics
which can be socially-distanced. It should also
be noted that students can fall behind, as online
learning is less engaging than face-to-face
classes. According to one study, nearly half of
students would prefer to skip classes for three
weeks and catch up on all of the videos and
topics in one sitting, which would impact their