Giving Compass' Take:

•  Jenny White at The 74 debunks myths about blended learning and its benefits with the help of The Christensen Institute's online, blended learning directory called the Blended Learning Universe. 

•  How will this directory be able to expand educator as well as donor knowledge on blended learning? Will the directory outline any of the challenges with this learning style? 

• Read about the top trends in blended learning. 

Over the last several years, more and more schools across the U.S. have been implementing blended-learning strategies for their students. What is blended learning?

It is a formal education program that must have three components: it must be part online, with students having some control over the time, place, path or pace of their learning; it must occur, in part, in a brick-and-mortar location away from home; and the modalities along a student’s learning path must be connected to provide an integrated learning experience.

In support of these schools, the Christensen Institute debuted the Blended Learning Universe, an online hub of blended learning resources, among them a directory of blended schools around the world. This directory has helped researchers amass an informative database indicating changes over time across the blended-learning space.

Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive picture of K-12 blended implementations across the world. But it provides a framework for busting some common myths about what blended learning is, and isn’t.

  • Myth #1. Blended learning is an exclusive approach.
  • Myth #2. I’m doing personalized learning — not blended learning.
  • Myth #3. Blended learning looks like kids in headphones in front of screens all day.
  • Myth #4. If I’m using technology in my school, I’m doing blended learning and disrupting the old system!
  • Myth #5. Flex is the pinnacle of blended.

Read the full article about myths about blended learning by Jenny White at The 74