What is blended class?

Blended (mixed) course is mix or combination of studying for students in the classroom as a traditional way and on-line learning. Nowadays blended courses become more popular among many universities in the U.S. due to very developed technology and cost. By using their class course shelves students can interact online between each other and with the professor. Educational institutions may reduce numbers of instructors needed and therefore lower its expenses that way. With a blended class students should meet one time a week instead of few times with face-to-face classroom method. Rest of the time students should work at home on their own using the on-line system. This is also the way of cutting down school expanditures; they can rent out the excessive space or accept more students to study.

Advantages of blended classes

There are many pros of blended courses because they offer more flexibility and don’t tie students much to meetings in certain time and place. Students do their discussions and quizzes when they have time for that or they are ready and not accordingly to the class meetings. Despite the fact that blended classes also have strict requirements, time frames, and due dates, students still have access 24 hours/7 days a week to complete all school weekly assignments which is usually whether just right or more than enough for that matter. They require 100 % of participation from all students whereas in the classroom it is almost impossible to ask everybody as long as it is very small class with a few people in it. Students also have some time with the instructors and can ask questions whether on-line or in person.

Disadvantages of blended classes

Students should study mostly on their own and just come to school to attend their lectures. Normally instructors recommend on each 3 hours lecture time in the classroom to study about 15 hours or more at home in order to be successful and pass the course. However, different students see this issue from different angles. Some of them see it as an advantage whereas others think it is a big disadvantage (almost like on-line studying where you don’t really get much of knowledge).

Students have different styles of learning, some of them need to feel that someone staying behind their backs and controlling them. They need some pressure in order to make themselves to study their course materials otherwise it would be hard for them to sit down and read chapters and do homework assignments. Therefore, for such students and especially young ones who just right after high school and don’t understand that they getting knowledge not to get a good grade or not for their instructors, but for their own good and future career. In such cases the blended courses might not be the best choice.

Other disadvantages of blended studying that students allowed to skip only one time a course regardless of the reason mainly because the lectures normally goes only one time a week. If with a good reason or without they should miss a second class they might have to drop out the course which may result in wasting time and money on it.