Workplace Management
2024-07-03
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What is blended learning?
The best of both worlds! In this article, you will learn how blended learning combines classic face-to-face instruction with modern e-learning methods. We will show you why this model is more flexible, efficient, and sustainable for corporate training. Discover how to optimally integrate learning content and get your team ready for the digital future. Hybrid learning is better!
Table of contents
The concept of "blended learning" has been around for several decades, but it has only gained traction in recent years. Blended learning concepts are now used in schools, universities, and workplaces around the world. But what is the official meaning of blended learning, what are its benefits, and is it something you should integrate into your company or your life?
What is blended learning?
Blended learning is part of a new wave of hybridization, where traditional methods are combined with a high-tech approach, earning it the alternative name "hybrid learning." It is perhaps best understood in the context of hybrid work, which we have all become very familiar with in recent years.
Just as hybrid work combines high-tech online systems (including the desk sharing software Flexopus) with a traditional workplace, blended learning allows employees access to interactive online systems without eliminating the traditional classroom.
Blended learning is often associated with school classrooms. A good example of this is courses where students are taught using traditional methods while simultaneously gaining access to interactive tests, games, and instructional videos via tablets and computers. However, the applications go far beyond the classroom. Many companies use blended learning to train their employees and ensure they are familiar with the latest industry regulations and best practices.
Blended learning is...
- ein Bildungssystem, das traditionelles Lernen und E-Learning kombiniert
- nützlich für Schulen, Hochschulen und Unternehmen
- geprägt von verschiedenen Modellen
- immer beliebter, da Pädagogen nach größerer Effizienz streben
- vorteilhaft sowohl für den Schüler als auch für den Lehrenden
4 Blended Learning Examples
There are actually more than 4 types of blended learning, but there are typically 4 that people focus on most, including:
1. The Flipped Classroom Concept
As the name suggests, the flipped classroom concept reverses the traditional learning structure. Employees begin the learning process remotely by using online courses, webinars, video conferences, and online discussions, among other things. They then attend classes where they can discuss what they have learned and complete exercises to reinforce their knowledge.
2. The Rotation Model
The rotation model takes aspects of all blended learning concepts and combines them to provide a comprehensive learning experience. For example, you can start with in-person learning before moving on to classroom learning and then online courses. The rotation can follow a specific schedule or be based on the employees' progress.
3. The Face-to-Face Driver Model
The in-person learning model is the closest to traditional learning and connects employees directly with instructors, often via video conferencing software. Because it is an individualized approach, it is more demanding for instructors and more beneficial for employees, making it ideal for staff who are falling behind or who need the type of crash courses that personalized learning can provide.
4. The Flexible Model
The flex model takes a more flexible approach to blended learning by giving employees the ability to determine the schedule. They have access to online educational systems and in-person support and can use them as needed. If they prefer a single approach, whether because they find they learn more or simply because it is easier to fit into their schedule, they can dedicate a larger portion of their time to that aspect. As a result, they learn faster and with less resistance.
Pros and Cons of Blended Learning
What are the benefits of blended learning? Are there any downsides? Well, that question isn't so easy to answer. It largely depends on whether you approach the topic from the perspective of an employee or an employer, as well as the type of model you implement.
By and large, these are the main pros and cons of blended learning:
Advantages:
- Combines the best of traditional learning and e-learning
- Accommodates the needs of employees who might struggle in a traditional learning environment
- Can be tailored to the needs of employees and adapted to the goals of the organization
- Combines various learning strategies (including visual and auditory) to improve knowledge retention
- Reduces company training costs
- Promotes feedback on training, making it easier to adjust courses
- Allows employees to learn at their own pace
- Offers a degree of flexibility for everyone involved
Disadvantages:
- It can be more difficult to organize than traditional educational programs
- Technical issues may arise that interrupt employee progress
- There is less social interaction, which can hinder team cohesion.
How you as an employer can promote blended learning
There are clearly more advantages to blended learning than disadvantages. So, once you have decided that it is a good fit for your company, how do you convince your employees to participate?
Here are some tips to help you with that:
- Take a step-by-step approach and introduce them to the concept gradually.
- Provide them with e-learning and let them decide when they want to use it.
- Encourage employees who use e-learning to share their experiences.
- Listen to any criticism and use it to adjust your systems and your overall concept.
- Support your employees in using the software and sticking to their schedules
- Offer IT support when needed.
The most important questions summarized
What exactly is meant by blended learning and how does it differ from pure e-learning?
Blended learning (integrated learning) is a hybrid educational concept. It combines the social benefits of classic face-to-face instruction with the temporal and spatial flexibility of digital e-learning. While pure e-learning often takes place in isolation, blended learning uses online phases for knowledge transfer and in-person phases for intensive exchange, exercises, and discussions. This anchors what has been learned more effectively, as theory is worked through flexibly at one's own pace while practice is deepened together as a team or with a coach.
What benefits does blended learning offer companies and their employees?
Companies benefit from higher cost-efficiency as travel times and in-person costs decrease, while scalability increases. For employees, it offers a better work-learn balance: learning content can be accessed when it fits into the daily work routine. Furthermore, the model accommodates different learning styles through a mix of videos, texts, and interactive workshops. Motivation remains higher because self-determination is strengthened and valuable personal contact with colleagues and experts is maintained despite the digital components.
How can blended learning be successfully integrated into a hybrid work environment?
Success depends on the seamless integration of the phases. In a hybrid work environment, digital learning platforms and physical meetings must be well coordinated. Tools like Flexopus support this process indirectly by facilitating the planning of in-person phases at the office. When teams come together for joint learning sessions, a smart booking system ensures that suitable rooms are available for exchange. This turns the office into a targeted space for social learning and collaboration, while the theoretical foundation is built autonomously in the home office.
Last updated:
2026-10-12
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