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Blended learning – a formal education program in which a portion of traditional face-to-face instruction is substituted with web-based, online learning,1 according to the Blended Learning Toolkit – has been steadily reshaping the educational landscape in schools across the country.
According to OnlineSchools.com,
- Only 45,000 K-12 students had access to online learning elements within the classroom in 2000.
- In 2010, over 4 million students had access to online learning elements within the classroom.
- From 2001 to 2011, blended learning classrooms increased annually by 30%.2
Since 2011, the popularity of blended learning programs has only continued to grow. Ed Tech Review reports that by 2019, it's predicted that half of all K-12 classes will be taught online.3
Nevertheless, as the nature of learning and teaching within blended learning programs grows more fluid, an educator's blueprint largely remains the same: plan lessons, implement a teaching strategy, measure student progress, adjust instruction and intervention, and celebrate student success.
The Bedrock of Blended Learning Programs
Arguably the most important components of an educational blueprint are measuring student progress and adjusting instruction and intervention per student performance and need for additional support.
To fully measure progress and adjust instruction and intervention, however - to more effectively match students’ needs and improve student performance - data is paramount to the blended learning foundation.
Why? Collecting valid, reliable student data empowers educators to:
- Identify at-risk students early
- Close a student’s learning gap
- Predict student achievement on end-of-year-targets
- Promote student success in subsequent grade levels
Indeed, student data makes pinpointing each student's strengths and weaknesses with each lesson and skill possible, despite large class sizes and virtual classrooms. This allows blended learning programs to operate at optimal, efficient levels - changing the blended learning structure for the better.
Measure What Matters to Maximize Data-Collecting Efforts
The idea of collecting assessment data to drive improved student performance can’t just sound great. It must be attainable to have a meaningful impact on student growth.
While many schools are mastering their blended learning domain, most still face a similar challenge: finding a data-centric assessment system that meets their district’s unique needs and delivers reliable, real-time, easy-to-understand student data.
aimswebTMPlus, a robust progress monitoring and benchmark assessment system administers standards-based and curriculum-based measures in foundational reading and math skills. aimswebPlus is highly sensitive to growth and predicts student performance on end-of-year targets.
Delivered completely online for students grades 2 and up – or face-to-face with online scoring for students grades K-1 – in a seamless, intuitive interface, the assessment process becomes engaging for blended learning students and easy to conduct for a wide-range of educational staff members.
We believe that data is an unrivaled asset to any classroom, and its strength and effectiveness rely on how it’s collected, and when, why, and the way in which it’s utilized.
Complete your blended learning program by measuring what matters. Learn how you can collect the best possible assessment data in the shortest period of time with an all-in-one, web-based benchmarking and frequent progress monitoring assessment tool.
References:
1 Blended Learning Toolkit. “What is Blended Learning?” Accessed March 15, 2017. https://blended.online.ucf.edu/about/what-is-blended-learning/.
2 OnlineSchools.com. “Virtual Classrooms: A Real Trend | How K-12 Education is Moving Increasingly Online” [Infographic]. Accessed March 16, 2017.
3 Gupta, Priyanka. Ed Tech Review. “Some Interesting Statistics & Facts on Blended Learning You Must Know.” Accessed March 16, 2017. http://edtechreview.in/data-statistics/2506-blended-learning-in-the-classroom-statistics-research.