Classic training and coaching become measurably more sustainable and successful through the addition of an online course. This method is called blended learning – effectively combining in-person and online formats. In this article, I will show you through screenshots how an online course for blended learning can look in concrete terms!
Blended Learning in the Example Course “Better Meetings”
In e-learning, participants work very freely and independently; in in-person training, they benefit from personal contact. Blended learning intertwines the advantages of both methods. It may sound terribly abstract, but blended learning is not rocket science!
7 Reasons Why You Should Take a Closer Look at Blended Learning:
You gain a unique selling point
You gain a new source of income
You gain new customer groups
You gain measurability
You gain reusability
You gain flexibility
You gain media diversity
Through my editorial work at blink.it, I have acquired a lot of theoretical knowledge about blended learning. In addition, through close contact with some trainers and consultants, I have gained good insights into how to successfully implement blended learning in practice. As a blended learning expert at blink.it, I want to continually expand my knowledge and then pass it on to you!
You have probably had the experience too: We learn best when we try things out ourselves! Therefore, a few weeks ago, I set about creating an example online course for blended learning: As the fictional trainer Annette Meister, I designed a typical concept for blended learning. How I went about it, you'll find out in the article about the blended learning practical test in 90 minutes.
In this article, I would now like to show you concretely how I realized the concept for the fictional course “Better Meetings” on the online platform of blink.it. This online course is a good example of how trainers and coaches can quickly transform their in-person training into blended learning.
The Example “Better Meetings” in the Typical Springer Model
For blended learning, you generally need at least one in-person event and at least one e-learning component. This results in various models that have proven themselves best in practice. I presented the three most common models in another blog article.
In my example course, I chose the typical “Springer” model: Here, the trainer starts with e-learning impulses for the greeting and introduction to the topic. Then follow several weeks during which workshops take place at regular intervals. Between the workshops, participants continue to work based on new e-learning impulses. After the last workshop, the trainer provides further impulses on the online platform to the participants. At the very end, there is a practical exam in the form of an audio quiz.
This blended learning method looks like this in abstract model form:
In the blended learning model 'Springer', online phases alternate with in-person events.
Online Course Part 1: The Greeting
Let's get started! At the beginning of blended learning, it can be beneficial to tune participants into the topic even before the first personal meeting. At the same time, you can introduce yourself as a person, for example, in a short selfie video.
This online kickoff has the effect that your participants are:
on a similar content level,
already familiar with you as a trainer virtually, making you more familiar to them right away
Here’s how the kickoff for blended learning looks in the example online course “Better Meetings”:
In my example, the trainer Annette starts with a short video where she greets the participants in her training and introduces herself. Below the video, she encourages her participants to introduce themselves as well and provide their names, fields of work, and career aspirations as a ten-year-old in the comments section.
In a second online impulse (“Blink”), Annette uploads a PDF that presents common mistakes in meetings. The trainer classifies this document as suitable introductory reading that requires no prior knowledge.
This is what this second Blink looks like when you click it:
Note: To keep this article at a readable length, I will only show you the screenshots in the course overview. You can best view the course yourself and in peace by registering here with your email address:
Online Course Part 2: The Accompaniment to the Workshops
Now the accompanying Springer phase begins! Annette reminds her participants in the first workshop about the online accompaniment. She has set up her online support in advance so that it releases three content-related sequential Blinks to each individual participant right after they have seen the “So it goes on” Blink. Through this setting of the trainer, the participant can determine how quickly they progress in the following weeks.
Directly after the first workshop: “And this is how it continues...”
The first workshop is over, and the participants have now also met each other. Weekly additional workshops follow, in which Annette would like to conduct practical exercises with her participants. In between, each individual can continue their online education at their own pace.
How exactly this works – the trainer explains in the first Blink after the kickoff event. To do this, she uploads another short video of herself and encourages her participants to leave their questions directly under the video as comments. This way, everyone benefits from it, and Annette encourages all to discuss.
Content Input with Increasing Difficulty Levels
As described above, Annette decides in this fictional course to release the content input all at once – as soon as the individual has viewed the preceding Blink “So it goes on.” This supports self-directed learning in the e-learning phase.
A participant can, for example, view all impulses and complete the exercises directly after the first workshop. Or they can take one Blink each week – just as it fits into their personal time frame and level.
Announcement: A Guest in the Last In-Person Workshop
One week before the last workshop, Annette's online platform automatically releases another Blink: Here, the trainer announces that the setting—that the participant can only see this content at a specific time—is practical for the trainer for several reasons:
If the planned guest cancels or other changes occur, Annette can change this Blink at short notice without her participants noticing the change in plans.
All participants have the same amount of time to prepare for the guest and complete the corresponding task by the last workshop.
The Blink is also a surprise since the participants had all the previous content released at once. This surprise effect increases the anticipation for this special guest.
Online Course Part 3: Ensuring Successful Transfer
The in-person phase of blended learning is over. However, Annette wants to continue supporting her participants in everyday life. Therefore, she adds several more Blinks to her online course. These build on the workshops and focus clearly on the practical applicability of what has been learned.
Directly after the last workshop: “And this is how it continues...”
Even in the transfer phase of her blended learning (Chapter 2), the trainer begins with a short video in which she explains how e-learning works even without regular meetings. With this decision, Annette's blended learning appears coherent and logically structured. Her participants always know what is coming next and what specific tasks they have in the training.
Exercise for the Transfer and Invitation to Ask Questions
The trainer in the example also wants to be present for her participants during the transfer phase. She completed the online course weeks in advance. This gives her time to collectively respond to her participants' questions in person.
She therefore invites her participants in a Blink (preset) to read a longer article and send her questions within a specific deadline. After the deadline, Annette reviews the questions and answers them in a short video. This way, the entire e-learning feels lively and personal, even though the trainer has already prepared 90% in advance.
Final Exam via Audio Quiz
Eventually, every training comes to an end – even with blended learning. The trainer in this example wants to ensure that her participants have reached the specified goal. For this, she comes up with a quiz that the participants must pass for a successful completion.
Annette uploads an audio file in a Blink, in which she releases exemplary excerpts from a larger meeting. Participants should listen to this meeting and then take a quiz. In it, Annette tests how well each blended learning participant can apply the content to practice: How does he assess the example meeting? What advice does he have for the people in the audio? and so on.
Create Your Own Online Course Now
You have now seen an example of how you can design blended learning. The screenshots and explanations of the online course give a first impression of what possibilities you can use for your own training or coaching.
And one last tip: You can also find this example in the guide for blended learning. There, you will learn what to pay attention to when creating blended learning and how to conceptually design content for your online course step by step.
Do you want to practically try out blended learning directly? Then request access to our admin demo right away! All information about it can be found in the box below.
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