In blended learning, you want to perfectly combine in-person and online courses – but what does that mean in practice? We provide the answer! In the first part of "Perfectly Connecting!", we show you the best methods for your blended learning when you start with an in-person event!

Blended learning undoubtedly holds the number 1 spot among central learning forms for the coming years. Both trainers and coaches, as well as personnel developers, want to reshape further education sustainably and efficiently by integrating in-person and online learning. The emphasis in blended learning is on integration!

In a workshop session on the topic of "Implementing Blended Learning in Practice", a participant recently said: "We always talk about integration. Sounds really great, but HOW?! How do I motivate people to actually look at an online course with me after the day? Most people aren't interested, after all, the training is done!"

Perhaps you recognize yourself in this statement as well? In the session, I certainly saw many nodding heads at this remark. Because: A mere sequence of in-person days and online courses is not blended learning, even if that is often practiced.

Reading Tip: Advantages – Applications – Models: Everything you need to know about blended learning can be found on our extensive info page Blended Learning in Practice.

How do you, as a content creator, ensure a perfect integration of in-person and online phases? To answer these questions, blended learning experts have gathered their own experiences and successful methods from clients. You will learn the results now:

Excursus: Blended Learning Models

One fact upfront: There is no patented method for perfect integration. The reason is relatively simple: Blended learning is not always the same. There are different models you can use as a guide during planning. And equally diverse is the goal of integration.

The biggest difference is whether you start your blended learning with an in-person event or an online phase. Both options have pros and cons that you need to weigh for each measure individually.

Overview

The Most Popular Models in Blended Learning

Do you start with in-person or online? Depending on this, different models come into consideration. Our free overview helps you select the best model for your blended learning!

The choice of how to start also influences the question of integration: How do you motivate your participants to use the online course after the in-person session – or to participate in an in-person day after an online phase?

We begin this first part with the classic case: The start is an in-person event, followed by an online phase, before returning to in-person. This model is called "Springer".

In the "Springer" model, both phases are equally important. It is best suited for training or courses where there is at least one week between two or more in-person events.

The Perfect Integration for the "Springer"

We will explain to you step by step which measures you can use in the in-person and online phases to ensure your blended learning has perfect integration:

1. The First In-Person Day:

To ensure the optimal connection between in-person and online phases, it is important that you direct the focus directly on blended learning and the online course, and not just mention it "on the side":

• Incorporate online support right into the introduction: Explain to your participants what blended learning means and why it is so important for their learning effect that they participate in the online course.

• Tease valuable content in the online course to pique your participants' curiosity: "In the online course, you will find exciting additional information/videos/(…), which will help you apply what you learned today in your everyday life!"

• Mention that your participants will find exercises or homework in the online course. Ideally, they should bring the results from the online exercises to the next meeting – this way, participation online becomes indispensable to contribute during the in-person days.

Your participants should start the online course motivated and with clear instructions.

2. The First Online Phase:

Also in the online phase, you should once again engage your participants. The best method for this is a welcome video, where you mention again

• what the course is about

• what the participants can expect

• what value they will gain from it.

Here you can see an example from our blended learning example course "Personal Productivity", in which the trainer welcomes and motivates the participants:

You remind your participants of what they can expect and why the course is valuable. You can simply film such a short selfie video (like in the example) with your smartphone – without expensive video equipment.

Reading Tip: All information on filming training and course videos with your own smartphone can be found on our extensive info page: Creating Videos for Online Courses.

More Tips on How to Perfectly Integrate Your Online Phase at the Start:

• Use the online course for theoretical content such as texts, PDFs, or charts that participants can work through on their own.

• In the further course of the program, assign tasks and exercises that your participants should bring to the next in-person event.

• If possible, enable exchange among participants even between in-person events through a comment function:

The comment section in the example course "Personal Productivity and Time Intelligence": Here, participants can exchange ideas in the online phase. Source: blink.it Platform.

3. Further In-Person Days:

To maintain the close integration, you should use the task(s) from the online course as a basis on the following in-person days. Additionally, you can address theoretical content from the online course and connect practical exercises. In-person is especially well suited for group work or discussion rounds.

Utilize the biggest advantage that in-person has over the online course: The social exchange. Through practical application in person, the transfer of new knowledge into everyday (work) life succeeds. Additionally, you strengthen the “we-feeling” in the in-person phases before participants return to continue working independently online.

4. Further Online Phases:

The online course serves not only as a place for practice assignments in the further course of training or courses. Three more ideas for perfect integration:

• You can post all documents from the in-person sessions online, so that participants can look back at what they have worked on – for example, photos of flipcharts, posters, or mind maps.

• Use the online course to collect feedback on learning progress through comment functions or questionnaires.

• Answer questions from the previous in-person session in detail and without time pressure.

With short questionnaires, you can easily gather feedback in the online course. Source: blink.it Platform.

Even after the last event, you can still motivate your participants for the online course: For example, create an online final exam with a certificate that confirms participation.

With these methods, you create the perfect integration of in-person and online phases. Through the thematic connection and the mutual complementarity, the linkage is logical for your participants and increases motivation for the online phases.

What a finished online course for blended learning might look like, you can try out yourself as a participant: Simply sign up for our free blended learning example course, get valuable tips for your personal productivity – and inspiration for your own blended learning. Have fun! 🙂