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

Undisputedly, blended learning stands in first place among the central forms of learning for the coming years. Both trainers and coaches as well as personnel developers want to sustainably and efficiently redesign further training through the integration of in-person and online learning. The emphasis in blended learning is on integration!

Recently, during a workshop session on the topic “Implementing Blended Learning in Practice,” a participant said: “We always talk about integration. Sounds really great, but HOW?! How do I motivate people to actually watch an online course with me after the day is over? Most people are not interested, after all, the training is done!”

Maybe you can relate to 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 – Application areas – 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, create a perfect integration of in-person and online phases? The experts in blended learning have gathered own experiences as well as successful methods from clients. You will learn about the results now:

Excursus: Blended Learning Models

One fact in advance: There is no patented method for the perfect integration. The reason is relatively simple: Blended learning is not always the same. There are different models that you can orient yourself to when planning. And just as varied is the goal of integration.

The biggest difference is whether you start your blended learning with an in-person event or with an online phase. Both variants have advantages and disadvantages that you must weigh individually for each measure.

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

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

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

The Perfect Integration for the “Springer”

We will explain step by step which measures you can use in the in-person and online phases to ensure that 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 focus directly on blended learning and the online course, and do not just mention it “on the side”:

• Incorporate online support right from 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 make your participants curious: “In the online course you will find exciting further information/videos/(...), that will help you in your daily life to apply what you’ve learned today!”

• 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 will make online participation essential to work during the in-person days.

Your participants should start the online course motivated and with a clear work directive.

2. The First Online Phase:

Even in the online phase, you should reconnect with your participants. A welcome video is best suited for this, in which you once again mention

• what the course is about

• what the participants can expect

• what value they will gain from it.

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

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

Reading tip: All information about shooting training and educational videos with your own smartphone can be found on our extensive info page: Creating Videos for Online Courses

Further Tips on How to Perfectly Integrate Your Online Phase at the Beginning:

• Use the online course for theoretical content such as texts, PDFs, or diagrams that participants can work on alone.

• Provide tasks and exercises later in the course that your participants should bring to the next in-person event.

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

The comment area in the sample course “Personal Productivity and Time Intelligence”: Here, participants can exchange ideas during the online phase. Source: blink.it platform

3. Further In-Person Days:

To maintain close integration, you should use the task(s) from the online course as a basis on subsequent in-person days. You can also touch on theoretical content from the online course and link practical exercises. In-person activities are particularly well-suited to conducting group work or discussion rounds.

Use the greatest advantage that in-person sessions have over online courses: The social exchange. The practical application during in-person sessions facilitates the transfer of new knowledge into everyday (work) life. In addition, this strengthens the “we-feeling” in the in-person phases, before participants return to working independently in the online course.

4. Further Online Phases:

The online course is suitable not only as a place for exercises during the further training or education but also for three more ideas for perfect integration:

• You can upload all documents from the in-person events online so that participants can later review everything they have worked on – for example, photos of flip charts, posters, or mind maps.

• Use the online course to gather feedback on learning progress through the comment function or questionnaires.

• Answer questions from the previous in-person event 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 content connection and mutual enhancement, the link is logical for your participants and increases their motivation for the online phases.

You can test how a complete online course for blended learning looks like yourself as a participant: Just sign up for our free blended learning sample course, get valuable tips for your personal productivity – and inspiration for your own blended learning. Have fun! 🙂