Abstract
<p><em>Blended learning is a teaching technique utilizing face-to-face teaching and online or technology-based practice in which the learner has the ability to exert control over the pace, place, path, or time of learning. Schools that employ this teaching method often demonstrate larger gains than traditional programs due to their increased ability to differentiate and quickly assess student learning. This study sought to determine ways blended-learning models contribute to student success, how blended-learning schools are measuring student success, and how administrators are supporting teachers in their use of blended techniques.</em></p><p><em>In this mixed-methods study, survey data were collected from 230 teachers and 43 administrators in blended-learning programs. Interviews were conducted with teachers and administrators at two school sites in the Southwestern most region of the United States, along with classroom observations and reviews of participating schools’ Local Control Accountability Plans (California Department of Education, 2017) and mission statements. Results yielded five consistent themes: an understanding of student needs to drive individualized instruction, varied and individual success criteria, strong relationships with students tied to decision-making that fosters individual achievement, student needs as a driving force behind the development of school programs, and an increased level of student choice to combat low motivation.</em><em></em></p>
Highlights
Since technology has become a ubiquitous force in our lives, schools must prepare students for a 21st century, technology-rich world (Marsh, 2012)
In his study of 93 third graders participating in blended-learning and online programs, Chen (2012) found that students learning in blended environments performed significantly better when asked to recall facts and information. 1.8 Applications of Blended Learning in K-12 Education The more technology becomes a driving force in our lives, the more it will be used to enhance educational experiences for students
Teachers using blended learning would first benefit from knowing their students well so that they could in turn become responsive to their students’ varied academic and socioemotional needs
Summary
Since technology has become a ubiquitous force in our lives, schools must prepare students for a 21st century, technology-rich world (Marsh, 2012). Educators employ blended-learning tools because they find that environments that are “technology-rich where students and teachers have the tools needed to enact better interactions, inquiry, and feedback” are helping students who may have found less success in more traditional environments (Brengard, 2016) Initiatives such as flipped teaching and distance learning are at the forefront of educational technology research and both have been used in the development of what practitioners refer to today as blended-learning (Stacker & Horn, 2012). With the focus on the student and his or her particular needs and skill development, “blended-learning technologies can help ... by enabling teachers to create lessons for both inside and outside the classroom that benefit the student, helping them to become a fully functioning global citizen” (Jimison, 2011, p. 67)
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