Flexible and Blended Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic: New Norm in Teaching and Learning

Abstract

The emergent of CVID-19 prompted profound thinking into the design and approaches of teaching appropriate to all levels of education. This came into focus when the pandemic COVID-19 forced educational institutions to shift rapidly to distance and online learning to bring in flexibility and hybrid or blended learning. The pandemic forced the closure of learning institutions and teachers and students had to apply flexible and blended learning approaches when none of them had been sufficiently trained or even set psychologically to shift to this online mode of teaching and learning contexts. This phenomenon further propagated insightful thinking and debate on effectiveness of flexibility and blending in learning for institutions in Kenya. Flexible and blended learning is an inventive concept that embraces both traditional teaching in the classroom and Information Communication Technology supported learning including both offline learning and online learning. It also encompasses collaborative learning; constructive learning and computer assisted learning (CAI). Flexible and blended learning requires laborious efforts, right attitude, handsome budget and highly motivated teachers and students for its successful implementation. It incorporates diverse modes and therefore making it a complex project and difficult task to organize. The current paper explored flexible and blended learning approaches, design and implementation of flexible and blended learning approaches, relevance of flexible and blended learning approaches during the COVID 19 pandemic as a new norm in teaching and learning among institutions in Kenya. Keywords : Flexible and blended learning , traditional teaching in the classroom, Information Communication Technology supported learning, collaborative learning, constructive learning, computer assisted learning DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-15-05 Publication date: May 31 st 2021