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Blended learning is an approach to education that combines online educational materials and opportunities for interaction online with traditional place-based classroom methods. It requires the physical presence of both teacher and student, with some elements of student control over time, place, path, or place.

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Blended learning can be implemented in many unique ways, generally using a combination of one or more of the following models.

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Blended learning can be implemented in many unique ways, generally using a combination of one or more of the following models.

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The Station Rotation model allows students to rotate through stations on a fixed schedule, where at least one of the stations is an online learning station. This model is most common in elementary schools because teachers are already familiar rotating in “centers” or stations.

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How and Why to Integrate Station Rotation into Your Classroom

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How and Why to Integrate Station Rotation into Your Classroom

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3 SECRETS TO SUCCESSFUL STATION ROTATIONS

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3 SECRETS TO SUCCESSFUL STATION ROTATIONS

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The Lab Rotation model, like a Station Rotation, allows students to rotate through stations on a fixed schedule. However, in this case, online learning occurs in a dedicated computer lab. This model allows for flexible scheduling arrangements with teachers and other paraprofessionals, and enables schools to make use of existing computer labs.

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Are computer labs a thing of the past? Not so fast. - Blended Learning Universe

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ARE COMPUTER LABS A THING OF THE PAST? NOT SO FAST.

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ARE COMPUTER LABS A THING OF THE PAST? NOT SO FAST.

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Recently, an education leader remarked to me that "the concept of a computer lab is obsolete". The comment surprised me. In our blended learning at the Christensen Institute, we see schools implement blending learning using technology along a wide spectrum, from a lab of desktops to 1:1 hand-held devices, 3D printers, VR headsets, and more. We also observe that at the end of the day, technology isn't the most important component of a strong blended-learning program. Rather, good pedagogy partnered strategically with technology (even a plain-old computer lab) holds great potential to make a powerful learning impact.

In fact, computer labs are still a key stepping stone for many schools aiming to transform instruction. Both in the US and beyond, many schools want to leverage the opportunities that come with online learning, but don't have the resources and bandwidth (literally) for the latest devices and the infrastructure that more and newer technology requires.

In our BLU directory, many schools profiled are differentiating in important ways for their students, in part thanks to access to a computer lab. The Lab Rotation is a popular blended-learning model that integrates teacher-facilitated online learning in a lab setting with face-to-face instruction and other offline learning modalities in the classroom. Last year, the Institute's BLU team took a deeper look at blended learning beyond the US . Based on that research, one of the most common models we found adopted by schools across , , and South Africa was indeed the Lab Rotation. Overall, in our BLU database of 640 schools and districts (and counting), there are over 100 examples of schools implementing this computer lab-based model, from Louisiana to California to India.
Computer labs in action today
What's happening in these models? Let's look at a few Lab Rotation profiles from the BLU to see how and why this model can make a difference when it comes to enhancing students' learning.
Guru Nanak National High School
At this private school in Mumbai, Lab Rotation allows half the class (a hefty 30 students) to spend time on technology while the other half receives individualized support from the teacher. The lead teacher instructs students in the classroom while a teaching assistant facilitates learning in the computer lab. The groups rotate between these two "stations" on alternating days.

In the computer lab, students are engaged on a self-paced, adaptive learning program called . The teaching assistant in the lab looks at student data from Zaya to better support individual students with their online learning. Guru Nanak adopted the Lab Rotation model as a feasible means of differentiating instruction in such a large class. The school reports that now all learners can make progress in the curriculum on any given day. The teaching assistant, with data from Zaya, reinforces this by providing students with personalized learning reports to help the student and both teachers track progress transparently.
Rocketship Public Schools
Blended learning is about creating a flexible space where teachers leverage tools-tutors, online learning programs and their peers-to engage kids in a personalized-learning experience. To this end, this California CMO has been implementing Lab Rotation for over a decade. In Rocketship's model, students spend most of their day in the classroom setting. About half of the day is spent in a humanities block and a quarter of the day is spent in a math block, with separate teachers who specialize in their respective subjects. Students receive large group instruction, experience small-group and team learning supported by iPads and Chromebooks, and receive targeted intervention from their classroom teacher. Students then rotate into Rocketship's Learning Lab for adaptive online learning, additional small group instruction, team learning and targeted intervention-all led by Rocketship tutors. The learning lab is led by individual learning specialists with the support of assistant principals.

The biggest results of Rocketship's Lab Rotation? "High level of student engagement and ownership in their learning. Teachers and students actively use their data to reach and understand student goals. Teachers are strategically planning lessons based on student data," according to Rocketship Public Schools.

Rocketship's Lab Rotation approach also inspired hybrid model for its upper-elementary and middle school students. Yet Lab Rotation remains a core piece of the lower primary learning design. SPARK has become a beacon for blended-learning implementation in South Africa as it scales SPARK Schools to launch a new kind of independent education program in South Africa fueled by a similar blended-learning model. Like Rocketship, SPARK Schools started with a Lab Rotation model in its primary grades and over time has developed a Flex/Individual Rotation a quality alternative to public education that is also affordable.

Do computer labs symbolize the "future of learning"? Probably not, particularly as mobile penetration grows rapidly. But with pedagogical savvy, educators continue to take advantage of them to help create better learning experiences for students in the present.

Which blended-learning model(s) do educators use in your school or district? Use a BLU profile as a platform to tell your story .

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Are computer labs a thing of the past? Not so fast. - Blended Learning Universe

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Recently, an education leader remarked to me that "the concept of a computer lab is obsolete". The comment surprised me. In our blended learning research at the Christensen Institute, we see schools implement blending learning using technology along a wide spectrum, from a lab of desktops to 1:1 hand-held devices, 3D printers, VR headsets, and [...]

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The Flipped Classroom model flips the traditional relationship between class time and homework. Students learn at home via online coursework and lectures, and teachers use class time for teacher-guided practice or projects. This model enables teachers to use class time for more than delivering traditional lectures.

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The Individual Rotation model allows students to rotate through stations, but on individual schedules set by a teacher or software algorithm. Unlike other rotation models, students do not necessarily rotate to every station; they rotate only to the activities scheduled on their playlists.

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HOW TO CUSTOMIZE LEARNING WITH INDIVIDUAL ROTATION

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HOW TO CUSTOMIZE LEARNING WITH INDIVIDUAL ROTATION

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The Flex model lets students move on fluid schedules among learning activities according to their needs. Online learning is the backbone of student learning in a Flex model. Teachers provide support and instruction on a flexible, as-needed basis while students work through course curriculum and content. This model can give students a high degree of control over their learning.

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Technology, Space and Learning at Summit Public Schools: Sierra

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Technology, Space and Learning at Summit Public Schools: Sierra

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The A La Carte model enables students to take an online course with an online teacher of record, in addition to other face-to-face courses, which often provides students with more flexibility over their schedules. A La Carte courses can be a great option when schools can’t provide particular learning opportunities, such as an Advanced Placement or elective course, making it one of the more popular models in blended high schools.

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Tackling access to International Baccalaureate courses with blended learning - Blended Learning Universe

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Last year, we published our first paper on blended learning featuring schools outside of the US - Blended Beyond Borders . Part of this research included the distribution of a that would capture data on technology tools used in Brazilian, Malaysian, and South African classrooms. , an online provider for International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme courses, was one of the curriculum providers that respondents identified.

We were curious to learn more about how this centuries-old curriculum translated into online environments. Blended learning holds enormous potential to break the century-old factory model of education open by offering data on individual student performance, providing timely feedback, and opening up flexible pathways. While some worry that flexibility may come at the cost of rigor, leading IB schools are looking to IB courses as part of those customized learning pathways.
Pamoja's approach
Pamoja offers a variety of IB Diploma courses in two different ways: (1) completely online, taught by Pamoja teachers, and (2) content online meant to supplement a school's own teacher. Pamoja's 26 courses are housed on their online platform, where students can access class materials and assessments and-in the case of Pamoja Taught courses-interact with their teacher and their peers from around the world. The online learning platform also allows teachers and administrators to track student activity: even when a student is taking a Pamoja Taught course, a staff member at their school is designated to keep track of student progress and provide face-to-face support if needed.
Partnering with IB schools
As we've about before, online courses can tackle course access challenges in schools and regions where options may be limited. Pamoja partners with IB Diploma programs around the world - when schools don't have someone to teach a specific course or elective, they can partner with course providers like Pamoja. Choice is an important component in online learning, allowing students to approach their studies in a more holistic, flexible way.
Halcyon London's model
Halcyon London International School , a small IB school in the UK, is one example of how schools use Pamoja Taught classes to expand their course offerings. With a student body of almost 160 in grades 6-12, there often isn't enough demand for elective courses to be offered on a full-time basis. So, when a student wants to take a course such as IB Film or IB Business Management, Halcyon can still give him or her the opportunity of taking it through a Pamoja Taught class. Students taking a Pamoja course work on personal devices in an open, shared learning space three times per week to do their coursework independently. In this learning space, they are surrounded by 10 to 12 of their peers who are working on different courses and are overseen by a coordinator who can help troubleshoot technological and academic issues. Halcyon's blended-learning program is also an example of an model.
Dwight Global's model
Dwight Global Online School, which is "the campus in the cloud" for the Dwight School, founded in New York City in 1872, also partners with Pamoja. Students, including those pursuing their passions at a high level, such as elite athletes and pre-professional ballet dancers, can take online classes such as IB Economics and IB Psychology with a Pamoja teacher, or select from a large range of other Dwight IB and AP courses. Both enable students to connect in class with peers from across the globe. This offering compliments Dwight Global's other blended efforts, which follow Enriched Virtual and Flipped Classroom models. Students can choose to attend their classes by either connecting to a virtual classroom twice per week, or by attending classes in-person on one of Dwight Global's campuses. Students review course concepts themselves online, and while in the classroom-physically or virtually-engage in an interactive lesson with their teacher and peers to solve concrete problems.

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Tackling access to International Baccalaureate courses with blended learning - Blended Learning Universe

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Last year, we published our first paper on blended learning featuring schools outside of the US - Blended Beyond Borders. Part of this research included the distribution of a survey that would capture data on technology tools used in Brazilian, Malaysian, and South African classrooms. Pamoja, an online provider for International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme [...]

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The Enriched Virtual model is an alternative to full-time online school that allows students to complete the majority of coursework online at home or outside of school, but attend school for required face-to-face learning sessions with a teacher. Unlike the Flipped Classroom, Enriched Virtual programs usually don’t require daily school attendance; some programs may only require twice-weekly attendance, for example.

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Is the Enriched Virtual blended-learning model the future of high school? - Blended Learning Universe

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IS THE ENRICHED VIRTUAL BLENDED-LEARNING MODEL THE FUTURE OF HIGH SCHOOL?

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IS THE ENRICHED VIRTUAL BLENDED-LEARNING MODEL THE FUTURE OF HIGH SCHOOL?

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Many in the education innovation space are thinking about high school redesign to better reflect students' 21st century learning needs. Initiatives like the XQ Super School project and the Department of Education's Next Generation High Schools have accelerated a national conversation on reimagining the high school experience to include "real-world" learning components as well as skill- and passion-building opportunities like internships, project-based learning, robust computer science curriculum, and competency-based learning systems. Of course, these kinds of experiences in support of deeper learning don't mesh well with the architecture of the traditional school day. Indeed, to integrate these non-conventional practices in schools at scale, huge logistical shifts in where, when, how, and along which path a student learns become paramount.

A bell schedule, age-based cohorts, one-teacher one-student classrooms - these long-held hallmarks of the traditional school day are becoming increasingly obsolete. As new high school designs herald flexible, student-centered learning and even off-campus experiences, students no longer attend school every day. Take for example two fictional high school students, Jorge and Bea. It doesn't make sense to mandate that 12th-grader Jorge report to campus on Wednesdays if he needs to pick up an extra shift at his job; his learning happens online and he's earning credits at his own pace through his high school's mastery-based learning system. Nor does it make sense for 10th-grader Bea to attend school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, since she's earning academic credits through her internship at a local hospital, arranged via her school's work-based learning program.

These examples, though fictional, are becoming and representative of the modern K-12 student experience, thanks to the increasing complexity of students' lives and the dynamic opportunities educators recognize are critical to provide students for better learning outcomes and better ties to the workforce. Many of these opportunities are made possible through blended learning. In looking to the future, the Christensen Institute foresees that not only will blended-learning opportunities continue to scale in schools, but also that there will be an inevitable rise of the Enriched Virtual blended-learning model at the high school level.
One model's disruptive potential to shape the future of high school
The Enriched Virtual model, by definition, is rather straightforward: the backbone of student learning is online and the student is only required to attend brick-and-mortar school on designated days. Thanks to technology, learning is happening anywhere, anytime, and (sometimes) at varying pace. The required face-to-face time within this model typically serves two main purposes: 1) enrich students' learning experiences with group-based work or teacher-led instruction, for example, and 2) hold students accountable via regular in-person check-ins with their teachers and advisor(s). This model isn't flashy; it's quite operational in nature. In the Christensen Institute's research, early adoption of this model emerged among fully virtual schools that shifted to blended learning to provide stronger supports for students who otherwise struggle to stay on track.

It's worth noting, however, that this blended model is considered disruptive : it provides learning opportunities not governed by seat time like traditional instructional models, but instead determined by the degree to which students control time, path, pace, and in some cases, place of their learning.

Today, this model is still fairly niche among traditionally brick-and-mortar public schools; few schools tout their "Enriched Virtual" model at conferences or in articles. But when you take a look at schools leveraging this model, their Enriched Virtual practice is pretty exciting in that it has the potential to benefit an increasing number of today's students: without Enriched Virtual's disruptive blended-learning structure, scheduling flexibility, off-campus learning experiences, opportunities to explore emerging passions, and more, wouldn't be feasible for schools to provide.

Schools like XQ winner Da Vinci RISE High in southern California and the year-old Map Academy in eastern Massachusetts are examples of schools that are redefining high school using the Enriched Virtual model. These two schools leverage the model to change how students and teachers use time and space to create dynamic learning experiences. Of course, disrupting traditional high school was possible in these cases, in many ways, because of their charter autonomy. However, that doesn't mean Enriched Virtual isn't within the realm of possibility for public district schools. Like most disruptive innovations, this model is emerging on the periphery of core consumers (in this case, traditional students in core subject areas) but has the potential to become more mainstream. For instance, we're seeing Enriched Virtual play out at a smaller scale in some public schools like Twinfield Union School in northern Vermont in conjunction with its internship program, and in North Carolina's Hickory Ridge High School where it offers a flexible learning option.

The effectiveness of schools' Enriched Virtual models will come down to creating a cohesive learning experience for students. Are the online, offline, and off-campus learning connected and mutually reinforcing? Are students staying on track to earn core academic credits and demonstrating authentic mastery of learning to their teachers, mentors, and peers? Is the required face-to-face time used to intentionally engage students, helping them grow both academic and social-emotional skills? If early adopters of this model demonstrate gains in not just transforming the concept of high school but showing strong performance in supporting all students to succeed, there's no doubt that the Enriched Virtual blended-learning model will continue to shape the future of high school.

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Is the Enriched Virtual blended-learning model the future of high school? - Blended Learning Universe

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Many in the education innovation space are thinking about high school redesign to better reflect students' 21st century learning needs. Initiatives like the XQ Super School project and the Department of Education's Next Generation High Schools have accelerated a national conversation on reimagining the high school experience to include "real-world" learning components as well as ...

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