If you’re familiar with online learning, you definitely came across the term “Blended Learning.” It’s only recently that this type of training has come into its own not only as an important educational trend in the 21st century but also as a key component of the learning process. So, just what is it? In this blog, you’ll discover what blended learning is and how to implement it in your classroom to achieve better learning outcomes.

What is Blended Learning?

So, Blended learning, also known as hybrid learning, is an educational approach where educators tend to combine online educational materials and opportunities for interaction online with traditional in-person classroom teaching.

It’s essential to highlight its hybrid concept which is adequately aggregating teaching by technological means, without replacing, but integrating with the traditional format.

3 Benefits of Blended Learning

Blended learning represents a fundamental shift in instruction methods, allowing for each aspect of training to be taught using the most appropriate medium for the topic at that particular stage in the program.

1. A Personal Experience

Blended learning offers students a customized experience. That’s because they learn at home in their own time until they understand the topics, then take quizzes and tests to prove it. Teachers can easily know who is struggling and who is performing well. In class, teachers can focus on students’ needs, strengths, and weaknesses more easily.

2. Increasing Engagement

Blended learning combines a variety of teaching tools—such as infographics, images, videos, tables, graphs—to help you absorb and internalize the information you learn.

3. Improved Learning Experiences

Blended learning is a great way to make learning fun, because it combines traditional instruction with interactive materials. When you do this, learners become more engaged and are empowered to control their own learning!

Types of Blended Learning

There are various models for facilitating blended learning. Some overlap exists among the definitions of these models, and schools may choose to change or adapt how and when students move between the Internet and the school for various types of learning. But one of the very common types of blended learning is ‘Flipped Classroom.’ Let’s dive deeper into the concept of Flipped Classrooms and how to implement them. 

What is a Flipped Classroom?

One of the most popular education trends that has recently gone viral is flipped classrooms. But what is ‘Flipped Classroom’? What is it about a classroom that got ‘flipped’ to be that unique?

So, a ‘Flipped Classroom’ is a pedagogical approach of blended learning where students get introduced to the learning material at home and practice it at school. Traditionally, students were introduced to the content at school, then they were assigned homework and projects to independently complete at home. In this blended learning environment, face-to-face interaction is fueled by independent study, usually via technology.

Flipped Classroom and Bloom’s Taxonomy

Traditionally, lower levels of learning such as remembering and understanding are happening in class, while students then get to work on activities that involve higher levels of learning outside the classroom. In a Flipped Classroom, it works the other way around. As per the Pyramid below, students are to finish the lower levels of cognitive activities before class. And in class, they get to engage in higher cognitive levels of learning with their classmates and teachers.

Why should Teachers Flip their Classroom?

The concept of flipped classrooms was first introduced by Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams, two high school chemistry teachers. In their book: Flip your classroom: Reach every student in every class every day (2012), a couple of reasons why teachers should consider flipping were discussed:

 

• It speaks the language of today’s students.
• It helps struggling students.
• It helps students of different abilities to excel.
• It increases student-teacher interaction.
• It increases student-student interaction.
• It allows teachers to better know their students.
• It allows for real differentiation.
• It makes your class transparent.

How to Implement a Flipped Classroom?

Jeff Dunn (2014) introduced a short piece on “The 6-step Guide to Flipping your Classroom”, which presented 6 easy steps for implementing a flipped classroom.

 

1. Plan

Choose which lessons, in particular, you want to flip. Determine the key learning outcomes and a lesson plan.

2. Record

Make a video, instead of teaching this lesson in-person. A screencast works. Make sure it contains all the key elements you’d mention in the classroom.

3. Share

Send the learning material to your students. Make it engaging and clear. Highlight that the content will be fully discussed in class.

4. Change

Now since your students have viewed your lesson, they’re prepared to actually go more in-depth.

5. Group

To effectively discuss the topic, you can separate students into groups where they are given a task to perform. Write a poem, a play, or even give a presentation, etc.

6. Regroup

Lastly, get the class back together to share each group’s work with the rest. Ask questions, and dive deeper than before.

After the six steps, Review, Revise, and Repeat!

3 Misconceptions about Flipped Classrooms

1. Teachers Need a lot of Technical Knowledge. 

Flipped Classrooms require the use of technology, but it is not rocket science. All tools created to assist instruction are as intuitive and easy-to-use as possible. Recording your screen, using a microphone, or uploading a variety of formats of resources in an LMS are things that are easy to learn. All you need is an all-inclusive, easy-to-use LMS.

2. Flipped Classrooms Require too much Time.

Flipped Classrooms do take time depending on the abilities of each teacher and what exactly needs to be flipped. But once planned, it will save so much time as teachers can use the same content over and over again. Then, any changes that have to be made to keep the content updated will not take as much time.

3. Students may not Like it.

Teenagers typically hate doing homework and studying. So how can teachers ensure they do the necessary pre-class work? Communication is key. Teachers can ask questions like “What did you find hard to understand in X?” or “What was the most interesting thing you found in the learning materials?” Teachers can nudge students to come prepared.

Why an LMS is a Great Tool for a Flipped Classroom

An LMS can ensure a smooth transition towards a Flipped Classroom and will empower students to shape their own ideas and methods of learning. It can also successfully turn classes into a more personal learning experience. 

Help your students explore their special skills by getting the ‘best of both worlds’ and provide them with a more efficient, interesting, and personalized education thanks to Blended Learning. 

Skoolix innovative features and tools will definitely smoothen the whole Blended Learning process so that teachers can focus more on helping their students tap into their deepest potential. Find out more about how Skoolix can help you create a far better learning experience. Book a free demo now. 

Each and every student experiences the surrounding world differently, and with that comes different and unique ways students learn best. As educators, it is crucial to understand these different types of learning styles as they drastically impact learners’ outcomes and learning curves. Educators must carefully consider these different learning styles in handling their students and planning their lessons to cater to students’ learning styles. But, what happens if educators do not fully understand and acknowledge these different ways of learning? They might end up with a number of students lagging behind their classmates, simply because their unique learning style hasn’t been activated yet. 

A teacher’s responsibility is to adapt their lessons to meet the unique needs of each group of students. Students learn best when their teachers cater to their strengths, ensuring that they grasp the concepts.

So, which types of learners do you have in your class, and how do you meet their needs? In this blog, we will outline the four types of learning styles and how teachers can cater to these styles in the classroom, and how an LMS can foster the whole learning process.

Learning Styles

An individual’s learning style refers to their preferred way of learning new content. When teaching a group of students, you might find that some of them prefer to watch a demonstration, others prefer talking about the material, and still, others prefer taking a hands-on approach. Understanding the differences between learning styles and how to appeal to each is key to creating excellent training.

Learning styles and preferences vary from one person to another—not everyone fits into one category. However, here are some of the most common types of learners:

1. Visual learners

How to recognize visual learners in your class: Visual learners are students who process information better when it’s presented in a visual way, such as through pictures, diagrams, written directions, and more. This is also referred to as the “spatial” learning style. These are the doodling students, list makers, and note-takers.

How to cater to visual learners: If you’re teaching a group of visual learners, the whiteboard or smart board is your best friend. Let students draw pictures and diagrams on the board, or ask them to doodle examples based on what you’re talking about. Visual learners may also need more time to process material, so give them some time and space to absorb what they’re seeing.

2. Auditory Learners

How to recognize auditory learners in your class: Auditory learners often learn best when they can hear their teacher talk about the subject matter. They tend to prefer listening to lectures over reading notes, and they may try to reinforce new concepts by repeating them out loud. These students are great at verbally describing things and tend to be slower readers than other types of learners.

How to cater to auditory learners: Because these students tend to be talkative and easily distracted, get them involved in the lecture by asking them to repeat new concepts back to you. Ask questions and let them answer. Group discussions are helpful for auditory processors. Watching videos and listening to music can also be helpful for this group.

 

3. Read/Write Learners

How to recognize read/write learners in your class: According to the VARK Modalities theory developed by Fleming and Mills in 1992, reading/writing learners prefer to learn through written words. Visual learners, on the other hand, prefer to learn through images—for example, charts or graphs, photographs or paintings. These kinds of learners are drawn to writing and reading, especially for self-expression. They like to look up words in the dictionary and search the internet for information.

How to cater to read/write learners: Since much of the traditional educational system relies on essay writing, research, and book reading, students with a preference for this style of learning are generally easy to cater to. However, be sure to let them have enough time to absorb information through the written word and give them opportunities to express their ideas on paper as well.

 

4. Kinesthetic learners

How to recognize kinesthetic learners in your class: Students who learn through movement and touching are called kinesthetic learners. They might have trouble sitting still and often excel at sports or like to dance. Students may need to take more frequent breaks when studying for long periods of time.

How to cater to kinesthetic learners: To help these kinesthetic students learn, teachers should get them moving. Encourage students to move around the classroom and try acting out a certain scene from a book or lesson you’re teaching. Also, try incorporating movement into lessons: have students pace to help memorize, play learning games that involve moving around the classroom, or have students write on the whiteboard as part of an activity.

Personalized Learning

It’s important to understand that no one learning style is better than another, and there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to learning. By identifying a child’s primary learning style, teachers can work with them on an individual basis to ensure they are receiving the best possible educational experience.

 

Learning Management Systems as a Tool for Personalization

A teacher’s mission is to adapt their lessons to better meet the needs of their students, but this can be overwhelming and time-consuming. So, what if teachers have a tool that can help them share learning materials that help their learners tap into their deepest potential? With an LMS like Skoolix, teachers can easily share materials with their students in just a few minutes which will eventually improve learning outcomes. 

BONUS: Download the VARK Questionnaire here, and share it with your students to answer so that you can get more insights on their preferred learning styles. 

While technology has once and for all revolutionized most industries — from air travel, to finance, to health care — it has yet to also transform education. Schools have tended to shift their focus towards a more digitized education due to the disruptions caused by COVID-19. But, in a Post-Pandemic world, it has become crucial to challenge the status quo as school digitization is becoming the new ‘Norm’.

During the pandemic, educators showed tremendous capacity for change and innovation. To cope with the major hazards COVID-19 has caused to educational systems, learners and educators needed to resort to implementing an LMS, and getting familiar with an LMS was the first hurdle to cross, and both learners and educators have been doing a great job since then, but they definitely have been facing some challenges.

1. User Onboarding Process

Getting started with an LMS is quite a hurdle to overcome. Users onboarding represents a major challenge to educators who technology is not really their cup of tea. It is essential, therefore, to consider the different needs and roles of each user which might spring up some problems if you don’t address them properly. But how? Pick a vendor that offers onboarding for your students and educators, so there is no need to worry. They will get it done for you in no time.

2. IT Resources and Management

Managing an LMS internally is very demanding for an in-house IT team. LMSs require broad knowledge and pose specific demands that an IT department is often not familiar with.

To avoid such a nuisance, choose a vendor that offers full IT support which includes, but not limited to, hosting, training, etc as they can definitely address your requests without compromising the efficiency of the LMS. 

3. Content Creation and Publishing

Though most LMSs offer content creation and publishing tools, they are quite limited when it comes to either formats or even the space of the uploaded learning material. It is worth noting that compelling learning material definitely helps learners discover a limitless world of learning. Thus, an effective LMS allows educators to use and share whatever learning material they prefer, from links to videos and even games. 

4. Measuring and Reporting Progress

What is a good LMS for if it does not provide accurate data and insights that educators can turn actionable? New-age LMSs have features that allow educators to track every single action each user takes when using the system. From attendance to quizzes and grading, there is plenty of valuable data available to administrators, teachers, and even, sometimes, parents. The challenge might lie in the analysis and interpretation of that data to produce error-free reports, but an efficient LMS makes it easier by presenting data in graphs or charts. Schools can make informed decisions based on that data, helping students focus on their strengths and improve their weaknesses.

5. Customization

Every school has different needs, and hence different roles, which might be challenging if the LMS is not original or flexible to provide customizable structure, so a one-size-fits-all approach is not going to work here. With some flexibility, administrators and teachers not only can tailor users’ roles and authorities, but they can also tailor the whole learner experience to fit learners’ needs.

6. User Experience

Though new-age LMSs are as easy to use as other well-known websites and apps, some users might still need some support and training to get the best out of an LMS which can make the experience of using an LMS frustrating. It is even more challenging when it comes to users who are not that familiar with LMSs, yet leading vendors provide training on how to smoothly use the features of an LMS, and they also provide dedicated experts to be on hand to resolve complex issues, leading to a trouble-free user experience.

7. Data Privacy

If it is a self-hosted LMS, there is not much to worry about, but it is quite expensive to host an LMS, so many educational institutions prefer to use a cloud-based LMS. To safeguard the privacy of users’ data, security processes must be set and the organization must be educated on these processes. Leading LMSs are end-to-end encrypted which means that though your vendor hosts your school’s data, they cannot really access your data.

Wrap-up

Let’s face it. LMSs do pose some challenges before both learners and educators, but the benefits of implementing an LMS surely outweigh the challenges. The only thing that matters is to make sure to choose the right vendor that always guides you throughout the whole journey.
Get on your way to a perfect, hassle-free learning experience with the right LMS for your school.
Book your free demo with Skoolix, and get to understand its features and benefits through a free trial.

Though LMSs have been used even before the outbreak of COVID-19, it is now being more noticed and recognized in our Post-Pandemic world. 98% of educational institutions shifted the majority of their classes to online courses as of April 2020. (Education Data 2021) The massively ongoing growth of the use of LMS depicts the significance of Learning Management Systems (LMS) for all educational institutions.

New-age LMSs allow teachers and students to enjoy an effective, interactive learning experience which, eventually, leads to increasing student engagement and, hence, the learning curve.

But so many schools and other educational institutions fail to leverage LMS just because decision-makers still believe in some misconceptions and myths about LMS. That’s why it is about time to bust some of these common myths about LMS based on information and data collected from reliable sources.

1. It is difficult to configure and use an LMS

One of the very common misconceptions is that using an LMS is not really a walk in the park. It is thought implementing an LMS requires a full in-house IT team to deploy, maintain, and manage on-premise LMSs, but it is quite the opposite. Schools and educational institutions can still leverage the advantages of cloud-based LMSs without deploying in-house IT professionals. Vendors will maintain the cloud-based LMS and provide whatever technical assistance needed. Moreover, LMSs can be customized and configured based on a school’s learning goals and vision in a very short time.

2. Users need to have technical skills to leverage LMSs

Though it might be true that some LMSs require technical skills to use, new-age LMSs are designed with a great focus on user experience, making it as easy as using Facebook. Both students and educators can easily access the LMS on all devices – computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets. Leading vendors put in time and effort to ensure that each user gets adequate training and assistance to have a trouble-free user experience. That is why; everyone can use an LMS – not only tech savvies.

3. LMSs constraint students’ interaction with teachers

Many decision-makers doubt that LMSs can strengthen learning experience and student engagement, but leading LMSs offer their users a far better learner-educator interaction. Students surely get to interact with their teachers and other students through chat, polls, discussion forums, and more.

4. It is too expensive to implement an LMS

Many decision-makers think that they need to incur huge upfront costs to onboard an LMS, but using a cloud-hosted LMS is not that costy. Schools can choose from many monthly or yearly plans provided by vendors. Furthermore, it is possible to upgrade or even downgrade their LMS on demand according to their learning goals and needs. It is rather a long-term, considerable investment as schools and educational institutions can save up to 50% of costs by only switching to a paperless school and sharing learning materials with students via an LMS.

5. LMS solutions hinder learning personalization

Learning personalization has been proven to greatly improve student learning as it addresses each student’s needs, skills, strengths, and interests which, at the end of the day, improves students’ learning curve and pushes them forward in their learning path. To help a student acquire and retain knowledge, it is essential that teachers focus on a more personalized learning experience which is doable thanks to LMSs. An effective LMS can easily help teachers deliver personalized learning experiences that meet students’ preferences and needs in just a few clicks.

The Bottom-Line

Many decision-makers are still skeptical about how an LMS can transform schools and the whole education process and still believe in a flood of these misconceptions, but LMSs are out there being effectively leveraged, helping educational institutions achieve major breakthroughs outweighing their cost and challenges.  

Maybe you still have doubts about implementing an LMS at your school, but we do understand that. We can surely help you leverage LMS and discover your school’s deepest potential. 

Book your free demo with Skoolix, and get to understand its features and benefits through a no-obligation free trial. 

If you are a school principal or a teacher, you’ve probably come across the term LMS. So, what is an LMS exactly, and how is it used?

It stands for Learning Management System. An LMS or a “Learning Management System” is a software solution that is used by schools and educational organizations to deliver and track learning processes.

So, is an LMS right for your education needs? Do you actually need one? In this blog, you will learn about LMS features, benefits, and tips to pick the right LMS for your needs.

 

What is an LMS?

Learning management systems have been designed to fill learning and training gaps through a wide range of features that might vary from one solution to another, including but not limited to online lessons, quizzes, reports, digital libraries, and much more.

For a short and clear definition of an LMS, it is a digital learning solution for administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, and automation, of the whole learning process at schools and universities.

Some schools and other educational institutions have been using LMS platforms to provide a more effective learning and/or training experience. But the number of schools using an LMS has largely increased upon the outbreak of the pandemic to ensure a smooth transition and to face the hazards the pandemic has caused to educational systems. 

 

Why is Implementing an LMS crucial?

1. Ensures a smoother communication among all members of your school community

An effective LMS provides a steady flow of communication between teachers, parents, students, and everyone who is involved in the process. Teachers can convey important announcements and keep the students’ parents informed about their children’s progress.

Furthermore, school administrators and teachers can ensure well-organized calendars and timetables. And this eventually helps students maintain healthy communication with their teachers.

2. Saves time and money 

Many LMS solutions allow teachers to automatically grade multiple assignments at a few clicks — which saves time and effort.Thus, tracking and reporting student progress is as easy as A,B,C, and accurate, too. Moreover, teachers can store their material organized by school year, subject, time created, and much more.

Implementing an LMS might cost you some money, but, in the long-term, it is a far more cost-efficient solution. For example, by switching to digitally assigning coursework instead of paper-based assignments, schools can save so much money. 

3. Provides an interactive learning experience

With an LMS, it is possible to share learning materials in many different formats, making it available for students to access all their class work on their smartphones. An LMS goes a step ahead to make such learning experiences engaging and interactive.

As a result, LMSs make the learning process an interactive session that students enjoy and look forward to.

 

3 Tips for Choosing the Right LMS for your School

When schools start to search for the right LMS, it is easy to quickly get overwhelmed with the vast number of available products, all with their distinct and most notable features. 

1. Equip your school with a user-friendly LMS

It is important to keep the user experience in mind when selecting a learning management system. The system should be easy to use and intuitive for a broad base of users.

BONUS TIP: Creating a “must-have” list that considers all important stakeholders will be key to making an informed selection. Pick an LMS that puts students, teachers, parents, and admins and school principals into consideration. Skoolix will definitely help you with that. Book your free demo to know more about how Skoolix can transform your school.

2. Go for a mobile-friendly design

Undoubtedly, no one can deny the non-stop increase in mobile usage. According to a study, a mobile app of an LMS can potentially allow your students to learn from anywhere at any time. Many LMS platforms do offer mobile apps, yet trouble-free designs are rare.

BONUS TIP: Before choosing an LMS, make sure to try it out on different devices to guarantee that your LMS is accessible and functional, just like its desktop variant on mobile. Skoolix provides a flawless, trouble-free mobile app for your students, teachers, and admins. Schedule your free demo to see for yourself. 

3. Before selecting a new LMS, get feedback from both teachers and students

Before committing to a single platform, it is recommended to do your research on a variety of the market leaders in learning management systems through comparing the different solutions to choose the best fit for your school by involving a group of teachers in the decision making.

BONUS TIP: Pick an LMS that provides a free trial so that teachers can try it with their students in class and give feedback to reach a wise decision. Grab your free trial now before it is too late.

The Bottom-Line

LMS features vary so widely. If you are looking to decide on an LMS, it’s essential to look at specific requirements in order to find the best fit for your school. 

Now, you are good to go. You can choose a reliable LMS and empower your school with an interactive, effective learning experience and hence take your school to newer heights. 

Book your free demo with Skoolix, and get to understand its features and benefits through a no-obligation free trial.