Axiom Learning Solutions Limited, providers of learning and business solutions across the African continent has trained teachers across Nigeria virtually on strategies for blended learning.
Read Also: Sanwo-Olu rewards 13 outstanding teachers with cars
The training sponsored by Charles Bebeye Ndiomu Foundation through its trustee manager Vetiva Trustee helped in broadening the skills of teachers in attendance on different learning delivery methods needed to respond to learning issues created by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Olubukola Adebonojo, faculty director and co-founder, Axiom Learning Solutions Limited who took the teachers through the training module defined blended learning as the education that combines online educational materials mixed with online interactions, modern teaching methods, and the traditional classroom setting methods which require the physical presence of both the teacher and students.
She stated that blended learning also allows students to have control over time, place, and adding that it is not just all about technology.
According to her, improving learners’ performance involves the combination of various factors such as the traditional teaching, modern teaching, and teaching aids methods as well as the right policy to help.
She said that there are different types of blended interactions that incudes; learner-learner interactions, learner–teacher, learner – classroom, learner–content interactions, and learner–environment interactions.
She noted that blended learning can be more effective and promote connection, engagements, track learning, guide, and nurture world-class students when there are concepts that are to be considered when integrating it into the educational system.
She identified modern teaching technology as an integral part of blended learning and e-learning.
Speaking on the advantages of blended learning, Adebonojo said it fosters creativity, evaluation, assessment, and flexibility, noting that it is futuristic, self-paced, and easily available.
On the disadvantages, she said technology can be scarce in certain areas as it has to do with affordability.
She urged teachers to remain motivated and organised as well as continue to broaden their skills to keep abreast with educational technological tools.
“Teachers need to be motivated and organized because without it they cannot be effective with it and develop content while keep learning to be abreast with educational technological tools,” she said.
According to her, there are four models of blended learning which are; flex, self-blend, rotational and enriched models.
She defined the flex model as the learning that involves using materials online that can help students to learn independently, while self- blend as the learning that involves taking lessons online independently in addition to traditional face-to-face classes.
She stated that the enriched model is online teaching where teachers interact with the students and was mainly used during the introduction of lockdown to contain the pandemic.
Speaking on the rotational model which is peculiar to the situation in Nigeria and local communities, she said it is the learning that involves the movement of learning activities, areas, and environment between teachers and students.
It should be recalled that this is the third series of virtual training Axiom Learning Solutions and its partners have conducted for teachers across schools in the country. The training has impacted over 1,000 teachers.
