[1][2][3] While students still attend brick-and-mortar schools with a teacher present, face-to-face classroom practices are combined with computer-mediated activities regarding content and delivery.
[7] Some reports have claimed that a lack of consensus on a hard definition of blended learning has led to difficulties in research on its effectiveness.
[17] In a report titled "Defining Blended Learning", researcher Norm Friesen suggests that, in its current form, blended learning "designates the range of possibilities presented by combining Internet and digital media with established classroom forms that require the physical co-presence of teacher and students".
[20] One example is PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations), a system developed by the University of Illinois and Control Data.
Satellite-based live video and CD-ROM based education delivery systems became popular as a way to solve issues with scale.
[22] Becoming a popular method in the late 1980s and early 1990s,[19] CD-ROMs emerged as a dominant form of providing technology-based learning as bandwidth through 56k modems wasn't able to support very high quality sound and video.
[34] There are many components that can comprise a blended learning model, including "instructor-delivered content, e-learning, webinars, conference calls, live or online sessions with instructors, and other media and events, for example, Facebook, e-mail, chat rooms, blogs, podcasting, Twitter, YouTube, Skype and web boards".
"Rather than playing to the lowest common denominator – as they would in a physical classroom – teachers can now streamline their instruction to help all students reach their full potential.
[41] Blended learning can lower costs by putting classrooms in the online space and it essentially replaces pricey textbooks with electronic devices that students often bring themselves to class.
Proponents of blended learning cite the opportunity for data collection and customization of instruction and assessment as two major benefits of this approach.
Schools with blended learning programs may also choose to reallocate resources to boost student achievement outcomes.
[43] Students with special talents or interests outside of the available curricula use educational technology to advance their skills or exceed grade restrictions.
[44] Blended learning allows for personalized education, replacing the model where a teacher stands in front of the classroom and everyone is expected to stay at the same pace.
A classroom environment that incorporates blended learning naturally requires learners to demonstrate more autonomy, self-regulation, and independence in order to succeed.
[5] If teachers offer a form of initial program orientation before introducing blended learning strategies, it can better prepare students to feel confident navigating the different components and developing a stronger sense of independence.
[45] Some online institutions connect students with instructors via web conference technology to form a digital classroom.
[46] This virtual learning environment helps connect professors with students without physically being present, thus making this a 'virtual cafe'.
IT literacy can serve as a significant barrier for students attempting to get access to the course materials, making the availability of high-quality technical support paramount.
From an educator's perspective, most recently, it has been noted that providing effective feedback is more time-consuming (and therefore more expensive) when electronic media are used, in comparison to traditional (e.g. paper-based) assessments.
Finally, in educational fields where interprofessional simulation and clinical based placement are key components (i.e. medicine, obstetrics & gynaecology), in-person teaching remains a cornerstone of clinical skills education, and teaching via online discourse alone is not sufficient to completely replace and provide comparable learning outcomes.