What Does a Blended Learning Training Session Look Like?

 

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There are Two Parts to Blended Learning

1. E-learning (self-directed learning – students work on their own)
2. Classroom Training Session (group learning with interaction and discussion)

While the majority of our blended learning clients offer classroom sessions for every course, it is not necessary. You can offer them for any number of courses in the curriculum.

Blended learning is self-paced e-learning with classroom training sessions “added-on” to reinforce and practice key skills.

 

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Why do Organizations Choose Blended Learning?

• Blended learning combines the convenience of e-learning with discussion and interaction of classroom training.
• With blended learning, students are never off the job for more than an hour, and they get to participate in each course’s seven active learning components, thereby maximizing retention and learning.
• Remote employees can participate in group discussion.

 

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What is the Difference between Traditional Classroom and Blended Learning?

With Blended Learning:

• Coursework is completed by students prior to the classroom training session.
• The video is not played during group training. Students watch it during e-learning.
• Group time is focused on discussion and practice.
• Students wait until after the classroom training session to apply their personal action plans in the workplace. During the classroom session, students revise their action plans based on feedback from colleagues.

Lunch-n-learns are a great opportunity to hold the blended learning group training sessions.

 

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What Part does E-Learning play in Blended Learning?

Students complete a short e-learning course (25 minutes) on their own time before the classroom session. Students come to class prepared with their personal action plan and coursework.

Near the end of the e-learning course, students print and save the questions and their answers for the course. (Students should be instructed ahead of time to do this and bring their completed materials to class.)

 

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This article is about the student’s experience during the classroom training session while using blended learning. To learn about e-learning you can:

• Review a detailed description of the student’s experience during e-learning.
• Try an e-learning course from The Leadership Journey for Supervisors and Managers.
• Try an e-learning course from The Customer Service Road Map.

 

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Group Students to Break Down Silos and Build Stronger Teams

When putting students into training groups, it is often a good idea to mix students from different teams and divisions, and sometimes levels of leadership. Having a mixed group of students interacting and holding discussions enhances learning and helps develop mutual understanding and respect. Departments and people start working together to:

• Break down company silos
• Build team unity
• Develop stronger relationships
• Eliminate friction

 

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Leader’s Guides are Simple to Follow with Step-by-Step Instructions

Because our clients have so many students acting as group leaders, our Facilitator’s Guides are simple and easy to understand. They contain step-by-step instructions on leading group training sessions. (Over 44% of our clients have students taking turns leading group sessions.)

Facilitators manage the discussion, but they don’t need to be experts in the subject matter or even take the course ahead of time. They aren’t standing in front of the group lecturing about new skills. Group sessions are interactive with all students participating and sharing their knowledge and experiences. Group leaders simply follow the Facilitator’s Guide and manage the clock. Read more about this opportunity and its benefits.

Don’t Just Read About It – Experience It!

The best opportunity to learn is to experience. Print a Facilitator’s Guide and follow along while you review this page. You have two options to choose from:

1. Build Accountability and Trust with Positive Confrontations from our training curriculum for supervisors and managers.
2. What To Say – And What Not To Say from our customer service training program.

 Action Plan Review – Holding Students Accountable

The classroom portion of blended learning begins with students sharing their experience of applying their personal action plan from the previous course. Students know they are going to share and be held accountable, so they come prepared to the training session.

You must give students time to apply new skills back on the job. This is why we recommend at least one week between courses. Students will have time to use their new skills before learning skills from the next course. Applying new skills back on the job drives organizational and team performance and must be the goal of any training program.

Time is usually allocated for one or two students to share. Depending on your culture, students can volunteer to share, they can be called upon by the group leader, or every student can share. Contact a training consultant for help in determining which method will work best for your organization.

Next, the focus of the learning turns to the current course.

Reviewing Key Learning Objectives

Courses start out with a review of the key learning objectives. This helps students recall the skills they were taught during e-learning.

Course Review with the Note-Taking Guide

Next is a review of the note-taking guide that students completed during e-learning. This is the time for students to get involved and focused on the new skills they will be discussing and role-playing.

Why are students reading the complete sentence and repeating the keyword?

• First, it ensures every student has a completed note-taking guide that they can reference when they return to the workplace.
• Second, the repetition of key skills reinforces key ideas, placing them into the student’s long-term knowledge bank. (Learn more about interval reinforcement in our burst learning model.)
• Third, it creates an opportunity for discussion around the key ideas and how they fit into your organization.

The remaining classroom time is focused on role-plays, practice exercises, and discussion.

Post-Question Discussion to Reinforce Workplace Application

If the group is hesitant to share answers, example answers are provided for every question to get the discussion going.

Practicing New Skills with Group Exercises and Role-plays

The group exercise provides a safe environment for participants to practice new skills. It gives students an opportunity to work together on applying new ideas. By practicing their new skills, students are much more likely to remember and use them back on the job.

Reviewing Skills with the Quiz

Each student would have already completed the quiz during the e-learning course, so most of our clients skip over the quiz review when taking a blended approach to learning. They are often using blended learning because of time constraints and they feel that the review of the note-taking guide is enough. If you choose to review the quiz….

This process of reading the full question and correct answer further reinforces key ideas and acts as an additional reinforcement for students. (Read more about the science and methodology behind our burst learning model.)

Applying Skills in the Workplace – The Personal Action Plan

During e-learning, each student completes their personal action plan. Their personal action plan is their written goal sheet — a tool that makes it easy to apply skills back on the job. With their written action plan in place, each participant is better prepared to apply new skills to the specific challenges, objectives, and opportunities they are facing in the workplace.

Focus Drives Action
Students choose one key skill to apply to the workplace instead of many. This makes it much easier for the student to take action. It is less overwhelming, and the student sees it as an achievable goal – they get a taste of success and are excited to learn and apply additional skills in subsequent courses. A cycle of continuous improvement develops.

Wait. There is more, and it is VERY IMPORTANT!

Applying Skills Back on the Job

Learning does not stop after a student leaves the classroom session. They must now use the skills back on the job. Students must understand that they have to apply their personal action plan and that they will be held accountable for doing so. This will help drive action and extraordinary performance from participants.

Holding Students Accountable — One-on-one Follow-up

Some of our clients choose a more individualized approach to follow-up with students. Instead of holding students accountable during class, students follow up one on one with their manager, mentor, or training partner.

Continuous Improvement and Learning

With our burst learning model, students develop a continuous improvement mindset that drives change and bottom-line performance. Short courses are offered at regular intervals, creating momentum — skills develop over time instead of tapering off. Students develop positive habits and a performance-improvement mindset spreads across the workplace.