ACT makes a foray Into Blended Learning

The world has been flooded with endless number of personal devices - from laptops to smartphones, but their potential still haven't been tapped to the fullest when it comes to education. Technology has seeped into education like never before and blended learning has been touted as the future of education.

Asian College of Teachers, the leader in teacher education in Asia and one of the key players in online learning has now forayed into Blended Learning with its newly designed Nursery Teacher Training and Early Childhood Care and Education courses to provide the best in terms of content and the high-quality training designed for the future educators.

\"Blended learning,\" according to Dr Sanjib Chakraborty, CEO, Asian College of Teachers, \"maximizes the training impact for adult learners.\" ACT's focus now is to offer a perfect blend of traditional teaching and technology. The focus remains student-centered rather than on the delivery methods. Moreover, blended learning offers a lot of flexibility as students have the option for face to face learning while taking part of their course online.

Blended Learning : one of the fastest-growing trends in education

The trend of Blended Learning has spread far and wide across the globe as this mode of education is more likely to cater to the individual needs rather than simply providing a traditional classroom teaching experience. The growth in tablet and smart phone usage combined with a faster and cheaper telecom infrastructure is having a major impact on how citizens lead their lives, how they work and learn over the next few years. This is filtering through into blended learning as such programs continue to adapt to the needs of the business and the individual learner.

It is gaining huge popularity in US, UK and Europe and there has been a tilt towards blended learning in institutions of higher education. U.S. Department of Education found that blended learning, where students have some face-to-face and some online learning experiences, makes it the most effective learning model. Blended learning has been readily taken up by higher education institutions as a means to improve teaching and learning practices in South Africa as well.

In Asia, there are significant demographic disparities between countries which fit well with blended learning and its flexibility to deliver training which meets the needs of all learners - no matter what generation. Older generation might tend to be more comfortable with face-to-face training, whereas younger generation might be more willing to embrace more technology-based learning. Such changing demographics fit well with the 'exclusive' approach of blended learning, where its flexibility and ability to incorporate all forms of learning is crucial in facilitating the productive co-existence and development of a multi-generational workforce.