What is blended learning and what are the benefits?

The idea of blended learning is that learners can benefit from doing part of their learning in a digital environment, and part of it face to face. The benefits of blended learning is that many learners can learn best independently, in their own time, via digital platforms, which of course is now so easily accessible. The virtual learning can then be consolidated by in-person interactions, reinforcing the key elements. Therefore, in many ways, blended learning combines the best of both worlds and provides a style of learning for everyone.

Technology plays a crucial part in learning. Not only by providing projected visual aids in virtual classrooms, but also with regards to accessibility, providing information at your fingertips. The web provides millions of sources of information, but technology also enables us to provide it in many different ways. Whether that be via e-learning portals, which are accessible 24/7 providing webinars, e-books, white papers and videos; Or virtual classrooms, where you can still have breakout rooms and chat rooms and facilitate learning with whiteboards. By providing these in bitesize chunks, people can absorb the fundamentals of one subject area, before moving to the next.

The added benefit of accessibility of the e-learning tools means delegates in different locations or time zones can receive the same great content – whenever and wherever they want and ensures consistency of the subject matter being taught. It is also a more cost effective way of rolling out development programmes as it eradicates overheads.

However, lets not forget the face to face learning too. This makes it ‘blended learning’. This could well be in a classroom with other colleagues, or one to one mentoring/coaching. It could also involve shadowing and observing individuals in a role. We find this particularly useful when observing sales colleagues in a buyer or trade meeting for example. Here we can observe based on ‘live’ examples and see if the logical steps of selling have been followed based on what they have learnt and if they were effective.

By providing blended learning to your teams you are ensuring that those that best learn visually are catered for, and likewise, those that are the practical learners, are also accommodated. The key thing to remember is that the digital or in person learning should compliment and reinforce the key messages that are being taught. This way, your teams will get the most out of their development and be more effect in their role.

If you want to find out more about easy accessible blended sales learning, contact us at:help@pureblueocean.com