Blended learning has been a popular strategy in L&D for a long time. The term gained popularity around 20 years ago, and since then has become synonymous with multi-channel learning journeys and projects in the workplace. This blended learning guide is here to help you get to grips with it—from the very basics to detailed design and blended model techniques. Take a look through our curated list of useful articles, ebooks, webinar recordings, and research below.
We’ll keep adding to this guide as we find and create new resources, so be sure to check back often!
Blended is a vital part of many L&D strategies. As with many areas of learning, the COVID-19 pandemic shifted the way we thought about learning blends. Traditionally considered a combination of in-person and online learning, it’s now widely accepted that blended is in fact learning that takes place through a variety of mediums. And sometimes, like when the majority of your workforce is working remotely, all of these elements will be conducted virtually.
As a blended learning strategy encompasses so many aspects of learning and can include so many modes of teaching, we’ve included some additional related resources at the bottom of this guide covering things like learning games and virtual workshops. For more information on virtual learning in particular, please see our Virtual Learning Definitive Guide.
Blended Learning Basics
Whether you’re just starting your journey into blended learning or you want to get to know it a little better, these resources will help you to understand and articulate the key benefits of a blend, why we recommend it, and what other L&D professionals have to say.
Why We Recommend a Blend [blog post]
The Back-to-Basics Benefits of Blended Learning [blog post]
Why Blended Learning Works and Can Work for You [ebook]
High Impact Learning Blends: Answering Questions From L&D Professionals [blog post]
The Big Benefits of Blended Learning [blog post]
Blended Learning vs eLearning vs Face-to-Face Learning [blog post]
Blended Learning Design & Content
Now that you’ve gotten to grips with the basics of a blended learning program, it’s time to start your journey. These resources are here to help you think more critically and strategically about how you design your blended learning journeys. Designing content for a blended approach can be a complicated process, but with enough information behind you, there’s so much potential.
Here, we have everything from blog posts to webinars, and even a couple of case studies so you can get a taste of the blended learning resources and content we’ve created for our customers over the years.
How to Design a Distance-Friendly Blended Learning Experience [blog post]
The Evolution and Future of Learning Content in Corporate and Higher Education [blog post]
Adapt, Extend, Diversify: 3 Ways to Create Great Blended Learning Journeys [blog post]
Making Blended Work: The 5 Key Elements of Effective Blended Learning Design [ebook]
Future of Learning 101: The Panel – High-Impact Blended Learning [webinar recording]
LOMA’s Blended Learning Game: An Award-Winning Mobile-First Learning Game Bringing Customer Experience to Life [case study]
A Blended Learning Experience for L’Oréal Professionnel’s Colour Specialist Course [case study]
Closely related to blended learning, we have also created an ebook about hybrid learning covering everything from the definition through to design and implementation strategies.
The 5-Stage Model for Hybrid Learning: What It Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It [ebook]
Blended Learning Strategy
In this section, we’re talking blended learning models and technology as part of your strategy to help you ensure that you’re using the right tools in the right way to optimize engagement. Your strategy will help you get all the components in place to make the most of your design. These resources focus on models, behavior change, and technology for blended learning.
How a Blended Learning Strategy Can Deliver Business Impact [blog post]
Modeling Future Blends and Behaviors: Does the Perfect Learner Exist? [blog post]
4 Blended Learning Models That Are Changing Training [blog post]
Future Blends: Future Behaviors – A Model for Success [webinar recording]
Why a Learning Ecosystem Will Supercharge Your Blended Learning Programs [blog post]
Adapting a Global Leadership Organization’s Learning Strategy and Content in the Midst of a Global Crisis [case study]
Additional Resources & Research
A few extra bits from us on related topics and some of our favorite articles and books we’ve found during our own research.
How to Make Learning Games Happen: Your Questions Answered [webinar recording]
Inspire Your Learning Game Design With These 10 Concepts From Commercial Games [PDF checklist]
12 Ways to Design Virtual-First Learning [PDF checklist]
Teaching As a Design Science: Building Pedagogical Patterns for Learning and Technology [book - available to buy online]
The Pandemic Hit Colleges Hard But Surfaced the Potential of Blended Learning [article - Harvard Business Publishing]
Buckle Up for Blended Learning [article - Chief Learning Officer]
3 Pillars of Online Learning That Will Save Your Training Plan [article - PeopleFluent]
Want to start or enhance your journey with blended learning? Get in touch with one of our experts.
Andrew Joly, Director of Strategic Design
Andrew is the Director of Strategic Design for LEO. He joined the company in 2001 and has worked in the learning sector since 1989, when he was employed as a training film editor and producer. Having moved into the new area of multimedia in the 1990s, Andrew joined the BBC as a Commissioning Editor for learning games, and then spent time as a consultant at the branding agency Wolff Olins. Andrew now leads the consulting faculty at LEO, at the frontline of strategic learning design and learning innovation in practice.
Andrew focuses on his personal passion: how technology-enabled learning experiences and communication blends can transform behaviors and performance in the workplace. Andrew is always keen to explore how new modes and strategies for learning and connection can make a real difference to people, teams, and global organizations today.
Andrew holds a BSc in Biology from Manchester, a diploma in Systemic Coaching, and is a certified Lego Serious Play Facilitator. He’s a senior volunteer for a Peak District-based charity working towards sustaining the local ecology, habitats, and natural environments of pollinators. He also plays the mandolin and guitar. By his own admission, he has collected too many examples of both instruments.