I did not teach in class last year! I taught an online oral language skills last year in Iraq as all the teaching was done online in Iraq, except for postgraduate students. Mid-term and final exams for essential material for undergraduate students were also conducted on campus.

It might be useful to you to speak about my online teaching experience! In my speaking classes, I tried my best to asses my learners on daily/ weekly basis. I was unable to see their faces because their cameras were off - apart from some really brilliant students who were really keen to show their faces and their confidence. However, I was able to know if they were talking to me (or to their classmates) simultaneously or whether they were reading from a pre-written product - which only a few were doing. I used to supply them with a pre-task about the topic to prepare.

In the pronunciation sessions, I also tried my best to sees my learners on daily/ weekly basis. In their written exams, I provided them with thinking question for two reasons. First, by breaking the traditional methods, my aim was to get them used to the act of thinking. Second, I tried by doing so to reduce - as much as I can - the possibility of cheating. Despite the fact that I did encourage student-student interaction during their daily activities, but never allowed that during the written exams.

Hi!

In Sweden, there is a lot of what in the US would be called ”blended learning”, but it does often not have that label. It is more about ICT integration, flipped classroom, collaborative learning. This may depend on different theoretical and disciplinary backgrounds. In Europe, German old ”Didaktik” and more recently Fachdidaktik are influential. In the US, Canada and partly in the UK, the blended learning discourse is more a part of the instructional technology and instructional design disciplines.

However, European teachers read a lot of literature on blended learning, emanating from the instructional design tradition, so they talk about blended learning more than the researchers at the same department…

i have co-authored a chapter on this once, see the attached. Another chapter will be published in the book Dziuban, Graham, Picciano, Moskal) ”Blended learning Research perspectives volume 3” from Taylor & Francis in late september 2021 - look for Bradford and Norberg`s chapter ”Negotiating the Blend”. Will upload some version on my account by that time.

Article Anders Norberg & Isa Jahnke (2014): “Are you Working in the ...

We followed blended learning in the first semester but due to a sudden increase of the Delta COVID variant, my University in Namibia decided to go on fully online classes in the second semester. Soon I pray we shall prevail and see our beloved students face to face.

Dear Asaad Chasib Hamood , thank you for sharing your online teaching experience. I have also been teaching online for last two semesters. Glad to know one thing from you that those who put the camera on show their faces and confidence. I simply love this idea of comparing faces with confidence. Thank you again for sharing your amazing experience and thinking about online teaching.

Honorable Anders Norberg , thank you very much for your informative response. I have learnt a few terms from your contribution to this discussion. I will read the attachment that you have shared. Thank you again.

Thank you, dear Haileleul Zeleke Woldemariam , for sharing your response. We also hope, we'll be able to go back to classrooms very soon. We depended upon full online classes for last two semesters and now are waiting for their exam, Hopefully we'll be able to arrange their exam in physical exam hall. Thank you again for your contribution to this discussion.

This was the objective of the three-day online course organized by UNESCO and RNW MEDIA (RNTC), as part of the EU-funded project “Cash for Work: Promoting Livelihood Opportunities for Urban Youth in Yemen”. The training targeted culture operators from Yemen and the Yemeni diaspora. It included blended learning through the Moodle-based Online Academy (OLA), online mentoring, peer-to-peer sessions and expert coaching with live facilitators through Zoom. The sessions combined theory and practice allowing participants time to work in teams or individually on world-of-work relevant assignments.

Effective storytelling proven to be a crucial approach in the creative sector and involves a deep understanding of human emotions, motivations, and psychology in order to truly move an audience. Combining the fundamental building blocks of the RNTC approach, this online course will give participants the techniques needed, to move them from good storytelling to great storytelling.

Information is quickly forgotten if it is not presented in a way that it can’t be remembered. Often, audiences experience confusion when trying to understand a new idea. Stories provide a way around that. The 3-day combination of modules will transfer skills to create strong narratives, find the right media formats to convey them, and capture audiences.

You are most welcome Safi Ullah.

Thank you, Abdullah Al-Eryani for sharing your ideas. truly said, if information is not presented in a good way, it is very difficult to remember.

Thank you, again. Stay safe and blessed.

Hello everyone. At the start of covid-19, classes were suspended in schools, colleges, high schools and universities in Burkina Faso. Classes were resumed normally the following year and we are currently in vaccancy. A few schools have been closed in some nearby towns due to insecurity. Classes are given face-to-face and not online. Thank you.

In Nigeria, Schools were totally shut down at the beginning of Covid-19. Some Private Schools began online Classes. When the rate of infection subsided, both the Private and Public Schools resumed the traditional face to face teaching method. In some Institutions, the students were stratified. Resumption was scheduled for different levels. But, some Private Institutions used Blended learning while others used online. Right now, all the Public Schools are using the traditional face to face method. But some Private Schools still used online as the situation demand.

Adelaide Ouedraogo Though we could continue our teaching in online platform during this pandemic, we could not arrange exam for our students. Now we are waiting for returning to physical classroom and at the same time, planning to arrange online exam, only if campus remains off.

Thank you Adelaide Ouedraogo for sharing the current status of teaching-learning in Burkina Faso.

Thank you, Josephine Eleojo Haruna fort sharing the status of blended learning in Nigeria. We even now cannot start face-to-face classes as the Government does not allow it. Hope, very soon, we'll be able to go back to physical classrooms.

At Unisa, we were using blended learning when Covid 19 hit the world and we immediately switched over to fully online learning due to lockdown. It was very difficult to get all the students online and let alone assess them online. I don't see ourselves returning to face-to-face teaching or distribution of hard copy study materials even after the pandemic subsides. The 4IR is real

Thank you, Ashley Mutezo , for sharing the blended learning status of your country. We also switched to online education due to lockdown and completed classes of two semesters and now awaiting exam- whether online or in physical exam hall. Thank you again for your informative response.

India -- like any other developing nation -- is facing dual crisis digital divide along withsocio-economic disadvantage in school education.

Already there is a good number of private schools providing blended mode , whereas government run public schools have lesser acces to facilities for blebded approach in teaching- learning.

Thank you Kulwinder Singh for sharing your informative response. In Bangladesh, both public and private institutions are using online class method during the pandemic. Now we are waiting to go back to face-to-face classrooms.

On line mode of learning was to be resorted to beacuse of covid 19 crisis to avoid physical proximity in a cless and school.

Now when vaccination has immunity are showing the best possible way to be together with each other in a learning situation it is tobe there.

Needless to say no replacement of off line learning in educational institutions is possible and technology related device are only an aid to teacher .

Blended learning began in most schools in India before the pandemic. Online teaching,@ however, commenced after the pandemic began in March 2020. The country has schools with different levels of involvement in blended learning. While most schools use google meet or zoom for online teaching, a host of software and freeware are used to incorporate videos, presentations, and quizzes into online learning.

Safi Ullah

Hello

I invited you to review UNED, in my opinion is a good example of distance education

It is in Spain

Best regards

Ph.D. Ingrid del Valle García Carreño

In my country this was started since last year........there were many challenges at the primary and secondary levels.......most of all lack of devices and connectivity coupled with lack of teacher training, low parental support etc. At the university level it is much smoother and we are continuing this approach until the end of the year. No face to face......however, depending on vaccination numbers this may change soon.

Great posts Ingrid Del Valle García Carreño Tulika Mukerjee Saha Kulwinder Singh

Hi Dr Safi Ullah . The blended learning used in my country only for crowded classes .

Dear Kulwinder Singh , I agree with what you have said. Thank you for your opinion.

Thank you very much, Tulika Mukerjee Saha for your informative response. Personally I used both Zoom and Google Meet for online classes.

Thank you, honorable Ingrid Del Valle García Carreño for your cooperation with response.

The challenges you, Adita Maharaj , mentioned are also experienced by our students, though they were provided with soft loan (without any interest) to buy device, still there was poor internet connection problem.

Thank you for sharing your views on blended learning.

In Pakistan blended learning had been "forced" by thanks to CORONA-19 Virus. Otherwise Higher Edication Commission of Pakistan (HEC) did not even recognise any online/blended learning degrees at all. Now They are "considering" it now. The so called "online" classes during COVID-19 lockdown by schools and universities increased the worry and awareness of making IT & online classes to be drastically improved. The "poor" status is going to be improved soon. To become state of the art we need a very stable political system and a good governance by ethical and morally strong governments which seems to be a dream only currently. I do not have any affiliation with any political or religious party. My heart and soul only aches with pain seeing the situation of education and training. The professional education of my own profession "nursing" is markedly affected by corruption seriously. The hope is still alive. we are looking forward to change this status sooner than later. The corruption by Governing bodles like Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC) had made the status zero. Their is no merit. A nurse goes for PhD on full scholarship just supported by corruption but hundreds and thousands of nurses just due to the embargo of blended learning/online degrees face the staggnation and legging behind professionally. The quota system in Sindh had murdered the merit forever so did the HEC killed the future of blended learning in Pakistan. But hope is there as people are still thriving for furthre education and training. Thanks to COVID-19 who made it possible that the status of blended learning to be improved from zero point to go up to the ladder of advancements

I belong to India and India is facing issues with the blended learning approach except for a few institutions. And I anticipate, things will be better soon.

Best wishes.

There is opening of schools in different states of India depending upon the Corona cases and mortality rate.But blended approach is in use because of many reasons.

In Algeria, in most of Higher education institutions, and due to the current situation, we have adopted blended learning. In fact, about 80% of courses are face to face and 20% of courses are on line (distance teaching).

Aref Wazwaz thank you very much for your informative response.

Thank you Farhana Siddique for sharing the status of blended learning in Pakistan. You also mentioned some relevant issues. Thank you again for your kind response.

Let's hope for better future, Jyotirmoy Mishra

Thank you, Kulwinder Singh for sharing the current status of blended learning in India.

Great to know the status of blended learning in Algeria. Thank you Yacine Lafifi for your informative response.

Currently we are teaching using both face-to-face (mostly) and online systems. Courses are being prepared more compactly (according to the requirements and the time schedules).

Thanks!

Thank you Tekle Gemechu for sharing the current status of blended learning of your country.

Hello!

I teach in a Design Institute in India, and in my institution, we had already moved to Blended learning a few years ago. So we were much better off, and were well prepared to go online due to the pandemic situation and the subsequent lockdowns. Some portion of our curriculum was already being taught in the online/blended modality

Having said that, there were some hiccups in the lockdown due to network issues (for teachers and students alike)and resource availability for some students(which, of course , no one had any control on). Some students had equipment issues but no repairmen or shops were open. Apart from that, i think it went quite well, considering the situation the entire world was in

Hope this helps!

Thank you Alok Bhasin for sharing the status of blended learning in your institution. Great to know many things from your response. Thank you again.

This is article I commented: Article Blended Learning Environments

In Sri Lanka, the value of blended learning became very important and the authorities have started to value it more, specially after the Covid pandamic.

After Covid-19 Pandemic, we have to teach only online classes and use a variety of Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as Google Classroom, Google Meet, Microsoft Team, and Zoom.

Thank you, Dr. Sheila Serafim da Silva for sharing the current and overall status of blended learning in Brazil. Great respect to you for informing me in detail.

Glad to know about the blended learning status of Sri Lanka, Kolita Weerasekera . Thank you very much for your contribution with response.

Thank you, Rattanan Rodthong for your response. I totally agree with you.

In sri lanka currently lot of new and innovative ideas are being incorporated in blend learning are taking place these days under the covid restrictions.

Benefits of Blended Learning

1. Flexibility

2. Effectiveness

3. Teacher empowerment

4. Engagement

5. Differentiation

Blended Learning Disadvantages

1. Dependence on technology

2. Teacher time and training

Even with these obstacles, the benefits of blended learning outweigh the disadvantages.

With the necessary training and support, teachers can successfully implement an effective blending learning classroom that engages and benefits students of today.

By providing a variety of teaching approaches through blended learning that include a digital component reflective of today’s world, educators can help learners from all backgrounds reach their academic potential.

I am now teaching face-to-face classes and online classes. I expect that to happen a lot more in the coming year(s).

Blended learning has become a reality.

Corona effect is the cause for its acceptance.

Already technology driven agenda in teaching-learning process has been there in educational institutions.

Because of Corona effect no one dares to say it is not okay for intellectual and social development of a growing child or adolescent.

Virtual medium will be a major cause of alienation and aloofness-- a bottlenecks to actual learning-- in the process of education.

God bless all to think role of technology is limited and a teaching aid only.