The use of e-learning for workplace training and other L&D programs such as customer education has rapidly grown in popularity due to its accessibility and flexibility.
If you're one of the many companies that adopted remote training along with remote work during pandemic restrictions, then you may be wondering if there's any reason to switch back to in-person training.
After all, online education can save money, engage employees, and provide a wealth of data to analyze and record results.
But for many industries, particularly manufacturing, online training alone doesn't offer the best training program for employees.
Even as you recognize the benefits of e-learning, you may be able to see where it falls short in workplace training: In-person learning typically delivers more hands-on activities and one-on-one time between instructors and peers.
So, does this mean you should forego the benefits of e-learning to return to in-person training? How can employers know which route benefits employees and their businesses most?
Luckily, you don't have to choose a singular option for training when blended learning offers the best of both learning modules.
Let’s take a closer look at what blended learning is and some blended learning examples.
What Is Blended Learning?
Blended learning or hybrid learning combines offline or traditional in-person classroom instruction with online components or modules.
A blended learning model combines the benefits of e-learning, like higher engagement, autonomy, and flexibility, with the necessities of in-person learning, like interaction with instructors and meeting industry regulations.
Blended learning can be used in synchronous learning, which means learning happens in real time. This occurs when you’re attending a course at the same time as your instructor and peers, whether online or in-person.
Or it can be applied during asynchronous learning, where every learner is consuming content at their own pace.
As you can see, there are many ways to customize the blended learning experience to align with organizational objectives and employee needs associated with different learning styles.
Benefits of Blended Learning
Increased flexibility and accessibility
Blended learning gives companies and employees more versatility in conducting a variety of training processes from a singular location that is easily accessible and reusable for continuous learning in the workplace.
By leveraging both a physical location, online content, online resources, and digital tools, accessibility is maximized for all learners, meeting all their learning needs. To foster additional accessibility, certain digital tools can further enhance inclusivity.
Closed captions for instance are a great learning solution to audiovisual digital content that can help learners who use assistive devices get the information they need to understand the training content.
Visual and communication aids are routinely used by 2.5 billion people worldwide, and it is estimated that 3.5 billion people will need assistive technology by 2050.
Higher retention and engagement
According to researchers, blended learning experiences outperform even online learning experiences, which already fare better than traditional training.1
With e-learning, adults retain content up to 3 to 6 times more than when they consume content traditionally.
Cost-efficient
Because blended learning includes a heavy e-learning component, blended learning is much more cost-efficient than traditional learning.
Online learning takes between 40% to 60% less time than traditional learning.
Higher personalization
Everyone has their own learning style. Some are visual learners; others learn best socially. Still, many prefer learning independently.
Blended learning best addresses all learning styles by providing many different ways for people to learn.
Plus, learners can control the pace at which they learn, which can relieve the stress of balancing heavy workloads.
There are many different types of blended learning. Read below to see some of the ways it can look like.
10 Examples of Blended Learning
Implementing online learning alongside traditional in-person learning doesn't have to follow a specific path.
You can use and combine a variety of learning methods from both categories to personalize the blended learning experience to your brand standards and your learners' learning styles.
These ten blended learning examples will help you understand exactly why blended learning may be your best option for employee training.
Face-to-Face
When you're looking for more of a traditional learning experience, face-to-face blended learning provides traditional instructor-led sessions or coursework supplemented with technology.
While it promotes traditional learning, the process can be versatile enough for you to choose which digital tools best suit your employees.
For example, learners can attend live online instructor-led sessions like virtual classrooms, webinars, or meetings and immediately transfer skills to a workplace setting.
Alternatively, an organization can provide in-person learning sessions that are supplemented with technology to allow learners to perform hands-on tasks during training.
Either of these blended learning examples provides employees with the benefits of live interaction with instructors.
Also, employers can alternate between the two methods to produce the best learning environment for a given situation.
Gamification
Engagement is critical to a learner's ability to retain and use information. Engaged learners look forward to learning new information and gaining the rewards it brings to the workplace.
Gamification adds motivational elements to a learning framework to motivate employees to succeed. The most common gamification elements include:
- Badges
- Leaderboards
- Challenges between users
- Awards and rewards
When used in blended learning, gamification can take many forms.
You can easily integrate a variety of game elements into your in-person or virtual learning activities using a learning management system (LMS) or learning platform.
After a learning session, employees can access virtual activities, online quizzes, or assessments to:
- Test their knowledge
- Level up
- Gain points
- Work toward rewards
Such blended learning examples can make learning fun, encourage healthy competition, and provide recognition for hard work, which can in turn improve employee retention.
Employees who do not feel adequately recognized are twice as likely to say they'll quit in the next year.
Flipped Classroom
This blended learning approach allows learners to prepare for learning sessions by distributing online course materials ahead of time.
In-class workplace training often requires learners to consume large amounts of information at once, leading to information overload and diminishing the ability to retain information.
The flipped classroom approach can be implemented in different ways to better prepare employees for training sessions.
Learners may be assigned recorded lectures, video tutorials, or printed training materials to review at a convenient time before an in-person learning event.
Learners can digest complex learning material. Then they can interact with instructors to have questions answered and learn at a deeper level during the training session.
Rotation
In the rotation model, learners alternate from one activity to another, rather than going through learning material sequentially. By increasing the novelty of each different module encountered, learning becomes more engaging.
Rotation can be delivered face-to-face and in an asynchronous manner, meaning each learner is consuming content at their own pace.
It can also be taught in a structured way, where instructors decide the timing and format of learning, or in a personalized way, where learners choose activities that match their preferred learning styles.
Depending on your organizational learning format, you can make virtual materials accessible to employees at all times through an LMS or require participation in live virtual learning sessions.
Station rotation can take the form of many blended learning options and learning tools, including flex (more below), online labs, and flipped classrooms.
Flex
Derived from the word flexible, flex learning allows learners to choose the best path for their needs.
Personalized learning in the workplace is gaining attention because it is self-paced and allows employees to choose the methods that align best with their learning styles.
In most blended learning examples, the flex model makes materials easily accessible and puts employees in charge of how they learn.
To implement a flex blended learning environment, you'll need to be prepared to provide various learning options for learners.
Providing choices can seem intimidating at first. But utilizing your existing resources can help keep costs low while meeting employee needs.
For example, learners may choose from in-person options like mentorships and elective courses.
Then they can also use virtual options that are available on demand through an LMS or learning platform.
Self-blend
Similar to flex, self-blend puts learners in the driver's seat. However, it doesn't omit the requirements associated with in-person learning.
Self-blended learning gives employees autonomy on the amount of materials they choose to consume when learning a particular subject.
A required subject may be taught in person during onboarding or compliance training.
Employees can also access supplemental content such as webinars, white papers, industry blogs, and video tutorials to help them gain more knowledge about a particular subject.
When these materials are accessible on-demand from an LMS or learning platform, employees can fully access the materials they need to grasp a subject and learn at their own pace.
Online Lab
Unlike the many blended learning examples that feature in-person instruction, online labs feature virtual instruction alongside live resources.
Instruction can be completed in a live session or pre-recorded for employees to access at their convenience.
In either option, employees will have tools on hand to complete the required activities provided by the instructor.
Online labs can be ideal for implementing new software or during onboarding to help employees master new skills at their own pace.
Collaborative Learning
This method encourages continual learning and teamwork. Collaborative learning is a type of social learning.
It enables members of the same learning group to learn from each other.
When used in a blended learning environment, it can be supplemental to in-person learning events like courses, seminars, and hands-on training.
Typically optional, collaborative learning uses digital resources such as online platforms, discussion forums, video conferencing, and document editing tools.
Learners may participate in discussions about a training session to gain more clarity. Also, they can participate in hands-on learning through joint projects.
Microlearning
Microlearning is a training method that distributes learning materials in bite-sized chunks. These chunks are easy to understand and quick to deliver.
Small learning modules encourage engagement and help learners retain specific information.
Since learners typically consume microlearning modules in fewer than 10 minutes, they can supplement in-person training sessions.
Employees can also reuse them during learning and in the workplace. Common microlearning materials include:
- Microlearning videos
- Infographics
- Short audio clips
- Mini blogs
- Quizzes
- Short games
Implementing microlearning into your blended learning practices is easy with the right LMS or learning platform.
By making your microlearning materials accessible on-demand, employees can use them when and where they want.
Adaptive Learning
Online learning naturally lends itself to data collection that can be used to track employee performance.
This enables companies to recognize the ROI of learning and development (L&D) programs. It also allows them to improve L&D programs based on employee performance.
Adaptive learning can be implemented in a blended learning environment with quizzes, surveys, and even gamification results.
By collecting data from these activities, you can determine where employees are struggling. Then you can adjust the learning experience to match each learner's performance.
This promotes personalized learning that targets complex areas of learning and helps employees learn at their own pace.
Adding Blended Learning to Your Employee Training Efforts
Blended learning gives your employees access to valuable resources that can be used during training sessions and in the flow of work.
A modern, user-friendly LMS or learning platform is the best way to deliver blended learning modules to your employees.
From any device and internet access, users can log into their accounts and access all the online learning materials they need during training or for reference during work tasks.
Here are two companies that shifted to blended learning and ripped the benefits.
Blended learning case studies
Kiehl’s: Modernizing skin care with blended learning
Kiehl’s Since 1851, world renowned skincare, transformed its learning and development approach by leveraging the Docebo learning platform to create Kiehl's Academy.
Docebo’s innovative platform enabled Kiehl's to modernize its rich history of education by offering a comprehensive, globally accessible training experience that preserves the brand’s unique focus on quality and personalized service.
Thanks to Docebo’s learning platform, Kiehl’s was able to provide over 300 courses, available in 11 languages to reach Kiehl’s Skin Pros in 45 countries, enhancing both onboarding and ongoing education.
Through Docebo’s learning platform, Kiehl’s is able to combine traditional in-person learning with advanced e-learning, including personalized learning paths, gamification, and community features.
Through Docebo's AI-driven content recommendations and social features, Kiehl's ensures that its Skin Pros, who provide expert skincare consultations globally, continue to deliver an exceptional customer experience aligned with the brand's long-standing values.
Newcross Healthcare: Scaling up training through blended learning
Newcross Healthcare, a staffing solutions provider that employs healthcare staff across the UK, leveraged Docebo’s learning platform to modernize and streamline its employee training, particularly through blended learning initiatives.
The platform helped shift from a heavily in-person format to a blended, digital-first model, which made onboarding and continuous training more flexible, efficient, and accessible.
For instance, using Docebo’s learning platform, Newcross Healthcare created a Virtual Shift program with online simulations that enabled over 2,100 healthcare professionals to complete realistic, scenario-based training, saving an average of four hours per participant.
This transition also significantly reduced travel and accommodation costs for management training by 80%. By blending digital pathways with occasional in-person sessions, Newcross provided more on-demand learning options, empowering staff to manage their schedules while maintaining high-quality, effective training.
Want to see Docebo’s learning platform in action? Take a tour and see how Docebo can help you implement blended learning in your L&D programs.