Elections Canada has developed blended learning adaptations of our secondary-level educational resources. While the learning outcomes are the same, these adaptations present ways to combine both online and in-person teaching strategies.
What is blended learning?
Blended learning is the purposeful use of both online and in-class tools and strategies to support your students’ learning. It allows teachers to choose the tools that will work best for their students in each environment, resulting in more engagement and learning. An effective blended classroom includes:
- a seamless connection between online and in-class learning
- a virtual learning environment or software platform
- increased student-to-student and student-to-teacher collaboration
- increased student control over time, place, pace and path of learning
- repurposed instructional time
Blended learning tools
Elections Canada’s blended learning guides feature a menu of learning options and links to new online tools in Google Apps that teachers can copy and make their own. Blended learning can look different in every classroom, so our approach with these adaptations is to offer teachers the flexibility to use what they need, how they need it. Each step of the lesson is described for both in-class and online learning. This lets teachers choose the options that will work best for their students.
For example, you could begin with a Minds On in Google Forms, asking students some introductory questions. Teachers could then lead an in-person discussion of students’ responses to the form, focusing on places of agreement or disagreement. Then, students can work together to complete the activity in Google Drawings or using the physical materials. Finally, end with a whole-class discussion in person and exit card online to consolidate the thinking.
The options and tools are all there for teachers to build their own blend or to teach completely online or in person. To get started, take a look at all the blended learning tools available.