Blended learning (also known as hybrid or mixed learning) refers to the use of elements of online learning to complement traditional classroom teaching. The goal is not to replace face-to-face learning but to complement it.

Face-to-face learning has been a central starting point for basic education. Sometimes, teachers and students have been forced to adopt online learning at very short notice. For example, in the spring of 2020, schools suddenly had to shift to distance education due to the covid-19 pandemic.

La Immaculada (Vilassar de Dalt), Institut-Escola Daniel Mangrané (Tortosa) and Institut-Escola Greda (Olot), are the three Catalan schools participating in project BLENDI. Suddenly, in spring, they all had to plunge into online learning. The situation greatly affected the working lives and way of teaching of a great many teachers.

“The lockdown we experienced during the last term of the 2019-20 academic year made us rethink how to convey information to families and students, as well as providing support for learning. We discovered which were the strengths we had in this respect, the work we had begun to do, but especially the areas for improvement”, comments Dolors Queralt, head teacher at of Institut-Escola Daniel Mangrané in Jesús.

“During the months of lockdown, the first thing we did was to identify students’ potential needs for devices, so that we could provide them with them. Then, we planned a series of regular connections offering emotional support and to explain and track the tasks we set them”, comment Marta Baylach, Pau Miralles and Dimas Fàbregas, teachers and head of La Immaculada.

 “The pandemic has led us to change our work methodology and how we approach learning with students, both face-to-face and online”, asserts Mireia Dosil, pedagogical coordinator at Institut Escola Greda.

Promoting inclusion in blended learning

In project BLENDI Blended learning for inclusion, blended learning is promoted as part of school education. BLENDI is a European project coordinated by the Diaconia University of Applied Sciences in Finland partnered by organizations in Ireland, Greece, Cyprus and Spain - by the research group on Interactive and Distributed Technologies for Education (TIDE), of the UPF Department of Information and Communication Technologies (DTIC).

“Digital inclusion can be facilitated through blended learning activities that explicitly incorporate the use of digital tools in line with the requirements of availability and accessibility”, comment TIDE director Davinia Hernández-Leo and Laia Albó, a member of her team in project BLENDI.

Digital inclusion in times of covid-19

 In the towns affected by the covid-19 pandemic, schools have problems to provide face-to-face education. In some cases, some students may be quarantined at home if they have been exposed to the virus. “Teachers have been training in the use of digital tools since lockdown last spring. However, especially with younger students, it is quite difficult to keep the process of education going when there are groups confined at home”, comments Mireia Dosil from IE Greda.

“The situation highlighted the shortcomings we had in digital skills, both among teachers and students. There were many different levels and we all, quickly, made an effort to involve ourselves more and overcome the situation”, comment Marta, Pau and Dimas from La Immaculada.

“Right now we have incorporated ways of doing things that seemed a long way in the offing a few months ago, some that we hadn’t even considered, both due to the form of teaching as well as teachers’ and students’ and also and families’ digital skills”, comments Dolors Queralt, director of IE Daniel Mangrané.

What project BLENDI offers

 Earlier this year, the three schools involved in the project completed the first activity: The SELFIE survey. The survey, a diagnostic tool provided by the European Union and available online (https://ec.europa.eu/education/schools-go-digital_en), allows mapping the areas that need improving in relation to the use and adoption of digital technologies in schools.

“We believe it will be very useful to take a ‘selfie’ to diagnose where our centre stands with regard to digital skills and thus plan actions for improvement, for both students and teachers”, comment Marta, Pau and Dimas from La Immaculada school.

In addition to mapping and training services, the project offers schools the BLENDI toolkit and an online platform to co-design activities with students. In early July, participants from the different European countries will meet (either face-to-face or online) and participate in training on hybrid learning and inclusion.

The project team recently published the BLENDI guidelines, a comprehensive publication on blended learning. The publication is available in Finnish, English, Greek and Spanish (see BLENDI website).

“Project BLENDI is an opportunity for us to diagnose our centre’s status in relation to the use of digital technologies by teachers and students. From there, participation in the project allows us, all together, to design concrete actions to improve students’ learning in an inclusive and integrated manner”, asserts Mireia Dosil from IE Greda.

“We think it can be a very good opportunity to continue the work of internationalizing the school and promoting networking with other educational stakeholders. We believe it can be a good opportunity for our teachers to develop professionally, especially their digital skills and regarding the design of digital educational teaching materials. Also, we appreciate the opportunity to participate in the project as it offers a chance to more consciously respond and attend to our students’ diversity, enhancing their inclusion from the social perspective of learning”, points out Dolors Queralt, head teacher at IE Daniel Mangrané.

About project BLENDI

Project BLENDI - Blended Learning for Inclusion is coordinated by the Diaconia University of Applied Sciences (Diak) in Finland. The partners collaborating in the project include the Athens Lifelong Learning Institute in Greece, the European University Cyprus, I & F Education and Development in Ireland and Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona.

The project is co-funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme. The project is to run from 1 September 2019 to 31 August 2022.

Further information on project BLENDI at https://www.blendedinclusion.eu/.