ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Blended learning

Blended learning is when you learn in two different ways at the same time. It is like eating a pizza with lots of different toppings. You get to enjoy the yummy taste of each topping all at once! So, in blended learning, you get to enjoy the benefits of two different learning methods at the same time.

You know that you go to school to learn new things from your teacher. You listen to him or her very attentively and try to understand everything. This is one way of learning. However, when you go home, you can also learn from the computer, tablet or cellphone. This is the second way of learning. Blended learning is the combination of these two ways of learning.

Blended learning is like a piece of cake; you have two parts. The first part is your teacher teaching you in the classroom, and the second part is you studying and practicing on your computer, phone or tablet. So, like playing games such as Angry Birds or Candy Crush, you learn from an online class or an electronic tool.

Sometimes, blended learning is called "hybrid learning." It is named after a car that uses both electricity and gasoline. In the same way, blended learning combines the traditional classroom learning, which is a face-to-face approach, and the use of digital technologies to aid learning in new and innovative ways.

In some schools, blended learning works like this: Students watch videos or take quizzes on their digital devices when they are at home, and then they come to the classroom to do more interesting activities and have discussions with their teacher and classmates. The teacher can also use different activities such as group work, projects, or experiments to help the students understand the topic better.

So, with blended learning, you get to have your cake and eat it too! You get to learn in a way that is fun and enjoyable, and you get to learn new things from your teacher in the classroom, and at the same time, you can practice by using digital tools such as computers, tablets, and phones.