The blended learning revolution in distance education

• Published in: Revista iberoamericana de educación a distancia 2018-01, Vol.21 (1), p.25-32
• Main Authors: Rosa García-Ruiz, Ignacio Aguaded, Antonio Bartolomé-Pina
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; spa
• Subjects: aprendizaje; educación a distancia; enseñanza semipresencial; innovación educativa; modelos de enseñanza
• ISSN: 1138-2783; 1390-3306
• DOI: 10.5944/ried.21.1.19803

The technological advances undertaken in the educational field have promoted distance education as an option with a significant increase in the number of institutions and students that opt for this modality. Evidently, the rapid and continuous appearance of technological resources that are being integrated into the educational context in all corners of the world implies a constant effort in its adaptation to ensure that the teaching-learning process is effective and adequate to the new contexts. Blended learning has been consolidated as an educational modality that is revolutionizing distance education and has been enriched with new technological resources and innovative methodological proposals, overcoming obstacles and making progress in new possibilities that guarantee the quality of blended education. In this sense, the contributions of international experts on blended learning are presented in this work.  These contributions, which are based on in-depth knowledge and analysis of the scientific literature and the research focused on this teaching modality, offer experiences and practices enriched with technologies and emerging methodologies such as augmented reality, electronic rubrics, gamification and the flipped classroom, among others. These experiences and practices propose an educational modality adapted to the needs of a teacher who seeks new ways of achieving efficiency in their teaching activity and of a student body that expects educational institutions to respond appropriately to their training needs.