Blended Learning

Blended learning refers to a mixing of different learning environments. It combines traditional face-to-face classroom methods with more modern computer-mediated activities (Reay , 2001; Rooney, 2003).

Why Blended Learning is Important to Maldives?
There are many reasons. Maldives consists of 1190 little islands and two-third of the population resides in the islands where the opportunities for higher education are minimal. Being tourism a major industry, many youth work in the resorts which prevent them from attending the face-to-face classes.

Centre for Open Learning (COL), Maldives National University, with a mandate of providing higher education opportunities for the disadvantaged, (people who are unable to pursue higher education due to immobility, family reasons, due to their job etc.) have been designing and conducting distance education courses since 1998. These courses are paper based and students are provided with study guides and study plans. Students basically study at home, complete the assignments and attend the exams which are conducted in the centres in the atolls and in Male’.

In 2007, COL started promoting the idea of blended learning, its suitability and its benefits, to the staff of Maldives College of Higher education (later transformed to Maldives National University) and the public. Due to the lack of knowledge in technology and technology related teaching among the public, the idea was not very convincing at first and there were impediment on the way. However, COL started its blended mode courses in 2009 with the free learning management system, Moodle. At present, there are five blended mode courses running and the result is fantastic. Also, COL is the one and only distance and open learning center in the Maldives. As COL is still in the very early stage of technology enhanced teaching, we need to learn from more experienced institutions and experts and incorporate more modern tools to enhance teaching and learning.

References:
Reay, J. (2001). Blended learning—a fusion for the future. Knowledge Management Review,4(3), 6.
Rooney, J. E. (2003). Blending learning opportunities to enhance educational programming and meetings. Association Management, 55(5), 26–32.