BLENDED LEARNING METHODOLOGY: CHALLENGES

                          AND OPPORTUNITIES

Annotation:  This article looks at blended learning as a new way of teaching that combines traditional classroom teaching with digital tools. It talks about the main problems with blended learning, like digital inequality, teacher readiness, and student self-discipline, as well as the main benefits, like flexibility, personalised learning, and better student engagement. The analysis stresses that to make blended learning work, you need to plan ahead, get help with technology, and change the way you teach. The results indicate that blended learning, when implemented effectively, can substantially improve educational quality and foster a more equitable and forward-looking instructional approach.

Key words: blended learning, flexibility, personalised learning, student engagement, flipped classroom, independence, self-discipline.

The fast growth of information and communication technologies has changed the way schools around the world teach. Blended learning, which combines traditional classroom instruction with online or digital learning activities, is one of the most popular methods in recent years. The goal of this model is to combine the best parts of both in-person and online learning to make the experience more dynamic and focused on the learner. Blended learning does offer many ways to make education better and more accessible, but it also comes with a lot of problems that teachers and schools need to solve.

One of the best things about blended learning is that it gives both students and teachers a lot of freedom. In a traditional classroom, students can only learn at certain times and places. With blended learning, students can access educational materials whenever and wherever they want. For instance, learners can upload lecture videos, digital readings, or recorded presentations to online platforms so they can study at their own pace. This is especially helpful for students who work or have family responsibilities because they can change their study schedules to fit their other commitments. Additionally, accessibility implies that students are not constrained by physical or geographic boundaries. By connecting to the institution’s online system, a student in a remote location can take a university-level course without having to move. Additionally, students who find it difficult to follow along in in-person classes can go over online resources several times until they grasp the material completely. For example, if a student struggles with a mathematical concept, they can practise with interactive exercises, pause at complicated steps, and replay the tutorial video—something that is frequently not possible during live classroom instruction. Thus, accessibility and flexibility not only increase educational inclusivity but also give students the ability to take charge of their education. By removing barriers of time, location, and pace, blended learning supports a more personalized and student-centered educational experience.

Blended learning makes it possible to make lessons more fun and interactive. Digital tools encourage students to take part, which is different from traditional lectures where they often just sit and listen. Teachers can use online quizzes, polls, or game-like platforms to make learning more interesting, for instance. For example, a history teacher might use interactive timelines or virtual tours of museums to make history come alive. Moreover, blended learning lets you use multimedia tools like videos, animations, podcasts, and simulations. Such resources are good for students who learn in different ways, such as by seeing, hearing, or doing things. This keeps them interested as well as motivated. Students are more likely to remember what they learn and use it in real life when they are more interested in it. Blended learning changes the classroom from a static place to an active process of exploration and discovery by combining discussions with digital interactivity.

Blended learning also helps students get more done in class. The “flipped classroom” method lets students get theoretical materials online ahead of time, so class time can be spent on more in-depth discussions, problem-solving, and group work. For example, in a science class, students might watch videos of lectures about chemical reactions at home and then do lab work or group projects in class. This method not only helps people understand better, but it also promotes teamwork and critical thinking. So, blended learning turns the classroom into a place where students can learn actively instead of just taking notes, which makes the most of the value of being in person. Instantaneous and ongoing feedback is another advantage of blended learning. Features like discussion boards, progress trackers, and automated tests are frequently found on online platforms. With the use of these tools, educators can keep an eye on students’ progress in real time and modify their lessons accordingly. For instance, if most students do poorly on an online test, the instructor can pinpoint the issue and bring it up again in the following lesson. Students also gain from immediate feedback, which enables them to improve their comprehension and fix errors before going on to new content. In addition to improving learning outcomes, this ongoing cycle of evaluation and feedback keeps teachers and students engaged in the learning process.

However, not all students have equal opportunities for blended learning, despite its many advantages. The digital divide, or the difference between those who have access to dependable devices and the internet and those who do not, is a significant problem. In comparison to their peers, students from low-income families or those living in rural areas may not have access to laptops, tablets, or reliable internet connections. For instance, a lack of digital resources or poor connectivity made it difficult for many students to fully participate in online components of blended courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The inclusivity that blended learning seeks to foster is in jeopardy because of this inequality. Governments and organisations must make infrastructural investments, offer reasonably priced internet access, and give students the digital tools they need to overcome this obstacle.

Another challenge is not all educators are prepared to successfully implement blended learning presents another difficulty. In addition to technical expertise, pedagogical creativity is needed for creating online resources, overseeing digital platforms, and incorporating technology into lessons. Many educators may feel unprepared or even opposed to making the switch to digital teaching, particularly those who have spent years working in traditional classroom environments. Without the right instruction, they might either completely avoid technology or use it in ways that don’t actually improve learning. An instructor might, for example, merely post lecture notes in PDF format without including interactive features like discussion boards, tests, or multimedia materials. This method may even lower student motivation while underutilising blended learning. Similar to this, some teachers might find it difficult to effectively oversee online discussions or keep an eye on students’ involvement, which could result in communication and assessment gaps. To prepare teachers for this new methodology, professional development programs, peer mentoring, and ongoing institutional support are therefore crucial. Training should focus on creating engaging digital content, balancing online and in-person activities, and using learning platform data to enhance instruction rather than just teaching fundamental technical skills. Teachers are more likely to accept blended learning as a valuable tool for improving education rather than viewing it as an additional burden when they feel secure and supported.

Students enrolled in blended learning must possess a high degree of independence, dedication, and self-discipline. Online components mainly depend on students’ time management and motivation, in contrast to traditional classrooms where the teacher is present to oversee attendance, direct activities, and give prompt reminders. Younger students or those with poor organisational abilities may find this especially challenging. The efficacy of the blended model may be limited by students who procrastinate, miss online classes, or fail to turn in assignments on time. For instance, when new materials are introduced, students who disregard recorded lectures in the hopes of catching up later eventually fall behind. Others might only use digital platforms to finish the bare minimum of tasks without really participating in the learning process. The achievement gap between highly motivated students and those who have trouble learning on their own may eventually widen as a result of this lack of discipline. Teachers and institutions must establish supportive structures and offer clear guidance in order to address this challenge. Students can maintain accountability by using techniques like establishing clear deadlines, sending automated reminders, keeping an eye on their online activity, and incorporating graded checkpoints. Furthermore, incorporating interactive components like discussion boards, tests, and cooperative group projects can promote steady participation. Teachers can help students develop better self-management skills—which are crucial for blended learning as well as for lifelong learning in the modern world—by balancing digital freedom with structured supervision.

One of the most revolutionary approaches in contemporary education is blended learning, which strikes a balance between the benefits of digital technology and conventional classroom instruction. It is a potent instrument for raising the standard and inclusivity of education because of its advantages, which include flexibility, accessibility, individualised instruction, and increased engagement. However, there are some difficulties with the strategy. For blended learning to reach its full potential, issues like unequal access to technology, inadequate teacher preparation, low student self-discipline, technical challenges, and worries about assessment integrity must be carefully addressed.

Ultimately, meticulous planning, robust institutional support, and continual professional development for teachers are necessary for blended learning to be effective. Under these circumstances, blended learning can transcend from a short-term fix or fad to a long-term approach that gives students the adaptability and abilities needed for lifelong learning in the digital age.

   References:

1. Alammary, A., Sheard, J., & Carbone, A. (2014). Blended learning in higher education: Three different design approaches. Computers & Education, 71, 216–225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2013.09.007

2. Al-Kahtani, N. S., & Al-Ahmari, A. (2022). Online assessment during COVID-19 pandemic: Challenges and opportunities. International Journal of Medical Education, 13, 231–239. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9330967/

3. Bastidas, M., & Rojas, S. (2021). Redesigning online assessment practices in higher education during COVID-19. Open Praxis, 13(4), 461–476. https://openpraxis.org/articles/10.55982/openpraxis.13.4.461

4. Ghanizadeh, A., & Jahedizadeh, S. (2017). EFL teachers’ perceptions of blended learning: Benefits, challenges and suggestions. International Journal of Research in English Education, 2(3), 85–96.

5. Han, F., & Ellis, R. A. (2019). Identifying consistent patterns of quality learning discussions in blended learning. The Internet and Higher Education, 40, 12–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2018.09.002

6. Kocdar, S., Karadeniz, A., Peytcheva-Forsyth, R., & Stoeva, V. (2018). Cheating and plagiarism in e-assessment: Students’ perspectives. Open Praxis, 10(3), 221–235. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.10.3.873

7. López-Pérez, M. V., Pérez-López, M. C., & Rodríguez-Ariza, L. (2011). Blended learning in higher education: Students’ perceptions and their relation to outcomes. Computers & Education, 56(3), 818–826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2010.10.023

8. Rasheed, R. A., Kamsin, A., & Abdullah, N. A. (2020). Challenges in the online component of blended learning: A systematic review. Computers & Education, 144, 103701. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103701

9. Suartama, I. K., & Setyosari, P. (2024). Student self-regulated learning challenges in blended learning environments. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1457367. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1457367

10. Widjaja, M. A., & Rahman, M. S. (2024). Teachers’ readiness and challenges in implementing blended learning: A qualitative study. BMC Medical Education, 24, 5213. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05213-8

Panoyeva Jasmina O’tkirovna was born on November 14, 2006, in the Shofirkon district of Bukhara region. She graduated with a gold medal from School No. 13 in Shofirkon, demonstrating academic excellence and dedication throughout her studies.

Currently, she is a first-year student at Bukhara State Pedagogical Institute, majoring in Foreign Languages and Literature. Jasmina is an intellectually curious and active young woman who regularly participates in the “Zakovat” intellectual game, showcasing her critical thinking and broad knowledge.

In addition to her academic and intellectual pursuits, Jasmina has also contributed as a volunteer to several environmental projects, reflecting her strong sense of social responsibility and commitment to sustainable development.

With her passion for learning and active involvement in both academic and social initiatives, Jasmina continues to grow as a promising and motivated student, ready to make meaningful contributions to her field and community.

Speaking My Mind

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Time is not moving very fast tonight.

So I write the inbetweens and see what I have….

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There’s much more in the seeing and feeling of life.

A moment can keep me and free me….

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All the songs I have listened to

tune my heart.

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The lips of my wife soften me….

I see her in my thoughts.

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Flesh magnified

touching of the living.

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Playing my guitar of words

she dances.

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God watching over us.

Clouds of tears and forever cheers.

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The whirl of the world

just a splinter of time.

The Valence Of Cynicism

                    (I)

With money, 

love from people comes around

People’s interest towards you abound

They want relationship with you

Their interest is hidden from your view

Some want  you to have intimacy with them

Their ‘want-back-in return’ you won’t condemn

When they are satisfied with they want,

they say outside your hearing what you are not.

You want to show altruism

But they depict Cynicism.

       (Ii)

Diogenes was a character of transparency

His mannerism was void of hypocrisy

The truth was exposing the lies of culture of humanity

Ancient Greek had its elitism off the reality

Living by the idea was an evidence

He gave the ideology of Cynicism a substance

The ancient Greek elite kept his activities in private 

 Diogenes’ lifestyle of copulation and defecation in public exposed his mate.

The double-standard culture was typical among the elites.

Diogenes’ idea of Cynicism  unveiled the truth the less-considered minorities.

Iii)

Politicians are seen as great tools for change

But are concerned from what they to gain  the meagre wage

Politicians unveils to their subjects  what they want to hear

But ensure they utterly steer clear

Politicians encourage the use of vaccine shots

But they immune themselves from the faults.

Politicians appear to be selfless in service

But are really spineless-to the people in terms of importance

Politicians assure people change is on the way

But eventually leave them in dismay

Change of seasons 

Mardonova Marjona Muhsin kizi 

Student of Polytechnic No. 1 

Tel number: 998-94-326-58-50 

Annals: 

Each person has their own favorite season. For example, my favorite season is autumn. Some people choose spring or winter, summer. Psychologists say that a person’s character chooses these seasons. Each season has its own charm and beauty, we see this beauty every 3 months because at that time the seasons change. During the change of seasons, weather changes can be a little difficult for a person, but you need to enjoy these processes, see and feel them. The change of 4 seasons during the year directly causes astronomical phenomena. For example: the movement of the earth around the sun, the tilt of the earth’s axis is one of the main factors. These four seasons bring about different phenomena. 

Keywords: 

Nature, change of seasons, years, weather, people, astronomical, earth’s axis, beauty, lush green, similarity. 

Introduction: 

As I mentioned at the beginning of my speech, these seasons that show everyone’s character, there is a season that shows my character too, this season is autumn. I like autumn because autumn reflects the happy and sad states of people. Autumn attracts with its golden leaves. Autumn neither expresses happy nor sad moments. The weather in autumn is changeable, cloudy, rainy, sunny, and sometimes even cloudy. There is another season that is similar to autumn, this is spring. In spring, the same events occur as in autumn. Spring is the opposite of autumn, while autumn shows joy and sadness, while spring often shows joyful times. Spring is the favorite season of many people. The reawakening of trees in spring makes people feel as if they are full of strength and energy. 

Main part: 

At the beginning of my speech, I talked about two seasons that are similar to each other. Now, after spring, we will talk about the season that brings with it heat and heat. After these words, it will be clear which season is coming, it is summer. In the heat and heat of summer, most people go to the mountains and fields to relax. Because only there can they enjoy the cool heat of summer. Another season that gives the opposite of summer is winter. If it gives bitter cold in winter, it gives hot heat in summer. Winter is also a very beautiful season. Winter has its own special charm. It is a great joy to see the trees turn a white, miraculous color in winter. 

Conclusion: 

Each season has its own special recipes. You just need to see these four seasons appear one after another and enjoy them. All these words are the miraculous change of seasons in the weather. 

References: 

1. Erkin Vohidov – Spring has come, questioning you. 

2. Zulfiya – Summer rain. 

3. Gafur Ghulom – Spring.

Relentless Beauty

On this relentless

Occasion, out

Of a white fog,

No discernible horizon

Anywhere, a ubiquitous

Bliss is this simple:

Snow falls all day,

Into dusk, into night,

Snow arrives, descends

Until it doesn’t.

Snow heaps upon,

Clings to, every branch,

Birch and pine alike,

Every brittle, abiding 

Leaf, and needle,

Curved to a burden,

A clerestory tracery,

A soaring vaulting,

A crystalline nave (This occasion, more

Rare than Rome,

The Villa Borghese,

First stanza to the left,

Bernini’s pale Daphne, 

Delicate, marble fingertips

Turning to laurel

,Leafing in her flight).

Bliss is simply this:

Snow on the apple

Limbs, easily prolific

Blossoms in May.

I long to recall

This relentless beauty

Again and again,

Return to this vision

From time to time,

A salve for absurdity

(Relentless frailty),

Assuaging the ugly

Bedlam of humanity,

This occasion for bliss.

Resilience

Remnants of the hurricane

(I forgot its given name),

Incidental Atlantic fragments,

Rent half the tree, splintered

All usual assumptions,

Filled the driveway with carnage

–I could not escape – foliage,

Abandoned nests, brittle, broken,

Misplaced arms and legs,

Sheared at the joints.

Certainly, I’m not indifferent.I didn’t hear, didn’t notice

The spectacular slaughter,

No sounds at all while

I pursued my routine.

Instead, from my recliner,

I watched the wind tug

At a spider’s web, modest

Basilica, architectural marvel,

Moored in the window niche.

I admired the resilience,

Stronger than the wooden giant,

The white, woven silk,

Easily erased, no trace,

With a flick of my broom.

I’d cut the bough in convenient

Slices, for firewood, for flame,

But my saw was getting fitted

With a new set of teeth.

The body will lie there 

Until next week, naked

Corpse in the street.

After several more storms,

The web remains steadfast,

And the tree begins its decay.

David Sapp, writer and artist, lives along the southern shore of Lake Erie in North America. A Pushcart nominee, he was awarded Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Grants for poetry and the visual arts. His poetry and prose appear widely in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. His publications include articles in the Journal of Creative Behavior, chapbooks Close to Home and Two Buddha, a novel Flying Over Erie, and a book of poems and drawings titled Drawing Nirvana.

Phantasmagoria (Looking for the Moon)

The diviner had said the moon was entering some special phase full of promise and prowess. The cat was sleeping at home. I went to the coffee shop. The man sitting in front of me was staring at the counter workers and I could sense he was not a good man. I was happy when he left. The other man must have been a gemini as he talked all day and night to many souls. If nobody was there he waited, patiently, like a cat can wait, or as still as the moon, even his eyes hardly moving, like some kind of advanced meditator. Outside I heard the air brakes of a bus or truck. Going out there, it began to rain.

What a strange and peculiar day,- the autumnal air arriving, capricious weather,- it getting sunny then cloudy then warm then cold all at fast turns. I went back home for past the electric bikes and scooters, and a picnic bench missing one side bench yet somehow still looking anyhow, structurally sound. I drew a picture of the mountains that had clouds, birds, and a house and horse and cart plus some trees in the foreground. A large red sun was setting behind it all. Not long after I fell to sleep and dreamt I had a class to attend but didn’t make it for being distracted by two women fighting, a group of leaves lit by nocturnal electric lights, a talk with a kind woman, and not being able to find a parking spot. I awoke and felt cool air from the twirling fan and the window open. I went downstairs to drink a glass of water and look out the window for the moon but can’t remember if I ever did find it. 

Work Anxiety In the Lake District

First orders come from

above through murder holes

drilled into the floor where

the main bar sinks overflow

and the slop sinks leak.

The waitress is sleeping,

head down on the invisible

cellar bar while a rush of

patrons arrive, walking single

file down misaligned stairs,

chanting verses from a Pink Floyd

song, shouting out orders as they

pass into the well-lighted, unfinished

basement lounge. Second orders

come over the bar from everywhere

at once but all the bottle are

somewhere else, up flights of stairs

others are using, all the taps open

and free flowing but the glassware

is inaccessible in too tall, overhead

racks, in too low cabinets you have to

lie down next to in order to retrieve

what lies within, reaching hands

scraped and bleeding on rough hewn

wooden shelves, on the chipped and

broken glass, still more orders come

and there is no room to move,

the basement ceiling pressing down,

more murder holes being drilled,

delivering last orders from above.

Bleeding: a work anxiety dream

Finally dozing after being unable

to sleep. Anxiety dreams, immediate and intense.

No longer do they focus on undergrad

academic failure, flunking out, the unknowable end.

The end in those college days meant

a place like Vietnam.  Oddly, no anxiety

dreams of grad school, though the workload

was twice as bad, no sleep then, between

classes, assignments, working a late night

job. No sleep, then, for years; living on

beer, empty gas tank fumes and beer.

The anxious dream centers on the work-

place, introduces a wound, a glass cut

to the bone, blood in the ice.  No one

cares. It’s all about the bleeding self

carrying on, working, tending bar

one handed for ten hours without a break.

Everyone who sees the wound says

it needs stitches.  Lots of stitches.

The bleeding wouldn’t stop, the stained bar rag

slipping, hanging loose around the wrist.  

But there I am, building cocktails with my right hand,

deliberate, but carrying on, all fluidity lost

for the duration. No one cares how I feel,

if the wound is dealt with or not.

No one cares how I am unless the drinks

are tainted.

Abu Ghraib: a  work anxiety dream

That one where you are

transported to one of those

torture chamber prisons in Iraq

where they apply hoods with

no eye slits and strap you into

stress positions and play

repetitive bass line music/ noise

punctuated by a kind of bell so that

you feel as if you are only half-

conscious/passing out and a voice

accompanies the noise chanting

in a foreign language you think of

as Urban, not one recognizable as

an actual tongue but something

like one, endlessly repeating spat out

hate infused syllables so you plead,

“I’ll talk. I’ll tell you anything.”

But they don’t want you to talk.

They want you to suffer.

  Sleeper Awake: a work anxiety dream

I wake up in my dream though

I know I am still asleep.

I’m late for work even though

this isn’t time for my shift.

They must have called me in to open

the day after a night I closed.

This used to happen quite often

at The Rib when Linda was working

as she didn’t know where the bottles

went.  So I’m getting dressed and

it begins to feel like the Dali dream

sequence in “Spellbound” inside

the bar I have been transported to.

And then it is raining while I’m rushing

to the bus stop and my umbrella is

full of holes but I’m moving backward

instead of forward and I’m going to be

really late and wet which also used

to happen all the time at The Rib

as traffic was so bad I could never

cross Route 5 . But I’m not working

at The Rib anymore, even in the dream,

it’s The Tavern and one of the college

kids is already setting the place up,

so what did they need me for?

And he’s taking rolls of quarters,

like a hundred of them from some guy

off the street and giving him all

our big bills and the owner’s daughter

is cashing checks, so there is no cash

money at all in the drawer, just change,

more change than you could use in

a month but break a twenty? Forget it.

And the college guy is looking at me

like it’s all my fault and like, what good

was I anyway? I’m like way too old to be

working in a bar. So I perform a couple

of drink making, sleight-of-hand tricks

and he’s like Spellbound and I’m back

in that dream again, though it seems more

and more like that black and white flick,

“Kafka” and then the Welles noir, “The Trial,”

and I finally realize the only reason that I’m

   there at all is someone has to get shot in the end.

Half-Tone Beckett in Bar Light:

A Work Anxiety Poem

They went down to the cellar

with flashlights and returned,

filthy, bedraggled as hounds

left in the rain to wallow in

offal and mud.

They decamped, mid-bar on stools,

that scraped the foot scuffed floors

amid the remains of a night of

serious drinking.

Seen from afar, well above the bar,

light is refracted through green

bar bottle glass like shards of

misspent lives, dissembled as

hobo Hoover towns like hoarse

voiced village criers delivering

messages no one wants to hear

around camp fires in 50 gallon

drums.

All the garbage of their lives

amount to nothing more than

left-behind stogie stumps and

cigarette end prophecies that mean

nothing in harsh pre-dawn haze

waiting for what the new day brings.

Work Anxiety Dream: Stalker

After hours, lights down in the bar,

chair legs facing up on the tables,

only the EXIT lights glowing,

the click of the sound turned down jukebox

playing songs, no one can hear,

random compressors kicking on,

shutting off, the ice machine dumping

a new load of cubes on the mounds

in the deep freeze…

Down the worn thin, unevenly spaced

stairs, into the low ceiling cellar where

the walk-in coolers full of beer are,

the leaking pipes, frayed electrical

wires, the single too-low wattage bulbs

on pull chains are and the wooden, sagging

shelves packed with bar supplies,

used guest checks, register tapes and

the overwhelming smell of sewage,

the creeping damp from the cobblestone

floor, the standing water the sump pumps

can’t contain, where the footsteps not

your own follow yours in a hard-to-focus

gloom, each deep breath feeling like

the next to last one, as we move from one

shadow place to the next, opening long

forgotten doors into closets, new found

rooms that lead to other worlds, darker

places where the walls sweat and the all

in black man behind me raises his arm

holding the long wide bladed knife

as if to strike as another door opens

and a new phase of this hide and seek game

for keeps, begins.