Equalizing the Teacher-to-Student Ratio through Technology: A New Perspective on the Role of Blended Learning

As the popularity of technology exponentially increases every year and online classrooms gain traction in education, traditional face-to-face teachers are met with a new conundrum: how to adapt existing educational philosophy and instruction to meet the needs of 21st-century learners amid a current climate of budget restrictions and lack of available resources. This article evaluates arguments for technology in the classroom, particularly in the area of blended learning, and takes an in-depth look at how one teacher was able to create a blended classroom based on the model of the North Carolina Virtual Public School. The article also explores the following questions: What elements of a blended learning environment make this form of online learning successful? How can technology be used to reach students on a one-on-one basis as class sizes increase? What are the advantages of a blended course versus a traditional face-to-face classroom? What effects do blended learning approaches have on the role of the traditional classroom teacher? What new gaps in achievement arise as the switch is made from traditional to blended classrooms? The field study examined how technology was implemented within one on-level 8th grade classroom of 23 students and qualitatively analyzed the successes and pitfalls of a blended classroom over a three-month period.