How To Apply The ASSURE Model In Blended Learning: 6 Tips For eLearning Professionals
While many blended learning approaches may strive to incorporate technology into the ILT environment, at PulseLearning we believe the ASSURE model takes it one step further by catering on the specific needs of the every learner. Rather than offering general tech tools or resources, it focuses on giving each learner the specific technology they require to achieve their personal goals and objectives.
What Is The ASSURE Model?
The ASSURE model gets its name from the following six stages involved in the process:
- A: Analyze learners.
Identify your learners’ expectations, goals, preferences, and needs, so that you can create a blended learning strategy that offers them real world benefits. - S: State goals and objectives.
Determine the objectives for your blended learning course, including performance goals. These goals and objectives should clearly state what the learner will be able to do once they complete the class. - S: Select methods and media.
Choose online learning content, multimedia, both online and classroom exercises and materials that will serve your training goals and objectives. This may also pertain to modifying current training content in order to meet the changing needs of your audience. - U: Utilize media and technology.
After choosing the online training content and materials, eLearning professionals must then decide how they are going to utilize these tech tools and online resources most effectively. - R: Require learner participation.
Determine how you can engage learners to encourage them to actively participate in the blended training experience. - E: Evaluate and revise the blended learning strategy.
All eLearning strategies are a work in progress, due to the fact that technology and learner needs are always evolving. Thus, the final step in the ASSURE model is to evaluate and revise your blended learning strategy to ensure that it is as beneficial as possible.
6 Tips To Use The ASSURE Model In Blended Learning
- Conduct surveys and online assessments to research audience.
To focus on the specific needs of your learners, you will first have to know what those needs are. Surveys, focus groups, interviews, and eLearning assessments are all valuable tools that can help you analyze your audience’s traits and experience levels. They can also give you a good indication of their learning styles, such as which exercises will appeal to them and how they absorb information. - Create custom-tailored objectives.
Aside from the organization-wide objectives and goals that you’ve created, you should also develop goals that are learner-specific. What learning behaviors do they need to display? What knowledge do they need to know by the end of the blended learning course? Is there a particular task they need to master or skills sets they must build? You must also have a way to test their knowledge and determine if they have actually met their goals and objectives. - Choose tech tools that align with common goals.
One of the most common blended learning strategy mistakes is using technology just for the sake of technology, rather than finding the tools that are ideal for the particular audience and training goals. Ideally, you should choose tools that your learners are already familiar with or have a minor learning curve, rather than those that may be difficult to master. For example, if you are developing a group collaboration online assignment that utilizes a project management platform, you must be sure that your learners can actually use the online platform when it’s time to work with their peers. - Give the tech tools and materials a test-run.
To verify that all of your tech tools are in working order and that your learners can use them effectively, it’s always a good idea to give your technology a test-run before you offer them to your learners. For example, if you are using tablets in the classroom, you should ensure that all of the devices are working properly, fully charged, and loaded with the right applications. If you are using an online tool, verify that your learners have all the information they need to access the online platform and that there aren’t any issues with logging into the site. - Get learners involved.
As is the case with all learning strategies, it is important to get your learners onboard and make sure they are all excited about the process. Start your discussions with thought-provoking questions that prompt them to seek out answers online and expand their knowledge. Create an online community forum where they can go to address concerns, get help from their peers, and stay in touch with their online facilitators. Ask for their feedback so that you can figure out what’s working effectively and what may need to be modified as you move forward with your ASSURE blended learning strategy. Get them involved, so that they feel as though they are a vital part of the blended learning experience and that their opinion matters. - Understand that your ASSURE strategy is a work in progress.
After you’ve created your ASSURE plan, you must keep in mind that it has to adapt with the changing needs of your learners. It must also adapt to the ever-evolving technologies, so that you can offer your future learners the best resources you have at your disposal. If there is a learning activity that is no longer serving the needs or goals of your learners, they you may want to consider modifying or omitting it from your training curriculum altogether. The same goes for your eLearning assessments, online training content, or even the level of tech integration. For instance, you may discover that your learners might benefit from even more tech tool usage.
The ASSURE model can help you not only blend technology with traditional classroom training, but give your learners the customized experience they need to broaden their horizons. Use this article to integrate technology tools and resources into your blended learning strategy while still catering to the specific needs of your corporate audience.
Originally published on November 30, 2015
