BLENDEED LEARNING
By Vinni Nasrul
Nowadays, many campuses in Indonesia start to do “Blended learning” because of covid-19 pandemic, especially in my campus, UNP. This activity is the result of a notification or an official letter from the Chancellor of UNP that lectures will be carried out using a blended learning system. This learning system is implemented in two ways, by face to face on campus and online through UNP's E-Learning media and other supporting media. In Blended Learning, there is direct interaction in the form of direct discussions in the teaching and learning process, both online and offline, which are carried out alternately according to a structured schedule. Nevertheless, blended learning is still a trending topic because of the many pros and cons from students and also the intention of educators and lecturers from the UNP. In this essay I am going to discuss the pros and cons from the point of view of being a UNP students.
First, for students “Blended Learning” can be a better learning system than just online learning or face-to-face, because the current situation is still in the New Normal era and everyone is required to comply with health protocol regulations wherever they are, especially in the campus area. Blended learning is a new platform that can support students' learning success. After approximately 1.5 years, students only study with the Online Learning method via the UNP E-Learning platform, Whatsapp, Zoom, Telegram, Edmodo, Edpuzzle and there is no offline learning by coming to campus. It can be said that the application of online learning is not enough for students because there are still various obstacles. From the students online learning in some of the courses they take is still felt to be lack of interaction in the learning process with the lecturers who teach them only to provide YouTube links, related material websites or guidebooks according to lesson plans so that there is no feedback between lecturers and students when only online learning. Although the online learning process can be done anywhere and anytime, it is still less effective and efficient. Not all students can understand full online lectures, many students just take absences and sleep and do not attend lectures in a good and structured manner. Likewise, when studying face-to-face on campus, sometimes lecturers who have a busy schedule are also often late for class and as a result students only get the title of learning topics and the students do not have much time to explore and understand the material being taught as a whole that students can get more applied knowledge that is given directly from the lecturer of the subject in question. As a result, “Blended Learning” can make lectures become more efficient and effective than just full face-to-face or online learning.
Blended Learning is developed to improve online and face-to-face learning methods on campus, so it makes the class schedule flexible and ultimately balance academic and non-academic activities. In the other words, blended learning does not make the teaching and learning process face-to-face or online are bad but complements both of the two systems. With the blended learning, learning can be done anywhere and anytime using the internet. Students can access materials freely and can study independently because the materials are stored online which can be downloaded many times and can be more easily understood when interacting face-to-face on campus with the lecturers who teach. Lecturers can also control their student’ lessons, students can also find material to be delivered and the process of giving supporting assignments can be informed more easily. Finally, the teaching and learning process becomes more efficient because communication and interaction between lecturers and students can continue to occur, not only during face-to-face lessons but also during online learning processes that utilize cyberspace. As a result, blended learning can be applied to universities providing distance education and open education.
On the other hand, the advantages of blended learning is when entering the schedule for face-to-face lectures, all students are required to come to the UNP campus for offline lectures, most students who come from outside the area are required to pay the cost of going to the UNP, rent for their houses and new items needed during renting the house because the items previously purchased are sold cheaply due to of the covid-19 condition which makes students think face-to-face lectures will be longer starting again. Moreover the UNP campus, which is red zone prone to covid-19, also supports increasing the number of positive COVID-19 cases for lecturers and students. Everyone does not know who is transmitting it if the campus holds offline lectures and many students come from outside the Padang area which makes it possible for some to carry the corona virus without symptoms. Some students think that when they are offline they will be more susceptible to corona because they start interacting with other people. If their immune is strong maybe the corona is not easy to attack their immune system, but when their immune system is weak they may be gotten the corona virus and will make a lot of people Corona patients are increasing again in the Padang area. There is no way that health facilities will be sufficient if positive cases of corona jump up instantly when an offline lecture schedule is held.
While blended learning may make Covid-19 increase in Padang, it makes the student can understand what do they learn and study in campus, not only increase intelligence but also increase skills in application when entering the world of work later.
