Abstract:
The growth of online learning in the K–12 sector is occurring both remotely through
virtual schools and on campuses through blended learning. In emerging fields, definitions
are important because they create a shared language that enables people to talk about the
new phenomena. The following blended-learning taxonomy and definitions expand upon and refine
our previous work in helping to create a shared language for the K–12 blended-learning sector.
In our report titled, “The rise of K–12 blended learning,” we observed that there were six
main blended-learning models emerging in the sector from the perspective of the student. This
paper introduces a number of changes to that taxonomy based on feedback from the field and
the need to update the research to keep pace with new innovations that are occurring in blended
learning. Most importantly, the paper eliminates two of the six blended-learning models—Faceto-
Face Driver and Online Lab—because they appear to duplicate other models and make the
categorization scheme too rigid to accommodate the diversity of blended-learning models in
practice. By moving from six to four overarching models, we have created more breathing room
in the definitions. We hope these new models will better describe the majority of programs so
that nearly all blended-learning programs will fit comfortably within one of the four. Appendix
A explains the differences between the new four-model taxonomy and the old six-model
taxonomy in greater detail.
