Editing Blended learning (section)

==Disadvantages==
Unless successfully planned and executed, blended learning could have disadvantages in technical aspects since it has a strong dependence on the technical resources or tools with which the blended learning experience is delivered. These tools need to be reliable, easy to use, and up to date, for them to have a meaningful impact on the learning experience.<ref name="garrison" />

There are several disadvantages to blended learning. While this type of learning does offer students the ability to go online when necessary, or learn from anywhere, there is no guarantee that each student will have access to the tools that they need to learn on the computer. Another problem that may arise is unreliable internet. Many times, the internet may be down. If the whole class does not have access to the same tools, then the teacher will not be able to keep the class on the same page. This creates a learning gap within classrooms. Unless the education system can offer reliable internet and computers to all students, it is not possible to ensure that this is an effective alternative to mainstream education.

[[Digital literacy|IT literacy]] can serve as a significant barrier for students attempting to get access to the course materials, making the availability of high-quality technical support paramount.<ref name="s. alexander" /> Other aspects of blended learning that can be challenging is group work because of difficulties with management in an online setting.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = An investigation into the community of inquiry of blended classrooms by a faculty learning community.|last = Wicks|first = David A|date = 2015|journal = The Internet and Higher Education|volume = 25|pages = 53–62|doi = 10.1016/j.iheduc.2014.12.001|display-authors=etal}}</ref>

Reportedly the use of [[lecture recording]] technologies can result in students falling behind on the materials. In a study performed across four different universities, it was found that only half of the students watched the lecture videos on a regular basis, and nearly 40% of students watched several weeks' worth of videos in one sitting.<ref>{{cite report|author=M. Gosper|author2= D. Green|author3=M. McNeill|author4=R.A. Phillips|author5=G. Preston|author6=K. Woo|title=Final Report: The Impact of Web-Based Lecture Technologies on Current and Future Practices in Learning and Teaching|publisher=Australian Learning and Teaching Council, Sydney|year=2008|url=http://mq.edu.au/ltc/altc/wblt/docs/report/ce6-22_final2.pdf}}</ref> This has further implications for the educator and in how much online resources need to be revealed to the student but also ensure it is at the right level for the intended student.

From an educator's perspective, most recently, it has been noted that providing effective feedback is more time-consuming (and therefore more expensive) when electronic media are used, in comparison to traditional (e.g. paper-based) assessments.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Assignments 2.0: The role of social presence and computer attitudes in student preferences for online versus offline marking|journal = The Internet and Higher Education|date = January 1, 2016|pages = 8–16|volume = 28|doi = 10.1016/j.iheduc.2015.08.002|first1 = Rachel|last1 = Grieve|first2 = Christine R.|last2 = Padgett|first3 = Robyn L.|last3 = Moffitt}}</ref> Using e-learning platforms can be more time-consuming than traditional methods and can also come with new costs as e-learning platforms and service providers may charge user fees to educators.

Another critical issue is access to network infrastructure.  Although the [[digital divide]] is narrowing as the Internet becomes more pervasive, many students do not have pervasive and ubiquitous access to the Internet – even in their classrooms.  Any attempt to incorporate blended learning strategies into an organization's pedagogical strategy needs to account for this.<ref name="Digital Classrooms Not Yet Ubiquitous">{{cite magazine | url=https://time.com/3104013/digital-classrooms-race-to-the-top-blended-learning/ | title=What it Really Takes for Schools to Go Digital | magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] | date=August 28, 2014 | access-date=May 10, 2016}}</ref> This is why learning centers are built with good wi-fi connections to make sure this issue is addressed.

Finally, in educational fields where interprofessional simulation and clinical based placement are key components (i.e. medicine, obstetrics & gynaecology), in-person teaching remains a cornerstone of clinical skills education, and teaching via online discourse alone is not sufficient to completely replace and provide comparable learning outcomes.<ref name="Lee" />