Innovation and Development in Blended Learning Mode in Higher Learning Institutions: Interactive Experiences from OUT’s Postgraduate Students and Instructors

Although blended learning mode of delivery has been found to be an effective and inexpensive way to enhance learning, there is still need to examine how students and tutors perceive it in the presence of the traditional modes. The purpose of the present study was to examine views and perception of both instructors and students on attributes related to processes of BLM implementation and interactions. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to38 postgraduate students and 14 instructors from The Open University of Tanzania. Data were analyzed using descriptive. Crosstabs were used to describe the association between BLM processes and interactions of BLM by both instructors and students. The results revealed that students‟ and instructors‟ views on BLM processes, such as ease of use of the web environment, evaluation, face to face environment etc., are varied significantly with perceived BLM interactions. Unlike the relatively younger students, the older generations were found to value more of the BLM interactions than of the BLM implementation processes. This paper will help to inform learning institutions intending to go BLM of the best and effective processes for the blended learning environment.Keywords; Blended Learning Mode (BLM), blended learning interactions, BLM implementation processes, Open University of Tanzani

Community College Faculty Dispositions Towards Blended Learning

Community colleges are being encouraged to find and provide access to higher education by offering more flexible course delivery methods to meet the needs of their diverse student body. At the same time, these institutions must retain their quality of instruction, accountability for learning outcomes, and institutional obligations. Blended learning, where students attend class both on campus and online, is promoted as one solution for attaining such goals. Among the four-year undergraduate population, blended learning has been shown to support student success, meet diverse learning styles, and meet institutional obligations; however, research within the community college population is limited. In particular, faculty members’ perspectives and challenges for teaching blended learning have not been well documented. The goal was to understand the dispositions of the community college faculty towards blended learning. An exploratory, qualitative case study design was used to gain an in-depth understanding of this phenomenon within the real world context of the community college. An open-ended survey and semi-structured interview were used to collect data from faculty members at Suffolk County Community College in NY. In addition, course outlines, interview field notes, and archived course data were also collected. There were 26 survey participants from three campuses, of which 10 were interviewed. Survey participant self-reported gender was 17 females, 8 males and 1 prefer not to answer; faculty rank ranged from instructor to adjunct professor. Data were analyzed using a structured descriptive systematic approach. The results provided a composite view of community college faculty member’s dispositions towards blended learning, which identified fifteen themes as: Definition of Blended Learning, Rationale for Blended Learning Environment, Blended Learning Design Schedule, Degree of Contact, Multidimensional Role, Interactions, Technology Skill Required, Perceived Technology Skill, Blended Learning What Works and Doesn’t Work, Recommendations, What Works and Doesn’t Work for Community College Blended Learning Students, Flexible Schedules and Learning Environment. Findings also guided recommendations for teaching blended learning courses within this community college and an outline for approaching blended learning implementation

Online communication and information technology education

Blended Learning, a learning facilitation that incorporates different modes of delivery, models of teaching, and learning styles, introduces multiple media to the dialog between the learner and the facilitator. This paper examines online communication as the link between established theory of learning and literature on e-learning in order to better understand the appropriate use of blended learning in an actual Information Technology course. First, previously defined theoretical constructs that utilize communication as a facilitator for learning are considered. Then, using the Interpretivist standpoint, we examine data gathered from focus groups and interviews to gauge the experience of staff and students who were participants in a Blended Learning course. There are four previously defined theoretical constructs of greatest relevance to blended learning. Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development highlights the importance of communication with capable peers who can provide stimuli and feedback to a learning individual. Wegner’s Communities of Practice are groups of individuals who share a common practice interest and rely on a dialogue to facilitate learning. Laurillard’s Conversational Framework includes a pragmatic 12- step model that teachers can use to structure their learning facilitation. Finally, Salmon’s EModeration considers five stages of online communication in terms of how the moderator might facilitate dialogue among learners. These four theoretical models form the basis for understanding the implementation of blended learning discussed here. The course studied was a part-time Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology (IT), delivered using Blended Learning. Students were required to attend one evening per week and make substantial use of Web based learning over a period of five years. Students were mature, some already working in the IT field. Forty students in a first cohort and eighteen students in a second cohort were studied during the first year of their course. While students in the first cohort who succeeded in the course often found the discussion boards to be of considerable value in discussing assignments and sharing learning, the boards also could discourage those with less technical backgrounds. There is data to suggest that a high rate of dropouts and failures among the first cohort after just one year may have been influenced by discouragement felt by those who could not keep up with the technical level of the discussion board posts. As a result of this data, for the second cohort, the number of online communications was reduced to one assessed online discussion that was closely monitored. As a result, discussions were more on-topic; however students reported significantly less sense of community. Again, a high dropout rate resulted. Our results suggest that communication is both a challenge and an enabler for facilitating a successful blended learning course. Blended learning is not simply a matter of the combination of face-to-face and online instruction, but it has to have elements of social interaction. It appears to be important to allow students to bond together and to socialize. Knowing each other eases the communication barriers and reduces the fear of posting messages into an open forum. At its best, online communication can provide study help, social interaction, and a sense of community. We have evidence that when students are required more frequently to cooperate online, they share a common problem and on some level create their own “problem solving” community. However, our data from the first cohort indicates that unguided communication of a Community of Practice can lead to undesirable effects. At the same time, our data from the second cohort indicates that a very structured approach is also undesirable. The ideal situation, it seems, is somewhere in the middle. However, the middle is not easily defined. Because the community depends on the individuals who are the main components of it, it is difficult to predict how the same environment would influence different individuals or different cohorts. Thus, the ultimate responsibility is on the lecturer to listen to the students and engage in continuous dialogue

Kazakhstani Secondary Teachers’ Attitudes towards Blended Learning

Blended learning is one of the most promising methods in modern teaching. It combines two learning environments: traditional face-to-face and online. This research is aimed at investigating Kazakhstani secondary school teachers’ attitudes towards blended learning. This qualitative research was conducted in compliance with the connectivism and social constructivism theories and was aimed at investigating Kazakhstani teachers’ attitudes towards blended learning, as well as the advantages and barriers to implementation. Preliminary data was collected through an open-ended survey from 30 teachers of different subjects to see if there was a difference in teachers’ attitudes’ depending on the subject they taught or years of their teaching experience. Based on the survey responds and participants’ willingness, five purposefully chosen teachers participated in semi-structured interviews. While analyzing the data from survey and interview coding procedure revealed some common themes which were generated into research results. Findings showed that teachers consider that blended learning catalases individualization, improves students’ engagement promotes collaboration among learners in different educational environment and makes the learning process more real-world relevant. Along with the benefits teachers mentioned challenges they face while implementing this method, such as technical issues related to the poor Internet connection, lack of materials related to the subject they teach and time-consuming lesson preparation. The research findings may be used to fulfill the gap in the literature regarding the blended learning experience in the Kazakhstani context. The research findings show that teachers are not against implementing this method. However, they should be provided with opportunities for professional development from more experienced colleagues in blended learning

Design and Perception of an Approach to Improving Chinese as a Foreign Language Learners’ Self-Regulated Learning Strategies

This study investigates the effects of an approach to improving Chinese-as-a-Foreign-Language (CFL) learners’ Self-Regulated-Learning (SRL) in personally managed contexts using a flipped/blended course environment. In addition, the study examines student perceptions of the approach and how learners’ beliefs about language learning correlate with their use of SRL. Studies indicate that SRL has positive effects on students’ academic performance in face-to-face classrooms (Kramarski & Gutman, 2006; Kramarski & Mizrachi, 2006; Lan, 1996; Orange, 1999; Schunk, 2005) and in online classes (Lynch & Dembo, 2004); therefore, different models and methods have been proposed and implemented to improve college students’ SRL. These models vary in scope, content, timeframe, and design (Hofer, Yu, & Pintrich, 1998; Lan, 1998; Winne & Stockley, 1998; Lin, Lai, Lai, & Chang, 2015; Stoeger & Ziegler, 2008; Schimtz & Wiese, 2006). However, SRL is context specific (Schunk, 2005), and no previous approach has been tested for improving foreign language learners’ SRL, especially when applied to a flipped/blended course. The conceptual framework used in this study is based on the social-cognitive model of motivation and cognition (Garcia & Pintrich, 1994; Zimmerman, 1998). The approach incorporates two groups of strategies: 1) domain-specific cognitive learning strategies and metacognitive and self-regulatory strategies, and 2) self-knowledge, self-efficacy, and motivational strategies. The intervention, a 20-minute person conference with the instructor/researcher, lasted 3 weeks and was integrated into a CFL flipped/blended course. During the individual meetings, the instructor/researcher gave each student individualized instruction to improve SRL based on learning situation, strengths, and weaknesses. Additionally, students were encouraged to focus on one area of their Chinese study with which they had challenges while applying the SRL strategies. Each week the students wrote structured diaries to help them self-regulate their learning. Nineteen CFL learners participated in the study. Data were collected in three different ways. First, a questionnaire was administered at three time points: before implementation of the approach, right after implementation of the approach, and three weeks after implementation of the approach. This questionnaire was adapted from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ by Pintrich, Smith, Garcia, & McKeachie, 1993), the Online Self-Regulated Learning Questionnaire (OSLQ by Barnard, Lan, To, Paton, & Lai, 2009), and the Belief About Language Learning Inventory (BALLI BY Horwitz, 1988). All three questionnaires included items asking about students’ use of SRL which measured learners’ self-reported perception of their use of cognitive strategies, meta-cognitive self-regulatory strategies, resource management strategies, and motivation. In addition, the questionnaire at the second time point included nine open-ended questions about students’ perceptions of the approach. The questionnaire at the third time point included a survey regarding learners’ beliefs about language learning. Second, students kept a structured diary (Schmitz & Wiese, 2006). The diary was structured with the intent to a) Depict the entire self-regulation cycle; b) Support self-regulated learning, and c) Capture the intervention effects. The third way of gathering data was a reflection paper written by the participants. The data have been collected and entered and are currently being analyzed

The significance of the reflective practitioner in blended learning

This is a case study paper concerned with the introduction of blended learning on a part-time higher education programme for mature students. The interpretive work draws on four action research cycles conducted over two years with two student cohorts. Discussion is based on observations, staff and student focus groups and interviews examining the students’ expectations and experiences. The initial focus of the action research was on the introduction of technology into the teaching and learning experience. The great advantage of an interpretive approach, however, is to allow the findings to determine the course of the research. During the first action research cycles, the focus of the research soon changed from the use of technology in blended learning to the role of the practitioners involved. We advocate the key role of reflective practitioners in facilitating blended learning and suggest that action research is a useful framework to develop this. Keywords: Educational Technology Implementation, Electronic Learning (E-Learning), Teacher Improvement, Teacher Preparation, Action Research, Asynchronous Communications, blended learning, part-time student, reflective practice

Perceptions of sport science students on the potential applications and limitations of blended learning in their education: A qualitative study

This study sought to gain insight into blended learning-naive sports science students’ understanding and perceptions of the potential benefits and limitations of blended (hybrid) learning, which has been defined as the thoughtful integration of face-to-face and online instructional approaches. Five focus groups, each comprising 3–4 students from either the undergraduate or postgraduate sports science programmes were conducted. The focus groups were facilitated by a researcher who was not involved in sports science. Audio recordings of the focus groups were transcribed verbatim. NVivo software was used to code the transcripts to identify the themes and subthemes. Students generally had little initial understanding of blended learning. When provided with a definition, they believed that blended learning could improve educational outcomes and assist those who were legitimately unable to attend a session. Their reservations about blended learning mainly related to some students not being sufficiently autonomous to undertake independent study, timetabling considerations and access to reliable Internet services. For blended learning to be effective, students felt the online material had to be interactive, engaging and complement the face-to-face sessions. Better understanding the perceptions of the students in the current study may assist educators who are considering implementing blended learning in their teaching. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Grou

Transition, Decoding and Heutagogy; A strategy for improving undergraduate learning in sport, health and exercise.

Heutagogy, an established concept in educational literature, puts an emphasis on the development of a student’s ability to understand how they learn certain skills and abilities. To gain a clearer understanding on the implementation of heutagogy within the higher education environment, the present study considered the adoption of heutagogical approaches with students at University. A review of the literature was conducted to understand the use of pedagogy and andragogy in higher education and how a heutagogical approach could create a self-directed learning experience. Contemporary research has evidenced that the implementation of heutagogy at higher education encourages students to develop highly employable skills such as determination and initiative. In contrast, it has been discovered that students find heutagogy to be challenging, therefore a progressive development from pedagogy to andragogy to heutagogy is required. Nevertheless, the beneficial outcomes are apparent to educators and students, and increase employability rates. The beneficial learning outcomes of heutagogical learning such as employability and self-directed learning is discussed

Open educational resources for all? Comparing user motivations and characteristics across The Open University’s iTunes U channel and OpenLearn platform.

With the rise in access to mobile multimedia devices, educational institutions have exploited the iTunes U platform as an additional channel to provide free educational resources with the aim of profile-raising and breaking down barriers to education. For those prepared to invest in content preparation, it is possible to produce interactive, portable material that can be made available globally. Commentators have questioned both the financial implications for platform-specific content production, and the availability of devices for learners to access it (Osborne, 2012). The Open University (OU) makes its free educational resources available on iTunes U and via its web-based open educational resources (OER) platform, OpenLearn. The OU’s OER on iTunes U reached the 60 million download mark in 2013; its OpenLearn platform boasts 27 million unique visitors since 2006. This paper reports the results of a large-scale study of users of the OU’s iTunes U channel and OpenLearn platform. A survey of several thousand users revealed key differences in demographics between those accessing OER via the web and via iTunes U. In addition, the data allowed comparison between three groups: formal learners, informal learners and educators. The study raises questions about whether university-provided OER meet the needs of users and makes recommendations for how content can be modified to suit their needs. As the publishing of OER becomes core to business, we reflect on reasons why understanding users’ motivations and demographics is vital, allowing for needs-led resource provision and content that is adapted to best achieve learner satisfaction, and to deliver institutions’ social mission