Blended learning environments to foster self-directed learning

This book on blended learning environments to foster self-directed learning highlights the focus on research conducted in several teaching and learning contexts where blended learning had been implemented and focused on the fostering of self-directed learning. Several authors have contributed to the book, and each chapter provides a unique perspective on blended learning and self-directed learning research. From each chapter, it becomes evident that coherence on the topics mentioned is established. One of the main aspects drawn in this book, and addressed by several authors in the book, is the use of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework when implementing teaching and learning strategies in blended learning environments to foster self-directed learning. This notion of focusing on the CoI framework is particularly evident in both theoretical and empirical dissemination presented in this book. What makes this book unique is the fact that researchers and peers in varied fields would benefit from the findings presented by each chapter, albeit theoretical, methodological or empirical in nature – this, in turn, provides opportunities for future research endeavours to further the narrative of how blended learning environments can be used to foster self-directed learning

Blended learning environments to foster self-directed learning

This book on blended learning environments to foster self-directed learning highlights the focus on research conducted in several teaching and learning contexts where blended learning had been implemented and focused on the fostering of self-directed learning. Several authors have contributed to the book, and each chapter provides a unique perspective on blended learning and self-directed learning research. From each chapter, it becomes evident that coherence on the topics mentioned is established. One of the main aspects drawn in this book, and addressed by several authors in the book, is the use of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework when implementing teaching and learning strategies in blended learning environments to foster self-directed learning. This notion of focusing on the CoI framework is particularly evident in both theoretical and empirical dissemination presented in this book. What makes this book unique is the fact that researchers and peers in varied fields would benefit from the findings presented by each chapter, albeit theoretical, methodological or empirical in nature – this, in turn, provides opportunities for future research endeavours to further the narrative of how blended learning environments can be used to foster self-directed learning

The Future of Technology-Based Learning at the Open University of Tanzania

Today, digital transformation in higher education reshapes traditional educational systems toward technology-based learning. In the wake of the global pandemic COVID-19, digital transformation has even accelerated at many universities worldwide due to the pressure put on policymakers and university management to adopt educational technology at their institutions to allow education to continue. Using the case of the Open University of Tanzania (OUT), this article discusses critical factors needed for the successful implementation of technology-based learning and other technological innovations like adaptive learning, for example, in higher education in an African context. We applied a Delphi design, a rigorous research method used for structuring a group communication process to allow a group of experts, as a whole, to deal with a complex problem effectively. In total, 24 experts (e.g., instructors, staff, and students) from different regional OUT centres participated in the Delphi study. The paper presents the results of the first round of the Delphi study on the challenges of technology-based learning identified at OUT providing the first insights into the perceived role, probability, and estimated realisation time of adaptive learning at OUT in the future. We argue that not only technological challenges linked to the internet, network, or technological equipment affect the adoption of technology-based learning in higher education, but also that pedagogical, organisational, and global challenges are indispensable for the successful transformation of higher education