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This study examined the effectiveness of a Blended Learning (BL) environment designed to facilitate the learning of study skills with a large (over 200) and diverse undergraduate student cohort in a Higher Education (HE) institution in the UK. A BL environment was designed using the model provided by Kerres & De Witt (2003), and was also designed to be consistent with Kolb's (1984) experiential learning cycle. Eight focus groups with six students were undertaken to examine student perceptions of their learning experience, and to establish if learning had taken place in each phase of Kolb's (1984) cycle. All students also completed a reflective study skills essay, and a sample of these were scrutinised for evidence of certain aspects of experiential learning. Student engagement in the module and the BL environment was examined through small group tutorials. The results suggest that the module encouraged a high level of student engagement, and learning in each stage of Kolb's (1984) experiential learning cycle, and that the use of a BL environment facilitated aspects of this experiential learning. Teachers in HE should therefore consider the potential benefits of a blended learning approach as a means of facilitating the experiential learning of study skills.

Background: A number of cross-sectional studies have highlighted a potential benefit of estrogen-containing contraception on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels. The purpose of the present prospective study was to determine whether oral vitamin D 3 supplementation significantly increases serum 25(OH)D more for women taking the estrogen-containing oral contraception than those not taking this medication.