Blended Learning Approach for Less Proficient Students

Abstract

This article describes the implementation of blended learning in a higher education institution by focusing on the less proficient students. Malaysia's Ministry of Higher Education has urged every university to introduce blended learning in their teaching and learning processes as a new approach. Nevertheless, there are less proficient students who are hesitant, less motivated, and face difficulty in associating learning with technological applications. Our main purpose is to show how blended learning can be designed to suit the less proficient students by first identifying their learning styles and then creating a motivating supportive learning system through the use of teaching technology applications. The sample size for this study is 64 business program students from four groups taking the course Introduction to Statistics in two consecutive semesters. These are students who had to repeat a few subjects including Introduction to Statistics as well as students who entered university with lower qualifications and had to undergo one semester of booster certification program. Final examination scores are used as a measure of students' performance. Comparison using examination marks scored is shown using independent t test, mean effect size, and Box and Whiskers plot. Results showed noticeable difference in examination scores obtained by the different groups of students. As a conclusion, while blended learning approach bears many benefits, it has to be tailored to suit the different students' cognitive levels as well as learning styles.

Does Blended Learning Improve the Academic Achievement of Undergraduate Students in the Mathematics Course?: A Case Study in Higher Education

“…On the other hand, however, there are some studies that found that post-test scores did not show a significant difference between the experimental group and the control group, which indicates that blended learning did not show much effectiveness over traditional teaching methods (Klimova, 2017;Yusoff, Yusoff, & Md Noh, 2017). In addition, the results of the study conducted by Kwak, Menezes, and Sherwood (2015) revealed that blended learning has no effect on student achievement if learning is non-cumulative, and only affects the performance on assessments associated with the blended learning materials.…”

A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a Hybrid Course Modality to Increase Student Engagement and Mastery of Course Content in Undergraduate Research Methods Classes

“…Such content could be used as a springboard to support online learning and the application of material. Prion and Mitchell (2019) describe this as a model for a doctoral level statistics course and Yusoff, Yusoff, and Hidayah (2017) provide a concrete example of how it is implemented. In their study, Yusoff and colleagues described face-to-face lectures that provided students with the foundational knowledge necessary to independently solve math problems.…”

“…One commonality is that hybrid courses seek to blend the traditional lecture with knowledge application, thereby increasing student engagement with course material (see Stein & Graham, 2014). The hybrid course described by Yusoff et al (2017) is a prime example of such engagement. The end goal of the hybrid modality is to enhance the educational experience through active learning.…”

A utilização dos Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) em métodos de blended learning e o valor funcional percebido pelos alunos: estudo de caso em um curso de graduação em Administração

“…A melhoria da reputação da instituição pode estar associada aos resultados positivos com relação ao blended learning, pois, ao revisar a literatura, Yildirim 2017 Para que os diversos desafios relacionados à implantação do método de blended learning possam ser superados e sua efetividade possa trazer resultados positivos para a instituição, é necessária a seleção cuidadosa de ferramentas de colaboração; além disso, a preparação técnica deve ser cuidadosamente realizada; os materiais de ensino fornecidos online, cuidadosamente escolhidos; e professores, de qualidade (Yusoff et al, 2017). do MOOC e o ensino presencial.…”

“…identificou que as pesquisas sugerem que os resultados dos alunos e suas atitudes com relação ao método híbrido de ensino são mais positivos quando comparados com a aprendizagem a distância ou presencial.No entanto, apresar dos diversos benefícios associados ao blended learning,Yusoff, Yusoff, & Md Noh (2017) identificaram diversos desafios relacionados à sua prática, como a complexidade da instrução, a falta de planejamento e organização, a comunicação efetiva, o suporte institucional, a falta de infraestrutura tecnológica, o consumo de tempo, a mudança de papéis, a dificuldade em adotar novas tecnologias e a distração individual do aluno.Desafios semelhantes foram identificados porGraham (2010), que menciona que, para os professores, os principais desafios estão relacionados à falta de tempo, suporte e recursos e à necessidade de aquisição de novas habilidades de ensino e tecnologia. Do ponto de vista administrativo, o autor identifica que os desafios consistem em alinhar o método de blended learning com metas e prioridades institucionais, a resistência à mudança organizacional, a falta de estrutura organizacional e a experiência com colaboração e parcerias.Já para os alunos, os principais problemas enfrentados relacionam-se ao gerenciamento do tempo, ao aumento da responsabilidade por sua própria aprendizagem e ao uso de tecnologias sofisticadas.…”