Self‐determined blended learning: a case study of blended learning design

Abstract

Higher education has been actively encouraged to find more effective and flexible delivery models to provide all students with access to quality learning experiences yet also meet institutional imperatives for efficiency and accountability. Blended learning, commonly defined as an integration of traditional face-to-face and online approaches to instruction (Garrison & Kanuka, 2004;Graham, 2006;Macdonald, 2008), is now proposed as one solution that addresses both student learning and higher education organisational needs. Successful blended learning, however, is more than a simple integration of information and communication technologies with face-to-face approaches. This paper proposes, describes and evaluates a pedagogical approach to blended learning focused on learners and learning. First, we interrogate the literature related to blended learning to show how various constructions of blended learning may be driven by teacher-centric or learnercentric conceptions. Next, planning a learner-centric blended learning design for a core unit in a first year higher education course is described. The design is then evaluated using a mixed methodology in which the students' voices illuminate their experiences of blended learning unit design with regards to engagement, learning and self-determination. IntroductionHigher education has been actively encouraged to find effective and flexible delivery models to provide all students with more convenient access to quality learning experiences than is possible with traditional on-campus offerings alone. Time-poor students with commitments to family, earning, wellness, sport, technology and other interests are demanding a range of access points to learning and information. At the same time, universities are bound by community and professional standards including academic integrity, organisational efficiency, student retention and community demands for the technologically-savvy worker of the knowledge society. Blended learning has been proposed as one solution that can enhance student learning and engagement, improve access and flexibility and address organizational and institutional imperatives in higher education (

Instructor Presence in Online Courses and Student Satisfaction

“…The focus of this case study was to explore the impact of the instructor on student perceptions of quality teaching and feedback in an online course. This is becoming an important question in the current higher education sector (De George-Walker & Keeffe, 2010). Universities are becoming more accountable to students, to governments who provide funding and to accreditation bodies for the quality of their courses (Millson & Wilemon, 2008).…”

Blended learning: Deficits and prospects in higher education

“…Generally speaking, its conceptualisation involves the addition of information and communication technologies (ICTs), in combination with different instructional delivery modes, to traditional learning methods, though in practice it may identify a somewhat haphazard mixing and matching of different learning delivery modes (De George-Walker & Keeffe, 2010). Nevertheless, current definitions of BL tend to address three commonly related aspects of instruction and learning (Graham, 2006): a blend of online and face-to-face (F2F) instruction (Reay, 2001;Rooney, 2003;Sands, 2002;Ward & LaBranche, 2003;Young, 2002), a blend of instructional methods (Driscoll, 2002;House, 2002;Rossett, 2002), and a blend of instructional modalities (or delivery media) (Bersin & Associates, 2003;Orey, 2002;Thomson, 2002).…”

Facilitating the Development of Study Skills through a Blended Learning Approach

“…This flexibility may be especially important for 'time-poor' students with commitments to part-time work, mature students, and international students, as it allows learning to be blended into students' lives. This may lead to enhanced learning and engagement (De George-Walker & Keeffe, 2010;Sharp, 2006;Jelfs, Nathan & Barrett, 2004;Boyle et al, 2003).…”

“…Consequently, institutions have been required to find more flexible delivery models to provide all students with quality learning experiences, although the size and diverse nature of these student cohorts can make it challenging for lecturers to design and deliver an effective learning experience (De George-Walker & Keeffe, 2010). This is because for any learning environment to be effective, students need to be given both the experience of dealing with academic tasks, as well as feedback on this experience in order to encourage reflection.…”