Blended Courses as Drivers of Institutional Transformation

Abstract

The authors discuss the transformational potential of blended learning and the importance of alignment with strategic initiatives of the institution. They show that key elements for student and faculty support result in numerous positive outcomes, including increased access and the ability to manage growth effectively. Research findings with very large student samples show the impact of blended learning on student achievement, identify predictors of student success, and illustrate correlates of student satisfaction with blended learning when ambivalent feelings mediate student perceptions of the educational environment. By illustrating these principles through a case study in a large metropolitan research university, the authors contend that strategic alignment and evaluation results inform each other in an incremental, transformational process.

A Blended Learning Approach to Teaching Basic Pharmacokinetics and the Significance of Face-to-Face Interaction

“…This finding is unsurprising and has been previously reported in the literature. [2][3][4][5][6]15,27 Face-to-face interaction with both the instructor and peers was highly rated in this course; most students found these interactions provided a moderate to great amount of help. This seems to be the greatest strength of blended formats over fully online courses.…”

“…Higher satisfaction levels among faculty members and students, better learning outcomes for students, and increased access and flexibility in the time, pace, and place of learning are all cited as strengths in blended-learning courses as compared to traditional lecture-based courses. [2][3][4][5][6] Opportunities for collaborative learning and for studentfaculty interactions are key to the success to blended courses and increase student satisfaction. 7,8 Garrison and Kanuka argue that blended learning has ''transformative potential'' and can support the formation of communities of inquiry.…”

A time‐based blended learning model

“…Students most often chose blended sections, when given the choice between enrolling in face-to-face or blended sections. Faculty members reported high levels of satisfaction with their blended teaching and that the amount and quality of their interaction with students surpassed what they experienced in their face-to-face courses (Dziuban, Hartman, Cavanagh, & Moskal, 2011;Dziuban, Hartman, Juge, Moskal & Sorg, 2006). This ongoing research, combined with a growing awareness that a blended mental construct could be a catalyst for meaningful transformation in higher education, gave cause for the authors to search the Internet and professional literature for evolving blended learning theories and models in education, industry and the military.…”

A Third Way: Online Labs Integrated With Print Materials

“…A generational shift in the needs and expectations of Generation Y (Dziuban et al, 2004) implicitly demands that learners embrace technology to enhance study. These Millennials tend to live for today and are tuned in to technology in the moment.…”

“…It demonstrates how blended models are suitable for language learning especially when matching educational needs, goals and outcomes to the current generation of students. In regard to ICT use in language teaching, technology in education needs not only to satisfy instructors but also the expectations of this Millennial generation (Dziuban et al, 2004); and that necessitates its being both integrated and on demand. As online labs add to (or in other cases, replace) classroom contact hours, the question in the background is the one posed by Moore (Bonk & Graham, 2006): when is face-toface learning support still required to supplement online learning?…”