Students and instructors perspective on blended synchronous learning in a Canadian graduate program

Abstract

Blended synchronous learning (BSL) represents several contexts that enable to bring remote students into the classroom, in real time, by the means of videoconferencing, web conferencing and virtual world. As BSL seems to be more and more implemented in many higher education institutions, especially in the current context of the COVID‐19 pandemic, and given the recent interest and scarce published research in BSL, more studies are needed on this kind of learning. The purpose of this research was to explore students and instructors perspective regarding their experience in BSL, according to three dimensions: pedagogy, technology and organization/logistics. To meet the study objective, a qualitative methodology was adopted. The study participants were remote students (n = 4) and face‐to‐face students (n = 4) enrolled in a graduate program in education offering only blended synchronous courses, and instructors (n = 5) in this program. Semi‐structured interviews were selected as the data collection method. Nine sub‐themes in reference to the three dimensions emerged from the study participants. They have also highlighted some challenges associated with BSL. The results reported in this study should provide faculties and higher education administrators with additional information and guidance, based on empirical data, on the use of BSL if they wish to implement it in academic programs. Moreover, in regard to the challenges revealed by the study participants, the results will permit to surpass the obstacles when implementing BSL successfully.

Competence development in collaborative hybrid learning among health sciences students: A quasi‐experimental mixed‐method study

“…Previous research has highlighted that an educator's workload increases in a blended synchronous model due to technical arrangements and the need to consider both face-to-face and online students. However, this increase in workload can be eased with team teaching, as was demonstrated in our collaborative hybrid learning model (Bower et al, 2015;Lakhal et al, 2021). Overall, online students have expressed those perceptions of flexibility and active methods of teaching are the primary benefits of blended synchronous education (Bower et al, 2015;Lakhal et al, 2021).…”

“…However, this increase in workload can be eased with team teaching, as was demonstrated in our collaborative hybrid learning model (Bower et al, 2015;Lakhal et al, 2021). Overall, online students have expressed those perceptions of flexibility and active methods of teaching are the primary benefits of blended synchronous education (Bower et al, 2015;Lakhal et al, 2021).…”

“…For example, students participating in virtual environments may feel isolated, separate from face‐to‐face students and technical delays may take an unnecessary amount of the educators' time. Also, the quality of audio and visual factors have a significant effect on interactions (Lakhal et al, 2021; Raes, 2021; Wang & Huang, 2018; Zehler et al, 2021).…”

An M-Learning Model in the Context of the Blended Synchronous Learning Environment

“…Extending synchronous learning, blended synchronous learning (BSL) is defined as learning and teaching that enables both remote students and face-to-face students to participate in a class simultaneously (Lakhal et al, 2021;Szeto et al, 2014), through a variety of synchronous technologies, such as video conferencing. From pedagogical, social, and technical perspectives, have designed a blended synchronous learning environment, which provides deep insights for the BSLE to be useful in practice.…”

Moving lab‐based in‐person training to online delivery: The case of a continuing engineering education program

“…Education in the post‐COVID era could take advantage of these measures while investigating pedagogical approaches for effective and sustainable online education. Although synchronous online learning has the potential to mimic in‐person learning (Lakhal et al, 2021), the transition to synchronous online can present new obstacles. These include class planning and preparation (Gurung, 2021), the absence of direct interactions between the learner and the facilitator (Watts, 2016), challenges in forming close bonds among participants (Dumford & Miller, 2018; Smyth et al, 2012), and under‐utilization of webcams during synchronous instruction (Castelli & Sarvary, 2021; Gherheș et al, 2021).…”