Blended Learning: Uncovering Its Transformative Potential in Higher Education
TL;DR: The conclusion is that blended learning is consistent with the values of traditional higher education institutions and has the proven potential to enhance both the effectiveness and efficiency of meaningful learning experiences.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to provide a discussion of the transformative potential of blended learning in the context of the challenges facing higher education. Based upon a description of blended learning, its potential to support deep and meaningful learning is discussed. From here, a shift to the need to rethink and restructure the learning experience occurs and its transformative potential is analyzed. Finally, administrative and leadership issues are addressed and the outline of an action plan to implement blended learning approaches is presented. The conclusion is that blended learning is consistent with the values of traditional higher education institutions and has the proven potential to enhance both the effectiveness and efficiency of meaningful learning experiences.
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TL;DR: The authors compared the learning environments of an inverted introductory statistics class with a traditional introductory statistics course at the same university and found that students in the inverted classroom were less satisfied with how the classroom structure oriented them to the learning tasks in the course, but they became more open to cooperative learning and innovative teaching methods.
Abstract: Recent technological developments have given rise to blended learning classrooms. An inverted (or flipped) classroom is a specific type of blended learning design that uses technology to move lectures outside the classroom and uses learning activities to move practice with concepts inside the classroom. This article compares the learning environments of an inverted introductory statistics class with a traditional introductory statistics class at the same university. This mixed-methods research study used the College and University Classroom Environment Inventory (CUCEI), field notes, interviews and focus groups to investigate the learning environments of these two classrooms. Students in the inverted classroom were less satisfied with how the classroom structure oriented them to the learning tasks in the course, but they became more open to cooperative learning and innovative teaching methods. These findings are discussed in terms of how they contribute to the stability and connectedness of classroom learning communities.
1,326 citations
Cites background or result from "Blended Learning: Uncovering Its Tr..."
...…learning environment that gives students space to take in new ideas, deliberate and carefully express their thoughts on the subject, teachers are able to create learning communities that are more connected and more stable than we have seen in the past (Garrison and Kanuka 2004; So and Brush 2008)....
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...This is where the opportunity to reconceptualise the learning environment for blended learning presents itself (Garrison and Kanuka 2004)....
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...This study also confirms the ways in which a blended learning environment creates space for stable and connected learning communities to be developed (Garrison and Kanuka 2004)....
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...The preference for increased cooperation and innovation is further supported by other blended learning studies that suggest that this approach to teaching and learning produces more connections between students in the learning community (Garrison and Kanuka 2004; So and Brush 2008)....
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07 Jul 2020
TL;DR: In this paper, the Covid-19 pandemic has raised significant challenges for the higher education community worldwide and a particular challenge has been the urgent and unexpected request for previously face-to-face university courses to be taught online.
Abstract: The Covid-19 pandemic has raised significant challenges for the higher education community worldwide. A particular challenge has been the urgent and unexpected request for previously face-to-face university courses to be taught online. Online teaching and learning imply a certain pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), mainly related to designing and organising for better learning experiences and creating distinctive learning environments, with the help of digital technologies. With this article, we provide some expert insights into this online-learning-related PCK, with the goal of helping non-expert university teachers (i.e. those who have little experience with online learning) to navigate in these challenging times. Our findings point at the design of learning activities with certain characteristics, the combination of three types of presence (social, cognitive and facilitatory) and the need for adapting assessment to the new learning requirements. We end with a reflection on how responding to a crisis (as best we can) may precipitate enhanced teaching and learning practices in the postdigital era.
986 citations
Book•
28 Feb 2009
TL;DR: The second edition of "The Theory and Practice of Online Learning" features updates in each chapter, plus four new chapters on current distance education issues such as connectivism and social software innovations.
Abstract: Neither an academic tome nor a prescriptive 'how to' guide, "The Theory and Practice of Online Learning" is an illuminating collection of essays by practitioners and scholars active in the complex field of distance education.Distance education has evolved significantly in its 150 years of existence. For most of this time, it was an individual pursuit defined by infrequent postal communication. But recently, three more developmental generations have emerged, supported by television and radio, teleconferencing, and computer conferencing. The early 21st century has produced a fifth generation, based on autonomous agents and intelligent, database-assisted learning, that has been referred to as Web 2.0.The second edition of "The Theory and Practice of Online Learning" features updates in each chapter, plus four new chapters on current distance education issues such as connectivism and social software innovations.
953 citations
TL;DR: The results of this study support the conclusion that a technology enhanced flipped classroom was both effective and scalable; it better facilitated learning than the simulation-based training and students found this approach to be more motivating in that it allowed for greater differentiation of instruction.
Abstract: The purpose of this research was to explore how technology can be used to teach technological skills and to determine what benefit flipping the classroom might have for students taking an introductory-level college course on spreadsheets in terms of student achievement and satisfaction with the class. A pretest posttest quasi-experimental mixed methods design was utilized to determine any differences in student achievement that might be associated with the instructional approach being used. In addition, the scalability of each approach was evaluated along with students’ perceptions of these approaches to determine the affect each intervention might have on a student’s motivation to learn. The simulation-based instruction tested in this study was found to be an extremely scalable solution but less effective than the regular classroom and flipped classroom approaches in terms of student learning. While students did demonstrate learning gains, the process focus of the simulation’s instruction and assessments frustrated students and decreased their motivation to learn. Students’ attitudes towards the topic, their willingness to refer the course to others, and the likelihood that they would take another course like this were considerably lower than those of students in the flipped or regular classroom situations. The results of this study support the conclusion that a technology enhanced flipped classroom was both effective and scalable; it better facilitated learning than the simulation-based training and students found this approach to be more motivating in that it allowed for greater differentiation of instruction.
826 citations
Cites background from "Blended Learning: Uncovering Its Tr..."
...Traditional classrooms cannot always provide this type of differentiation, which has led some educators to recommend a blended learning environment (Dziuban 2004; Garrison and Kanuka 2004; Cornelius and Gordon 2008; Verkroost et al. 2008; Patterson 2012), which incorporates technology in an effort to flip the classroom (Bergmann and Wilie 2012; Friedman and Friedman 2001)....
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TL;DR: The study shows that the use of blended learning has a positive effect in reducing dropout rates and in improving exam marks and the students' perceptions on blended learning are interrelated.
Abstract: New information and communication technologies (ICTs) provide educators and learners with an innovative learning environment to stimulate and enhance the teaching and learning process In this context, novel educational concepts such as blended learning are being developed In the present paper, we present the results obtained from a blended learning experience carried out at the University of Granada A total of 17 groups took part, with 1431 students registered for the 2009-2010 academic year In this study, we use objective outcomes and the students' perceptions regarding the blended learning activities performed The study shows that the use of blended learning has a positive effect in reducing dropout rates and in improving exam marks Moreover, the students' perceptions on blended learning are interrelated, with their final marks depending on the blended learning activities, and on the students' age, background and class attendance rate
741 citations
Cites background from "Blended Learning: Uncovering Its Tr..."
...The current trend to complement face-to face (FTF) classes with web-based materials is known as “blended learning” (Garrison & Kanuka, 2004)....
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...This style of learning is normally defined as the integration of traditional classroom methods with online activities (termed “e-learning”) (Garrison & Kanuka, 2004; Graham, 2006; Macdonald, 2008)....
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References
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Book•
28 Feb 2011
TL;DR: The second edition of E-Learning in the 21st Century as mentioned in this paper provides a coherent, comprehensive, and empirically-based framework for understanding e-learning in higher education and provides practical models that educators can use to realize the full potential of elearning.
Abstract: The second edition of E-Learning in the 21st Century provides a coherent, comprehensive, and empirically-based framework for understanding e-learning in higher education Garrison draws on his decades of experience and extensive research in the field to explore the technological, pedagogical, and organizational implications of e-learning Most importantly, he provides practical models that educators can use to realize the full potential of e-learning This book is unique in that it focuses less on the long list ever-evolving technologies and more on the search for an understanding of these technologies from an educational perspective The second edition has been fully revised and updated throughout and includes discussions of social media and mobile learning applications as well as other emerging technologies in todays classrooms This book is an invaluable resource for courses on e-learning in higher education as well as for researchers, practitioners and senior administrators looking for guidance on how to successfully adopt e-learning in their institutions
2,177 citations
"Blended Learning: Uncovering Its Tr..." refers background in this paper
...First, blended learning is distinguished from that of enhanced classroom or fully online learning experiences (see Fig....
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01 Oct 2009
TL;DR: Good is the enemy of great level 5 leadership first who - then what confront the brutal facts (yet never lose faith) hedgehog concept a culture of discipline technology accelerators the flywheel and the doom loop from good to great to built to last as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Good is the enemy of great level 5 leadership first who - then what confront the brutal facts (yet never lose faith) hedgehog concept a culture of discipline technology accelerators the flywheel and the doom loop from good to great to built to last.
2,031 citations
Book•
21 Feb 2003
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss their extensive research from technological, pedagogical and organizational perspectives in order to create practical models and release the full potential of e-learning This in-depth understanding will give direction and guidance to educators who wish to facilitate critical discourse and higher-order learning through the use of electronic technologies in a networked learning context
Abstract: From the Publisher:
There is a technological revolution taking place in higher education The growth of 'e-learning' is being described as explosive, unprecedented and disruptive E-Learning in the 21st Century provides a framework for understanding the application and characteristics of e-learning in higher education The authors discuss their extensive research from technological, pedagogical and organizational perspectives in order to create practical models and release the full potential of e-learning This in-depth understanding will give direction and guidance to educators who wish to facilitate critical discourse and higher-order learning through the use of electronic technologies in a networked learning context
1,871 citations
TL;DR: Good is the enemy of great as mentioned in this paper, and good is the way to make good to be great (G2G) is the theory of good-to-great (G3G).
Abstract: The book consists of nine chapters explaining the concept of Good to Great. Starting from emphasizing that “good is the enemy of great”, Jim Collins provides great explanations as well as arguments of why his concept is very important for leaders who want to be successful in their efforts of building “enduring results” of their companies, organizations, or institutions. He in detail explains four principles underlining the framework of good to great. There are disciplined people (level 5 leadership and first who, then what concepts), disciplined thought (confront the brutal facts and the Hedgehog concepts), disciplined action (culture of discipline and the flywheel concepts), and building greatness to last (clock building, not the time telling and preserve the core/stimulate progress concepts). For further analysis of the Good to Great, I will shortly summarize the concept of how to make something good to be great explained in the book in the following section. I will also conclude this paper by commenting on the concept as my critique toward the theory of Good to Great.
1,604 citations
"Blended Learning: Uncovering Its Tr..." refers background in this paper
...Great institutions respond with ‘‘thoughtfulness and creativity, driven by a compulsion to turn unrealized potential into results; mediocre companies react and lurch about, motivated by fear of being left behind’’ (Collins, 2001, p. 162)....
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TL;DR: The study found that three general factors – clarity of design, interaction with instructors, and active discussion among course participants – significantly influenced students’ satisfaction and perceived learning.
Abstract: This paper looks at factors affecting student satisfaction with and perceived learning from asynchronous online learning. It reports on an empirical investigation that explored relationships between student perceptions and course design factors in seventythree SUNY Learning Network courses in the spring, 1999 semester. The study found that three, and only three, general factors – clarity of design, interaction with instructors, and active discussion among course participants –significantly influenced students’ satisfaction and perceived learning. Such findings are related to various kinds of interactivity and a “community of inquiry” model of online learning.
941 citations
"Blended Learning: Uncovering Its Tr..." refers background in this paper
...Focusing for a moment on the properties of the Internet, we know that much of the satisfaction and success of blended learning experiences can be attributed to the interactive capabilities of Internet communication technology (Garrison & ClevelandInnes, 2003; Swan, 2001)....
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...As society and technology fundamentally alter the manner in which we communicate and learn, this inevitably alters how we think....
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