Commentary on the Applications of Blended Learning in the Teaching and Learning Process – A Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70232/jrep.v1i2.10Keywords:
Blended Environment, Face-To-Face Interaction Pedagogy, Teaching-Learning Process, Traditional LearningAbstract
Blended learning, an innovative approach that combines traditional face-to-face (FTF) instruction with online elements, has gained prominence in education. This article provides a comprehensive overview of blended learning, including its definition, advantages, disadvantages, and various factors that affect the effectiveness of this teaching and learning approach. It also explores students’ and teachers’ perceptions of blended learning and the challenges and issues that may arise in its implementation. Blended learning has been found to provide several benefits such as personalized learning, flexibility, improved engagement, cost-effectiveness, accessibility, and real-world skill development. However, it also presents challenges related to technological dependence, digital inequality, reduced face-to-face interaction, and assessment difficulties. Instructors may face challenges in terms of preparation, time management, and scheduling. Factors affecting learning in a blended environment include pedagogical approaches, technology infrastructure, teacher skills and training, student engagement, assessment methods, cultural and social context, and time management. Students and teachers generally perceive blended learning positively, citing improvements in learning outcomes and teaching practices. While blended learning offers a sound pedagogical approach, successful implementation requires addressing technical barriers, ensuring engagement, effective assessment and evaluation methods, effective time management, and providing instructor training and support. Data privacy and security, social isolation, and course redesign are also important considerations in implementing blended learning. In conclusion, blended learning is a versatile and effective educational approach with many advantages and challenges. To ensure its success, careful planning, continuous evaluation, and support for educators and learners are essential to create rich learning environments in a rapidly evolving educational environment.
References
Ahmad, W. F. B. W., Shafie, A. B., & Janier, J. B. (2008). Students’ perceptions towards blended learning in teaching and learning mathematics: Application of integration. In Proceedings 13th Asian Technology Conference in Mathematics (ATCM08), Suan Sunanda Rajabhat, University Bangkok, Thailand.
Anderson, C. A., & Dill, K. E. (2000). Video games and aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behavior in the laboratory and in life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(4), 772-790. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.78.4.772
Asad, M. M., Naz, A., Churi, P., & Tahanzadeh, M. M. (2021). Virtual reality as pedagogical tool to enhance experiential learning: a systematic literature review. Education Research International, 2021, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/7061623
Bandyopadhyay, S., Bardhan, A., Dey, P., & Bhattacharyya, S. (2021). Bridging the education divide using social technologies. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6738-8
Bhatnagar, R., & Many, J. (2022). Teachers using social emotional learning: meeting student needs during COVID-19. International Journal of Technology in Education, 5(3), 518-534. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijte.310
Boelens, R., De Wever, B., & Voet, M. (2017). Four key challenges to the design of blended learning: A systematic literature review. Educational Research and Reviews, 22, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2017.06.001
Bonk, C. J., & Graham, C. R. (2006). The handbook of blended learning: Global perspectives, local designs. John Wiley and Sons.
Bonk, C. J., & Graham, C. R. (2012). The Handbook of Blended Learning: Global Perspectives, Local Designs. New Jersey, John Wiley and Sons.
Bonk, C. J., & Khoo, E. (2014). Adding Some TEC-VARIETY: 100+ Activities for Motivating and Retaining Learners Online. Open World Books.
Borup, J., & Drysdale, J. (2014). On-site and online facilitators: Current and future direction for research. Handbook of Research on K-12 Online and Blended Learning, 2, 423-442.
Bray, E., Aoki, K., & Dlugosh, L. (2008). Digital divide and e-learning: A case study of a university-level psychology class. Computers and Education, 51(3), 1117-1132.
Broadbent, J., Sharman, S., Panadero, E., & Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M. (2021). How does self-regulated learning influence formative assessment and summative grade? Comparing online and blended learners. The Internet and Higher Education, 50, 100805. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2021.100805
Bruggeman, B. (2022). Examining blended and online learning practices in higher education: A teacher perspective. Vrije University.
Burgstahler, S. (2015). Universal design in higher education: From principles to practice. Harvard Education Press.
Burgstahler, S., & Doe, T. (2006). Equal access: Creating universal instruction. Information Age Publication.
Caird, S., & Roy, R. (2019). Blended learning and sustainable development. Encyclopedia of Sustainability in Higher Education, 107-116.
Chen, B., Seilhamer, R., Bennett, L., & Bauer, S. (2017). Students’ mobile learning practices in higher education: A multi-year study. Educause Review, 7(1), 36-43.
Chen, M., Wang, Z., Liang, L., Ma, Z., & Liu, Y. (2023). Typical practical cases in blended learning. In Handbook of Educational Reform Through Blended Learning. Springer Nature Singapore.
Chou, C. T., Chuang, C. P., & Zheng, B. Y. (2013). The study of blended learning on a vocational high school in Taiwan. International Journal of Modern Education and Computer Science, 5(3), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2013.03.01
Chowdhury, F. (2020). Blended learning: how to flip the classroom at HEIs in Bangladesh?. Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching and Learning, 13(2), 228-242. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIT-12-2018-0030
Comas-Quinn, A. (2011). Learning to teach online or learning to become an online teacher: An exploration of teachers’ experiences in a blended learning course. ReCALL, 23(3), 218-232. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344011000152
Coppola, N. W., Hiltz, S. R., & Rotter, N. G. (2002). Becoming a virtual professor: Pedagogical roles and asynchronous learning networks. Journal of Management Information Systems, 18(4), 169-189. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2002.11045703
Darling-Hammond, L., Wei, R. C., Andree, A., Richardson, N., & Orphanos, S. (2009). Professional learning in the learning profession. National Staff Development Council.
Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. (2011). From game design elements to gamefulness: defining” gamification”. In Proceedings of the 15th International Academic Mind Trek conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments (pp. 9-15). https://doi.org/10.4000/sdj.287
Dhanarajan, G., & Porter, D. (2017). Unfreezing Change in the ODL Environment: Implications for MOOCs. In Open and Distance Education in Asia and the Pacific (pp. 71-83). Springer.
Dringus, L. P. (2014). Blended learning: The convergence of online and face-to-face education. In Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology, 855-864. Springer.
Dziuban, C., Hartman, J., Juge, F., Moskal, P., & Sorg, S. (2006). Blended learning entering the mainstream. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 3(5), 1-16.
García-Valcárcel, A., & Mena, J. (2021). In-service teachers’ use of ICT for the promotion of collaborative professional learning. In Research anthology on facilitating new educational practices through communities of learning, 287-301. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-7294-8.ch015.
Garrison, D. R., & Kanuka, H. (2004). Blended learning: Uncovering its transformative potential in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 7(2), 95-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2004.02.001
Garrison, D. R., & Vaughan, N. D. (2008). Blended learning in higher education: Framework, principles, and guidelines. John Wiley and Sons.
Gedik, N., Kiraz, E., & Ozden, M. Y. (2012). The optimum blend: Affordances and challenges of blended learning for students. Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry, 3(3), 102-117.
Geta, M., & Olango, M. (2016). The impact of blended learning in developing students’ writing skills: Hawassa University in focus. African Educational Research Journal, 4(2), 49-68. http://www.netjournals.org/aer_index.html
Gibson, D., Broadley, T., & Downie, J. (2017). Blended learning in a converged model of university transformation. Blended learning for quality higher education: Selected case studies on implementation from Asia-Pacific, 235-263.
Glazer, F. S. (Ed.). (2023). Blended learning: Across the disciplines, across the academy. Taylor and Francis.
Graham, C. R. (2011). Theoretical considerations for understanding technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). Computers and education, 52(3), 800-810. http://doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2011.04.010.
Graham, C. R. (2013). Emerging practice and research in blended learning. In Handbook of Distance Education. Routledge.
Green, B., & Bigum, C. (2003). Literacy education and the new technologies: Hypermedia or media hype? In G. Bull & M. Anstey (Eds), The Literacy Lexicon (pp. 209–224). Frenchs Forest, Nsw, Pearson Education Australia.
Hamari, J., Koivisto, J., & Sarsa, H. (2014). Does gamification work? – A literature review of empirical studies on gamification. In Proceedings of the 47th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 6-9, Hawaii, USA.
Heirdsfield, A., Walker, S., Tambyah, M., & Beutel, D. (2011). Blackboard as an online learning environment: What do teacher education students and staff think? Australian Journal of Teacher Education. 36, 71.
Hodges, C. B., Moore, S., Lockee, B. B., Trust, T., & Bond, A. (2020). The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. Educause Review, 27. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning
Howlett, D., Vincent, T., Watson, G., Owens, E., Webb, R., Gainsborough, N., & Vincent, R. (2011). Blending online techniques with traditional face to face teaching methods to deliver final year undergraduate radiology learning content. European Journal of Radiology, 78(3), 334341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrad.2009.07.028.
Khan, A. I., Shaik, M. S., Ali, A. M., & Bebi, C. V. (2012). Study of blended learning process in education context. International Journal of Modern Education and Computer Science, 4(9), 23. http://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2012.09.03
Krasnova, T. (2015). A paradigm shift: Blended learning integration in Russian higher education. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 166, 399-403. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.12.543
Kumar, A., Krishnamurthi, R., Bhatia, S., Kaushik, K., Ahuja, N. J., Nayyar, A., & Masud, M. (2021). Blended learning tools and practices: A comprehensive analysis. IEEE Access, 9, 85151-85197.
Li, Z., Tsai, M. H., Tao, J., & Lorentz, C. (2014). Switching to blended learning: The impact on students’ academic performance. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 4(3), 245. https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v4n3p245
Lim, D. H., & Morris, M. L. (2009). Learner and instructional factors influencing learning outcomes within a blended learning environment. Journal of Educational Technology and Society, 12(4), 282-293. https://www.jstor.org/stable/jeductechsoci.12.4.282
Lin, Y., Wang, X., Hao, F., Wang, L., & Huang, C. (2022). Effective knowledge dissemination modeling and regulation in blended learning networks. IEEE Transactions on Computational Social Systems,5, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1109/TCSS.2022.3213076
López-Pérez, M. V., Pérez-López, M. C., & Rodríguez-Ariza, L. (2011). Blended learning in higher education: Students’ perceptions and their relation to outcomes. Computers and Education, 56(3), 818-826. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2010.10.023
Means, B., Bakia, M., & Murphy, R. (2014). Learning online: What research tells us about whether, when, and how. Routledge.
Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., & Jones, K. (2009). Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning: A meta-analysis and review of online learning studies. U.S. Department of Education. http://repository.alt.ac.uk/id/eprint/629
Mitchell, P., & Forer, P. (2010). Blended learning: The perceptions of first-year geography students. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 34(1), 77-89.
Nicol, D. J., & Macfarlane‐Dick, D. (2006). Formative assessment and self‐regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 199-218. http://doi.org/10.1080/03075070600572090
Oliver, M., & Trigwell, K. (2005). Can ‘blended learning’be redeemed? E-learning Digit. Saga Journals.2(1),17–26. https://doi.org/10.2304/elea.2005.2.1.17
Othman, I. W., Tshung, F. C. C., Salam, S. N., Mohd, M. K., Shah, S. M., & Yusoff, M. S. (2023). Revitalizing The Educational Landscape Post-Pandemic: An In-Depth Analysis of Challenges and Issues In Teaching And Learning. Psychology, 8(52), 553-587.
Owston, R., York, D., & Murtha, S. (2013). Student perceptions and achievement in a university blended learning strategic initiative. The Internet and Higher Education, 18, 38-46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2012.12.003
Pachisia, J. (2022). The concept of blended learning mode. International Journal of Home Science, 8(1), 74-81.
Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom. John Wiley and Sons.
Pandita, D., & Kumar, V. R. (2023). Online teaching and its impact on self-monitoring of faculty members: learnings for the future from a pandemic. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 13(4), 682-696.
Picciano, A. G. (2016). Blended learning: Research perspectives. Routledge.
Picciano, A. G. (2017). Theories and frameworks for online education: Seeking an integrated model. Online Learning, 21(3), 166-190.
Plass, J. L., Homer, B. D., & Kinzer, C. K. (2015). Foundations of game-based learning. Educational Psychologist, 50(4), 258-283. http://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2015.1122533
Puentedura, R. R. (2006). Transformation, technology, and education. Education and Information Technologies, 11(2), 101-108.
Qasem, A. A. A., & Nathappa, V. (2016). Teachers’ perception towards ICT integration: professional development through blended learning. Main Issues of Pedagogy and Psychology, 4(2), 20-26.
Rahman, N. A., & Sahibuddin, S. (2010). Social interaction in e-learning: an overview Information Technology (ITSim). International Symposium on Information Technology IEEE,1, 1–4.
Rahman, N. A., Arifin, N., Manaf, M., Ahmad, M., Zin, N. M., & Jamaludin, M. (2020). Students’ perception in blended learning among science and technology cluster students. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series,1496(1),012012. http://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1496/1/012012
Raman, A., & Rathakrishnan, M. (2019). Blended Learning in Higher Education 4.0: A Brief Review. Redesigning Higher Education Initiatives for Industry 4.0, 70-84.
Ranieri, M., Giampaolo, M., & Bruni, I. (2019). Exploring educators’ professional learning ecologies in a blended learning environment. British Journal of Educational Technology, 50(4), 1673-1686. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12793
Rudestam, K. E., & Schoenholtz-Read, J. (2009). Handbook of online learning. Sage Publications.
Sanchez, M.C. (2017). Increasing the effectiveness of educational technologies with the use of machine learning methods (Doctoral dissertation). Purdue University ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
Sari, F. M., & Wahyudin, A. Y. (2019). Undergraduate students’ perceptions toward blended learning through instagram in English for business class. International Journal of Language Education, 3(1), 64-73. http://dx.doi.org/10.26858/ijole.v1i1.7064
Selwyn, N. (2011). Schools and schooling in the digital age: A critical analysis. Routledge.
Selwyn, N. (2017). Education and technology: Key issues and debates. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Siemens, G., & Baker, R. S. (2012). Learning analytics and educational data mining: Towards communication and collaboration. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge, 252-254.
Siemens, G., & Long, P. (2011). Penetrating the fog: Analytics in learning and education. Educause Review, 46(5), 30-32. http://www.educause.edu
Sorbie, J. (2015). Exploring teacher perceptions of blended learning (Doctoral dissertation). Walden University.
Staker, H., & Horn, M. B. (2012). Classifying K-12 blended learning. Innosight Institute.
Stavredes, T. (2011). Effective online teaching: Foundations and strategies for student success. John Wiley and Sons.
Tayebinik, M., & Puteh, M. (2012). Sense of community: how important is this quality in blended courses. Proceeding of the International Conference on Education and Management Innovation, Singapore.
Tene, O., & Polonetsky, J. (2013). Privacy in the age of big data: A time for big decisions. Stanford Law Review Online, 66, 63.
Torrisi-Steele, G. (2011). Blended learning primer. In Encyclopedia of information communication technologies and adult education integration (521-538). IGI Global.
Tseng, H., & Walsh, E. J. (2016). Blended vs. traditional course delivery: Comparing students’ motivation, learning outcomes, and preferences. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 17(1), 43-52.
Tucker, B. (2012). The flipped classroom. Education Next, 12(1), 82-83. https://www.educationnext.org/the-flipped-classroom/
Van Laer, S., & Elen, J. (2017). In search of attributes that support self-regulation in blended learning environments. Education and Information Technologies, 22, 1395-1454. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-016-9505-x
Vaughn, H. L., Loeffler, T. A., & De Smet, C. M. (2017). Redesign of a large lecture course into a small blended course. Educational Technology Research and Development, 65(1), 203-217.
Wanner, T., & Palmer, E. (2015). Personalising learning: Exploring student and teacher perceptions about flexible learning and assessment in a flipped university course. Computer Education. 88, 354–69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.07.008
Warschauer, M. (2003). Technology and social inclusion: Rethinking the digital divide. MIT Press.
Watson, J., Murin, A., Vashaw, L., Gemin, B., & Rapp, C. (2013). Keeping Pace with K-12 Online and Blended Learning: An Annual Review of Policy and Practice. 10 Year Anniversary Issue. Evergreen Education Group.
Wiley, D., Bliss, T. J., & McEwen, M. (2014). Open Educational Resources: A Review of the Literature. In Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology, 781-789. Springer.
Young, J. R. (2002). Hybrid teaching seeks to end the divide between traditional and online instruction. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 48(28), A33-A34.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Kahengoda Mudiyanselage Niranga Thanuja Bandara, Balasooriya Pathiranage Ajith Jayaweera
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
