Short Review of What is Blended Learning

8/14/2019 Short Review of What is Blended Learning

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Blended learning has become the inevitable trend nowadays both in

companies and universities. The reason is its flexibility, convenience and

economic benefits.(Derntl & Motschnig-Pitrik, 2004; Rovai & Jordan, 2004)

Although it is a hot topic in research, the definition of Blended Learning is

still quite vague and open to everyone. (Driscoll, 2002; Garrison & Kanuka,

2004; Kerres & Witt, 2003)At the beginning, researchers describe the

blended learning as a combination of face-to-face learning and e-learning.

(Marsh, 2001; Garrison & Kanuka, 2004) To follow, the definition contains

more details. It states that blended learning mixes the multiple delivery

technologies (Kerres & Witt, 2003; Singh & Reed, 2001; Driscoll, 2002,

2003; Singh, 2003; Rosset2003; Rossett, Douglis, & Frazee, 2003;

Oliver2005; Oliver & Trighwell, 2005), the pedagogy (Driscoll, 2002; Kerres

& Witt, 2003; Rossett et al., 2003; Oliver & Trighwell, 2005) and the types of

content (Singh, 2003; Oliver & Trighwell, 2005). As the above-mentioned,

definition of blended learning contains more and more elements.

Besides, Osguthorpe & Graham (2003) discuss the problem in blended

learning of arranging the ratio of face-to-face learning and online learning.

Oliver (2005) refutes all arguments before his research and elaborates his

special viewpoints: the blended learning should design to construct the

variation of experiences of learners. He claims that the previously


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descriptions of blended learning only from a viewpoint of instructors but not

from learners.

Do more detailed explanations of blended learning help us clarify the

scope and content of blended learning or confuse everyone by several

meanings? The use of technology changes course design, the way of

learning and teaching and the environment. Nevertheless, the core of

blended learning should emphasize on improvement of efficiency of

teaching and learning.

After Moore states three types of interaction, most of the researches

only emphasize the content of interaction. Researchers define the word and

divide it into several categories. They are also static and qualitative

descriptions. However, there still are some perspectives not discussed yet.

Garrison (2005) says we need to study the nature of online interaction of

teaching and learning approaches. It implies that interaction is complex and

has to be investigated deeply.

Literatures will be reviewed by the following tips:

types of interaction and development

Moore (1989) labels three types of interaction which is as follow:


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Learner-content: this type of interaction is between learner and content

or subjects. Learners think about the content in the context or through

some media such as radio, broadcast or videotapes.

Learner-instructor: instructor plans for the teaching material, designs

courses for learner and organizes the evaluation. Then learner will interact

with instructor via these arrangements.

Learner-learner: this interaction is between one learner and other

learners. It could be one by one or by groups. The importance of this

interaction varies with the age and the style of learners. Students need

more learner-learner interaction than adults.

The first of three forms of interaction initially highlighted by Anderson

and Garrison (1998)adds another three forms of interaction :teacher-

contentcontent-contentteacher-teacher.

Hillman, Willis, Gunawardena(1994) declare the fourth interaction:

learner-interface interaction. The reasons are the learners experience of

using the technology will affect the motivation of learning. Also more

familiarization with operating the systems cause more concentration on

learning. In addition, they characterize there must be at least two objects

or two actions in the interaction. They suggest that interaction is a feature
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of effective instruction and it is too narrow when discussing interaction only

by types.

Wagner (1994) states the outcome of technology still depends on the

users skill. The well design instruction is the key to bring the effective

learning, not technology. Nevertheless, it is not appropriate to restrict the

interaction between actors and to exclude technology from interaction.

(Anderson, 2003;

There is another type of interaction: vicarious interaction. Vicarious

interaction is defined by Sutton (2000). It describes learner actively that

observes direct interaction between two other students or between other

students and instructor. This kind of interaction only refers to actor

(learner and instructor) but content.

The factor of interaction

There are three clusters of variables of interaction which are named

dialogue, structure and learner autonomy. (Moore, 1993)

Saba illustrates the other two factors: learner control and instructor control. An

increase of learner control will increase the rate of dialogue and consequently the

interaction increase. On the contrary, if instructors control increases then the structure

increases.


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Is every types of interaction independent or necessarily when

learning?

Garrison 2005 gives the point that sometimes students without

interaction also can present their knowledge cognitively.

Holmberg (1995) address a similar concept conversation.

Conversation refers to talk by oneself internally. Only through this

internalizing process that learner can acquire knowledge.

The foregoing researches which discuss the interaction are based on

the presumption that more interaction will bring more effective instruction.

However, there is seldom analysis of what the outcome is accompanied

with interaction, especially when learners change their concepts. In this

paper, we have a hypothesis that regardless of the types of interaction,

they purely and simply achieve learning conversation. Learning

conversation quoted from Harri-Augstein means learners construct a

dialogue themselves to reflect on some event or activity in the past.

Through this process it provides learner to reorganize and comprehend the

content. Technology can accelerate this process and different kind of

technology will lead different level of cognitive level of learner.


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How to measure the interaction?

The purpose of this research is to discover the difference cognitive levels of

learner after instruction with various technologies in blended environment.

The objectives are undergraduate students who have studied in college or

university for three years.

Taxonomy of educational objectives


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Thorne, K. (2003). Blended learning: How to integrate online and

traditional learning Kogan Page Publishers.

Wagner, E. D. (1994). In support of a functional definition of interaction.

American Journal of Distance Education, 8(2), 6-29.

Wheeler, S. (2007). The influence of communication technologies and

approaches to study on transactional distance in blended learning.

Research in Learning Technology, 15(2), 103-117.

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Short Review of What is Blended Learning