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Student Transitions into Blended Learning Josephine Adekola, Vicki H.M. Dale & Kerr Gardiner, Learning & Teaching Centre

Student transitions into blended learning

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Page 1: Student transitions into blended learning

Student Transitions into Blended Learning

Josephine Adekola, Vicki H.M. Dale & Kerr Gardiner, Learning & Teaching Centre

Page 2: Student transitions into blended learning

OverviewQAA-funded Quality Enhancement project, 2014-2017Student, staff & institutional perspectives on transitions to blended learningExperiences of different student cohortsFocusing on:

• Expectations• Benefits• Challenges• Skills developed• Implications with reference to literature

Page 3: Student transitions into blended learning

Methods

Thematic analysis (Löfgren 2013 based on Alan Bryman’s (2008) approach):• Reading & annotating transcripts• Generating individual codes• Codes grouped into categories/themes

Data coded by both researchers

Pre-Honours Classical Civilisation

UG Home Course surveys

Research Methods

PG International Focus group

Page 4: Student transitions into blended learning

Definition of blended learning (BL)“At its simplest, blended learning is the thoughtful integration of classroom face-to-face learning experiences with online learning experiences … The real test of blended learning is the effective integration of the two main components (face-to-face and Internet technology) such that we are not just adding on to the existing dominant approach or method.”

(Garrison & Kanuka, 2004, p96-7)

Page 5: Student transitions into blended learning

Learner expectations

Generic Home UG students International PG students

• Ease of contact with teachers

• ‘No expectations’

• Everything to be online (like Open University)

• Accessible

• Easy to use

• ICT will be part of the learning experience

• Culturally different pedagogy

Page 6: Student transitions into blended learning

Culturally different pedagogyIn China, … the teacher always gives us everything. And here maybe the difference is the teacher likes to encourage [us] to learn, so that's why the teachers here don't give you examples, just shows you a structure here. Yes, it's there, you just learn and it's employed by yourself … that's why I came to the UK. I like to learn something new here.

(International postgraduate student)Online learning is inevitableYeah, I think it's a new way. And I think this way is penetrating the education system, so we can't say no to the distance learning or the video. We can't say that, we have to accept it.

(International postgraduate student)

Ease of contact with teachers[I expected] All lectures and seminars to be online, but with the same ease of contact with lecturers.

(Home undergraduate student)

Accessibility & convenience[I expected] Classics [to be] brought to me in an accessible and convenient format.

(Home undergraduate student)

Page 7: Student transitions into blended learning

Literature: Learner expectations

Generic

• Expectation that e-learning was an expected and integral part of University experience and future career prospects (Concannon, Flynn, & Campbell, 2005); and to acquire:

o Knowledge and skills in the subject matter (subject knowledge)o Skills using the internet for scientific practice (digital literacies for learning)o Personal competence (self-regulated learning) o Flexibility in pace and choice of learning strategies (flexibility)o Easy and fast exchange of information and knowledge with peer students/instructor

(communication: knowledge)o A clear and organised structure of the course (structure) (Paechter et al., 2009).

Page 8: Student transitions into blended learning

Benefits of blended programmes

Generic Home UG students International PG students

• Flexibility• Convenience

• Flexibility• Avoids timetable

clashes• No travelling

• Made work easier to manage

• Easy to use

• All students participate

• Flexibility (pace, place)• Can review online

again & again – helps with ESL

• Easier to ask Qs online• Peer learning on forum• Active learning – can

retain information more effectively

• Encourages independent learning

• Saves (teachers) money

Page 9: Student transitions into blended learning

FlexibilityI don't have to go out, because in Scotland sometimes we have really bad weather sometimes. So I don't have to go out to the classroom to meet teachers, I can do it in my apartment or I can pick my own time to do it. So I put it into my schedule, in my timetable and pick up the best way to fit this.

… the big advantage for this, you can press the pause. Because if you don't understand it you press pause and then you go to Google or do some research. And that's the effective way to learn. And in a lecture you don't understand the teacher and then you've forgot what you prepared to ask.

(International postgraduate student)

All students participateEveryone contributes to seminar work rather than a few people doing all of the talking in a face to face seminar.

(Home undergraduate student)

Independent learningIt makes you become more independent … this course can encourage us more to do the research yourself and if you don't understand it you can ask about it with your tutor or with your classmate who has the previous experience about this course maybe.

(International postgraduate student)

Easy to useIt was easy to use and I did not feel I lost out by not having face-to-face learning.

(Home undergraduate student)

Page 10: Student transitions into blended learning

Literature: Benefits of blended programmesGeneric Home UG students International/ PG students

• Higher level of student engagement (Stacey & Gerbic, 2006).

• Increased student confidence in virtual team (Clark and Gibb, 2006; Dineen, 2005; Olson-Buchanan et al, 2007).

• Autonomy and responsibility – self-regulated learning (Smyth et al., 2012)

• Opportunity to reflect upon composed thoughts – making reflection a part of the learning process (Salmon, 2000).

• Access to resource o Extra readingo Source missed info.

(Concannon, Flynn, & Campbell, 2005).

• Resolves the problem of speed in conversation, accents therefore increases confidence (Stacey & Gerbic, 2006).

• Fewer language barriers – the need to only read and write – therefore more confidence in interaction (Ku and Lohr, 2003).

Page 11: Student transitions into blended learning

Challenges of blended programmesGeneric Home UG students International PG students

• Time management

• Lack of F2F contact• Sense of isolation• Perceived lack of

communication• Feedback not immediate

• Technical issues

• Video quality (sound, resolution)

• Lack of input from others in the group e.g. to online seminars

• Variable access to reading materials

• Assessment• Lack of clarity• Disliked reflective journal

• One semester too short to get used to online learning• Unless gone through GIC• Harder to learn new

concepts online• Harder to ask questions

online• Worrying about ‘losing face’

when asking questions online

• Didn’t come to UK to study ‘online’

• Teacher assumed prior knowledge

Page 12: Student transitions into blended learning

Lack of face-to-face contactSometimes I feel alone because I want to discuss with my friend when we are having classes. But when I'm just watching those computer screens I feel lonely and helpless!

(International postgraduate student)

Technical issuesAt first I think the video link is linked to YouTube, and I can click it on my Mac. But after two weeks the video link change and I can only open it on the university computers.

(International postgraduate student)

Lack of clarity about assessmentNot getting all the information about essays and deadlines as we should have done- hand in date for essay was changed to be the same as the face to face course and we had been informed it was later than it actually was.

(Home undergraduate student)

Page 13: Student transitions into blended learning

Didn’t come to UK to study onlineWhen Chinese people come to the UK, we try to feel the culture here, to try for the face-to-face communication, not just watch the online, or why come here?

(International postgraduate student)

One semester too short a time to adaptHe is more engaged in such a format of online course, I think partly because he's from GIC … We don't have enough time to adapt to the teaching methods here … we just have one year…

(International postgraduate student)

Time managementI have found it more difficult to motivate myself as it gets towards the end of the course and find myself focussing more on work I have to do for other [F2F] courses at the expense of Classics.

(Home undergraduate student)

Page 14: Student transitions into blended learning

Literature: Challenges of blended programmesGeneric Home UG students International PG students

• Invasion of personal time and space (Smyth et al., 2012)

• Difficulty adjusting to the structure of online courses

• Time management, self-motivation (Marino, 2000)

• Limited interactions and differences in learning preferences are likely to result in dropouts (Tinto 1975).

• Technical problems (Concannon, Flynn, & Campbell, 2005).

• Some cultural orientation towards learning (e.g. Malaysian students) makes education experience through BL difficult to grasp (Dzakiria et al., 2006).

• Language was mainly seen as a difficulty. Writing - worried about spelling and grammatical errors , used dictionaries and friends as proof readers (Thompson and Ku, 2005).

• Asian student are more comfortable with lecture-based learning as online learning is still a new concept to them (Ku and Lohr, 2003).

• Social and psychology barriers to technology (PG) (Cramphorn, 2004)

Page 15: Student transitions into blended learning

Skills developed

Home UG students International PG students

• Time management

• Digital literacies

• Communication• Ideas in writing rather than

verbally

• Readiness for online learning

• Research skills• Can apply what learned to other

work

• Social literacies• Learned it’s ok to ‘lose face’

e.g. when asking Qs

• Critical thinking• Accept knowledge is relative

rather then absolute

Page 16: Student transitions into blended learning

Readiness for online learningThis semester I was more prepared than last semester because I had done an online course before.

(Home undergraduate student)

Digital literaciesUsing different computer programmes has also expanded my knowledge.

(Home undergraduate student)

Time management[I] Have learned to motivate myself more and manage my time better

(Home undergraduate student)

Social literaciesI had an interesting experience, once I asked some questions and some other student told me the answers … and I started to learn. I feel stupid but I still continue to ask, I don't care.

(International postgraduate student)

Critical thinkingMaybe your answer isn't wrong because critical evaluation, because we're not doing the mathematics, we're doing management, you have so many answers, so it doesn't matter.

(International postgraduate student)

Page 17: Student transitions into blended learning

Transition aspect Specifics

Autonomy • Independent learning• Reflection

Ability • Social literacies• Digital literacies• Time management

Attitude • Experiences• Culture• Personal preferences

Access • Internet access• Device ownership/compatibility• Learning resources

Student transition requirements (for blended learning)

Technical

Transformational

Page 18: Student transitions into blended learning

Contribution to knowledgeo Additional perspective on students’ experiences

with blended learning

o Further insight into the differences in BL experiences by different student cohorts

o A framework to enhance understanding of the requirements needed for students to succeed online

o Developing new knowledge around skills developed in BL environment

Page 19: Student transitions into blended learning

Implications• Home/Undergraduates and

International/Postgraduates have some similar BL experiences

• BUT minor differences that can impact on transition and learning experiences

• International/PGs encounter an additional burden of transitions of acclimatising to UK HE, especially within shorter programmes of study

• Empowering students requires attention to access, attitude, and ability to attain autonomy required to succeed in a BL environment

Page 20: Student transitions into blended learning

QAA Scotland for project funding

Study participants from the University of Glasgow

Acknowledgements

Page 21: Student transitions into blended learning

ReferencesClark, D.N. and Gibb, J.L., 2006. Virtual team learning: An introductory study team exercise. Journal of Management Education, 30(6), pp.765-787.Concannon, F., Flynn, A. and Campbell, M., 2005. What campus‐based students think about the quality and benefits of e‐learning. British journal of

educational technology, 36(3), pp.501-512.Cramphorn, C., 2004. An evaluation of formal and underlying factors influencing student participation within e-learning web discussion forums. In Proceedings

of the Fourth International Conference on Networked Learning (pp. 417-423).Dineen, B.R., 2005. TeamXchange: A team project experience involving virtual teams and fluid team membership. Journal of Management Education, 29(4),

pp.593-616.Dzakiria, H., C.S. Mustafa, and H.A. Bakar, Moving forward with Blended Learning (BL) as a pedagogical alternative to traditional classroom learning.

Malaysian Online Journal of Instructional Technology (MOJIT), 2006. 3(1): p. 11-18.Garrison, D. R. and H. Kanuka (2004). Blended learning: Uncovering its transformative potential in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education 7(2):

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satisfaction. Computers & Education, 54(1), pp.222-229.Salmon, G., 2004. E-moderating: The key to teaching and learning online. Psychology PressSmyth, S., et al., Students' experiences of blended learning across a range of postgraduate programmes. Nurse education today, 2012. 32(4): p. 464-468.Stacey, E. and P. Gerbic, Teaching for Blended Learning, in Education for the 21st Century—Impact of ICT and Digital Resources. 2006, Springer. p. 225-234.Thomas, D.R., 2006. A general inductive approach for analyzing qualitative evaluation data. American Journal of evaluation, 27(2), pp.237-246.Thompson*, L. and Ku, H.Y., 2005. Chinese graduate students' experiences and attitudes toward online learning. Educational media international, 42(1),

pp.33-47.Tinto, V., 1975. Dropout from higher education: A theoretical synthesis of recent research. Review of educational research, 45(1), pp.89-125.