Abstract
<p>The benefits promoted by the use of the blended-learning model in higher education have been well studied from a general point of view, but no conclusive results have been achieved so far. However, within the field of engineering, these researches are quite scarce and become even rarer in the case of researches trying to demonstrate whether the benefits of blended learning could be compared to those achieved by classroom education. Learning platforms allow us to incorporate rich learning resources, interactive tools that foster collaborative learning, student to student, student to professor and student-professor-student interactions. Learning platforms also give us the opportunity of incorporating tasks that allow students to check the progress of their own learning processes. This paper presents the results of a research carried out at theSchoolofTechnical Architectureof theUniversityofSevillewith students enrolled in the Materials Science course. The aim of this investigation was to compare students’ results when trained by means of traditional teaching and blended learning. In order to achieve our goal we followed a quasi-experimental, descriptive and correlational design applied to two non-equivalent groups. The results indicated that in the blended-learning model, the students had more academic success as compared to traditional teaching.</p>
Highlights
The need for European universities to adapt their degree courses to the requirements of the Bologna process as part of the construction of the Higher European Education Area (EHEA) means that both the institutions –as the bodies responsible for the process– and the teachers –as the instruments required to enact it– must make major changes, with regards to how to conceive the actual teaching and learning programs, but in the methods deployed to comply with the new requirements
Within the field of engineering, these researches are quite scarce and become even rarer in the case of researches trying to demonstrate whether the benefits of blended learning could be compared to those achieved by classroom education
This paper presents the results of a research carried out at the School of Technical Architecture of the University of Seville with students enrolled in the Materials Science course
Summary
The need for European universities to adapt their degree courses to the requirements of the Bologna process as part of the construction of the Higher European Education Area (EHEA) means that both the institutions –as the bodies responsible for the process– and the teachers –as the instruments required to enact it– must make major changes, with regards to how to conceive the actual teaching and learning programs, but in the methods deployed to comply with the new requirements It is worth highlighting the shift from a teacher-based style of learning to another more student-based approach, in which the students themselves become active participants in their own learning process, and are driven to acquire new responsibilities. Advantages: Blended learning allows physical and temporal delocalisation, the focus is set in the classroom, the fact of having these resources available increases flexibility in academic performance (Llamas-Nistal, Fernández-Iglesias, González-Tato & Mikic-Fonte, 2013; McKenzie, Perini, Rohlf, Toukhsati, Conduit & Sanson, 2013; Spanjers et al, 2015); the possibility of creating new spaces and scenarios for communication and interaction (Bower, Dalgarno, Kennedy, Lee & Kennedy, 2015; Cunningham, 2014; Yigit, Koyun, Yuksel, & Candaya, 2014); promoting an autonomous learning environment (Adileh, 2012; Dabbagh & Kitsantas, 2012; Georgsen & Lovstad, 2014; Yang, 2012); offering greater knowledge of the students’ work (Nizkodubov & Evseeva, 2015; Zacharis, 2015); improving students’ processes of reflection and creativity (Buran & Evseeva, 2015; Lee, Choi & Kim, 2013); increasing the student’s motivation (Güzer & Caner, 2014; Mora et al, 2012 ); helping to decrease the rate of school dropouts (Georgsen & Lovstad, 2014; McKenzie et al, 2013)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
