Developing an appropriate design of blended learning with web-enabled self-regulated learning to enhance students' learning and thoughts regarding online learning

Abstract

The vocational schools in Taiwan regard professional certifications as a badge of skills achievement. The teaching in this context usually focuses on how to help students enhance their professional skills and pass the certificate examinations, particularly for computing courses. However, due to national education policy, pure online courses are not permitted here and in some other nations. In order to provide an appropriate design and arrangement of blended learning (BL) courses, the authors redesigned a course, integrating web-enabled self-regulated learning (SRL) with variations in online class frequency, and explored their effects on enhancing students' skills of deploying database management system (DBMS) and their thoughts regarding blended course and interventions concerning SRL. Three class sections with a total of 112 students were taken as three distinct groups. The results indicated that students in the group of SRL and BL with five online classes had the highest grades for using DBMS among the three groups, and had very positive thoughts regarding the interventions concerning BL and SRL. The authors also provide suggestions and implications for teachers and schools to adopt innovative teaching methods and technologies, and redesign their courses to help students learn.