Fostering student engagement in blended courses: A qualitative study at the graduate level in a business faculty

Abstract

Blended courses, which combine face-to-face and online learning experiences, are showing substantial growth in higher education. Such a course modality has also been identified in the literature as a favorable ground for increasing student engagement and accordingly, diverse learning outcomes. Although the importance of the instructor's role in a blended course is recognized in the literature, little research has studied instructional strategies in this course modality, particularly in relation to student engagement. This qualitative case study explores the instructional strategies that foster student engagement in graduate level blended courses in a business faculty. Semi-structured interviews of eight instructors were conducted, and information gathered was complemented by content analysis of the course plans and web portals. The findings revealed three categories of engagement strategies in blended courses: socio-affective, design and organization. Interestingly, most instructors emphasize one of these categories more than the others, in relation with a focus on emotional, cognitive or behavioral engagement of students. Several engagement strategies will be detailed and illustrated for each category, both in online and face-to-face learning experiences, in relation to the dimensions of student engagement. Particularities of engagement strategies in blended courses will also be discussed with respect to the literature.