From traditional to blended learning: A signals and systems course — First results

Abstract

This work presents the preliminary results of a switch from the traditional face-to-face teaching to the blended learning mode of the Signals and Systems course at PUC-Rio. This change in the way faculty teach to a mode where students learn with their professors was motivated by high rates of underachievements — classes have been showing high percentages of dropouts and of students who fail the tests/exams. Since this course is basic to many curricula, the performance of students is important. Blended learning was an extention of the technology enhanced learning that the university has been using for many years. Though the results presented in this work are from one term only, the authors believe this mode of learning-teaching will be accepted by the students and yield better results — students will get used to a new way of learning. When the results of more terms with blended learning are available, a statistical comparison of the grades in terms using the traditional face-to-face Signals and Systems course will be performed.