Institutional Adoption of Blended Learning: Analysis of an Initiative in Action

Abstract

This instrumental case study explored some preliminary impacts of a 7-year blended learning initiative (BLI) at a medium sized Canadian university on student learning. Building on the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, two research questions directed the investigation: (1) What are the preliminary impacts of a BLI on student learning? (2) What are the actual lived experiences of students, professors, and administrators in a university-wide BLI? Preliminary impacts reveal that student retention appears to be greater in blended courses as opposed to traditional ones, and no significant differences were observed for student grades in the campus-wide roster of courses. Both students and instructors shared that an intentional synergy of in-class instructional practices and online activities added value to a course and had a positive impact on student learning. The viewpoints of the three key stakeholders were very different concerning themes such as motivating factors and mechanisms for support; these themes need to be taken into account and weighted carefully.