Blended E-learning Environment Research Articles

Undergraduate Nursing Students Endorse Education Standards in Blended e-Learning Theory Teaching during COVID-19 Pandemic

Aim: The aim of this study was to survey student learning perspectives as measured by ‘student satisfaction’ following the rapid introduction of remote blended e-learning into the existing undergraduate nursing curriculum at Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia. Background: National legislation resulting from the spread of Covid-19 required all theoretical and practical nurse training to move immediately to online provision using an unfamiliar e-learning environment and associated tools. Objective: The objective of this study was to use a validated satisfaction questionnaire developed elsewhere, but within a similar educational context involving both theoretical and practical components, for the purpose of checking that educational objectives were being satisfactorily achieved across five relevant domains of educational enquiry, and to use survey findings to improve the online delivery of the nursing program in future academic years. Methods: A validated 35 item questionnaire was circulated online to all male and female nursing students in their 2nd, 3rd and 4th years of study. The questionnaire content was subdivided into the five domains of ‘Interaction’, ‘Instruction’, ‘Instructor’, ‘Course Management’ and ‘Technology’. Descriptive and comparative statistics were used to compare levels of satisfaction between genders and among undergraduate years of study, and against findings from undergraduate information technology undergraduates. Results: 199 female and 84 male students completed the questionnaire (response rate 59.2%). Mean satisfaction scores for male and female nursing undergraduates were significantly greater than 3 (neutral score) in all domains of enquiry, indicating good satisfaction with blended e-learning (p<0.001). However, multivariate regressions of domain satisfaction scores taking gender and year of study as explanatory variables had poor resolving power. Domain scores were also significantly greater than those of a comparator study in three of the five domains (p<0.030) and similar in the domains of course management (p=0.717) and technology (p=0.677). Levels of satisfaction in males and females were similar in 80% of the survey questions, but in females, satisfaction was significantly lower in some questions concerning technology (p<0.003), willingness to interrupt the instructor (p=0.021), comparison of blended learning and face-to-face teaching (p=0.002) and timely feedback on tests and assignments (p=0.031). Fourth-year students showed the highest levels of satisfaction across all five domains. Conclusion: Undergraduate nursing students reported above-average satisfaction levels across all five domains of education provision. Despite an unfamiliar blended e-learning curriculum environment, they demonstrated compatible technological skills, satisfactory interaction with teachers and other students and engagement in the learning process. A number of recommendations identified in the literature as underlying a successful program of blended e-learning are recorded for the benefit of readers.

Understanding Teacher's Perspectives in Media Literacy Education as an Empowerment Instrument of Blended Learning in Early Childhood Classroom

Understanding Teacher's Perspectives in Media Literacy Education as an Empowerment Instrument of Blended Learning in Early Childhood Classroom

A case study of blended e-learning in Thailand

Purpose This case study aims to analyze and compare the learning achievements of two groups of university students taught by: traditional face-to-face learning (TDL) and blended e-learning (BEL). To the best of the authors’ knowledge no previous study of the use of BEL in the context of Thailand has addressed the same purpose as this study. It is expected that the findings from this study will suggest areas for additional research and will be of interest to researchers and professional educators, especially those involved in the development and use of BEL systems. Design/methodology/approach This case study compares two groups of undergraduate students who completed a course designed to develop skills in using productivity software at a university in Thailand. After establishing the groups, one group learned in a BEL environment and the other in a TDL environment. In particular, the online training and assessment software application SIMnet was used in the BEL environment. Comparisons between results using BEL and TDL are made for different assessment results. Additional analyses of results for the BEL group examined gender differences and correlations between the number of attempts made on assessments and the levels of achievement. Findings The findings indicated that for all of the assessments, the BEL group had a better performance than the TDL group. For the BEL group, additional analyses found no significant differences between the achievements of males and females and significant correlations between the numbers of attempts made on assessments and the results. Limitations of this case study are discussed, and the findings are expected to be of interest to researchers and professional educators, especially those involved in the development and use of BEL. Research limitations/implications Learning content was restricted to the Excel spreadsheet in which different areas of content need to be studied. The software SIMnet was used by the BEL group, additional BEL software needs to be studied. The participants’ characteristics – age, gender, culture and computer competency – were narrow scoped in which the study could include more varieties and also a larger sample size. Further studies should be designed to include more comparisons such a comparison between TDL group males and females. Originality/value The findings from this limited case study suggest that a BEL learning environment is superior to a TDL environment. Also, a BEL environment is equally beneficial for male and female students. In particular, the BEL feature, which allows students to retake assessments, leads to improved learning performance equally for both males and females. In general, these findings support those reported in previous studies.

Examining Factors Influencing Technical-Vocational University Students’ Learning Effectiveness of English Proficiency Development in a Blended e-Learning Environment

Based upon the perspective of social cognitive theory, this study develops a conceptual framework that examines the antecedents of technical-vocational university students’ active participation and learning effectiveness of English proficiency development in a blended e-learning (BEL) environment. A BEL system was employed to support technical-vocational university students’ English proficiency development. The research model is tested using a questionnaire survey of 298 participants. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the reliability and validity of the measurements. The partial least squares method was used to validate the measurement and hypotheses. The empirical results indicate that e-learning self-efficacy, social influence and BEL system characteristics are the primary antecedents of students’ active participation in a BEL environment. The results also show that e-learning self-efficacy, student active participation and BEL system characteristics saliently affect technical-vocational university students’ learning effectiveness of English proficiency development. The findings signify that technical-vocational university students show positive incline towards the active participation in BEL for English as a foreign language (EFL) courses and exposed a possible benefit of English proficiency development from its use in the long run. The results can not only proffer instrumental suggestions for the critical research issue of e-learning, but also may serve as instrumental guidelines for a BEL environment to be effective implemented with care to avoid the risk to weaken student’s interests and activations in English proficiency development in BEL.

An Empirical Study of College Students’ Learning Satisfaction and Continuance Intention to Stick with a Blended e-Learning Environment

Based upon the expectation-confirmation theory (ECT), this study propose a theoretical model that examines the impacts of the critical antecedents on college student English learning satisfaction and continuance intention to stick with a blended e-learning environment. The model was validated using a questionnaire survey of 313 college students. The researchers applied the partial least squares (PLS) method to validate the measurement properties and proposed hypotheses of the proposed research model. The findings indicate that, in general, college students are satisfactory with and show positive continuance intention to stick with the blended e-learning system for their English learning. Our results can provide insight for the practices regarding planning and implementing a blended e-learning system to improve college students’ learning satisfaction and facilitate their continuance intention to stick with a BEL environment.

Development of Learning Outcome Based E-Portfolio Model Emphasizing on Cognitive Skills in Pedagogical Blended E-Learning Environment for Undergraduate Students at Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University

Abstract This research aims to develop the learning outcome based e-portfolio model that emphasizes cognitive skills in pedagogical blended e-learning environment. The model was developed based on the survey of 360 students, and the interview from 3 administrators and 12 instructors at Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. Then, it was tested by 36 undergraduate students at Faculty of Education. Analysis of repeated measures ANOVA indicated that there was statistical difference at .05 level of significant. Then, the model was approved by the experts. Accordingly, the results showed that the model should consist of 6 elements along with 8 steps.

Increasing English Communicative Competence through Online English Conversation Blended e-Learning

 Abstract—In the field of increasing communicative competence in ESL (English as a Second Language) studies, practice with native speakers of English is ideal, but it is typically impractical for a variety of reasons in a University setting in Japan. However, for some commercial English conversation services have been used successfully by Japanese businesses in preparing staff for working in English speaking environments. This paper outlines the initial results of a university in Nagasaki making use of a similar service as part of an ESL course in a blended e-learning format. The course required students to make appointments with the service staff at times mutually convenient. The service consisted of one 25-minute lesson per one or two days. Initial observations by teaching staff noted increasingly high average levels of communicative competence in the pilot course students, and formal interviews confirmed this. Furthermore, resulting overall English grades were found to correlate closer to time spent conversing in English online than to student initial pre-course scores. A survey of the pilot course students was taken and the results are outlined in the paper. Student feedback uncovered a wide variety of problems ranging from lesson booking logistics, personal teacher preferences, and connection (Skype) problems; however, most comments were very positive regarding how they enjoyed speaking in this blended e-learning environment. Increased motivation and a sense of making progress in being able to communicate better and with increased confidence in English were also commonly cited.

A constructivist approach in a blended e-learning environment for statistics

In this study, we report on the students' evaluation of a self-constructed constructivist e-learning environment for statistics, the compendium platform (CP). The system was built to endorse deeper learning with the incorporation of statistical reproducibility and peer review practices. The deployment of the CP, with interactive workshops and group assignments, immerses students in a novel blended e-learning experience. Based on the Delone and McLean framework, we tested an explanatory success model with a sample of 607 business students, collected during three consecutive academic years. The results indicate that system quality and teacher support are the most important success factors, directly or indirectly contributing to a higher degree of relative advantage and satisfaction, both of which strongly determine continuous intention to use. The findings ascertain the usability and acceptance of the CP and promote a more radical constructivist approach to the teaching of statistics, but also other subjects.

블렌디드 이러닝(Blended e-learning)환경에서 간호대학생의 내재동기, 이러닝 학습전략이 학습만족도에 미치는 영향

블렌디드 이러닝(Blended e-learning)환경에서 간호대학생의 내재동기, 이러닝 학습전략이 학습만족도에 미치는 영향

Investigating the Students’ Attitudes towards Using the Best Practices in English Listening in the Blended E-Learning Environment at Al-Quds Open University

هذه الدراسة عبارة عن بحث إجرائي نفذ خلال تدريس مقرر مهارات الاستماع في اللغة الانجليزية في جامعة القدس المفتوحة، وقد هدفت الدراسة الى استطلاع اتجاهات الطلاب حول التدريب المكثف الذي تلقوه أثناء تدريسهم للمقرر المشار إليه، وهو أحد المقررات التي تعطى لطلبة السنة الثانية في تخصص اللغة الإنجليزية، وذلك في الفصل الدراسي الثاني للعام الدراسي 2011/2012 . وقد صمم المقرر للمرة الأولى على نمط التعليم الاكتروني المدمج الذي يضم اللقاءات الوجاهية والافتراضية، وكانت المواد المستخدمة في المقرر أيضا مزيجا من الكتب والأقراص المدمجة والفيديوهات، إضافة إلى العديد من المواد الالكترونية التي حملت على صفحة المقرر الاكترونية عبر نظام المودل. ولقد شمل المقرر ايضا تدريب الطلاب على استخدام الاستراتيجيات الاساسية في التدريب على مهارة الاستماع . وشملت العينة الدراسية (74) طالبا من فرع رام الله و(18) طالبا من فرع دورا. وتكونت أدوات الدراسة من استبانة صممت للطلاب لأخذ آرائهم واتجاهاتهم بالإضافة إلى تدوين الطلاب أسبوعيا لملاحظاتهم حول المقرر والتدريب المرافق له في مفكراتهم الخاصة التي يعطونها للمدرس، وكذلك الملاحظات الصفية التي يرصدها المدرس بدوره. وبناء على تحليل المعلومات التي جمعت من خلال أدوات الدراسة اتضح أن اتجاهات الطلاب حول التجربة كان ايجابيا، وبناء على نتائج الدراسة استخلصت النتائج وقدمت التوصيات المناسبة.

The impact of blended e-learning on undergraduate academic essay writing in English (L2)

This paper describes a quasi-experimental study into the impact of a blended e-learning environment on academic writing assignments in English (L2) at a Thai international college. An experimental group of 15 students used an on-line bulletin board, as well as face-to-face (F2F) communication in class, to share information for essay topics they were preparing. The control group of 15 students, constituted from two smaller classes, used only F2F for the same task. The experimental and control groups were then compared on three variables for each of the three essays they wrote: number of references used; word count; essay score. The research hypothesis was that the use of the bulletin board would compensate for the larger class size of the experimental group and result in no difference in performance between the two groups. Results indicated that the experimental group had higher means on six of the nine outcomes, though these were not statistically significant, suggesting that the bulletin board may have more than compensated for the larger class size. The discussion includes consideration of how better control over the experimental conditions might lead to greater leverage of an on-line bulletin board as part of a blended learning environment.

A study of student satisfaction in a blended e-learning system environment

This study proposes a research model that examines the determinants of student learning satisfaction in a blended e-learning system (BELS) environment, based on social cognitive theory. The research model is tested using a questionnaire survey of 212 participants. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to test the reliability and validity of the measurements. The partial least squares (PLS) method was used to validate the measurement and hypotheses. The empirical findings indicate that computer self-efficacy, performance expectations, system functionality, content feature, interaction, and learning climate are the primary determinants of student learning satisfaction with BELS. The results also show that learning climate and performance expectations significantly affect learning satisfaction. Computer self-efficacy, system functionality, content feature and interaction significantly affect performance expectations. Interaction has a significant effect on learning climate. The findings provide insight into those factors that are likely significant antecedents for planning and implementing a blended e-learning system to enhance student learning satisfaction.

LIVELMS: A Blended e-Learning Environment

LIVELMS: A Blended e-Learning Environment