Implementation Of Blended Learning Research Articles

Examining the feasibility of assisted index case testing for HIV case-finding: a qualitative analysis of barriers and facilitators to implementation in Malawi

BackgroundAssisted index case testing (ICT), in which health care workers take an active role in referring at-risk contacts of people living with HIV for HIV testing services, has been widely recognized as an evidence-based intervention with high potential to increase status awareness in people living with HIV. While the available evidence from eastern and southern Africa suggests that assisted ICT can be an effective, efficient, cost-effective, acceptable, and low-risk strategy to implement in the region, it reveals that feasibility barriers to implementation exist. This study aims to inform the design of implementation strategies to mitigate these feasibility barriers by examining “assisting” health care workers’ experiences of how barriers manifest throughout the assisted ICT process, as well as their perceptions of potential opportunities to facilitate feasibility.MethodsIn-depth interviews were conducted with 26 lay health care workers delivering assisted ICT in Malawian health facilities. Interviews explored health care workers’ experiences counseling index clients and tracing these clients’ contacts, aiming to inform development of a blended learning implementation package. Transcripts were inductively analyzed using Dedoose coding software to identify and describe key factors influencing feasibility of assisted ICT. Analysis included multiple rounds of coding and iteration with the data collection team.ResultsParticipants reported a variety of barriers to feasibility of assisted index case testing implementation, including sensitivities around discussing ICT with clients, privacy concerns, limited time for assisted index case testing amid high workloads, poor quality contact information, and logistical obstacles to tracing. Participants also reported several health care worker characteristics that facilitate feasibility (knowledge, interpersonal skills, non-stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors, and a sense of purpose), as well as identified process improvements with the potential to mitigate barriers.ConclusionsMaximizing assisted ICT’s potential to increase status awareness in people living with HIV requires equipping health care workers with effective training and support to address and overcome the many feasibility barriers that they face in implementation. Findings demonstrate the need for, as well as inform the development of, implementation strategies to mitigate barriers and promote facilitators to feasibility of assisted ICT.Trial registrationNCT05343390. Date of registration: April 25, 2022.

Blended Learning in EFL Classrooms at a Vietnamese University from Students’ Perspectives

Blended Learning in EFL Classrooms at a Vietnamese University from Students’ Perspectives

A Process for Institutional Adoption and Diffusion of Blended Learning in Higher Education

AbstractBlended learning has emerged as a prominent feature in higher education over the past decade, aiming to enhance students’ learning experiences and improve outcomes. It has been adopted at various levels within universities, with an increasing trend of institutional adoption. Despite its prevalence, scholars have expressed concerns about our limited understanding of blended learning beyond small-scale and individual applications. Drawing on Rogers’ diffusion of innovations theory, this case study explores the intricate process of adoption and implementation of blended learning within a university. Semi-structured, one-on-one interviews were conducted with 24 lecturers and six university executives involved in a university-wide initiative for blended learning. The interviews were analysed using a thematic pattern matching technique. In addition, a variety of relevant university documents were gathered and analysed using a content analysis method. Results reveal that despite some hesitancies among lecturers, the process of adoption of blended learning was supported by a well-justified strategy, investment in infrastructure, and provision of continued lecturer support. Viewing these results through the lens of Roger’s stage model highlights a lack of a proper ‘matching’ stage, reflecting a failure to engage lecturers in adoption decision-making and incorporate their feedback into the blended learning strategy.

Enhancing Educational Practices during a Pandemic: Examining Teachers' Journey with Blended Learning in Rural High Schools

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and institutions all over the world utilised blended learning during the mandatory lockdowns that were imposed by their respective governments. This acted as a spur for educational reform. This study investigated teachers’ experiences with the implementation of blended learning in rural high schools during the COVID-19 era in one educational district in South Africa. The social constructivism theory served as the theoretical lens for this study. This study employed the qualitative case study design. Purposeful and convenience sampling were used to select participants for the study. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using a thematic analysis approach. This study found that teachers perceived blended learning as easy to use, simple, user-friendly, straightforward to navigate, and offering creative modes of instruction. This study further found that teachers developed a positive perception of blended learning and its potential use in teaching and learning in the post-COVID-19 era, as blended learning promoted students’ independence and engagement in the teaching-learning process. However, the participants also experienced challenges, such as a lack of pedagogical knowledge on the use of blended learning, in their respective subjects, connectivity issues, electricity cuts, and network and internet issues. This study suggests that schools implement blended learning in the post-COVID-19 era to evaluate its impact on the teaching and learning process.

Blended learning with digital didactics in higher education

The article presents blended learning organization at the university during digital transformation of education, which poses new educational challenges. The purpose of the study is to describe implementation of blended learning «Flipped classroom» with digital didactics principles at the university. The research gives the analysis of foreign and Russian researchers on the issues of blended learning. The relevance of the research is in using of blended learning technology in higher education with digital didactics, which is due to the weak organizational and didactics support of the educational process. The article presents the author’s definition of «Blended learning» concept. The scientific novelty of the research is due to the author’s definition of «Blended learning» technology and in the implementation of blended learning into the educational process with digital didactics for a teacher and for administration of an educational organization. The principles of digital didactics are analysed from the point of view of their expediency. The choice of blended learning technology «Flipped classroom» for the educational process at the university is justified. The algorithm of integration of blended learning with digital didactics at the university for a teacher and for the university administration is described.

USING BLENDI APPROACH TO IMPROVE THE EFL STUDENTS’ LANGUAGE SKILLS

Modern education system in most countries is built on providing equal education opportunities to all people, regardless of their capabilities and limitations. Hence, most higher education institutions have realized that preserving past learning and teaching practices does not meet the needs of a 21st century student. Many universities and colleges today use online and/or blended learning for most courses they offer. The aim of this article is to discuss the implementation of blended learning for inclusion in teaching English as a foreign language in one of the universities in Oman. This study also looks at how the BLENDI method affects various language components and whether it can help EFL students improve their language skills.

Challenges faced by teachers of postgraduate health professions blended learning programs: a qualitative analysis

IntroductionBlended learning, which integrates classroom face-to-face teaching with both asynchronous and synchronous online learning elements, has swiftly gained acceptance in educational environments. However, the implementation of blended learning presents challenges that impact all stakeholders, necessitating thoughtful consideration. Teachers play a central role in shaping the instructional experience among these stakeholders. To fully realize the potential of comprehensive blended learning, it is imperative to identify the challenges faced by these teachers and develop strategies that sensibly address and overcome them.MethodologyA qualitative exploratory study was conducted with twelve teachers involved in the postgraduate blended learning health professions program at Khyber Medical University, Peshawar in 2022. One-on-one semi-structured Interviews were conducted via WhatsApp/ZOOM, transcribed by Otter AI, coded on NVivo & analyzed using Braun/Clarke’s Thematic Analysis.ResultsThree themes of challenges faced by teachers of postgraduate blended learning programs were constructed namely (1) Skills, such as (i) digital, (ii) instructional, and (iii) online class management, and (2) Administrative barriers in terms of (iv) resources (iv) training, and (3) Faculty resistance.ConclusionThis study provides profound insights into the daunting challenges that postgraduate blended learning program teachers encounter in terms of skills, administrative barriers, and faculty resistance. These findings offer a valuable opportunity for program directors to identify the critical requirements of these faculties in their pursuit of effective teaching and learning, ultimately transforming the landscape of blended education. This study emphasizes the need for ongoing faculty development and institutional support to address the identified challenges and improve the quality of postgraduate blended-learning programs.

Blended learning in rural K‐12 education: Stakeholder dynamics and recommendations

AbstractBackgroundWith the growing integration of technology in education, the adoption of blended learning (b‐learning) has gained attention. B‐learning combines traditional classroom teaching with online components, holding potential to enhance student outcomes and educational efficiency. Yet, current research predominantly concentrates on higher education institutions in urban areas, creating a void in understanding its impact on K‐12 education, particularly in rural settings.ObjectivesThis qualitative study aims to propose recommendations for successful implementation of blended learning in rural K‐12 areas by addressing the key stakeholders influencing its adoption and identifying the main factors affecting its success.MethodsWe performed a content analysis of grey literature documents detailing the implementation of b‐learning in K‐12 education. Additionally, interviews with crucial stakeholders such as teachers, principals, and experts in rural schools in South America provide insights into the challenges and prospects of b‐learning adoption in these contexts.Results and ConclusionsThe study identifies pivotal stakeholders for effective b‐learning implementation, outlining their roles and addressing challenges inherent in rural settings. Recommendations for enhancing b‐learning's implementation in developing countries are also proposed. The research underscores the significance of involving diverse stakeholders such as governmental bodies, school leaders, educators, students, and families to ensure a holistic and efficient approach to blended learning.

Scrunitizing Social Presence of In-Service EFL Teachers’ Instruction in The Enactment Of Blended Learning

Technology utilization learning is gaining popularity especially when online learning is conducted during and after the worldwide pandemic. Many studies have examined blended learning as an effort to integrate online learning and face-to-face learning which has an impact on increasing student engagement, improving learning outcomes, and providing a more flexible and personalized educational experience. However, the results of previous research also reported that the application of online learning has minimal interaction, thus leading to less meaningful learning. To respond to these problems, this study aims to investigate perceptions about the application of social presence in English teaching in the implementation of blended learning. The results of this study show that quantitatively English teachers have applied 3 important aspects of social presence, of which 59.82% agreed with teaching activities based on affective categories. Followed by the second position, which strongly agrees with 39.50% and disagrees with the application as much as 0.69%. In the Open Communication category, as many as 62.37% of English teachers also agreed with the implementation of this activity, 34.72% strongly agreed, and as many as 3% expressed disapproval. Meanwhile, on the concept of group cohesion, as many as 64.63% agreed, and 35.37% strongly agreed with this concept.

English first additional language teachers’ attitudes on using e-learning in rural schools in the Vhembe East district in the Limpopo province

The teaching of English First Additional Language (EFAL) in South Africa is gradually changing from the traditional style because of the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts are being made to stimulate learners’ interest in learning which include using information communication technology (ICT) in the form of e-learning to enhance understanding. The outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was a major challenge as it compelled teachers to engage in online teaching – even those who were never trained in the use of technology. A qualitative research method in the form of semi-structured interviews was used to collect data from 15 EFAL teachers who were purposefully selected on the basis that they used e-learning to supplement their face-to-face teaching. I found that the integration of e-learning to the traditional physical contact style was essential in improving the teaching of EFAL. The majority of participants, however, highlighted that they still encountered challenges related to heavy workload and efforts to complete items listed in the work programme. Inadequate training of teachers on e-learning, a lack of resources and poor connectivity also acted as barriers to the full implementation of blended learning, which considerably improves learners’ performance.

A blended learning using contextual teaching learning: strengthening nursing students’ procedural knowledge and interprofessional collaboration

Introduction:The level of knowledge about the types of teaching instruction through blended learning in nursing education is still lacking. This study aims to develop blended learning using contextual learning and evaluate its effect on procedural knowledge and interprofessional collaboration. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted from January to March 2022. The total participants were 96 students from one of the nursing departments in Indonesia, who were equally divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received a blended learning method with a combination of contextual learning for 400 minutes for four meetings. Meanwhile, 48 students in the control group received traditional blended learning. Mann-Whitney U test to compare between treatment and control groups. The instrument used to measure the interprofessional education variable was the Nurse–Physician Collaboration Scale and procedural knowledge was measured through a test of 25 multiple choice questions about procedural knowledge. Results: The implementation of blended learning based on contextual teaching significantly increased their procedural knowledge (pre M = 43.30 vs post M = 79.00), and interprofessional collaboration (pre M = 58.08 vs post M = 83.79) with p-value < 0.01. Conclusions: Blended learning using contextual learning was effective for increasing procedural knowledge and interprofessional collaboration in nursing students. The application of this instruction is highly recommended for nursing departments in higher education institutions as an effort to achieve qualified health workers for sustainable development and well-being.

DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS IN DETERMINING THE DIFFERENTIATING FACTORS OF BLENDED LEARNING SUCCESS IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Blended learning has become an increasingly popular approach in the educational field because it combines traditional/conventional learning with digital technology-based learning. However, the success of implementing blended learning in educational institutions can be influenced by various different factors depending on the characteristics of the educational institution. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the differentiating factors that influence the success of blended learning in educational institutions. The discriminant analysis method in this study was used to identify and determine the differentiating factors that distinguished the high success blended learning group from the low success group. Research data was collected from various educational institutions that have implemented blended learning in their curricula. The results of the analysis show that there are several significant differentiating factors between the high and low success groups in applying blended learning. Some of these factors include Implementation Standards and Guidelines, Infrastructure and Technology mastery, Learning Strategy, Human Resources, Learning Content and Learning Environment. This research makes an important contribution to the development of more effective blended learning implementation strategies in educational institutions. By understanding the differentiating factors that influence success, educational institutions can increase their efforts to create a conducive learning environment and improve the quality of student learning outcomes.

Resilience in the face of adversity: Exploring junior high learners’ perspectives and experiences of blended learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted education, revealing inadequacies and inequalities within the educational arena. This led to the emergence of blended learning as a necessary response, driven by integrating digital technology into teaching and learning. This paper explores the perspectives and experiences of junior high learners in the implementation of blended learning modality at a particular public high school institution in Eastern Visayas, Philippines. A qualitative approach using a single case study design was utilized, and the participants were selected using a purposive sampling procedure. Using Braun and Clarke’s thematic data analysis method, the study generated three themes regarding learners’ perspectives: the advantages of blended learning, limitations of blended learning for optimum learning, and ambivalent perceptions of learners towards blended learning. Moreover, five themes emerged regarding learners’ experiences of blended learning: affective issues in learning, distractive learning environment, time constraints as a learning barrier, internet connectivity issues, and challenges of quality education in blended learning implementation. As a result, school administrators, teachers, parents, and the entire academic community should strengthen their collaboration to promote and ensure the attainment of quality education in the blended learning setup. The results of this study can also assist future related research in knowing how blended learning modality can be better implemented.

Elementary School Teachers’ Insight to Rotation Models of Blended Learning

Blended learning, which is mostly used in higher education, is introduced to Elementary Schools teachers through teaching and learning English. This study aimed at exploring the teachers’ responses on their attitudes towards the implementation of blended learning as an interactional teaching and learning tool in English course. Observation, questionnaire, and interview were given to 24 elementary school teachers who are also students of English in Open University. The result showed around 45.8% of them have already had PC or laptop and only 8.2% really have problem in internet connection. Further, 50% of teachers stated that rotation blended learning is ease their teaching and learning.

Using blended learning with the help of google classroom and whatsapp in learning of solid substance physics

This study aims to determine the effect of using blended learning assisted by Google Classroom and WhatsApp on the cognitive abilities of students in solid-state physics lectures. This research is quantitative pre-experimental research with one group pretest-posttest design. The research sample was 30 students who were taken by probability sampling technique. Data was collected using tests and non-tests. The data analysis technique used is descriptive statistics. The results of the analysis showed that the student's cognitive abilities reached good criteria, with an average pretest score of 40.13 while students' cognitive abilities in the post-test were 71.17, with an average n-gain of 0.52. The results of student responses to the implementation of blended learning assisted by google classroom and Whatsapp most of the students gave a positive response, this can be seen from the acquisition of an average score of 73.30%.

THE EFFECT OF ASYNCHRONOUS BLENDED PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON THE CRITICAL THINKING ABILITIES OF UNDERGRADUATE MIDWIFERY STUDY PROGRAM STUDENTS

Asynchronous blended problem-based learning (ABLE-PBL) is a problem-based learning (PBL) learning innovation that can be used in midwifery educational institutions that have a limited number of teaching staff but still want to optimize the learning process and produce competent quality graduates by community needs. The research aims to determine the relationship between asynchronous blended problem-based learning and the critical thinking abilities of undergraduate Midwifery students at Muhammadiyah University of Sidoarjo. Quantitative research method using a cross-sectional approach. The research population was undergraduate midwifery students at Muhammadiyah University of Sidoarjo with a sample size of 37 students. The sampling technique used total sampling and data was analyzed using the Person Chi Square technique. The results of the research show that the implementation of asynchronous blended problem-based learning is categorized as good at 70.3%. Students' critical thinking abilities are in the high category, namely 67.7% and based on the Person Chi-Square test p-value <0.05. The research concludes that there is a relationship between asynchronous blended problem-based learning and the critical thinking abilities of undergraduate Midwifery study program students.

Differential Reactions of Urban and Rural Teachers to Blended Learning

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided an opportunity for implementing blended learning in Chinese secondary schools. However, teachers have encountered several problems and challenges with the new pedagogical paradigm. Therefore, this study aims to identify the factors influencing the implementation of blended learning in urban and rural secondary schools from the perspective of secondary school teachers and to examine the teachers' different responses to these factors. Interview data were collected from 13 secondary school teachers in Guangdong Province, China. The findings identify seven factors influencing the implementation of blended learning from the teachers' perspective, including blended learning curriculum design, teaching resources, teaching ability, teacher-student interactive behavior, teacher motivation, students' ability, and workload. The distinct differences between urban and rural teachers' responses to the aforementioned influential factors provide a reference for the government and schools to establish a moderating mechanism for blended learning implementation.

Attitudes and Perceptions of English as a Foreign Language Students on Blended Learning and Learner Autonomy in a Private University of China

Blended learning (BL) is becoming increasingly popular and a trend in higher education in the twenty-first century. The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes and perceptions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners toward the current implementation of BL and their learner autonomy (LA) development in a private university in China. It employed a qualitative case study, and the data was collected from five undergraduate students majoring in English through interviews, observations and reflective journals. Through thematic analysis of the data, the study concluded that EFL students at this university generally held negative attitudes toward the BL model and perceived the development of LA in this model as ineffective. Four themes related to the negative attitudes and perceptions emerged. First, a shortage of time was a common issue among students, and they felt mentally and physically overwhelmed by the blended tasks. Second, there was a lack of complementarity and integration between online and face-to-face instruction in the BL model. Third, students noted a lack of support and timely feedback from teachers in the online part of the BL model. Finally, more supervision was needed in terms of student characteristics. The findings have implications for future BL curriculum design and delivery, pedagogical adjustments and support for autonomous learning. More empirical studies focusing on the pedagogical design and the cultivation of EFL learners’ intrinsic motivation for autonomous English learning in the BL environment are essential to address the current situation.

Challenges in Implementation of Blended learning in online mode of Higher Education: An Empirical Study from Consumers' Perspective

Challenges in Implementation of Blended learning in online mode of Higher Education: An Empirical Study from Consumers' Perspective

Improving the quality of medical education throught the introduction of moodle system for the formation of terminological competence of medical students.

Aim is to analyze the possibilities of using the electronic system Moodle for the formation of professional and terminological competence of medical students during the study of terminological competence for improving the quality of medical education. Materials and Methods: The research used a number of scientific methods: general scientific (analysis, synthesis, generalization), specific research and others which ensured the selection and analysis of the source base, made it possible to determine the general trends in the study of the problem of using the electronic system Moodle for the formation of professional and terminological competence of medical students during the study of terminological competence for improving the quality of medical education. Conclusions: At I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University we actively use the e-learning system Moodle (Modular Object Oriented Distance Learning Environment), to which there is free and unrestricted access. Using this program, the student takes on the role of an active subject who independently acquires knowledge, forms his/her own system of skills, of course with the help of certain sources, and the role of the teacher in this scheme is to motivate and suport learners, prepare information sources used in self-study, etc. This is due to a significant increase in the requirements for quality training of future specialists n the medical field and market conditions in Ukraine, which set before the higher school the task of training specialists of the new generation who would be highly qualified, competitive, literate, and have perfect command of their professional terminology. The Moodle system is able to optimize the learning process, promote the formation of terminological competence and master professional vocabulary. When creating educational and methodological complexes for the formation of terminological competence, the means of teaching, as well as the ways of presenting educational material and the principles of organizing the educational activities of students become important. The electronic platform Moodle, which has a wide range of resources for teaching and testing, is able to expand the communicative competencies and skills of students needed to effectively master professional Latin terminology. The Moodle system has the optimal set of resource opportunities for the implementation of blended learning - classroom and extracurricular, which is its main advantage.