Enhancing Learning Through Technology: A Blended Learning Study in Higher Education

Abstract

Many studies have investigated holistic effects of implementing blended learning, but few studies have investigated the effects of individual blended learning elements on learning outcomes. This Master’s thesis examines how individual blended learning elements facilitated by technology can contribute to better learning in higher education. The research is conducted in the context of Copenhagen Business School in the academic year of 2017/2018. Biggs and Tang’s (2011) seven characteristics for a good learning context provide the theoretical framework underpinning this research. The research adopts a mixed methods design, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative data for assessing and explaining the effects of blended learning. Following a survey strategy, a questionnaire with Likert scales is distributed to CBS students, soliciting them on how the use of four blended learning elements have changed their Motivation, Learning with / through other students, the Feedback given to them, as well as their Active Engagement. The four elements are: Quiz, Online Exercises, Peer Assessments, and Videos. Through statistical significance tests it is with a 95% confidence level retained that all blended learning modalities have positive effects on the selected characteristics with relatively similar effect sizes. The specific capabilities and effects of the different modalities emerge more clearly from two interviews with blended learning experts and a focus group with students. This leads to the creation of several recommendations on how the individual blended learning modalities can contribute to a good learning context. For instance, both Motivation and Engagement are stated to be impacted positively when a Quiz is carried out in the offline rather than the online learning environment. On the other hand, it is addressed that the effect on an individual element depends on its integration with the rest of a course. The proposed recommendations are to some extent tentative due to a number of limitations relating to the sample collected (n=89) and principally the operationalization of the theoretical framework adopted. Thus, it is encouraged for stakeholders in blended learning to evaluate and investigate the findings further