Page 21 - BLENDED LEARNING

Unfortunately the study does not specify how these elements are integrated, or
the percentage of time spent on each. It does, however, detail the three factors that
were taken into consideration prior to designing the course which were: the fact that
students prefer face-to-face classes to online learning; the programme’s focus was
to teach listening and speaking; and that in addition to English, students needed to
learn ICT.

Is blended learning effective?
Two of the reasons for employing a blended approach that are given above are
improved learning effectiveness and cost effectiveness, but how effective really is
blended learning? And in what ways is it effective? According to Dewar and Whittington
(2004: 5) there is a good deal less literature on the effectiveness of blended learning
than there is defining it and suggesting how to implement it. They state that ‘There is
some anecdotal evidence about how well participants liked blended learning and many
articles outlining the costs saving associated with integrating technology. There is also
a growing literature base about the learning outcomes achieved through using various
types of technology. The biggest challenge is finding studies that specifically address
blended learning, as opposed to the use of technology alone.’

In the context of higher education, Dziuban et al. (2004: 5) found that their blended
learning courses had ‘the potential to increase student learning outcomes while
lowering attrition rates in comparison with equivalent fully online courses’ and that
blended learning results ‘in success and attrition rates [were] comparable to the
face-to-face modality for all ethnicities.’ A study conducted by Harker and Koutsantoni
(2005: 197) also found that ‘the blended learning mode was much more effective
in student retention’ than the distance learning mode on their English for Academic
Purposes (EAP) programme, ‘whilst students’ achievement levels were similar in both
groups’ as were their satisfaction rates.
A number of studies investigate learners’ attitudes towards blended learning.
Leakey and Ranchoux (2006: 367) found that ‘the students in large measure found
the blended CALL experience a positive and motivating one and tended towards
preferring [this approach] to the traditional classroom based learning.’ Brett’s (1996)
results showed ‘strongly favourable attitudes; that learners believed they could learn
effectively from multimedia and that it delivered a high quality independent learning
experience.’ Lin (2003: 1) also found that the majority of Taiwanese EFL learners
‘had a positive attitude towards the use of multimedia resources in their language
programme, appreciating, in particular, opportunities to practice and extend their
language abilities by surfing the internet, to take laboratory-based listening tests via a
test analyzer, and to record and save their own writing and to make use of multimedia
resources for developing their reading skills’.

In response to the question ‘Is the TELL [technology-enhanced language learning]
course an effective curricular design for achieving second language development?’
Adair-Hauck et al. (1999: 293) found that ‘after carefully monitoring and assessing
language skills in listening, speaking, writing and cultural knowledge, we recognise
that the TELL course was indeed effective in helping our students learn French.
Its strength in this particular instructional context appeared to be in writing and

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