Mirror Mirror on the Wall, Is Blended Instruction the Best of All? Students’ Perceptions of Blending Face-to-Face and Online Instruction

摘要

According to Ayala (2009), blended learning is “the purposeful integration of traditional (i.e., face-to-face) and online learning in order to provide educational opportunities that maximize the benefits of each platform and thus more effectively facilitate student learning. The purpose of this study was to explore students’ perceptions of taking courses that utilized a blended instruction approach. Study participants consisted of 36 undergraduate students enrolled in teacher education programs. There were 18 seniors, 12 juniors, and 6 sophomores. For all 36 participants, this was their first blended course. Their perceptions were attained through a survey that compared instruction delivered online to those presented face-to-face. The categories addressed included student learning, course objectives, instructor involvement, media elements, overall learning experience, and advantages. The survey measured if both online and face-to-face instruction were effective in the blended courses, as well as to ascertain advantages over courses offered purely online or face-to-face.