Self‐determined blended learning: a case study of blended learning design

Abstract

Higher education has been actively encouraged to find more effective and flexible delivery models to provide all students with access to quality learning experiences yet also meet institutional imperatives for efficiency and accountability. Blended learning, commonly defined as an integration of traditional face‐to‐face and online approaches to instruction (Garrison & Kanuka, 2004; Graham, 2006; Macdonald, 2008), is now proposed as one solution that addresses both student learning and higher education organisational needs. Successful blended learning, however, is more than a simple integration of information and communication technologies with face‐to‐face approaches. This paper proposes, describes and evaluates a pedagogical approach to blended learning focused on learners and learning. First, we interrogate the literature related to blended learning to show how various constructions of blended learning may be driven by teacher‐centric or learner‐centric conceptions. Next, planning a learner‐centric blended learning design for a core unit in a first year higher education course is described. The design is then evaluated using a mixed methodology in which the students’ voices illuminate their experiences of blended learning unit design with regards to engagement, learning and self‐determination.

Keywords:

• blended learning
• course design
• higher education
• self‐determined learning
• unit planning

Acknowledgements

The research was conducted as part of a University of Southern Queensland Learning and Teaching Development Grant. The project, Enhancing Engagement in Student Learning, also involved Dr Joan Conway, Ms Mary‐Anne Fleming, Dr Robyn Henderson, Ms Susan Morgan, Ms Shauna Petersen and Mr Ron Pauley. The authors wish to acknowledge the contributions of all project team members towards the development of the interview and the data‐gathering process referred to in this paper, and extend thanks to team members Dr Robyn Henderson, Mr Ron Pauley and research assistant Christine Knight for their conduct of the interviews.