Effectiveness of the blended design of a first-year biology course
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21589647 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Angelique Kritzinger (0000-0003-3037-7637, University of Pretoria, corresponding author), Juan-Claude Lemmens (0000-0002-4373-2354, University of Pretoria), Marietjie Potgieter (0000-0002-8617-7178, University of Pretoria) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue | 12 |
| Pages | 2025-2043 |
| Publication date | 2021-08-13 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Science Education, Part B (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2154-8455 • E-ISSN: 2154-8463 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/09500693.2021.1950942 |
| OpenAlex | W3181419802 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 32 |
Growing class sizes and the rapid advancement of information technology have prompted institutions to implement blended learning in their academic offering. There are few reports in the literature on a holistic assessment of the effectiveness of the instructional design of blended learning courses for large classes. We defined effectiveness from a pedagogical and outcomes perspective and interrogated the design of a large first-year biology course with the aim of optimising the blend to benefit all students, but specifically the at-risk and ‘murky middle’ (MM) students. This was achieved by investigating patterns of student engagement with learning opportunities over time and its relationship with performance. The results show that participation in face-to-face tutorial classes was the stronger predictor of student success followed by online formative assessments. Students did not engage meaningfully with optional activities, such as virtual classrooms and pre-reading for lectures, and their engagement with compulsory learning opportunities declined during the semester, with the MM slipping towards those at risk of failing. We conclude that students need carefully chosen compulsory activities that are complementary in design and purpose, while optional activities are best suited for enrichment purposes
Blended Learning · Educational technology · Formative assessment · Instructional design · Mathematics education · Medical education · Student engagement · Computer Science · Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods · Innovative Teaching Methods · Medicine · Online and Blended Learning · Psychology
Blended learning
Eta squared and partial eta squared as measures of effect size in educational research
How to Select, Calculate, and Interpret Effect Sizes
Online formative assessment in higher education
Peer Instruction
Class Attendance in College
Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics
Quantitative and Qualitative Research
Informing Pedagogical Action
| Highly cited | No |
|---|