Abstract:

Successful blended learning contexts engage students in highly interactive virtual learning environments through a mix of online and face-to-face teaching, learning and assessment modalities. This study explores the challenges and benefits of a holistic approach to digital learning for a modern university using both the TPACK model (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) and the Multimodal model (Picciano, 2009) as guides to explore student and faculty experiences of teaching and learning in a number of blended learning postgraduate programmes in an Irish university.

The themes identified included the need for curriculum flexibility, face-to-face interaction, course structure, induction and providing adequate support. Challenges arose due to information overload, time management issues, workload, and the ongoing need to provide training and support. Blended learning is endorsed as a strategy that helps to create a more integrated approach for both instructors and learners. What also emerged was that a holistic, seamless and well integrated blended learning approach using pedagogically appropriate models and more active learning, provided faculty the opportunity to engage students in a richer, deeper, and more meaningful context.

This study sets out to promote best practice in the use of digital technology in higher education and delineates that blended learning can be considered as an efficient approach to distance learning in terms of students’ learning experience where pedagogy transcends technology. The evidence would suggest that effective blended learning does not entail merely ‘toying with technology’ and adapting it into pre-existing courses where it may serve no pedagogical value. The relationship between content, pedagogy and technology is fundamental, thus, the implementation of powerful blended learning may necessitate changes in pedagogy and the relationship between students and educators.

Keywords:

Blended learning, virtual learning environment, lifelong learning, multimodal model, technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK).