E-college Wales, a case study of blended learning

Norah Jones

his chapter explores the impact of blended learning on higher education, using a case study of the experiences of the University of Glamorgan (UoG in Wales. It locates UoG's experiences of blended learning in the context of both wider developments and appropriate research. It is clear that the practice of blended learning has outpaced the research, due, in part, to the rapid increase in technology. As a result, there is a paucity of research on blended learning from universities in the United Kingdom. This chapter contributes to closing this gap by providing evidence from one case study university.

Trends

The introduction of technology into learning and training programs is gaining momentum; for example, Pittinsky (2003), chairman of Blackboard, claims that 80 percent of the top universities in the United States will be offering e-learnine programs by the end of 2004. The e-Europe 2005 action plans, which have been adopted by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament, identif. e-learning as their top priority. The findings from the Chartered Institute of Per­sonnel and Development (CIPD) 2004 Training and Development survey revealed that the most significant growth areas in terms of training practices in the United Kingdom are coaching (51 percent increase) and e-learning (47 percent). Rossett

E-College Wales, a Case Study of Blended Learning

and Doughs (2004) report that " studies have shown that blending can help people to learn more, at greater speed" (p. 36).

Although more research is needed, there are many examples of successful blended learning solutions from the United States. DeLacey and Leonard (2002) found that Harvard Business School students learned more when online classes supplemented traditional face-to-face classes. In addition, they discovered that student interaction and satisfaction also improved. Thomson and NETg (2003) reported that blended learning had a greater impact on work performance than e-learning alone.

U.K. Developments

New developments in e-learning and increasingly sophisticated learning tech­nologies are making an impact on U.K. universities, partly in response to demands for greater efficiency and flexibility. As Inglis, Ling, andjoosten (2002) emphasize, " The key factor now driving change is technology.... In both education and train­ing there is a shift to offering greater flexibility in relation to time, place, pace, entry and exit" (p. 33).

A large number of early adopters of e-learning failed to attract and retain sufficient students to sustain their operations. Nonetheless, e-learning has been adopted across a number of U.K. universities. In fact, in 2000, the UK eUniversities Worldwide (UKeU) was formed by the government in order to co­ordinate higher education's Web-based courses and offer them globally. The gov­ernment provided a £ 62 million grant to set up the scheme. However, by 2003, the UKeU had attracted only nine hundred students against a target of five thou­sand, and in 2004 it was disbanded. Simply stated, the UKeU failed because of its emphasis on the technology at the cost of meeting learner expectations and needs. Sir Howard Newby, chief executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) (2004b), concluded, " In hindsight it was clear that online learning on its own was not as popular as predicted and there had been a number of e-learning failures by universities in the US. What students wanted was 'blended' learning where online materials were backed up by conventional teach­ing." In Scotland a blended learning model has been developed with greater success (Flynn, 2004).

Similarly in the training market in the United Kingdom, there is a move to blended learning solutions. Durbin (2004) emphasized, " Despite the hype, e-learning did not catch on, but now companies are realising they can be effi­cient by combining classroom training with e-learning" (p. 7). Balance Learn­ing (2003), in conjunction with Training Magazine, surveyed training officers

The Handbook of Blended Learning

responsible for almost 2 million U.K. employees in order to discover best prac­tices in e-learning. This survey revealed that over half of the 173 organizations in the study used blended learning. Balance Learning managing director Chris Horseman noted, " The data suggests that organisations appreciate the value of training and that 2004 will be a very busy year for training departments and training providers. Taking into account the planned increases and decreases, we calculate that training budgets overall will rise by 8.14 per cent. The great­est increases are forecast for the financial services and retail sectors. Of those who are increasing their budgets, 67 per cent plan to spend more on blended learning solutions (the combination of two or more learning methods), 53 per cent will spend more on e-learning, and 47 per cent will increase instructor-led training" (Balance Learning, 2004, p. 3).

In a recent funding call by HEFCE (2004a) inviting universities in England to bid for centers of excellence status in learning and teaching, eleven universities based their bids on blended learning solutions; there were no bids on e-learning alone. Another study by HEFCE (2004b) found that universities and colleges preferred a blended approach.

Initially e-learning was led by the technology rather by learning theories and pedagogies, but over the past two to three years, there has been a signifi­cant move to redress the balance by combining the best traditional teaching and e-learning models to create blending learning. It is important to note, how­ever, that there are strategic and operational issues to be considered when developing a blend that includes e-learning. Such key issues include the following:

• There is no doubt that online programs are expensive, especially in the devel­opment costs. Although it is argued that these costs diminish as larger numbers of students engage in the programs, this assumes stability in the course con­tent. Nonetheless, the starting costs may be prohibitive.

• Blended learning is gaining in popularity, but as yet there is insufficient research on the most effective blend in course designs.

• Blended learning that includes face-to-face elements is time and place limiting.

• Offering more choice in the blend of the learning experience may pose chal­lenges to the way universities are administered.

• There are challenges to the quality assurance processes. Do the various possi­ble blends of learning all meet the same learning outcomes?

• Technology may be problematic and have an impact on equal opportunities since not all students have access to a computer.

• While blended learning offers an opportunity for face-to-face meetings, not all students want this, and some would prefer the totally online program.

E-College Wales, a Case Study of Blended Learning

Definitional Complexities

There are definitional complexities and ambiguities surrounding such terms as e-learning and blended learning. From the outset, it is important to understand that the terms e-learning and blended learning are used in many different and frequently confusing ways. In the United Kingdom, the Department for Education and Skills (2004) suggests: " If someone is learning in a way that uses information and com­munication technologies, they are using eLearning" (p. 1). This definition includes any activity from the simple use of e-mail and PowerPoint presentations delivered on campus to sophisticated multimedia simulations for use in stand-alone study at any location in the world.

Initially the term blended learning tended to be used to describe the linkage between traditional classroom teaching and e-learning. More recently, blended learning programs represent a more diverse combining of a variety of approaches. For example, Rossett, Doughs, and Frazee (2003) defined blended learning as follows: " A blend is an integrated strategy for delivering on promises about learn­ing and performance. Blending involves a planned combination of approaches, such as coaching by a supervisor; participation in an online class; breakfast with colleagues; competency descriptions; reading on the beach; reference to a man­ual; collegial relationships; and participation in seminars, workshops, and online communities" (p. 1).

There have also been definitional complexities surrounding the idea of com­bining e-learning and traditional face-to-face learning including mixed model, clicks and mortar, blurred learning, hybrid models, and, more recently, blended learning. There is little wonder that Morrison (2003b) concludes, " I can't help reading 'blended learning' as 'we can't make up our mind learning.' We're not sure which type of learning to use so we'll use lots and hope that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" (p. 1).

Blending different approaches to learning is not a new idea; in business schools traditionally, a variety of pedagogical approaches have been used, for example, lectures, seminars, tutorials, case studies, role play, residential weekend courses, adventure training, and action learning groups. The difference now is that infor­mation technology and the development of virtual learning environments (VLEs) are used to support the learning process. In fact, these technology-rich environ­ments are making a major impact on our thinking about pedagogy and learning theory.

We need to be more aware of the use of the terminology surrounding virtual or online environments. For example, when we use the term blended learning, there is a danger of believing everyone shares the same understanding or definition of

The Handbook of Blended Learning

this term. As a result, research findings could be misleading due to confusion arising out of ambiguous terminology.

At the University of Glamorgan, we have adopted a continuum of e-learning that indicates the blend as the use of online medium increases from basic information and communication technology (IGT) use to intensive ICT use (see Figure 13.1).

At the basic ICT use end of the continuum is the blend of current practices plus a basic use of ICT, for example PowerPoint and Word documents. At the e-enhanced stage, current practice is supplemented with access to some online resources provided through the VLE (Blackboard) such as announcements and lecture notes on the Web. The next stage is e-focused, where the instructor might use discussion boards, online assessment tests, and interactive learning materials alongside some face-to-face delivery. The end of the continuum is the e-intensive stage, where modules or complete awards are delivered and moderated online but still may contain some face-to-face elements such as inductions.

The next section offers more specifics about how E-College Wales is using blended learning.

Local Designs

Wales is a country where a quarter of those of working age are not in paid em­ployment. Such high levels of inactivity have led to locally concentrated areas of unskilled people and destructive cycles of low expectations, disaffection, and

E-College Wales, a Case Study of Blended Learning

social exclusion. A large section of Wales has been designated as an Objec­tive One area by the European Union (EU); wtth ^**^^П> *»*£ _е ble for extra funding to stimulate economic growth. Thus m 2000 the University of Glamorgan, in collaboration wtth it. partnership of further education colleges in Wales, successfully bid to the European Sooju Fund^ for funding to develop entrepreneurial programs online across the Objective OneTreas^g_of Wales, " resulting in the E-College Wales (ECW) project. ECW is one of Europe's largest and most innovative online learning projects offer­ing an honors degree in enterprise, a master's degree in professional develop­ment available in both Welsh and English, a foundation degree m business administration, courses related to finance for nonfinancial managers, and an e-moderaticn course for developing teaching skills in an online environment. ECW was launched in 2000 and now has over eight hundred learners onhne. All courses have been popular and attracted many students who would not have enrolled in face-to-face programs at the university. The master s m professional development and the e-moderation courses are growing most rapidly indicat­ing that professional and training courses attract online learners. On the degree in enterprise, many learners dropped out at the end of the first year, stating that they did not want a degree but rather training in specific business areas (for example, how to write a business plan, marketing, and financial know-how). Our plans are to introduce smaller chunks of learning and training for these

small business owners.

The learner target group is diverse; we knew at the outset that many poten­tial online learners would be unlikely to pay for any new opportunity and would have few or no formal educational qualifications. Thus, as a result of EU funding, the courses and programs, mentioned previously, were offered free, and student. were loaned personal computers. We knew that motivation and retention wou d be two of the most crucial issues in delivering successful e-learnmg programs to these learners. The learner target group is made up of those least likely to par­ticipate in open and distance learning without motivation, incentive, and inten­sive local support. In UK. universities, in particular those with a widening access policy, retaining students is problematic. Student motivation and satisfacUon-with the online program are frequently given as reasons that a large number of students drop out (Alexander, 2001; Bonk, 2003).

Although we recognized that motivating, engaging, and retaining individuals would be the key to success in the implementation of e-learmng, our retention rate in the first year was low (50 percent). The students provided many reasons why they withdrew including personal issues, such as increased pressure of work, lack of time, illness, and lack of IT skills. There were also a number of course-specific reasons given for withdrawal, and these included technical problems, wrong course selection, and too much course work. Student responses to the

188 The Handbook of Blended Learning

e-learning environment ranged from enthusiastic to anxious. Statements were made regarding an initial fear of e-learning, concerns about not having facial and body language in communications, and difficulty in keeping track of the partici­pants. Some students mentioned feelings of isolation and the difficulty of con­versing with " strangers"; others disliked not having other students to chat with. Some of the students concluded that e-learning was the wrong mode of learn­ing for them. There was a general feeling that levels of dedication and motivation needed to be higher online than with traditional courses, and some students found it difficult to remain focused online. Overall, the two most significant factors for withdrawal were the course itself (as an entirely online course) and lack of support from course tutors.

At the start of the project, we had been advised to avoid face-to-face meet­ings, as this would discourage the creation of online communities. However, when we experienced high attrition rates (50 percent during the first cohort), we realized we needed to revise our model. As Rossett and Douglis (2004) noted, the progression from e-learning to blended learning has developed in an organic manner in order to resolve some of the difficulties associated with e-learning, such as high attrition rates. Mullich (2004) noted, " The dirty little secret of e-learning is that a lot of people who try a computer module or online class won't finish it" (p. 1).

According to Forrester Research (Schooley, 2002), 70 percent of those who start an e-learning course never complete it. The Open University's retention statistics for e-learning courses are around 50 percent completion (Tait & Mills. 2003). Such rates are especially noteworthy, given that the Open University is the largest provider of distance education in the U.K. Given the prevailing evidence that attrition rates from online learning programs are high, there u an incorrect impression that e-learning is ineffective. As a result, the develop­ment of blended learning is too often seen as a solution to the high attrition rates associated with e-learning, the genesis of which is reactive rather than proactive. In our case, we believe that rather than being reactive, we were proactive in meeting the needs of learners and online teachers. One such ex­ample is detailed below. We had developed this course as an online course even though the evolving model was blended learning. We now turn to the rationale for this change.

Induction

The Evaluation Report of ECW (2003) revealed that in the 2001 cohort, the ma­jority of students felt that the one-day induction had not prepared them well for the course. We have addressed this through providing a three-day induction

E-College Wales, a Case Study of Blended Learning

TABLE 13.1. STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF INDUCTION,

2001-2003.

Source: E-College Wales (2003).

program. The feedback from students has since been highly favorable, as seen in the analysis of students' responses (see Table 13.1) which provides evidence of improvement as a result of expanding the induction from one day to three days. The mean satisfaction ratings were assigned a letter from A (very satisfactory) to E (very unsatisfactory), based on a Likert-type questionnaire.

Mason (2003) emphasizes, " Face-to-face tutoring is less necessary the more advanced the learner, but also... the most vulnerable students—least confident or motivated—will benefit from face-to-face provision in terms of increased persistence and higher pass rates" (p. 93).

Our students in both postgraduate and undergraduate e-learning programs unanimously agreed that the face-to-face induction was instrumental in estab­lishing an initial level of socialization and reducing the personal anxieties they had held about their ability to undertake the program. They liked being able to put faces to names when they began the online activities. In addition, it helped to develop rapport and trust between the tutor and the students.

Garrison and Anderson (2003) note the benefit of an initial face-to-face meet­ing: " This can have an accelerating effect on establishing social presence and can shift the group dynamics more rapidly towards intellectually producing activities"

The Handbook of Blended Learning

TABLE 13.2. STUDENTS' POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS OF ONLINE LEARNING.