A Blended learning framework.

Negin Mirriahi, Dennis Alonzo, & Bob Fox. (2015). A Blended learning framework. Research in Learning Technology, 23.

The context of this report is higher education, but the issues described and the framework proposed are relevant for adult settlement language training programs. The authors claim that students’ demand for flexibility in learning and the affordances of technology have led to the rise of blended learning in the higher education sector. They cite three key challenges to its popularity. The first challenge is that academics often do not have the confidence or skill in using online technology. This low digital fluency limits integration of technology and impedes more effective learning. The second challenge is the notion that blended learning has not been well-defined and often isn’t used in a consistent way across an institution. They cite inconsistencies such as course design, teaching approaches, percent of face-to-face versus online time, the purpose of blending, and the role of technology. The third issue they address is the lack of standards-based tools available to both guide and evaluate blended learning course design. The authors present a standards-based framework to address these issues.

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