Describing Blended Learning Learning

The study of information literacy and blended learning (BL) is still in its infancy, and the corpus

of knowledge that is currently available is made up of case studies and modest action-based

research projects. If implemented according to the best standards, blended learning has the

potential of greater scores on summative examinations and lower demands on physical space and

instructor time. Best practices for blended learning include putting a lot of time and effort into

redesigning courses and working closely with faculty instructors and the library to do so.

(Mccue, 2014)

In contrast to information literacy, the definition of blended learning is currently being

developed. The variety of operational definitions for the term "Blended Learning" is now one of

the key challenges to appraising blended learning research. These definitions range from a

standard face-to-face (FtF) class with some extra online quizzes and materials provided through

a learning management system (such as Moodle) to classes conducted almost entirely online with

little to no face-to-face interaction (Graham, 2012).

Compared to fully online or face-to-face programs, blended learning typically results in higher

ratings on summative and formative evaluations (Means et al., 2010). Unfortunately, a meta

analysis cannot establish causality due to the nature of the underlying studies. Instead than being

due to the delivery medium, some of the benefits of blended learning are likely due to

"differences in content, pedagogy, and learning time" (Means, Yoyama, Murphy, Bakia, &

Jones, 2010, p. xv).

Any meta analysis of blended learning studies makes it challenging to draw firm conclusions

because the same label is given to such disparate pedagogies. However, research shows that

compared to entirely online or face-to-face classrooms, mixed learning typically results in higher

marks on summative and formative evaluations (Means et al., 2010). Unfortunately, a meta

analysis cannot establish causality due to the nature of the underlying studies. Instead than being

due to the delivery medium, some of the benefits of blended learning are likely due to

"differences in content, pedagogy, and learning time" (Means, Yoyama, Murphy, Bakia, &

Jones, 2010, p. xv).

Education systems worldwide have drastically improved alongside contemporary technologies.

Electronic learning, or e-learning, enhances learner performance and capacities by giving them

more control over the time, speed, and techniques of their education through a variety of

software programs.

While formal assessments show that blended learning classrooms generally perform better, the

majority of research cannot draw any firm conclusions or even offer strong suspicions regarding

the direction of causality. For instance, Guidry (2010) discovered a positive link between

students who use internet technologies in their learning and higher scores on conventional

student engagement measures, but no causal direction could be established due to the way the

study was set up.

Through the use of multi-access, those who are geographically far from the venue holding the

class or who are unable to make the short trip there can take part on an equal basis. Although it

may not always result in better scores, this creates learning possibilities that weren't previously
possible. Fewer hours of classroom teaching have been recognized as being more flexible by

some pupils (Dziuban et al., 2004).