Creating meaningful blended learning experiences in a South African higher education classroom: an action inquiry
| dc.contributor.advisor | Wilkinson, A. C. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Van Tonder, S. P. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Nel, Elizabeth | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2015-09-10T09:38:24Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2015-09-10T09:38:24Z | |
| dc.date.copyright | 2005-12 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2005-12 | |
| dc.date.submitted | 2005-12 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: The overall aim of this study was to establish guidelines for creating meaningful blended learning experiences in a South African higher education classroom at undergraduate level, and specifically in the context of the University of the Free State (UFS). Blended learning in this study refers to the combination of face-to-face and online modes of educational delivery as applied in the field of Information Technology (IT). For “meaningful learning” to take place, the focus is placed on inter-related dimensions which have to be addressed, such as the pedagogical, the ethical, the interface design and the evaluation dimensions. The significance of the research lies with the possible benefits the blended learning mode offers the institution and its community (students and facilitators), as well as the possibilities for improving educational practice in similar contexts. In order to address the above issues and simultaneously improve her own practice, the researcher embarked on an action research project. This study has already stretched over two full cycles of inquiry and the perspectives gained in this period are utilised in discussions on the (re-)planning of a third research cycle of plan, act, observe and reflect. The data collection methods employed were mainly qualitative in nature. Most of the information was gathered by means of comprehensive online feedback by the students while student profile questionnaires provided a basic understanding of the diversity of the students involved. The researcher also kept a detailed research diary/journal during both cycles. As part of the action inquiry, an inter-institutional web-based questionnaire survey was conducted. The aim was to get experienced practitioners in the field of blended/online-learning to evaluate some of the learning principles for blended learning which had been identified in the study. The research findings are presented in the format of five articles: In Article 1 the focus is on the research design and methodology employed in search of effective online collaboration in the blended learning mode at the University of the Free State. It includes a brief overview of the nature and underlying assumptions of collaborative learning; an indication of the potential benefits of online collaborative work; and a discussion of and reflection on the two completed research cycles of the action inquiry. 200 In Article 2 it is demonstrated how the incorporation of student feedback can be utilised in the enhancement of online collaborative activities. The large amount of data gathered from the students' reflections were analysed by means of a SWOT analysis. Through this analysis it has become clear that involving students as “co-researchers” in the reflective process of an action inquiry project holds numerous benefits for the practice of university teaching. In Article 3 the theory on online and blended learning is discussed against the background of the researcher’s experience as facilitator and action researcher in a blended learning environment. The use and value of the research diary/journal as valid data collection method is illustrated and it is shown how the researcher’s growing understanding of practice has led to the development of important learning principles for blended learning in the specific context. The intention in Article 4 is to illustrate how an existing process planning model was effectively adapted and applied during the re-planning phase for the third cycle of inquiry. The final deliverable in this process is a set of action plans for future collaborative learning that could help to make the student learning experience in the blended learning environment more effective and meaningful. Finally, in Article 5 the findings of the inter-institutional opinion survey are presented and analysed. The researcher also makes use of various “agreed upon” learning principles to develop a preliminary framework for meaningful blended learning which could serve as a springboard for further investigation. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrkaans: Die oorkoepelende doel van hierdie studie was die daarstelling van riglyne vir betekenisvolle gemengde leer (“blended learning”) in ‘n Suid-Afrikaanse hoëronderwysklaskamer op voorgraadse vlak, en spesifiek in die konteks van die Universiteit van die Vrystaat (UV). In hierdie studie verwys “gemengde leer” na die kombinasie van kontak- en aanlynonderrig soos toegepas in die veld van Inligtingstegnologie (IT). Met “betekenisvolle leer” word die klem geplaas op onderling verwante dimensies wat aangespreek moet word om sodanige leer by studente te laat plaasvind, bv. die pedagogiese, die etiese, die koppelvlakontwerp- (“interface design”) en die evalueringsdimensie. Die belang van die navorsing lê in die moontlike voordele wat die gemengde leermodus die instelling en sy gemeenskap (studente en fasiliteerders) bied, sowel as die moontlikhede om onderrigpraktyke in soortgelyke omgewings te verbeter. Ten einde bogenoemde aspekte aan te spreek en terselfdertyd haar eie anbiedingspraktyk te verbeter, het die navorser ‘n aksienavorsingsprojek onderneem. Hierdie studie het tot dusver oor twee volledige ondersoeksiklusse gestrek en die perspektiewe wat gedurende hierdie tydperk ingewin is, word in die beplanningsfase van ‘n derde navorsingsiklus van beplanning, uitvoering, waarneming en reflektering aangewend. Daar is hoofsaaklik van kwalitatiewe metodes van data-insameling gebruik gemaak. Die meeste van die inligting het bestaan uit aanlynterugvoering deur studente, terwyl profielvraelyste die diversiteit van studente aangetoon het. Die navorser het ook ‘n volledige navorsingsdagboek/-joernaal tydens die twee siklusse van ondersoek gehou. As deel van die aksienavorsing is ‘n inter-institusionele webgebaseerde vraelysopname ook onderneem. Die doel hiermee was om ervare praktisyns in die veld van gemengde/aanlynleer te betrek by die evaluering van sommige van die leerbeginsels wat in die studie geïdentifiseer is. Die navorsingsbevindinge word in die vorm van vyf artikels aangebied: In Artikel 1 is die fokus op die navorsingsontwerp en - metodologie wat aangewend is in die ondersoek na effektiewe aanlynsamewerking (”online collaboration”) in die gemengde leermodus by die UV. Dit sluit in 'n kort oorsig van die aard en onderliggende aannames van gesamentlike leer; 'n aanduiding van die potensiële voordele van aanlynsamewerking; en 'n bespreking van en reflektering oor die twee voltooide navorsingsiklusse van die aksienavorsingsprojek. Opsomming 202 In Artikel 2 word aangedui hoe die inkorporering van studenteterugvoer aangewend kan word ter verbetering van aanlynsamewerking. Die groot hoeveelheid data wat d.m.v. die studente se reflekterings ingesamel is, word met behulp van 'n SWOT-ontleding voorgestel. Hierdie ontleding maak dit duidelik dat die betrokkenheid van studente as "mede-navorsers" in die reflekteringsproses van 'n aksieondersoekprojek veelvuldige voordele vir leerpraktyke op universiteitsvlak kan inhou. In Artikel 3 word die teorie van aanlyn- en gemengde leer teen die agtergrond van die navorser se ondervinding as fasiliteerder en aksienavorser in 'n gemengde leeromgewing bespreek. In hierdie artikel word veral die gebruik en waarde van 'n navorsingsdagboek/- joernaal as 'n geldige data-insamelingsmetode beskryf en word daar aangedui hoe die navorser se toenemende begrip van die praktyk tot die ontwikkeling van belangrike leerbeginsels vir gemengde leer in die spesifieke konteks gelei het. Die doel met Artikel 4 is om aan te dui hoe 'n bestaande prosesbeplanningsmodel effektief aangepas kan word en ook toegepas is tydens die herbeplanningsfase vir die derde siklus van die ondersoek. Die finale resultaat van hierdie proses is 'n stel aksieplanne vir toekomstige samewerkingsleer wat moontlik kan help om die studenteleerervaring in die gemengde leeromgewing meer effektief en betekenisvol te maak. Laastens, in Artikel 5 word die bevindinge van die inter-institusionele meningsopname aangebied en ontleed. Die navorser maak ook gebruik van verskeie "ooreengekome" leerbeginsels om 'n voorlopige raamwerk vir betekenisvolle gemengde leer te ontwikkel, wat as moontlike afspringplek vir verdere ondersoeke kan dien. | af |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/1214 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Undergraduate education | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Action research | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Research diary | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Blended learning | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | E-learning | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Collaborative learning | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Student feedback | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Education, Higher -- South Africa -- Computer-assisted instruction | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Educational technology | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Internet in higher education | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Thesis (Ph.D. (Higher Education Studies and Development))--University of the Free State, 2005 | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Creating meaningful blended learning experiences in a South African higher education classroom: an action inquiry | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |