Blended learning in large enrolment courses: Student perceptions across four different instructional models

Abstract

Drawing on data from five large enrolment introductory courses in a public university, we compared students' perceptions of blended learning on design, interaction, learning, and satisfaction in four different blended models. The models, which were the result of a course redesign initiative, had different combinations of face-to-face lectures, online sessions, and small group tutorial classes. Our findings suggest that students perceived courses with fully online lectures and in-class tutorials most positively on design and overall satisfaction, while those enrolled in courses with in-class lectures and in-class tutorials, supplemented by online discussions, felt most positively about interaction. Students perceived learning in the former courses more favourably than the latter, however the differences were not statistically significant. The least preferred model overall was the one that had in-class lectures and tutorials that alternated weekly between in-class and online sessions.