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Impact of Blended Mode of Learning - A Study on
Select Undergraduate Students |
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| Paper Id :
19890 Submission Date :
2023-08-05 Acceptance Date :
2023-08-22 Publication Date :
2023-08-25
This is an open-access research paper/article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. DOI:10.5281/zenodo.15109053 For verification of this paper, please visit on
http://www.socialresearchfoundation.com/remarking.php#8
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| Abstract |
The Covid Pandemic has brought about a significant shift in the teaching methodology used in the education industry through online classes using various digital platforms. Blended modes of education combine conventional student learning with teachers and virtual platforms, either in a self-paced environment or in real time. Both teachers and students have benefited from technological advancements brought about by online learning. Students have a promising future thanks to blended learning. The primary goal of the study is to gather student perceptions via a questionnaire. These responses will then be analyzed using statistical tools such as the chi-squared test to determine how comfortable students are with hybrid learning and the viewpoints of undergrads at colleges in the Garden Reach and Matiaburj localities. The results could help with better planning for the upcoming adoption of blended learning in the common demographic region. |
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| Keywords | Blended Modes, Online Study, Pandemic, College Students. | ||||||
| Introduction | College campuses have partially or fully resumed
in-person classes as the COVID-19 outbreak has subsided. During the 2020 - 2022
semesters, distance learning took over as the primary learning method. Due to
their phones and other distractions, many students found it difficult to focus on
their online lessons (Guijosa, 2019). According to one study, human connection
in a physical setting is a superior way for brains to learn than computer
screens (Eggers, 2020). However, other students have stated that they have
benefited from online learning, saying that the flexibility of class schedules
and recorded lectures were useful (Hess, 2021). However, colleges have chosen
to introduce a new method of instruction since some students are uncomfortable
attending large courses, and others are not yet ready to make the whole switch
to in-person instruction. This new approach to education, known as "hybrid
learning," enables classes to be recorded for later viewing or streamed
live online for students to view from a distance. In a hybrid or blended learning
environment, the instructor instructs both in-person and virtually. Following
the epidemic, the majority of educational institutions now use hybrid or
blended learning. The new normal is this. There are blended modes of
functioning in both the workplace and in education. More students can take
advantage of the same resources thanks to blended teaching, which also
accommodates a wider range of students, including working adults, by offering
more scheduling flexibility for classes and courses. However, Sarno highlights
how remote learning could worsen educational disparities, especially for those
without access to digital devices or the internet. Furthermore, Lechner et al.
highlight how campus closures negatively affect students' stress levels, which
in turn causes them to drink more alcohol. The significance of self-discipline
in the context of blended teaching is highlighted by academic feedback on
decreased motivation, engagement, and interaction among particular students
attending online classes. When compared to traditional in-person classroom
lectures, there is ongoing discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of
these cutting-edge teaching strategies, although they have guaranteed
continuous education during the pandemic. For educational institutions, knowing
how blended teaching affects student performance is crucial because it helps
them make well-informed judgments about its efficacy and implementation. This
paper's primary goal is to provide a thorough evaluation of how blended
teaching affects undergraduate students' academic achievement. |
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| Objective of study | 1.To
investigate how students see blended educational methods. 4.To study how income levels of students are involved in blended educational methods |
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| Review of Literature | According to Miliszewska (2008), institutions use
essentially the same procedure when creating their blended education programs,
while some factors, such as learner characteristics, course type, and culture,
may change the components of the blended education technique. According to Qi
and Tian (2011), blended learning has four characteristics. These include: (i)
a combination of group and individual learning; (ii) synchronous and
asynchronous learning; (iii) self-paced and group-paced learning; and (iv) a
combination of formal and informal learning concerning the integration of
lifelong learning and/or the learning environment. Blended learning is "a
diverse and expanding area of design and inquiry that combines face-to-face and
online modalities," according to Halverson, Graham, Spring, and Drysdale
(2012). According to Spector (2013), blended learning is a relatively new
concept in higher education, even though it has already been used in several
open universities, most notably in the United States and the United Kingdom, as
e-learning. This is a brand-new phenomenon that has been adapted for the Indian
educational system. As per Linder (2017), effective pedagogies include using
technology to enhance learning activities and give quick feedback, optimizing
in-class time to maximize personal contacts, and encouraging active learning
through effective instructional design. By adapting instruction to students'
needs and taking advantage of the special opportunities presented by blended
learning, the goal can be accomplished. Numerous criticisms have been made of distance
learning and, more recently, blended learning, according to Raes et al. (2020).
Learning in some fields, including the sciences, combines classroom instruction
with practical exercises to instil knowledge and abilities. Since both
cognitive and social skills are necessary to meet life's obstacles and take
advantage of its possibilities, a well-rounded education should still instil
these abilities in students. Thus, the aforementioned criticisms cast doubt on blended
learning's capacity to meet learning objectives. Kerres (2020), in addition to
highlighting areas that universities should concentrate on in their
digitalization plan, states that the COVID-19 epidemic has necessitated the
expansion of the current infrastructure. Additionally, the digitization of the
education sector has been significantly hastened by this difficulty. It should
be noted, therefore, that the majority of colleges and universities lack the
necessary resources to manage the present shift toward entirely digital forms
of education, particularly blended learning. |
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| Main Text |
Hypothesis of the Study The following hypotheses can be formulated from the above objectives of the study:  Research Methodology This study is both empirical and exploratory. Primary data for analysis was collected through a close-ended questionnaire (through Google form). A convenient sampling method was mainly followed for collecting primary data. The sample size is 250. Undergraduate students in the areas of Garden Reach and Matiaburj were selected due to the same demographic profile. The respondents were BA, BSc, and BCom college students. Other literatures are collected through different articles, websites, and different electronic resources.  It is indicated from the above Table 2 that the number of
female students is higher than the male students in the case of BA and BSc. But
the reverse picture was seen in the case of the BCom course. Male students are
mainly giving importance in the Commerce stream for getting job at the
earliest. A reliability - validity test was performed to check the
consistency and reliability of the parameters.
Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficients were found satisfactory in all the
parameters (in between 0.710 to 0.800). A test of independence (Chi-Square test) was performed to
test all the hypotheses. The result of the analysis was depicted in Table 3. Table 3: Result of Pearson Chi-Square test on the Null Hypotheses
Interpretations of the above results, according to the
objectives, are given in Table 4.
Table 4: Interpretations of the Chi-Square outcomes (Hypotheses-wise)
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| Findings |
Out of the total sample size (250), 135 were male, and
the rest were female. All of them are undergraduate students of different
colleges in the Garden Reach and Matiaburj localities. |
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| Conclusion |
The teaching-learning process has also benefited
significantly from the pandemic. It has enabled distance education. Due to the
pandemic, which prevented teachers and students from seeing one another in
person, the teaching-learning process has taken a new turn since the advent of
online learning. With the help of smartphones, teachers and students were able to
interact virtually in a classroom setting. On the one hand, it appeared to be a
very positive picture and an excellent model that the scholars believed would
shape India's future. From the analysis and interpretations, it can be
concluded that the blended modes of study create a positive impact on the
undergraduate students of the selected demographic areas. In contrast to the
traditional learning strategy, blended learning has been demonstrated to be
effective in a variety of learning ways, both in non-formal and
cross-disciplinary contexts. It may also provide a range of opportunities for
those with time and space constraints. |
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| Limitation of the Study | In this study, only 250 samples were taken, so a larger number of samples can give a better insight of the study. The questionnaire was circulated through a google form, no personal interviews were conducted, which could have added various dimensions to the study. Here, only two localities were taken due to same demographic culture and background, so if the span of the work can be extended then result will be more vibrant | ||||||
| References |
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