Flipped classrooms, a type of blended learning, have become very popular with high school teachers. An experimental study of Grade 12 biology students who had studied in a flipped classroom style of learning, were academically more successful than the students who studied in the traditional face-to-face learning environment (Kazu & Demirkol, 2014). Kazu and Demirkol (2014) suggest the results are due to “the fact that the students can get access to information in any place without being limited by boundaries or spaces with blended learning environment[s]” (p. 86). In a different study of flipped learning, Mattis (2015) wanted to compare flipped classroom instruction versus a traditional classroom and chose to specifically look at the use of instructional videos versus the traditional textbook instruction. The study results show that “the experimental group receiving flipped instruction demonstrated higher accuracy on the post-test than the traditional instruction setting, specifically on items of moderate complexity” (Mattis, 2015, p.244). The study also looks at cognitive load and finds “accuracy increased and mental effort decreased with flipped instruction” (Mattis, 2015, p. 231). Results such as these may be used to inform blended learning instructional design best practices and encourage the use of instructional videos as online course materials students can access any time.
Najafi, Evans and Rederico’s (2014) study of two groups of high school students, one group, the MOOC (massive online open course) only group that had no face-to-face teacher support and the second group, the blended-mode with weekly face-to-face tutorials found that the blended students stayed more on track and were more persistent in retaking quizzes. These findings are consistent with the literature findings summarized by Akkoyunlu and Soylu (2008) that “human support is very important for learners and it introduces a personal touch to help with problems, sustain interest or motivate learners” (p. 190).
All of the above 2014 studies corroborate the findings of a 2013 meta-analysis examining the effectiveness of both purely online and blended versions of online learning as compared with traditional face-to-face learning. Based on the 45 studies included in the analysis it finds that purely online learning is equivalent to face-to-face instruction in effectiveness and that blended learning approaches are more effective than either instruction offered entirely in face-to-face mode or purely online (Means, Toyama, Murphy & Baki, 2013). It is also important to note that the study describes the way blended learning situations provide for “additional learning time, instructional resources, and course elements that encourage interactions among learners” (Means et. al., 2013, p.1). These factors, shaped through the use of blended learning approaches, appear to be key elements in instruction effectiveness and warrant further exploration in future research.
Najafi, Evans and Rederico’s (2014) study of two groups of high school students, one group, the MOOC (massive online open course) only group that had no face-to-face teacher support and the second group, the blended-mode with weekly face-to-face tutorials found that the blended students stayed more on track and were more persistent in retaking quizzes. These findings are consistent with the literature findings summarized by Akkoyunlu and Soylu (2008) that “human support is very important for learners and it introduces a personal touch to help with problems, sustain interest or motivate learners” (p. 190).
All of the above 2014 studies corroborate the findings of a 2013 meta-analysis examining the effectiveness of both purely online and blended versions of online learning as compared with traditional face-to-face learning. Based on the 45 studies included in the analysis it finds that purely online learning is equivalent to face-to-face instruction in effectiveness and that blended learning approaches are more effective than either instruction offered entirely in face-to-face mode or purely online (Means, Toyama, Murphy & Baki, 2013). It is also important to note that the study describes the way blended learning situations provide for “additional learning time, instructional resources, and course elements that encourage interactions among learners” (Means et. al., 2013, p.1). These factors, shaped through the use of blended learning approaches, appear to be key elements in instruction effectiveness and warrant further exploration in future research.