Tuesday, March 30, 2010

BLENDED LEARNING : CHALLENGES FOR LEARNERS AND

INTRODUCTION

Recently, in the whole world educations and technology has grown and changes in a blink of eyes. Information and communication technologies (ICT) have developed rapidly and influenced most of the fields and education as well. Educations in no longer done in the traditional ways. With the developments of technology now days, various type of media is now been used in the delivery of education. In 2003, the American Society for Training and Development identified blended learning as one of the top ten trends to emerge in the knowledge delivery industry (cited by Rooney, 2003). In country, blended learning are now been used in the most of high level educations. Blended learning is defined simply as a learning environment that combines technology with face-to-face learning. In other words, blended learning means using a variety of delivery methods and tools such as letter, video, cassettes, television and computers to best meet the course objectives by combining face-to-face teaching in a traditional classroom with teaching online.

There have been many definitions for blended learning. Distance learning is defined by Greenberg (1998) as “a planned teaching/learning experience that uses a wide spectrum of technologies to reach learners at a distance and is designed to encourage learner interaction and certification of learning”. Teaster and Blieszner (1999) explains as “the term distance learning has been applied to many instructional methods: however, its primary distinction is that the teacher and the learner are separate in space and possibly time”. Keegan (1995) defines that distance education and training result from the technological separation of teacher and learner which frees the student from the necessity of traveling to “a fixed place, at a fixed time, to meet a fixed person, in order to be trained”. Based on (Kaya, 2004) distance education is defined as the sort of education in which the distance between learner and educator is emphasized, and technology is used intensively throughout the learning process. Recently, blended learning has been defined as the combination of face to face and on-line learning (Williams, 2002).

Studies at the University of Central Florida (Dziuban & Moskal, 2001) and the University of Winsconsin, Milwaukee (Garnham & Kaleta, 2002) both indicated that students encountered a number of challenges with blended course. Challenges that are being faced in the design and implementation of blended learning systems to students are inadequate time management skills, problems with accepting responsibility for personal learning and difficulty with more sophisticated technologies.

The discussion will focus on the possible challenge that are faced by learners who are learning in an environment that adopts the blended learning approach and suggestions on ways to overcome the challenges to ensure successful learning experience.

DISCUSSIONS
CHALLENGES


In the uses of the technology and the environment of blended learning there are several challenges that students face in order to achieve their goals setting in their educations. All the challenges will make this learning meaningful to the learners in their education.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Time management is one the main challenges for students in this approach of learning. Time management is a struggle for many undergraduate students. This struggle can become particularly acute in a blended course where online activities are required to be completed between face to face classes (Vaughan, 2007)

A time management skill is very important to the learners in blended learning environment. The successful time management will allow the learners to complete their task in the time given. Learning a good time management techniques will ensure the smoothness in learners study in order to accomplish their goal setting. In blended learning learners always fail to manage their time effectively. Most of them do not know how to manage and planning their time to settle down the task as well as managing their responsibilities in their own daily life. All of these things will affect the learning in this blended learning environment.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR LEARNING

Many first year undergraduate students, who are away from home for the first time, are in the early stages of “learning how to learn.” The notion of taking responsibility for one’s own learning can be very difficult for students accustomed to being passive learners within a traditional lecture format. Initially, students may be unprepared for the active learning role they must play in a blended course. (Vaughan, 2007)

Learner in blended learning education always has a problem to make a choices about the kind of blends that they are participate in. this is because it might impact their learning experience. Online learning components often require a large amount of self discipline on the part of the learners (Collins, 2003). Learners need to know their own responsibility in learning because they will learn without the close guidance of an instructor.

TECHNOLOGY

Most of technology related problems that students encounter in blended courses usually occur within the first weeks of the semester. These problems are usually related to the procedure for accessing the online component of the course such as web site address and logon information. Problems that persist throughout the semester sometimes involve either downloading large files or assessing more sophisticated web-based applications such as video clip (Aycock et al…,2002)

Blended learning environment uses several of method and usually need the learner to have skills in ICT in order to use the facilities provided by the university. If the learners do not have the ability to use media, ICT and computers it will totally give the big impact in the learner study. This is because of the blended learning itself use online learning to communicate virtually with tutor and friend during the discussion and forum. Uses of technology also needed in order to find the information, resource to increase learners understanding of the topic and also to complete the task given.

SUGGESTIONS TO OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES

To be the successful learner in blended learning environment, learner needs to know their weakness and try to overcome the problems. They need to prepare themselves to achieve their goals setting.

HOW TO MANAGE TIME EFFECTIVELY?
To be a successful learner in blended learning environment, learners need to know how to manage their time effectively. Learners need to divided and plan their time to do their daily routine and to do their task as well as their study time. Managing time is not just about managing time for study, learners also need to manage themselves as well. These are some of the advice on how learners can manage their time effectively.

i) Analyses Your Use of Time
The learners need to analyses their use of time. They need to know their time usage. They need to answer several questions in order to analyse the time usage such as below:
a) Do I use my time efficiently?
b) How do I waste time?
c) What or who distracts me?
d) Do I need to plan out my time for the year, semester, week, day or each piece of work?
e) Do I waste time getting started on my studies?
f) Do I make the most of my spare time for my studies?

After answering these questions learners need to identify the strategy in what should they do to improve their uses of time. Example:
Question: What or who distracts me?
Answer: House work and children
Strategy to improve: Do the house work and study early in the morning or late night to avoid distraction from children.
Analyse the time uses are very important to the learners to manage their time based on the reality of their daily life. In this way, the learners will know what are the problems in their time uses for their routine and study. So they can plan how to manage their time effectively.

ii) Set Your Priorities
Learners need to learn how set their priorities in order to take charge of their situation and to achieve their target. For example, as a married student spouse and children are the priorities. So student need to know and set their priorities but they need to ensure that others will not distract them in their goals as a student.

iii) Plan a Schedule
To have a good management of time require the student to plan a schedule in they work and routine. Nowadays, a lot of tool we can use to help us to plan our schedule. Timetable, diaries, yearly planners and also electronic planning gadget can be best to write and notes our schedule.
Learners also need to identify their best study time and ensure they follow their schedule as well. Learners also need to consider their hobbies and sleeping habits. The most important thing learners need to study when their mentally most alert.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR LEARNING

As a student, learners need to be prepared and know their responsibility. Be responsible in your learning. In this way you will achieve your goals setting without any problems. To be a responsible learner in learning, students need to be well prepared for their tutorial and class. Student also needs to be active in learning. The most important thing, learners need to have a high self-discipline in their attitude and study to achieve the goals setting.

TECHNOLOGY

To overcome their problems in uses of technology in this blended learning environment, learners need to learn how to use the tools in their online learning. This is very important to the learners in order to discuss in online forum. Learners need to be positive in their attitude and try to use the entire source to improve their skills of using technology. Other than that, students need to ask for help form friend and family to gain as much as knowledge they can in uses of technology. Learners also can go to computer class to learn how to use the computer.

CONCLUSION

Blended learning concept is now grown faster in many fields. Most of the university use this type of learning environment. In order to blend in this type of learning, learners need to focus in their study and know their challenge that they will faced when learning in this environment. Learners also need find ways to overcome the challenges to ensure successful learning experience. The challenge that are being faced in the design and implementation of blended learning systems to students are inadequate time management skills, problems with accepting responsibility for personal learning and difficulty with more sophisticated technologies. Learners have to find the ways out of the challenges to ensure the successful in their study.

by: Nurulhaslin binti Zainol

REFERENCES

Akkoyunlu & Soylu. Y. (2006). A Study on Students’ Views On Blended Learning Environment. Turkish Online Journal of distance Education. 43-56.

Bonk, C. J & Graham, C.R. (Eds)(in press). Handbook Of Blended Learning: Global Perspectives, local designs. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer Publishing.

Dato’ Dr Zaiton Osman et. al. (2009).OUMH1103 LEARNING SKILLS FOR OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNERS. Seri Kembangan, Selangor Darul Ehsan: Meteor Doc. Sdn. Bhd.

Valiathan,P. (2002). “Blended Learning Models.” Learning Circuit. Available from http//www.learningcircuit.org/2002/aug2002/valiathan.html Retrieved August 2, 2009.

Vaughan. N.(2007). Perspective on Blended Learning in Higher Education. International Journal on ELearning(2007)6(1),81-94.

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