Premium
Pedagogical, social and technical designs of a blended synchronous learning environment
Author(s) -
Wang Qiyun,
Huang Changqin
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
british journal of educational technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.79
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1467-8535
pISSN - 0007-1013
DOI - 10.1111/bjet.12558
Subject(s) - flexibility (engineering) , computer science , perception , blended learning , quality (philosophy) , multimedia , videoconferencing , audio equipment , learning environment , computer mediated communication , mathematics education , educational technology , psychology , pedagogy , world wide web , engineering , the internet , philosophy , statistics , mathematics , epistemology , neuroscience , electrical engineering
In this study, a blended synchronous learning environment (BSLE) was designed from pedagogical, social and technical perspectives. It was created for a group of master's students to attend lessons in the classroom and at the same time allow a few of them to join the identical sessions using video conferencing from different sites. The purpose of the study was to describe the guiding principles for pedagogical, social and technical designs and specific strategies applied, and identify the students' learning experiences and perceptions of the environment. Results showed that the BSLE could extend certain features of classroom instruction to the online students and they had equivalent learning experiences. They also liked the flexibility and convenience of attending lessons via video conferencing. This study further found that smooth and clear audio communication, redesign of certain learning activities and the quality of audio were crucial for the BSLE to be useful in practice.