REDESIGNING A COURSE FOR BLENDED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

ABSTRACT This article describes a collaborative study of the blended learning approach, designed to pave the way for higher education students to integrate online and face-to-face learning environments in an “Instructional Technology and Material Development” course at the University of Yildiz Technic in Turkey. The purpose of this study is to investigate the students’ perceptions of the blended learning environment and to trace the integration between online and face-to-face learning environments. For this purpose, 30 students were given statements on the redesigned course, which they rated on a 5-point Likert scale. To probe more deeply into their positive and negative responses, a focus group discussion was held to gather the students’ views. The findings are reveal that the majority of the students (90%) enjoyed being in the blended learning environment. However, improvement in methods of application and online study materials are needed. Additionally, other factors that may be salient in blended learning environment are also discussed.