Blended Learning Approach: Students’ versus Lecturers’ Views from a South African Rural University

Abstract

There is a current paradigm shift within institutions of higher learning in terms of how teaching and learning take place. This radical transition has been forced globally as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw the higher education sector implementing drastic changes in terms of remote learning. It seems there is a misunderstanding of the term blended learning based on the students’ and lecturers’ views from a selected South African university. A mixed method approach was used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. An online questionnaire was distributed to learners to get quantitative data. On the other hand, lecturers were engaged through interviews within a workshop. An experimental approach using the university’s learning management system known as WiseUp was used. Both traditional and online modes of deliverables are common within a case. Findings show different understanding of the term blended learning and the differences in preferred activities within the blended mode. The paper provides some examples of good applications of blended learning. As higher education institutions try to embrace blended learning techniques, there is a need to engage and improve awareness of the meaning of this approach.