Cyber University's Blended Learning Model : Based on Learners' Hindrance Factors

Abstract

While e-earning systems seem to resolve the issues of time, space, and costs of education, these seeming advantages may overlook the perceptions of the students who take the courses. With particular consideration to the characteristics of the students who typically enroll in online courses, the current study investigates a possible blended learning model for cyber universities which includes onsite and video conferencing classes. A large amount of survey and interview data were collected to ascertain the hindrance factors present in the blended learning model and to suggest a blended learning model appropriate to a cyber university environment. The study identified hindrance factors in terms of the following four aspects of learning: learning environment, video conferencing classes and onsite classes, learners` personality, and learners` motivation. The characteristics of the cyber university`s demographic information can explain some of the hindrance factors. As the ultimate goal of traditional blended learning is to incorporate online and onsite learning to maximize the students` onsite learning, the same is true for the online learning in the cyber university`s blended learning program. However, if course designers want to implement the model, as the current study suggests, it is necessary to consider the cyber university student-specific hindrance factors to guarantee the efficacy of the blended learning model.