Using Blended Learning Design to Enhance Learning Experience in Teacher Education

This study examined students' views on a blended learning environment designed for 29 in-service teachers in Singapore enrolled in an educational research method course. Their self-report data highlighted that students' prior knowledge and the amount and difficulty of content covered in the course affected the effectiveness of blended learning environment. Among the five course components in this blended course, face-to-face tutorials and the group project were perceived to be more useful than the online discussion forum, individual reflection blogs, and self-paced study. Interestingly, the higher their achievement level in this course, the more positive their views were on the blended learning environment. The interactions between student-student and student-tutor were essential elements in this blended learning environment; particularly the presence of tutors (online and offline) was expected as it provided more cognitive and metacognitive scaffolds. Explanations about findings and implications for instructional design are discussed in the conclusion.