Introduction of blended learning in a master program: Developing an integrative mixed method evaluation framework.

Area of Science:

• Educational technology
• Higher education pedagogy
• Program evaluation

Background:

• Current blended learning (BL) evaluations in higher education are fragmented, focusing on isolated aspects like students, faculty, technology, or institutions.
• A validated, comprehensive tool for monitoring BL implementation in higher education is currently lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a comprehensive evaluation framework for higher education blended learning (BL) programs.
• To involve all key actors (students, faculty, administration) in the evaluation process.
• To identify strengths and weaknesses of BL implementation.

Main Methods:

• Established evaluation principles and standards were used to identify and group key concepts for evaluation.
• Existing BL evaluation tools at student, faculty, and institutional levels were reviewed and selected.
• The developed framework was implemented to monitor BL during two program iterations.

Main Results:

• The evaluation successfully documented comprehensive strengths and weaknesses of the BL format, incorporating feedback from all involved actors.
• The findings led to specific improvements at the program, faculty, and course levels.
• The evaluation process and reporting demanded significant time and personal resources.

Conclusions:

• The developed framework effectively measures critical dimensions influencing BL success at the program level.
• The comprehensive nature of the evaluation is resource-intensive.
• Future work will focus on refining the framework into a sustainable and transferable BL monitoring tool balancing comprehensiveness and efficiency.