Have you ever wondered what students really think about blended learning? Or how their experiences can enhance our teaching practices?  In this article, Ms Tan Yen Chuan and Ms Hafizah Jumat, from the Raffles Girls’ School Centre for Pedagogical Research and Learning (PeRL) share insights from a study on students’ perceptions and experiences of blended learning which involved a survey of over 500 students and focus group discussions conducted with approximately 20 students from a secondary school. This article highlights both good practices and areas where teachers can better understand and support students in their blended learning journey. 

Cultivating Self-Regulating Learning Skills for Blended Learning 

Self-regulated learning (SRL) refers to one’s ability to understand and control one’s learning environment (Zimmerman, 2002). SRL abilities which include goal setting, self-monitoring, self-instruction, and self-reinforcement (Harris & Graham, 1999; Schraw, Crippen, & Hartley, 2006; Shunk, 1996), are vital in the blended learning (BL) environment, where students have their own personal learning devices (PLDs). They must be able to use strategies to minimize distractions, manage their time and exercise self-control to complete assigned work.  

Based on the survey findings, the students felt they were able to use online tools, assessment data, model answers and teacher feedback to guide, monitor and improve their performance. They also employed a help-seeking process and sought teachers’ feedback for further clarifications to improve their learning. Majority of them were able to apply digital literacy skills to evaluate the credibility of online information.  

On the other hand, during the focus group discussions (FGDs), some students reported being easily distracted by their PLDs. Their off-task behaviours can affect neighbouring students as well. Therefore, it is important for teachers to empower students to advocate for themselves as learners. Besides providing varied learning activities to increase student engagement, teachers can consider nurturing their executive functioning skills on minimizing distraction, environment control, planning, and time-management. Teachers should also demonstrate breaking down a task into actionable steps to help them learn how to complete tasks independently. Additionally, creating opportunities for student self-reflection and self-evaluation is important, requiring teachers to designate time and space in the BL environment for self-reflection (whether offline or face-to-face).

Increase Feedback Channels through Diverse Platforms 

Our findings showed the students felt their teachers helped them see their learning progress using online and offline assessment data. They also find teacher feedback helpful as it is tailored to address their learning gaps.  

However, a minority of students wanted more prompt feedback on their online assignments. To address this, teachers can consider harnessing approaches like the Station Rotation Model to provide timely feedback during face-to-face lessons. As this model includes both online and face-to-face stations as part of the rotation process, this means teachers can provide feedback in real time on these online assignments as students work on them during class time. Under this model, teachers can also offer personalized instruction, feedback, and support to students individually or in small groups (Tucker, Wycoff & Green, 2016). 

Balancing Student Workload in Blended Learning Environment 

Given the nature of BL, teachers may assign both hardcopy homework and online homework to facilitate flipped classroom teaching or home-based learning. However, this combination may potentially overwhelm students, especially with limited completion time. Schools can help ensure a manageable workload by periodically surveying students’ homework demand. Teachers should engage students in setting realistic deadlines, expectations and scope of tasks. Teachers should also assess students’ homework load and provide support to help them manage their workload effectively. 

Fostering Interaction: Encouraging Students’ Responses to Classmate’s Online Postings