Student Perceptions of Blended Learning:

The Impact of Collaboration and Face-to-Face Interactions on Student Preferences and

Satisfaction in the Secondary Blended Classroom
Rachel Briscoe
Lamar University
EDLD 5315
LITERATURE REVIEW: STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF BLENDED LEARNING

Introduction

In a traditional high school classroom, students receive instruction from their teacher who

is lecturing at the front of the classroom. The content is being delivered to all of the students at

the same time and the pace is controlled by the teacher. Now, technology, particularly the

Internet, allows educators to deliver content to students individually through videos and online

resources. Students are able to work through the material at their own pace and teachers are no

longer restricted to standing at the board in the front of the room in order to deliver instruction.

The ability for students to learn regardless of whether or not there is a teacher physically present

in front of them offers up a world of possibilities for both our learners and teachers alike.

Despite the fact that Blended learning increases the amount of time that students are

spending on the Internet and learning via technology, it is essential that there is a face-to-face

component to the course in order for it to truly be blended rather than simply an online class.

Owston, Malhotra, and York determined that the face-to-face interactions between students,

teachers, and peers are extremely important to the effectiveness of blended learning (Owston,

Malhortra, & York, 2018). Blended learning models leverage the power of interpersonal

interactions found in traditional school models with the benefits of technology. Technology in

the blended classroom is not a replacement for the human element of education.

Blended learning is quite a departure from traditional educational models and thus, it is

valuable to study students’ preferences and perceptions of the Blended learning environment.

Student satisfaction and preferences concerning Blended learning will have a large influence

over its adoption and implementation. If students are unsatisfied with this style of learning and if

their preferences and desires are not addressed, it will negatively impact buy-in and attitudes.
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This review will analyze research that discusses the value of analyzing student

satisfaction and preferences, specifically in the blended learning environment, as well as

elements of blended learning that impact student satisfaction. Major themes involve students’

desire for collaboration in their learning environment as well as the importance of leveraging

face-to-face interactions between teachers and students.

Student Satisfaction

Students’ opinions, perceptions, and satisfaction with their learning are important and

valuable elements to consider when analyzing the effectiveness of an educational method. A

2016 study found that student satisfaction correlates with academic performance (Dhaqane &

Afrah, 2016). Additionally, a 2016 study determined that there is a strong relationship between

students’ satisfaction with a course and their perception of how much they have learned from the

course (Gray & DiLoreto, 2016). Researchers in a 2009 study determined that student

satisfaction is a valid and important factor to consider when developing a successful and

effective blended learning environment (Gulbahar & Madran, 2009). Students’ satisfaction with

their courses and their perceptions of their learning environments are not fixed; they can change

over the course of a semester or school year. The implementation of blended learning endeavors

contributes to changes in students’ opinions about their education. A 2016 study found that

blended learning positively impacted students’ attitudes towards their science class, particularly

due to perceived growth in their self-directed learning skills (Akgunduz & Akinoglu, 2016).

Additionally, research by Emelyanova and Voronina (2017) supports the impact of blended

learning on decreasing student resistance toward online learning (Emelyanova & Voronina,

2017). After supplementing a Russian university course with online coursework via a learning
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management system (LMS), 70% of students reported being satisfied with the course. The study

also identified that the 9% of students who preferred a face-to-face course over the

LMS-supported course were lower achievers who experienced anxiety when working

independently, thus requiring frequent teacher supervision and support (Emelyanova &

Voronina, 2017). Measuring student satisfaction provides valuable information that can be used

to evaluate a course’s effectiveness and ability to meet the needs of all learners.

Collaboration

Fostering collaboration amongst students is an important pedagogical piece of any

learning environment, regardless of course structure. A 2017 study of Massive Open Online

Courses (MOOCs) determined a general, global trend in the increase of collaboration and

interaction between MOOC participants (Soylev, 2017). Instead of simply accessing and

participating in these courses individually and in isolation, MOOC students are now more likely

to participate in peer reviews and even face-to-face interactions (Soylev, 2017). Kurt and

Yıldırım (2018) reported that having students interact with each other throughout the course is

essential for a successful and effective blended program. Courses should provide students with

the opportunity to take what they’ve learned in their online environment and work more deeply

with the material with their peers and instructor in a face-to-face capacity. There is a correlation

between increased interaction between stakeholders and positive results, such as increased

feelings of satisfaction with how they are being taught, motivation, and achievement.

Additionally, they reported that grading and assessing students’ online activities increased

participation in discussion boards (Kurt and Yıldırım, 2018).

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Student collaboration positively impacts course outcomes. A 2017 study examined the

effects of both individualised and collaborative blended, computer-centered programs in a

Chemistry course (Suleiman, Salaudeen, & Falode, 2017). Researchers determined that the

course’s collaborative setting helped decrease academic gaps between male and female students.

In a 2016 study of a writing course, researchers determined that the implementation of a

collaborative blended learning program positively impacted students’ writing performance and

decreased their writing anxiety (Challob, Bakar, & Latif, 2016). The collaboration aspect of the

course contributed to students feeling more connected and safe in their learning environment.

Collaboration also impacts students’ perceptions of their courses. In a 2008 study,

researchers examined a distance learning course and determined that student satisfaction is tied

to students’ perceptions of the amount of collaborative learning they participated in, the amount

of social presence they experienced in the course, and their feelings of connection with other

students (So & Brush, 2008). A 2013 study determined that students benefited from and valued

the implementation of blended learning in an English writing course at a Beijing university (Liu,

2013). Students reported that the blended elements contributed to a rise in student-to-student and

student-to-instructor interactions and thus, decreased their anxiety concerning communicating in

English. Collaboration is a powerful aspect of the blended learning model that not only

differentiates blended learning from simply online learning, but it is a contributing factor to the

model’s effectiveness.

Face-to-Face Interactions

Blended learning is a new frontier for students, teachers, and parents alike. Thus, change

and innovation can result in potential barriers and challenges. By leveraging the face-to-face
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component of blended learning, the transition can be eased. A 2013 report determined that

students need to be prepared to handle the unique learning environment that blended learning

presents (Zaka, 2013). A challenge that needs to be addressed in order to ensure the success of a

blended learning endeavor is student readiness to handle being independent learners and

communicating with others on online platforms. In the study, teachers reported that students

often times have low confidence when working and learning independently, needing frequent

reassurance from the teacher. The report concluded that in blended learning environments,

students need sufficient support from their teachers. The report recommends that in order to

successfully transition students towards a more independent learning environment, teachers and

instructors should begin by giving students more direct, teacher-guided support and then

decreasing teacher support and increasing student independence gradually over time (Zaka,

2013).

Blended learning involves more than simply incorporating technology into a course.

Collaboration and teamwork amongst students can occur online (via discussion boards and other

web-based communication tools) or face-to-face. The face-to-face collaboration is an essential

element of creating a successful blended program. Ravdenscroft and Luhanga (2018) studied

large university level classes that underwent a blended overhaul. They determined that in order

for these redesigned and restructured blended courses to have an impact on increasing active

learning, students must be engaged in small group activities. What did not work was simply

video recording class lectures and posting them online. Blended learning must involve a human

element where students are interacting with each other and their instructors. It isn’t simply

posting resources online. Emine Bala studied the use of blended learning in a private, secondary
LITERATURE REVIEW: STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF BLENDED LEARNING

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school in Iraq (Bala, 2016). This research determined that interactions between instructors and

students are a major factor to the effectiveness of the blended course. Student motivation and

satisfaction correlated positively with students’ perceptions of receiving sufficient support and

encouragement (Bala, 2016).

Not only do face-to-face interactions impact a program’s success, but they are a priority

for students. A 2017 study found that university-level students in Saudi Arabia desire blended

courses, preferring a mixture of face-to-face and online learning as opposed to a traditional, fully

face-to-face approach or a fully online course (Alzahrani & O’Toole, 2017). A 2013 study

analyzed Thai university students’ perceptions of their blended learning environment (Srijongjai,

2013). The students participated in collaborative feedback exercises for writing activities,

through both face-to-face and online modalities. While overall, students reported positive

perceptions of collaborative feedback, only 12.5% of students preferred solely the online mode.

The large majority of students preferred at least some face-to-face element when participating in

collaborative feedback (Srijongjai, 2013). In a 2009 study, a significant number of students in a

blended course expressed a desire for an increase in the number of course hours spent in the

face-to-face environment as well as an increase in the amount of communication via online chats

and forums (Gulbahar & Madran, 2009). Overall, students prefer a face-to-face component to

their blended courses.

Summary

This body of literature speaks to the importance of measuring student satisfaction and

preferences. Additionally, the literature speaks to the growing trend of collaborative learning in

e-learning in general and the importance of incorporating specifically face-to-face collaboration

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in the blended learning classroom. The strengths of this body of literature is that it is very clear

that collaboration and face-to-face interactions positively impact blended learning outcomes and

students’ perceptions of their blended learning environment. The weaknesses of this body of

literature are that there aren’t many specifics given. Concepts such as “blended learning,”

“interactions,” and “collaboration” are all spoken of in very general terms without a lot of detail

and elaboration given. It is not exactly clear what nuances and differences in details there may be

from case to case. Also, most of the literature speaks to blended learning in the international,

higher-education context. The literature is lacking research based in secondary mathematics

classrooms, specifically Geometry, in the United States. Geometry is unique from other math

courses in that it is incredibly vocabulary and writing-heavy. Thus, it is important to have

research concerning blended learning in the Geometry classroom since it is such a unique math

course. Additionally, there is a lack of research concerning efforts to increase communication

(written and oral) and collaboration in the blended classroom and what impact those efforts have

had on course outcomes, on students’ perceptions of the blended model, and on student

satisfaction. Thus, moving forward, the focus of the researcher’s work will center on the effects

of increasing communication (written and oral) and face-to-face collaboration on student

perceptions of the blended model in a secondary mathematics (Geometry) classroom.

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