TITLE:
The Effect of Designing a Blended Learning Environment on Achievement and Deep Learning of Graduate Students at the Arabian Gulf University
AUTHORS:
Ahmed Nouby, Tayseer Alkhazali
KEYWORDS:
Blended Learning Environment, Achievement, Deep Learning, Arabian Gulf University
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.5 No.10,
October
31,
2017
ABSTRACT: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of designing a blended
learning environment on achievement and deep learning of the Arabian Gulf
university students in a design and presentation of instructional materials’
graduate course. A blended learning environment was designed to provide
opportunity for integrating the learning management system “moodle” with
face-to-face classroom interaction. To investigate research questions, a quasi
experimental design was used. The study sample consisted of 19 male and female
graduate students pursuing their studies at the “Distance Teaching and
Training Program” in the College of Graduate Studies during the first semester
of the academic year 2015/2016. To explore the extent to which students
learnt the course content, an achievement test was used. A deep learning scale
was also used to investigate the depth of learning acquired by students who
studied the course content through the blended learning environment. Results
of the study showed that students’ scores on the post application of the
achievement test were improved. No statistically significant differences were
found between students’ mean scores in the pre and post applications of the
depth of learning scale. However, mean of students’ scores in the post application
of the depth of learning scale (65.3750) was noticed to be slightly higher
than that of the pre application (63.1250). Such higher mean might represent
slight improvement in the depth of learning among students.