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Students and instructors perspective on blended synchronous learning in a Canadian graduate program

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Journal of Computer Assisted Learning
Authors:
Sawsen Lakhal at Université de Sherbrooke
Sawsen Lakhal
Josephine Mukamurera at Université de Sherbrooke
Josephine Mukamurera
Marie-Eve Bédard at Université de Sherbrooke
Marie-Eve Bédard
Géraldine Heilporn at Université Laval
Géraldine Heilporn
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Abstract

Blended synchronous learning (BSL) represents several contexts that enable to bring remote students into the classroom, in real time, by the means of videoconferencing, web conferencing and virtual world. As BSL seems to be more and more implemented in many higher education institutions, especially in the current context of the COVID‐19 pandemic, and given the recent interest and scarce published research in BSL, more studies are needed on this kind of learning. The purpose of this research was to explore students and instructors perspective regarding their experience in BSL, according to three dimensions: pedagogy, technology and organization/logistics. To meet the study objective, a qualitative methodology was adopted. The study participants were remote students (n = 4) and face‐to‐face students (n = 4) enrolled in a graduate program in education offering only blended synchronous courses, and instructors (n = 5) in this program. Semi‐structured interviews were selected as the data collection method. Nine sub‐themes in reference to the three dimensions emerged from the study participants. They have also highlighted some challenges associated with BSL. The results reported in this study should provide faculties and higher education administrators with additional information and guidance, based on empirical data, on the use of BSL if they wish to implement it in academic programs. Moreover, in regard to the challenges revealed by the study participants, the results will permit to surpass the obstacles when implementing BSL successfully.
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ARTICLE
Students and instructors perspective on blended synchronous
learning in a Canadian graduate program
Sawsen Lakhal | Joséphine Mukamurera | Marie-Eve Bédard |
Géraldine Heilporn | Mélodie Chauret
Faculty of Education, Université de
Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Correspondence
Sawsen Lakhal, Université de Sherbrooke,
2500, Boul. de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Room
A10-3008, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 2R1, Canada.
Email: sawsen.lakhal@usherbrooke.ca
Funding information
Ministère de l'
Education et de l'Enseignement
du Québec and Canadian Heritage through the
Entente Canada-Quebec Program, Grant/
Award Number: contracts #350031081
#350033102; Canadian Heritage
Abstract
Blended synchronous learning (BSL) represents several contexts that enable to bring
remote students into the classroom, in real time, by the means of videoconferencing,
web conferencing and virtual world. As BSL seems to be more and more
implemented in many higher education institutions, especially in the current context
of the COVID-19 pandemic, and given the recent interest and scarce published
research in BSL, more studies are needed on this kind of learning. The purpose of this
research was to explore students and instructors perspective regarding their experi-
ence in BSL, according to three dimensions: pedagogy, technology and organization/
logistics. To meet the study objective, a qualitative methodology was adopted. The
study participants were remote students (n=4) and face-to-face students (n=4)
enrolled in a graduate program in education offering only blended synchronous
courses, and instructors (n=5) in this program. Semi-structured interviews were
selected as the data collection method. Nine sub-themes in reference to the three
dimensions emerged from the study participants. They have also highlighted some
challenges associated with BSL. The results reported in this study should provide fac-
ulties and higher education administrators with additional information and guidance,
based on empirical data, on the use of BSL if they wish to implement it in academic
programs. Moreover, in regard to the challenges revealed by the study participants,
the results will permit to surpass the obstacles when implementing BSL successfully.
KEYWORDS
blended synchronous learning, graduate program, higher education, instructors perspective,
students perspective
1|INTRODUCTION
Information and communication technology (ICT) has transformed
teaching and learning practices in recent years. Among other things, it
enabled to bring remote students into the classroom, in real time, by
the means of videoconferencing, web conferencing and virtual world.
This is known as Blended Synchronous Learning (Bower et al., 2015),
which is a particular form of blended learning (Lafortune &
Lakhal, 2019; Lakhal et al., 2017, 2020). Other terms also exist to des-
ignate this phenomenon (Lakhal et al., 2017; Lakhal & Meyer, 2019),
such as HyFlex, (Abdelmalak & Parra, 2016; Lakhal et al., 2014;
Lakhal & Khechine, 2016), Multi-access (Irvine et al., 2013), Synchro-
nous Blended or Synchronous Learning in Distributed Environments
(Wang et al., 2018; Wang & Huang, 2018), Synchronous Hybrid Learn-
ing (Raes et al., 2019), Synchromodal Learning (Bell et al., 2014), Here or
There Instruction (Zydney et al., 2019) and Simultaneous Bimodality
(Collin et al., 2016). Depending on where the studies were carried out,
some terms are used more often than others. For example, Blended
Synchronous Learning (BSL) is more popular in Australia where more
than a decade of research has been conducted by Bower et al. (2015).
Received: 21 January 2021 Revised: 19 May 2021 Accepted: 13 June 2021
DOI: 10.1111/jcal.12578
J Comput Assist Learn. 2021;37:1383–1396. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jcal © 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd 1383
... Hybrid education, with synchronous onsite and online instruction, has received considerable attention since the pandemic (Raes et al., 2020). However, the concept has been used for decades, for example, in areas where students have long travel times (Lakhal et al., 2021;Raes, 2022;Szeto, 2015;Wang et al., 2017) or when students juggle multiple responsibilities, balancing work commitments with their academic pursuits, or have to deal with health challenges. By offering synchronous learning opportunities, hybrid education accommodates the diverse needs of students (Lakhal et al., 2021;Raes et al., 2020). ...
... However, the concept has been used for decades, for example, in areas where students have long travel times (Lakhal et al., 2021;Raes, 2022;Szeto, 2015;Wang et al., 2017) or when students juggle multiple responsibilities, balancing work commitments with their academic pursuits, or have to deal with health challenges. By offering synchronous learning opportunities, hybrid education accommodates the diverse needs of students (Lakhal et al., 2021;Raes et al., 2020). Moreover, it also provides opportunities for collaboration between institutions that are separated by large distances (Lakhal et al., 2021;Raes, 2022;Wang et al., 2017). ...
... By offering synchronous learning opportunities, hybrid education accommodates the diverse needs of students (Lakhal et al., 2021;Raes et al., 2020). Moreover, it also provides opportunities for collaboration between institutions that are separated by large distances (Lakhal et al., 2021;Raes, 2022;Wang et al., 2017). ...
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... In this study, hybrid teaching refers to teaching that simultaneously involves both face-to-face and remote learners (Raes et al., 2020a). Terms like blended synchronous learning (Lakhal et al., 2021), synchronous hybrid learning (Rodriguez et al., 2022), and HyFlex (hybrid flexible) learning (Lavigne et al., 2022) have been used to refer to this kind of learning/teaching. One of the strengths of hybrid teaching is that it allows for a larger number of participants and a wider geographical representation for educators (Wang & Huang, 2018). ...
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