Student Perceptions of Course Configuration: Hybrid and Face-to-Face Models

Hybrid or blended learning has gained enormous popularity in higher education because of its demonstrated ability to increase student learning, reduce undergraduate attrition rates, and maintain costs in an era of relentlessly increasing tuition. This study reviews the literature on hybrid or blended learning, enumerating both the benefits and liabilities of this type of instruction and the controversies surrounding it. The researchers then describe the two forms of a mixed-methodology survey instrument used to determine the satisfaction of primarily undergraduate students who are enrolled in separate sections of an introduction to education course, one taught in a traditional face-to-face mode and one in a blended configuration during two academic terms at a public regional comprehensive university in the Northwest portion of the United States. They then analyze the findings of the qualitative and quantitative data with recommendations for further research.