ABSTRACT

The necessity of incorporating technologies into higher education has been met with a movement towards large-scale, institutional approaches to blended learning. This article reports on a qualitative study of academic learning experiences in the early implementation stage of an institutional approach to blended learning at a research-intensive university. We conducted focus groups with ten academics involved in the early phase of an institutionally driven blended learning initiative. Thematic analysis revealed that academics cared for students’ perspectives and being able to feed it back into their practices drove the blending process, but they were de-motivated by a lack of agency in designing and implementing their courses. Academics were also concerned about the effectiveness of blending for student learning and did not feel cared for by the university. A lack of collaborative dialogue left academics struggling to adjust. Through a lens of an ethic of care, we highlight the danger of a ‘care-less’ climate that impedes professional learning and promotes inefficacy and cynicism. We argue for a need to change top-down approaches to implementing blended learning; to develop policies that consider the impact on academic needs and appreciate their value as human beings, and through developing supportive relationships that enable individuals to innovate and have agency to drive the process for the betterment of student learning.

摘要

将技术融入高等教育的必要性已经满足了向大规模、机构化混合学习方法的发展。本文报告了对研究型大学混合学习制度方法早期实施阶段学术学习经验的定性研究。我们与十名参与机构驱动的混合学习计划早期阶段的学者进行了焦点小组讨论。主题分析显示，学者们关心学生的观点，并且能够将其反馈到他们的实践中，推动了融合过程，但他们在设计和实施课程时缺乏动力。学者们还担心混合对学生学习的有效性，并没有感受到大学的关心。缺乏协作对话使学者们难以适应。通过关怀伦理的视角，我们强调了阻碍专业学习并助长效率低下和玩世不恭的“粗心”氛围的危险。我们主张需要改变自上而下的方法来实施混合学习；制定政策，考虑对学术需求的影响并欣赏其作为人类的价值，并通过发展支持性关系，使个人能够创新并具有推动改善学生学习过程的动力。我们强调了阻碍专业学习并助长效率低下和玩世不恭的“粗心”氛围的危险。我们主张需要改变自上而下的方法来实施混合学习；制定政策，考虑对学术需求的影响并欣赏其作为人类的价值，并通过发展支持性关系，使个人能够创新并具有推动改善学生学习过程的动力。我们强调了阻碍专业学习并助长效率低下和玩世不恭的“粗心”氛围的危险。我们主张需要改变自上而下的方法来实施混合学习；制定政策，考虑对学术需求的影响并欣赏其作为人类的价值，并通过发展支持性关系，使个人能够创新并具有推动改善学生学习过程的动力。