"More Confident Going into College": Lessons Learned from Multiple Stakeholders in a New Blended Learning Initiative

Authors

  • Aimee L. Whiteside University of Tampa
  • Amy Garrett Dikkers University of North Carolina at Wilmington
  • Somer Lewis

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v20i4.1048

Keywords:

Self-regulated learning, blended learning, K-12 education, case study research

Abstract

This article examined a blended learning initiative in a large suburban high school in the Midwestern region of the United States. It employed a single-case exploratory design approach to learn about the experience of administrators, teachers, students, and parents. Using Zimmerman’s Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) Theory as a guiding framework, this study explored surveys, face-to-face observation data, interview transcriptions, and focus group transcriptions to learn about different stakeholders’ experiences and their observations about student readiness for blended learning. As a result, the data suggested three major themes, namely how blended learning initiatives can promote autonomy and self-regulation, encourage inquiry and build relationships, and ultimately help students feel ready for college.

Author Biography

Aimee L. Whiteside, University of Tampa

Aimee Whiteside is an assistant professor at the University of Tampa where she previously served as interim co-director her university’s Center for Teaching and Learning. Her research interests include social presence, blended and online learning, technology-enhanced learning, experiential learning, academic-community partnerships, and academic and professional writing. Her work has been featured in several peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Interactive Online Learning (JIOL), Online Learning Journal (OLJ), International Journal of E-Learning and Distance Education (IJEDE), EDUCAUSE Review, and the Online Learning Consortium’s Effective Practices. Additionally, she has written chapters in several books, such as Emotions, Technology, and Learning and Computer-Mediated Communication across Cultures: International Interactions in Online Environments as well as special volumes in the Advances in Research on Teaching and the New Directions in Teaching and Learning series. She also co-edited Social Presence in Online Learning: Multiple Perspectives on Practice and Research with Amy Garrett Dikkers and Karen Swan, which will be available in December 2016.

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Published

2016-12-16

Issue

Section

Special Conference Issue: AERA Online Teaching and Learning SIG