Institutions are increasingly supplementing their traditional class formats with hybrid approaches that mix in-person, remote synchronous, and remote asynchronous delivery methods. Even when the student population expects and appreciates more flexibility in scheduling, students still struggle with technology-enhanced instruction when course design…

Blended synchronous learning enables online learners to participate in class activities from geographically separated sites. Due to various challenges, however, online learners are often harder to be engaged and their engagement levels are lower than that of classroom counterparts. This review summarized and synthesized the challenges that led to…

This brief article explores the integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools into blended learning environments for designing and teaching pronunciation tasks. Adapting Calamlam's (2016) conceptual framework, a flowchart is proposed to guide the use of three GenAI tool types to enhance pronunciation instruction: Listen-Mimic…

Hybrid flexible learning is a mechanism for providing flexible learning to both online and on-campus students. Synchronous HyFlex teaching uses both technology and pedagogy to connect both groups within the same cohort. It is gaining popularity in higher educational institutions, but it also can create challenges associated with pedagogy,…

This study extends research on perspectival understanding (Greeno & van de Sande, 2007) by using Du Bois' (2007) discourse work on stancetaking to investigate how students expressed their perspectives on course content through a variety of stances/positions as they negotiated meaning in online discussions. Participants were students in a…

The interest in blended synchronous learning environments has increased dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a key challenge is how to simultaneously encourage online and onsite student participation. Response systems have been found to stimulate student participation in classroom and online education settings. This study…

A recent increase in blended course options has changed the landscape of higher education, necessitating revisions of prior categorization of blended online and in-person course models. Building on the Mixed Instructional eXperience (MIX) taxonomy using current literature and course models, we developed three key parameters for defining course…

This research describes the implementation of discussion-centric blended learning (DCBL) so that it can foster student HOTS (Higher-Order Thinking Skill). There were 31 students, aged 18-20 years, in the Mathematical Statistics class involved in HOTS pre-test, DCBL and HOTS post-test activities. Audio-visual video recordings, observations and…

Background/purpose: This study aims to determine the preferences and opinions of University of Sharjah students about hybrid learning, taking into account its increasing use globally, especially during and after the pandemic. Materials/methods: Participants were invited to complete a voluntary web-based questionnaire (Google Form), which was…

Technological advances and COVID-19 have led to expedited technology use and online learning in higher education. Increased technology use and online learning have led individuals to either adapt or experience technostress. Higher education is a ripe context for technostress to occur, especially for students, since many courses are being offered…

The year 2020 will be remembered as the year of COVID-19 and its subsequent lockdowns. The time to return to face-to-face teaching has arrived, but the shadow of the disease still hangs over teachers, students, and society. Disruption in teaching can still occur for students, or even teachers, if they are either diagnosed as COVID-19 positive or…

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many instructors to find new ways to achieve learning outcomes and connect to students within a hybrid or online teaching landscape. However, some of the creative ways instructors connected with students can now be used both in online classes and as we adapt back into full-time in-person instruction. Virtual notebooks…

In the evolving landscape of higher education, challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic have underscored the necessity for innovative teaching methodologies. These challenges have catalyzed the integration of technology into education, particularly in blended learning environments, to bolster self-regulated learning (SRL) and higher-order thinking…

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, universities around the world urgently suspended face-to-face classes, imposing mandated temporary closures of campuses, and required all teachers and students to convert traditional face-to-face classrooms to online screen-to-screen classes. This global ongoing crisis has created unsettled feelings, resulting in…

COVID-19 led college and university faculty to quickly shift courses online. With this shift came concerns regarding educational quality; thus, many faculty opted or were encouraged to offer synchronous and/or hybrid online courses in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. This led faculty to consider relying on webcams to engage students. Anecdotal and…