Investigation of the Support Factors to Blended Learning Courses: The Learners Perspectives

Abstract

The study of Parra J. L. (2013) mentioned that
blended learning courses have an average achievement
higher than teaching and learning in the classroom only or
online learning alone. If a university tends to adopt
blended learning courses to compete with other
universities. Before the implementation of the blended
learning, the investigation of the support factors to
blended learning courses should be conducted. The
population in this study were undergraduate students of
the Rajamangala University of Technology Suvarnabhumi
in the first semester of the academic year 2015. The
multi-stages sampling was obtained. So the population is
divided into groups that are assigned by the faculties.
Then the purposive sampling was obtained to faculty of
business administration and information technology, and
faculty of science and technology. Next a simple random
sampling was obtained. The research instrument was the
questionnaire, and it consists of both closed-ended, and
open-ended questions. Besides, an in-depth interview was
conducted with the students, for exploration of their ideas,
recommendations, and comments. From open-ended
questions and interviews, learners were concluded as
follows. The university should be support them by the
training to an improvement of their computer and Internet
usage, and English language skill. The computer network
infrastructure in the university, the difficulty of the course
contents and the suitable online learning usage time
should be concerned.