A systematic literature review on synchronous hybrid learning: gaps identified

More and more higher educational institutions invest in technology-enhanced learning spaces, which raises the question of how these environments can be shaped to be as effective as possible. A specific new learning space is the synchronous hybrid or blended learning environment in which both on-site...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Learning environments research Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 269 - 290
Main Authors: Raes, Annelies, Detienne, Loulou, Windey, Ine, Depaepe, Fien
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.10.2020
Springer
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
Blended Learning
Design
Education
Educational Benefits
Educational Environment
Educational Technology
Learning and Instruction
Literature Reviews
Outcomes of Education
Pedagogy
Program Effectiveness
Sociology of Education
State of the Art Reviews
Synchronous Communication
Systematic review
Technology Uses in Education
Systematic review
Here or there instruction
Synchronous hybrid or blended learning
Research gaps
ISSN:1387-1579, 1573-1855
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:More and more higher educational institutions invest in technology-enhanced learning spaces, which raises the question of how these environments can be shaped to be as effective as possible. A specific new learning space is the synchronous hybrid or blended learning environment in which both on-site and remote students can simultaneously attend learning activities. Given that synchronous hybrid learning is relatively new, there are few studies that have investigated its use and effectiveness. This study synthesised the best available evidence worldwide to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art of the current research regarding the benefits, challenges and current design principles to set up synchronous hybrid learning. In line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, we included 47 studies which were analysed to respond to our research questions. One of the main findings is that existing research suggests cautious optimism about synchronous hybrid learning which creates a more flexible, engaging learning environment compared to fully online or fully on-site instruction. Yet, this new learning space has several challenges which are both pedagogical and technological in nature. To meet these challenges, several design guidelines are formulated. A final conclusion is that most of the existing literature is exploratory and qualitative in nature and has focused mostly on descriptions of students’ experiences, the organisational implementation and the technological design. Empirical studies have only begun to emerge and more research is needed into different pedagogical scenarios and their impact on student outcomes.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
content type line 14
ObjectType-Literature Review-2
ObjectType-Feature-3
ISSN:1387-1579
1573-1855
DOI:10.1007/s10984-019-09303-z