Overcoming barriers to student engagement in Active Blended Learning

Student feedback shows that the most valuable learning activities are those with clear instructions, delivered in a dynamic and engaging way, which give students the opportunity to do things and experiment. The University of Northampton’s new pedagogical model emphasises the development of just that - active blended learning (ABL). Effective pedagogical design of blended learning and online activities is critical to the success of this model. This interim research report is intended to inform and support the process of pedagogical change and includes recommendations to overcome barriers to student engagement.
Based on feedback direct from our students, this document provides you with good practice approaches to ABL and online activity design. It also recommends ways to enhance student engagement in online activities, as your teaching practices transition into ABL. The recommendations outlined in this paper are based on the views of University of Northampton students from two qualitative studies: one small scale pilot completed in academic year 2015-16 and one larger ongoing study currently being undertaken across academic year 2016-2017.