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“It’s Nice to Mix Up the Rhythm”: Undergraduates’ Experiences in a Large Blended Learning Course in Information Science in the Context of COVID-19

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Information for a Better World: Normality, Virtuality, Physicality, Inclusivity (iConference 2023)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 13971))

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Abstract

The abrupt transition to online instruction in the COVID-19 pandemic presented an opportunity for instructors in information science to engage with new teaching and learning modalities. After their online semester (i.e., Spring 2020), some decided to utilize the insights they gained and offer blended-learning courses in the post-pandemic semester. In this mixed-methods study, we surveyed a sample of 388 students in a large undergraduate information science course that transitioned from online to blended learning: 212 students in the online offering and 176 students in the blended offering of the course. We compared students’ experiences in online and blended learning modalities and examined their perspectives on the blended learning component. Our quantitative and qualitative analyses yielded mixed results. Findings showed students preferred blended learning over online learning. They perceived it to be more engaging and active and reported that it allowed more peer interaction. Students had mostly positive perspectives of the blended learning components. However, some offered feedback on improving attendance requirements for the online component of the blended learning. Others reported online fatigue following online instruction during the pandemic. We discuss the findings and offer suggestions for effectively incorporating blended instruction in large information science courses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    Lilach Alon, SeoYoon Sung & René F. Kizilcec

Authors
  1. Lilach Alon
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  2. SeoYoon Sung
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  3. René F. Kizilcec
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lilach Alon .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. iSchool Organization, Berlin, Germany

    Isaac Sserwanga

  2. Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

    Anne Goulding

  3. University of Missouri, Chicago, IL, USA

    Heather Moulaison-Sandy

  4. University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia

    Jia Tina Du

  5. University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    António Lucas Soares

  6. Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia

    Viviane Hessami

  7. University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA

    Rebecca D. Frank

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Alon, L., Sung, S., Kizilcec, R.F. (2023). “It’s Nice to Mix Up the Rhythm”: Undergraduates’ Experiences in a Large Blended Learning Course in Information Science in the Context of COVID-19. In: Sserwanga, I., et al. Information for a Better World: Normality, Virtuality, Physicality, Inclusivity. iConference 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13971. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28035-1_33

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28035-1_33

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-28034-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-28035-1

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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