Blended learning is the integration of online learning and face-to-face instruction. This type of learning integrates innovative technology and multimedia with the best aspects of the traditional pedagogical approach in a way that creates a richer learning experience for students. With the potential to enhance the student experience, the key to success is how to effectively support students and instructors. In this chapter, Sect. 5.1 provides an overview of the fundamental principles for building a blended learning support system; Sect. 5.2 covers the approaches to supporting students in blended learning, including planning and guidance, diagnosis and monitoring, and intervention and evaluation; and Sect. 5.3 discusses a variety of strategies that have been used to support instructors, such as training, pedagogy, policy, and evaluation. This handbook serves as a guide for instructors, support staff, and administrators who want to offer blended courses to their students, with relevant cases and approaches.

5.1 Overview

Four fundamental principles of support for blended learning are proposed in light of what has been done to support students and instructors n distance education and what has made blended learning unique.

5.1.1 Fundamental Principles of Building Support System for Blended Learning

Systematization: Single-Service to System-Wide Service Transition

Systematization is critical for the success of the blended learning support system. Instructors and students must be at the center of the support system so that diverse parts may work together to strengthen relationships. Changes are expected to be made, from the content-fragmented and department-isolated series to the one that is intersectional, integrated and cohesive (Wu et al. 2021).

Integration: Transforming from Actual Classroom into Virtual Space

For blended learning to work, it must be built on the concept of “integration,” which means that to meet certain learning goals, both physical classrooms and online virtual learning environments must be carefully planned and connected. It is therefore vital to create conditions and support for learning that may occur at any time and in any location (Yang et al 2020).

Process-Oriented: Transition from Single Point of Support to a Support System Throughout the Teaching and Learning Process

Instructor preparation and learner support teams should work together to develop a comprehensive approach to blended learning that covers all aspects of the process before, during, and after sessions.

Personalization: Transition from Group to Individual Support

Students’ educational level and capabilities for self-regulated learning should be taken into consideration while providing support services for blended learning. Traditional learner support services are frequently fixed and rigid in their approach. However, by means of learning analytics and adaptive technology, blended learning support services may accomplish tailored instructional design, curriculum management and learning assessment, satisfy students’ individualized learning requirements, and assist students in overcoming specific learning difficulties (Li 2018).

5.1.2 The Core Elements of the Blended Learning Support System

Globally, different approaches to classifying the elements of learner support have been employed. Simpson classified learner support into teaching and nonteaching support (Simpson 2002), whereas Tait argued that three components need to be taken into consideration in learner support: systematic, emotional, and cognitive support (Wang and Ding 2004). Brindley further characterized learner support as tutoring and teaching (support in connection to the content of the course), advising and consulting (support not connected to the content of the course), and administrative and technical support (Chen 2011).

With respect to early studies conducted in other parts of the world, Ding (2002) first introduced learner support to China and provided detailed taxonomies of learner support: manpower, facilities, instruction, information desk, supply service, and assessment and evaluation. As the practice of blended learning is quickly developing in China, scholars have continued to synthesize the many elements of learner support. For example, Huang (2004) broke down learner support into the following five categories: resource support, advisory support, technical support, instructor support, and managerial support. Although pedagogical instructional support dominated discussions in the early days, Chen (2011) subsequently advocated cognitive support and peer support in addition to management support, instructional support and technical support. Huang further added emotional support to technical support, course logistical support, and teaching support, etc. (Huang and Zhou 2006).

The primary goal of the learner support system is to meet the needs of both instructors and their students. Instructors and students must be at the center of a blended learning support system that allows students to actively participate in the instructional activities initiated by the instructors. This handbook incorporates the most recent research findings in distance education and best practices to help educators and students alike get the most out of a blended learning support system. To effectively provide learner support, a blended learning environment, digital learning materials, and organizational and operational management are all essential prerequisites (see Chap. 4 of this handbook).

5.2 Supporting Students in Blended Learning

Blended learning is characterized by more substantive learning material, flexible and diversified learning activities, and greater student autonomy, but it also demonstrates that students are increasingly dependent on digital platforms; therefore, instructors and schools must give more systematic support to students.

There are several types of learning support services targeted specifically toward students, all of which focus on the needs of the students themselves.

5.2.1 Guidance and Preparation

Introducing the Course

In the beginning, we should make the most of the course platform to offer an overview of the courses in the blended learning program. In addition to providing students with a better understanding of their learning objectives and plans, it may also help them to become more motivated and engaged in their studies.

The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) produced the AECT Instructional Design Standards for Distance Learning, which states that clearly defined goals and objectives (both those of the institution/instructor and those of the students) are a necessary precondition for productive collaboration between educators and students (Piña and Harris 2019).

In practice, a well-designed course overview may help students better understand the course's objectives, structure, materials, codes of conduct, required prior knowledge and skills, information about professors, and class members. The QM (Quality Matters 2020) organization of the United States has developed a national standard framework for online courses (Lowenthal and Hodges 2015), which includes the course overview and introduction. It is necessary to take into consideration the following nine factors:

  • Instructions make clear how to get started and where to find various course components.

  • Learners are introduced to the purpose and structure of the course.

  • Communication expectations for online discussions, email, and other forms of interaction are clearly stated.

  • Course and institutional policies with which the learner is expected to comply are clearly stated within the course, or a link to the current policies is provided.

  • Minimum technology requirements for the course are clearly stated, and information on how to obtain the technologies is provided.

  • Computer skills and digital information literacy skills expected of the learner are clearly stated.

  • Expectations for prerequisite knowledge in the discipline and/or any required competencies are clearly stated.

  • The self-introduction by the instructor is professional and available online.

  • Learners are asked to introduce themselves to the class.

The course overview should address all or part of the abovementioned nine factors in an effective blended teaching design, and it is recommended that each school consider and create additional factors according to their actual circumstances.

Making a Learning Plan

The blended course platform must provide guidance to students so that they may create learning plans and become accustomed to online learning. Guidance in making learning plans prior to the official start of learning helps students manage their time and complete assignments more efficiently and thus meet their learning goals. Learning plans often include information such as the days and times of classes, the modules or subjects covered, the number of hours of instruction, the assignments to be completed, and so on. In a nutshell, making a learning plan refers to the process of breaking down the material covered in the class into individual learning units and carrying out the activities associated with each learning unit according to predesigned instructions.

  • Teaching Weeks: In a learning program, the dates of study are commonly stated in the form of weeks;

  • Learning Modules or Themes: A module or theme in a class often consists of multiple chapters, and students are expected to devote a significant amount of time to studying for it;

  • Learning hour: Also known as class hours, they are 50 min in length.

  • Assignments: Quizzes, formative assessments, and summative evaluations (examinations) are included.

Exemplar 5.1

The Open University in the UK offers a course package for learners, which includes learning materials, the course schedule and assessments, allowing students to acquire all the information and advice they need prior to beginning their studies (Sun et al. 2015).

Exemplar 5.2

Table 5.1 is the schedule for a university's Child Psychology course of the Open University of China. For students who are new to the course, the table provides an overview of the study dates, units, chapters, class hours, and formative assessments.

Table 5.1 Schedule for Child Psychology
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Learning Requirements

Having explicit learning requirements at both the course and individual levels helps to establish a positive learning environment and ensures that the course progresses in a timely manner.

According to Adams et al. (2020), blended learning calls for multidimensional engagement on the side of students, including their cognition (the needed knowledge and skills), behaviors (students actively participating in course activities), and emotions (emotions expressed to the instructor and peers). On the basis of the aforementioned three dimensions, the learning needs of blended courses should also consider the features of face-to-face courses and those of online courses (Visiting group of Jiangsu RTVU and Zhou 2006).

Learning requirements for blended learning, which are similar to those for face-to-face courses, need to further address the following points:

  • The amount of time students must devote to the course;

  • The minimum number of credit hours they must earn;

  • The essential knowledge and abilities students should acquire as a result of taking the course; and

  • The standards students must adhere to prior to, during, and following class (such as the class code of conduct, completing coursework on time, etc.).

Blended learning, however, presents a new set of challenges:

  • Usage of the course website and any appropriate application software;

  • Adherence to the rules for managing online courses;

  • Compliance with the criteria for online class attendance;

  • Adherence to the norms for participation and discussion in online class groups.

Exemplar 5.3

Before the beginning of the General Psychology course, a university disseminated the learning requirements using a WeChat group. These requirements included specifics on the amount of time that must be spent on the course, the live broadcast platform, the management of learning groups, attendance, and prerequisite reading. Moreover, instructors are advised to notify students in a timely manner to ensure that the course progresses as expected.

Exemplar 5.4

During the course of a Business English class, a professor at the university released the particular learning requirements for students to the original WeChat group. These requirements included:

  1. (1)

    a questionnaire that students needed to complete before the class;

  2. (2)

    learning groups that needed to be added, personal information that needed to be amended, and learning materials that needed to be downloaded;

  3. (3)

    an application that needed to be downloaded for the course and explanations regarding check-in and attendance concerns;

  4. (4)

    a requirement that students check in and be present during class.

Learning Strategies

A learning strategy is an approach for a student to accomplish a certain learning objective and master subject knowledge. Because of the unique nature of blended learning, students must not only have the skills they need to master specific subject content but also have the information technology skills they need to make effective use of relevant online learning resources. It is vital to have knowledge of learning strategies to increase learning efficiency and effectiveness.

In contrast to traditional teaching, blended learning places greater emphasis on student autonomy and self-regulated capacities. The utilization of software, communication, material, and after-class time are all important considerations for instructors in blended learning (Ushatikova et al. 2019). Learner support includes not only the assistance students receive from their lecturers (Dwiyogo and Radjah 2020) but also the help offered by other students in online communities of practice and learner–content interaction.

  • Providing cognitive support in connection with the learning material

  • Students should be given cognitive support such as mnemonics if the course requires them to remember knowledge. This will help them create their own cognition map.

  • Asking to take notes in class

  • The purpose of having students take notes in class is so they may organize their information and revisit it as needed.

  • Supporting the learning of new tools

  • Students would benefit from our support in becoming proficient in the use of various learning tools, such as computers, the software that goes with them, and the apps that they run.

  • Motivating students to learn. For blended learning to be successful, we need to give students more control over their own learning, allow them to understand the notion of self-directed learning, and help them create their own learning trajectories.

  • Learning how to engage with and be supported by others in the community. We might assist students in establishing online learning communities, creating online classes, fostering a positive community environment, and obtaining peer support inside the communities.

Exemplar 5.5

The learning strategies contribute to the overall success of the course. A university's government economics course primarily focuses on the following aspects of teaching and learning:

  1. (1)

    understanding what the course is about;

  2. (2)

    putting theory and practice together;

  3. (3)

    making mastering basic principles and knowledge your top priority;

  4. (4)

    paying attention to the summary of each chapter; and

  5. (5)

    doing exercises in different ways on the computer.

5.2.2 Diagnosis and Guidance

Diagnosis of Learning Status

Blended learning integrates traditional teaching with online instruction, and its primary goal is to improve students' overall academic performance. Nevertheless, when blended learning is put into practice, can students actually experience better learning outcomes? If not, how can we make it better? Because of this, it is crucial to understand how students learn and be able to see difficulties with their progress in real time. This handbook can help educators better understand the challenges that can occur when putting blended learning into practice and enable them to make timely adjustments to the instructional design to obtain the best possible learning experience.

Learners have to contend with twice as many learning challenges while using blended learning. Therefore, both their own personal challenges, such as learning fatigue, and the challenges posed by the nature of blended learning, such as the mismatch between face-to-face instruction and online learning, obsolete learning materials, lack of resources, and inappropriate activity designs, must be addressed.

Challenges Using Learning Resources

There are various concerns with online learning resources, including a lack of overall design, poor quality, and disconnection from face-to-face instruction (Li and Ma 2014). In terms of how resources are organized, they are almost always a copy of offline materials, and the creation of online content is not guided by any pedagogical theory. The quality of the available technological resources is also poor, and they are not kept up to date. Some examples of this include obsolete courseware, blurry images, and video that has been segmented. Learners are unable to select learning resources according to their individual needs, as there is a dearth of learning resources that are specifically geared toward their needs. In addition, the learning resources that are now available are inadequate, uninteresting, and lacking in integration (Xiao and Jiang 2009). Online courses are sometimes limited to course materials and online assignment submissions because they do not include other learning tools, such as references and resource links. It is also difficult for students to utilize library resources, with just 47.1% of institutions providing e-library services for distance learners (Cai and Zhuang 2006).

Challenges Arising from Interaction

There is a lack of online interaction currently available for blended learning. The community of inquiry theory developed by Garrison and Kanuka (2004) brought attention to the vital role that interaction plays in blended learning. In their article “Designing Mixed Environments,” Osguthorpe and Graham (2003, page 231) also include “social interaction” as one of the six aims that instructors should strive toward while creating blended environments. However, instructors seldom respond to student queries online, so student questions cannot be answered quickly; in addition, the online learning community lacks behavioral rules, so student interaction cannot be assured. Moreover, there are few interactive activities for students to participate in, resulting in challenges in mobilizing their excitement.

Problems Caused by Technology

On the one hand, technological issues prevent students from accessing materials. Because of this, some students are unable to participate in online learning because they do not have access to computers, the internet, or even online resources (Lu and Sun 2015). Existing learning platform resources are also inadequately accessible, with just a small subset of materials readily available to students whose network is not part of a campus network. On the other hand, the current technological level of the platform is not sufficient to facilitate the fulfillment of the requirements of the learners. First, the network environments (platform security and stability) are poor, the network speed is slow, and the courseware cannot be opened during peak hours; this causes a great deal of inconvenience for students in regard to logging in, studying, submitting homework and even taking exams. Adaptive mobile terminal support is also missing from the network learning platform, as are intelligent interactive features (Jin et al. 2018).

Inappropriate Learning Strategies

Blended learning relies heavily on effective and efficient blended learning strategies, which may be classified into two categories: content and technology. Many blended learning courses do not include instructions on how to employ techniques and tools in the design of the course, despite the presence of advice in teaching practice. Learning tactics and approaches, such as helping learners define objectives, making acceptable plans, monitoring their progress, strengthening community ties, and so on, are often overlooked in instructional design. As a direct result of this, it is difficult for students to master knowledge and become proficient with it. It is difficult for certain learners to understand how to use computers and related software on the learning platform since there is no matching operating guide or demonstration. This has a negative impact on the learning process and the learning outcomes of these learners.

Personal Emotional Factors

Learners who are less likely to participate in learning tend to feel depressed and exhausted (Li and Lei 2012). Learners’ attendance rates are poor owing to conflicting work and study schedules, and as a result they are more likely to have a negative view of blended learning. Furthermore, some students continue to favor and become accustomed to the conventional face-to-face classroom because they find it difficult to adjust to the new notion, find it difficult to grasp the new technology, and believe that the new blended learning pattern is ineffective. In addition, some students lack the capacity to study on their own and the ability to manage their time and plan ahead. One final aspect to consider is that students who participate in online education report feeling a great deal of isolation, and it can be challenging to genuinely become a part of online learning communities and to realize the potential for communication and engagement with professors and other students.

Provision of Guidance and Support

A complete approach is needed to address the challenges that students face in blended learning, which includes providing them with relevant information and tools and strategies to help them learn.

Resource Allocation

Face-to-face and online instruction should be designed in a way that takes full advantage of the strengths of each medium in a blended learning environment (Lu and Sun 2015). It is important that the way educational materials are presented is tailored to their content's distinctive features. Face-to-face instruction may be used, for instance, to teach students key and difficult concepts, and then those concepts can be videotaped and made available for students to examine after the session has ended.

At the same time, learners should have access to courses that are more individualized and tailored to their specific needs. In face-to-face classes, it is difficult to give one-on-one instruction for each student because of the limited time and faculty resources. Students’ log data may be used to create individualized resource suggestions for online learners with the use of learning analytics (Liu and Sun 2021). Accrington & Rossendale College in the UK emphasizes tailored courses, such as preschool counseling, development evaluation, teaching group support, and IT help (Wu 2009).

Courses should be integrated, but so should the design of relevant resources to ensure that students are connected to one other in an effective manner. There are advantages to using printed materials and electronic materials. One plus one is more than two; therefore, the presentation of learning resources may be tailored to suit varied learning content and objectives. In the absence of students attending in-person classes, we should make clear which online resources they may use instead. Attention should be given to new knowledge points developed during face-to-face sessions, such as common issues of learners in the learning process, new challenges originating from debate and interaction, and a summary of blended learning activities, to design more focused and practical learning materials.

As a last step, the richness and variety of learning materials should be enhanced. First and foremost, network information technology may deliver multimedia courseware, audio and video, and the video recording and streaming of courses, successfully supplementing face-to-face course materials mostly focused on textbooks. After attending face-to-face sessions, students can continue their education at a distance using a digital library. For example, libraries in American universities provide students with one-on-one consultations. Students can contact library staff by phone, email, or online chat with questions regarding using the library's resources, borrowing items, or other academic concerns (Bai et al. 2008). Additionally, to build a “strong alliance” and prevent wasting resources and repeating efforts, high-quality digital learning resources have to be made available to everyone.

Interactive Activities and Environmental Design

One of the most important goals of blended learning activity design is encouraging learners to take the initiative to participate in the course and actively engage, communicate and share. Interactivity is increasingly important in the design of blended learning activities because of the nature of online learning. Bates(1991) identifies two types of learning interactions: individual interaction and social interaction. Individual interaction happens when students connect directly with the learning material (such as a book, television show, or computer program), while social interaction occurs when students interact with one other. One of the purposes of creating blended learning programs, according to Osguthorpe and Graham, is to promote social interaction (Osguthorpe and Graham 2003).

Instructor–student interaction and student–student interaction are the two main types of social interaction. Micro and macro strategies for designing learner–instructor interactions before, during, and after lessons are shown in Tables 5.2 and 5.3, respectively (Chen and Tong 2006).

Table 5.2 Learner–Instructor Interaction Strategies
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Table 5.3 Student–student interaction strategies
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Typical instructor–student interactions include explanation, questioning and feedback, exercises and discussion, whereas student interaction usually consists of competition, collaboration and communication. There are a number of strategies that can be used to deal with the issues that arise in the blended learning environment, including first, making learning content more engaging by including a variety of hands-on activities such as group discussions, role plays, and brainstorming sessions; second, keeping the online learning community engaged by publishing the rules and norms of communication, evaluation, and standards; third, creating a conducive environment for students to interact with each other; and fourth, responding to online inquiries from students promptly and gathering their questions in a variety of formats, such as real-time queries, forum messages, surveys, and so on.

Learning Strategies Support

Effective learning strategies are the key for learners to better understand what they are learning. One of the most fundamental aspects of education is mastering the art of effective reading from textbooks and other educational resources. For instance, schools are able to coordinate with qualified instructors to routinely organize seminars and lectures on how to read instructional materials and take notes in a manner that is most beneficial to their students. Additionally, students should learn how to “self-regulate” their learning, which means they should be able to plan their own activities and keep tabs on their progress. The majority of students who struggle to learn do a poor job of planning their education and making necessary adjustments to their learning practices. It is possible to increase learning outcomes by providing students with effective support, such as directing them to finish course objectives in stages, customizing learning assignments according to the student's progress, and increasing the student's sense of accomplishment upon completion of the course. This improves the students’ motivation and helps them develop into more self-regulated learners.

In addition, it is vital to provide students advice on how to use the many learning resources available to them. Learners can benefit from tools such as mind mapping and tomato clocks, which help them organize and integrate the information they have acquired.

Emotional Support

Emotional support is meant to help students communicate with each other through technical means and then strengthen two-way emotional interaction to improve learners’ positive emotional experiences (Li and Lei 2012). There are many ways that network and multimedia technologies may be used to enhance student engagement and participation and minimize students’ feelings of isolation. As a first step, there are a range of educational circumstances and activities that may be used to help students better express their emotions, such as teaching games and role plays. Second, a CSCW (computer-supported collaborative work) should be implemented to facilitate communication and collaboration among students in an online learning environment (Liu and Zhong 2011).

It is imperative that we further diagnose and analyze students’ emotional status to provide emotional support at the appropriate moments. First, questionnaires, barrage exchanges, and forum postings can be utilized to learn about students’ learning styles, difficulties, and expectations and to offer emotional encouragement while giving knowledge and then to find solutions to problems in a timely fashion. Second, the affective computing model-based expression recognition system can identify learners’ emotional states and provide relevant emotional support in real time during the learning process. Third, a real-time support platform might be built to provide personalized emotional support services for learners.

To help students develop a feeling of belonging, blended learning should make full use of the ease of online instruction and the sense of presence provided by face-to-face learning.

5.2.3 Monitoring and Intervention

The quality of blended learning is dependent not only on a well-designed learning plan and appropriate instructional support but also on timely intervention in the learning process.

Academic Early Warning

Academic early warning is a strategy for evaluating, warning, and assisting students in their academic development. Academic early warning is mostly based on data created in the online education environment, which has grown in popularity since the introduction of online education. Early warning models can be built using relevant methodologies and theories, and we can evaluate the data, send feedback to students and instructors based on the analytical results, and quickly provide targeted interventions. For instructors, educators and administrators, early warning is a “prevention in advance and in process” advisory service that enables students and instructors to learn and teach more effectively (Zhu et al. 2020).

Early Warning Indicators and Their Levels

There are a number of indicators of academic early warning that may be used. According to the findings of one study, college students’ daily behavior, attendance in class, and academic performance are all crucial indicators for determining whether they are experiencing learning difficulties (Liu 2017). Academic early warning indications should, of course, be comprehensive rather than focused only on academic achievement (Lin 2021). According to provincial criteria for comprehensive quality evaluation, a higher vocational college uses ideological and moral character as the major indication of early warning for full-time junior college students’ academic achievement, creativity and entrepreneurship, and social practice. Academia's early warning level is strongly influenced by students’ grades, but comprehensive quality evaluation data also have a significant impact. Students’ daily attendance, internships, and certifications obtained via practical training may also be considered by some vocational institutions. At the same time, the design of early warning should be improved in accordance with the features of various disciplines and courses (Yang et al. 2021).

As the semester progresses (such as at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the semester), risk levels (e.g., low, medium, and high) are utilized to determine the extent to which academic early warning is given to students and instructors. For instance, the academic early warning of a higher vocational school is organized in a hierarchical structure that ranges from a Level 1 warning (very light) to a Level 2 warning (there are many failing courses or truancy hours) to a Level 3 warning (it is possible to fail to earn the graduation certificate) to a dropout early warning (there will be an inability to continue studying in school) and so on (Chen 2021).

Early Warning System

In blended learning, the learning platform serves as both a means of disseminating knowledge and a means of monitoring student progress. The accuracy and effectiveness of academic early warning may be greatly improved by collecting and evaluating data on learning behavior according to theoretical models.

Students at Purdue University, for example, are assessed for their academic risk based on a variety of factors, including their demographics, academic achievement, amount of effort, and prior academic history. Using a color-coded system, the system offers “course signals” with rising danger levels for each course. Using this information, instructors can send students text messages or set up face-to-face meetings with them. One tool that certain platforms offer is referred to as “Student Explorer,” and it is designed to analyze data on students’ participation and performance. For example, it analyzes the relationship between students’ utilization of online courses, the number of activities they complete, and their final grades to determine the likelihood of students’ academic failure. This information can be used by student advisors to take the necessary actions based on a rising risk level for a student. Some early warning systems include “learning analytic dashboards,” which compare a student's risk level to that of other students with comparable features in the system. For example, students at University College Dublin (UCD) can be warned about their progress in class via an early warning system.

Exemplar 5.6

Academic early warning systems that are powered by big data have the potential to successfully identify students’ actual learning difficulties and provide them with accurate and consistent support. Many aspects of data collection and analysis must be considered while developing an effective early warning system. One of the key considerations is the availability of data (such as student engagement and performance statistics). There are a variety of additional factors to consider, such as instructional approaches (such as the flipped classroom), assessment techniques (such as formative evaluation), geographic location, and the demographics of the students. Concerning the method, there is not yet a widely accepted optimal algorithm for academic early warning, thus the one that is used must be chosen based on the specific circumstances (Liz-Domínguez et al. 2019).

Support Systems

To improve students’ learning outcomes, a warning system in blended learning is simply the beginning; what students truly need is a support system that comes after the warning system.

There are a number of laws and regulations that need to be established to assist students in improving their present level of learning and to find solutions to difficulties that arise throughout the learning process. There must be a defined division of work, detailed evaluations, and incentives in place in the regulations of the support system.

Establishing a Support Team and Working Mechanism

Creating a committed support team comprised of representatives from each party is essential to the successful implementation of the support system.

Exemplar 5.7

There are many factors to consider when providing support, including the nature of disciplines and courses, students’ difficulties, and their own characteristics. However, effective implementation of support work must also consider the diversity and division of responsibilities of the staff involved while integrating and connecting the functions of various departments so that all parties can work together to achieve the goal. Regarding student academic challenges, instructors play a critical role; regarding issues with student students’ motivation, instructors, counselors, and tutors must work together; and regarding learning challenges, instructors and the school's special student service management department may work together.

Universities and colleges have created an accountability framework that puts an individual in charge of each intervention to guarantee the timely and efficient implementation of support programs. For example, in a vocational college, the counselor, class advisor, and subject instructor are in charge of the primary warning; the deputy dean, deputy secretary of student management, and director of the teaching and research office are in charge of the intermediate warning; and the party secretary and dean of the college are in charge of the senior warning (Lin et al. 2021). It is not just students who are informed by the academic early warning system; the warning information and studying advice are also sent to the person in charge of helping them out. Working together as a team, they divide their tasks and responsibilities according to established protocols.

When determining whether or not a support system is effective, an evaluation must consider both the rate at which the number of students who require assistance has decreased and the success of the interventions given to students who struggle with learning.

Creating Repositories of Supporting Records

When students receive an academic early warning, the institution should keep a complete record of all interactions between counselors and students, the academic guidance given by instructors to students, the effect of this support on their subsequent performance in school and other information. The documentation of support files may be used by students to monitor their progress and by management to supervise and examine the work of support staff and to assist with the regulations that govern it. The institute can hold the individual in charge accountable if inadequate files were documented and insufficient support was found and order him or her to reform within a time limit. Building a repository of case studies and best practices for student assistance is a long-term investment that helps build a stronger system of support and early warning for students.

Exemplar 5.8

Sichuan University issued the “Sichuan University Undergraduate Early Warning Notice” to students who were not doing well in their studies and urged their counselors to inform their families. At the same time, the university forwarded the list of warned students, transcripts and the “Warning Notice” to the dean and class advisers, seeking their assistance for the students, including interviewing the students and their parents to understand their difficulties and providing them with necessary support services (Yin et al. 2020).

Incentive System for Support

The course instructor is frequently the best resource for support since he or she is the one who is most familiar with the curriculum and the students’ current level of understanding. There must be an incentive system for instructors to participate in support work because it is an extra obligation that is separate from their regular teaching duties.

Instructors should be rewarded for the time and effort they invest in supporting students, and their efforts could be linked to their professional advancement (Yuan et al. 2014). Instructors' morals and manners, along with the criteria for applying for research projects at universities, should include consideration of instructors' involvement in the support work as a means to acknowledge the time and effort they put in and encourage them to engage in the support work.

5.2.4 Evaluation and Feedback

Exemplar 5.9

After determining the dimensions of evaluation model, it is necessary to confirm which indicators can be obtained and how to obtain them. Generally, the evaluation of student’s participation in blended learning should combine the characteristics of traditional classroom and online learning organically. For example, the classroom data is generated by students in the traditional classroom, and the online data mainly comes from platform records. Of course, a variety of data collection methods could be explored, such as questionnaire survey.

Exemplar 5.10

The blended learning course “College Computer Foundation” at Jianghan University was evaluated, with a focus on both face-to-face and online education. Attendance, experiments, computer time, classroom quizzes, assignments, and exercises are just a few examples of the types of information collected in the classroom. Online learning data comprises online learning length, online test results, online learning video watching time, online roll call, online check-in, online discussion, and other data (Zhu et al. 2021).

Evaluation of effectiveness of blended learning

Students' face-to-face learning and online engagement should be considered when evaluating blended learning, and both formative and summative assessments should be used. Both formative and summative assessments are used to gauge the effectiveness of blended learning. Formative assessment primarily examines the performance of students in the learning process, helping students to identify their learning status, change learning strategies, and improve learning results. Summative assessment measures how well students have learned after completing a course. The process of developing a scientific and appropriate course evaluation system necessitates constant experimentation and optimization. The dimensions of the evaluation model are the ways in which the student's learning effect is measured.

Blended learning may make use of a wide range of evaluation methods. To assess students' understanding of certain topics, questions in the classroom or on bullet screens, voting, and surveys might have a significant impact. An online self-assessment, peer review, or online demonstration can be used to evaluate a chapter or module as a whole. Summative evaluation analyzes whether students accomplish the learning objectives, course knowledge, and competence, and it may be done in various ways, such as an open/closed paper test or a paperless test, oral questions, classroom observation, self-evaluation and peer review, online live broadcast interaction, etc. (Gao et al. 2021).

Feedback to students

Feedback creates a connection between assessment and student growth. For students to learn more effectively, it is important to provide clear and concise feedback. The three pillars of feedback are timely feedback, real-time feedback, and feedback that is specifically tailored to the individual. It is important to provide students with timely and real-time feedback to address any difficulties they may be having with their learning. Providing students with feedback that is specifically tailored to their individual needs and circumstances is known as personalized feedback. Student gains may be boosted by providing them with frequent and detailed feedback on their progress in their studies. Feedback that focuses on how students solve problems rather than their final grades is extremely beneficial to students. To encourage students to reflect on their current learning situation, change their learning strategies, and gain an in-depth understanding of the material, it is important to provide students with timely and constant feedback on their progress. In addition, it can help instructors adjust their teaching methods and improve the quality of classroom instruction (An 2014). We have seen a shift in learning feedback due to educational big data: from delayed to instantaneous, subjectivity to objectivity, contextualizing to standardization, and from text to visualization as the feedback's format changes (Chen and Wang 2018).

There are three possible components to feedback: the current state of learning, learning objectives, and strategies for achieving those objectives. ① Students' grades, knowledge, information, progress, and reasons for studying are some of the most important aspects of a student's learning status. ② Students’ learning objectives may include mastery of current knowledge and mastery of related information. ③ Strategies to motivate students to achieve their goals are presented through instructor suggestions and recommendations. Instructors’ suggestions are largely to help students recognize problematical behaviors in learning and provide learners with feasible learning approaches. The recommendation for instructors is to recommend learning materials, peer resources and activity alternatives for students (Chen and Wang 2018).

By analyzing learning data, student portfolios will be more accurate, and the academic early warning and support system will be more intelligent. As a result, students are able to complete their studies and achieve their personal growth via effective and timely interventions. Using “virtual teaching assistants” allows students to obtain answers to simple queries about the course and enables online supervision and other consulting. Distance education's low student-to-instructor interaction and professors' incapacity to respond to every student in a timely manner can be alleviated, and students can be encouraged to study to improve their self-discipline in learning (Zhang 2018).

The support system will become more tailored and accurate. Students' tailored learning paths have become more precise thanks to the use of technology, and each learner's unique learning priorities and obstacles have become more clearly defined. More importantly, these support systems may meet students' learning demands, give them tailored assistance and exact answers, and improve their learning efficacy. The FutureLearn platform, for example, has taught over one million students from all over the world, amassed countless amounts of data about the usefulness of the content, and then used patented algorithms to determine exactly what the learners themselves need to learn.

An individual's emotional well-being is critical to his or her success. Students' emotional and psychological difficulties, such as anxiety, loneliness, and a sense of powerlessness, are increasingly being addressed through support systems in blended learning to improve learner support and enable students to finish their studies in a healthy manner. Over time, the number of people on the learner support team has increased.

The establishment of a working group (including the heads of the institutions) and a framework for cooperation is necessary to help students overcome their real-life issues. There should be some sort of organization set up to help troubled students, and the person in charge of support should be identified and the support policy publicized in a timely and effective manner.

Learner support is expected to increase in scope as intelligent technology develops, and learner support is expected to be improved to better satisfy students' different learning needs in the future.

5.3 Supporting Instructors in Blended Learning

Instructors face additional challenges when they transition from conventional to blended courses, which have more fragmented resources and more flexible instructional approaches. To enable instructors to more effectively implement blended courses, timely and constant support should be provided, including training, pedagogy, policy, assessment, and so forth.

5.3.1 Training Support

Training for instructors is unquestionably required at every step along the way, from the early examination of blended courses through the design and delivery of instruction and the ultimate evaluation of its success. Instructors must also keep up with the quick changes in instructional technology and tool systems, which necessitate a constant learning and adapting process. As a result, it is more important than ever to institutionalize instructor training to foster the development of blended learning.

The institute's teaching faculty is led by the institute's most experienced professors. Their attempts to incorporate information technology into teaching are beneficial for strengthening their teaching skills and favorably directing new instructors. Blended teaching, or online learning, in which instructors and students are separated during the whole process, is a new concept for most lead instructors. Training for blended teaching that specifically targets lead instructors is critical. It is critical to give lead instructors training tailored to their own teaching requirements and background and to the unique challenges of online instruction. Educators should be taught in the design, implementation, and assessment of online classes in blended learning so they can change quickly.

Instructors who have a solid foundation are known as “backbone instructors.” Aside from helping them improve as instructors, their attempts to use information technology in course instruction serve as a positive example for future generations of instructors. It is vital to carry out tailored training since the great majority of backbone instructors are experienced with face-to-face technology-enhanced teaching. However, they are less comfortable with online teaching in which instructors and students are totally separated. On the basis of their extensive teaching experience, this group of instructors should be trained in the theory and practice of designing, implementing, and evaluating online learning.

Young educators are the new driving force behind the faculty team, and as such they are deserving of attention and specific training to achieve quick development. It is advised that role play can be used in the training approach when schools conduct training on blended learning for new instructors, as it is necessary to evaluate their initial teaching competence before the training.

Training takes many formats; in addition to the more conventional expert lectures and workshops, educational institutions can also increase training by creating communities of practice. The development of the community highlights the importance of teaching and research that is done together. Along with instruction in the use of blended tools and technologies, instructors must also receive instruction in instructional design, classroom management, student–instructor interaction, feedback and assessment. In addition, internet research, training, and case sharing among institutions and regions are also possible methods of communication. The community must be given constant support, such as planning long-term teaching and research initiatives to address the genuine issues in teaching practice and foster the long-term development of blended learning.

5.3.2 Support for Pedagogy

Blended course syllabuses, instructional activities, and websites should all be clearly defined by institutes to ensure that instructors are on the same page while building these courses. The syllabus should have a clear allocation of time for online and offline instruction, an evaluation methodology that includes both online and offline grades, and so on. Delivering online course materials on time, and reminding and motivating students to complete their online learning are just a few of the requirements. Instructors should explain the learning requirements and schedule to students during the first week of the course and provide online technology training to students. In addition, students' questions should be answered promptly through online contact.

Exemplar 5.11

The following are the writing requirements for the Central China Normal University Undergraduate Blended Course Syllabus:

Introduction: Information such as course category, major application, number of hours and credits, course content and subjects, faculty members who will teach the course, and a brief description of the course are all included.

Methods and requirements for online learning: There are suggested strategies and resources for differentiating the learning experience and step-by-step directions on how to get started with the online learning system.

Course content: The main modules of the course and a resource in text or multimedia are included in the course. As such, it should include the course syllabus in chapters. There should be a variety of media and cases available in each chapter to help students learn the fundamentals and expand on their knowledge.

Course video: Classes conducted in small groups should be videotaped and divided into smaller units called “micro videos,” which may be viewed on a computer's hard drive. There is a 15-min limit on the length of each video. To ensure that the whole course's instructional material is covered, all video materials must be seamlessly integrated.

Design and arrangement of activities: Assignments, exercises, and examinations, as well as grade books, Q&A sessions, group discussions, and other forms of group learning, can all be utilized to help students learn more effectively.

Assessment design and scheduling: Learning activity data, course information management, etc., are all part of assessment design and scheduling.

Blended courses need a website where digital teaching resources are given to interconnect online and offline teaching activities. In addition, the institute should offer timely technical assistance to instructors and students, including the creation of a teaching environment, technical help in the teaching process, technical system monitoring, data management and utilization, etc. It is imperative that educational institutions provide online learning spaces, digital materials, and classrooms in a consistent manner to make it easier for instructors to use blended learning.

Technical Support in Teaching

Technical issues may arise during the implementation of blended learning, including issues with uploading teaching materials; information cannot be viewed, replied to or published; the system cannot calculate how much time students spend on online learning; and logging in difficulties. To ensure the smooth progress of classroom instruction, institutions should work more closely with communication operators, increase the platform's stability, and reinforce the system's maintenance. The use of online manuals, operation demonstration videos, and 7*24-h Q&A services might be made available to assist instructors and students with software operation issues that may arise during blended teaching (such as mailboxes, WeChat, and Whatsapp). Students who are unable to attend class for a variety of reasons, such as an epidemic, disease, or being overworked, might have the school set up appropriate online learning materials and create a learning environment on how to utilize them through the internet, phone, or other means.

Monitoring and Troubleshooting of Technical Systems

Real-time monitoring of a technical system's condition is essential for catching any instances of anomalous service functioning or resource usage at any time. The state of learning support services and general operational conditions should be evaluated in time to identify potential dangers in important daily service reports. An irregularity in the technical system must be dealt with as quickly as possible in the process of blended teaching to prevent the problem from spreading or possibly resulting in the end of the service. Exceptions such as network outages, software flaws, and other issues must be anticipated and addressed in advance so that the plan may be implemented either automatically or manually in the event of a problem. Consider the recovery of the product under various degrees of damage, such as the circumstance when the data of online teaching are deleted, causing the platform to be rendered unusable.

Management and Utilization of Data in Technical Systems

Data generated by the technological system must be sorted out in a timely manner and sent back to teaching support to increase the data's usefulness. Online teaching platforms such as Blackboard and Google Classroom can provide a window into the challenges and opportunities faced by instructors in their day-to-day work.

5.3.3 Incentive Policy Support

The implementation of blended learning requires the long-term development and timely maintenance of courses by instructors. It is therefore critical to have an incentive system. Blended teaching should be regulated in a way that ensures that the rights and interests of instructors who use it are protected, that instructors are encouraged to experiment with it, and that its instructional value is realized.

It is the responsibility of educational institutions to encourage the systematic and efficient implementation of blended learning based on the premise of combining economic and intellectual gain.

First, create a separate fund to support the creation of blended learning and provide financial support to instructors who choose to do so on an annual basis in accordance with the development plan. Second, encourage instructors who have completed the blended teaching course evaluation to be rewarded and subsidized. Last, faculty members with a more diverse range of teaching styles are encouraged to apply for relevant projects and further their education. High-quality study findings might be used as a basis for the future design and implementation of blended learning. An increase in instructor involvement and a clearer understanding of incentives are necessary for the long-term sustainability of blended learning. Details on the creation of incentive policies may be found in Chap. 4 of this handbook.

5.3.4 Course Evaluation Support

Because of the increasing reliance on technology, the conventional methods of course assessment are no longer adequate for assessing blended learning. Blended course evaluations are critical to ensuring their long-term sustainability and effectiveness.

It is inevitable that the evaluation viewpoint will shift as a result of putting students first in a blended learning context. It is important to consider both the involvement of instructors and students in a blended evaluation system. In terms of the techniques of assessment, several methods should be adopted, such as process evaluation, summary evaluation, qualitative evaluation, and quantitative evaluation, to achieve generalizability; in terms of the format of evaluation, the combination of online and offline evaluation should be used to avoid becoming one-sided. Instructors’ and students' performance should be evaluated based on both online and offline teaching procedures, whereby data should be immediately and properly reflected in the quality of teaching.

Exemplar 5.12

To standardize blended teaching, Central China Normal University has successively issued the documents “Administrative Measures for Blended Classroom Teaching”, “Specifications for the Construction of Blended Course Resources”, “Administrative Measures for the Construction of Blended Teaching Curriculum”, etc., which clarified the norms of course construction, course management, platform operation and other aspects of blended teaching, along with the evaluation standards of online and offline content and activities of mixed courses. The requirements and evaluation contents of blended courses include:

  1. (1)

    Instructors build resources according to the curriculum construction specifications, upload the resources to the cloud-based integrated learning platform, implement open online classrooms or blended classrooms for undergraduate students through the space, and are responsible for updating and improving the resources.

  2. (2)

    The lecturer determines the type of class according to the needs of the course, and after the approval of the college, a unified arrangement of classes is adopted according to the institute’s plan each semester. The online class and the blended class information is required to be reported to the Academic Affairs Office.

  3. (3)

    Courses offered for freshmen in the first semester do not offer online classes or blended classes.

  4. (4)

    The first lecture of the online class and the blended class is arranged in the classroom, and the lecturer introduces the learning method, requirements, and assessment to the students. Except for the first time, the online class generally no longer arranges fixed classrooms. If needed, students or instructors can temporarily apply for a classroom at the Academic Affairs Office. The instructor determines the proportion of class time allocation between online and face-to-face teaching in the blended class according to actual needs.

  5. (5)

    Instructors are responsible for the instruction and management of the online or blended class. Instructors should strengthen contact with students, for example, guide them to study independently, regulate their online behavior, engage them to participate in learning, and timely answer students’ questions and correct their assignments online, etc.

  6. (6)

    The overall evaluation of the course is composed of the formative evaluation and the final exam. Instructors should formulate detailed quantitative evaluation standards for their performances and inform the students. The formative evaluation includes but is not limited to the following aspects: students’ autonomous learning status (online learning time and the number of speeches recorded by the platform), assignment grades (depending on electronic assignments, essays, online communication, and discussion, etc.), participation in online discussions (number of speeches, effectiveness, enthusiasm for discussion, etc.), and participation in face-to-face seminars (attendance, preclass preparation, classroom performance, etc.).

  7. (7)

    The university inspects and evaluates the teaching of online classes and blended classes by organizing supervisors and experts to attend lectures from time to time. Other inspections include checking the creation of digital curriculum resources, holding student symposiums, and communicating with lecturers.

This handbook includes the following form to make it easier for the institute to assess its own support services for instructors and to offer specific actions for improvement.

Exemplar 5.13

Self-Examination of Support Services for Instructors

No

Contents

Current State

Improvement

1

Are department managers encouraging?

  

2

Are institutional leaders encouraging?

  

3

Has the institute formulated related policies and rules? (such as specific implementation norms, evaluation mechanisms, etc.)

  

4

Are the institution and individual instructors aligned in their need to improve technological (and teaching) integration?

  

5

Does institutional policy require instructors to implement blended instruction?

  

6

Can students successfully find internet devices and environments on campus for online learning?

  

7

Can students view online teaching resources smoothly on campus?

  

8

Does the institute provide the professional resources required for the construction of course content on the internet?

  

9

Is there access to other instructors’ successful experiences?

  

10

Is there access to the pedagogical support needed to implement blended instruction? (e.g., ongoing communication with course designers and developers)

  

11

Do you have access to the one-to-one professional mentoring/training needed to implement blended teaching?

  

12

Do you have access to the professional face-to-face instruction/training in small groups needed to implement blended teaching?

  

13

Do you have access to the online professional guidance/training needed to implement blended teaching?

  

14

Do you have access to the technical support you need to implement blended teaching?

  

15

Is the evaluation data needed to judge whether the implementation of blended teaching is effective available?

  

16

Will the implementation of blended teaching receive financial subsidies?

  

17

Will the implementation of blended teaching affect the evaluation of professional titles and promotions?

  

Summary and improvement measures: