Designing Multiple-Choice Test Items
20 3 Increased cost-effectiveness
Cost-effectiveness is a third major goal for blended learning systems in both higher education and corporate institutions. Blended learning systems
provide an opportunity for reaching a large, globally dispersed audience in a short period of time with consistent, semi personal content delivery. As cited by
Graham 2006, Bersin and Associates 2003 have done an exemplary job of documenting corporate cases that have effectively used blended learning to
provide a large return on investment. As stated by Graham 2006, there are some categories of blended learning
system, the categories are: 1 Enabling blends
The primarily focus of this category is on addressing issues of access and convenience. The example is blends that are intended to provide additional
flexibility to the learners or blends that attempt to provide the same opportunities or learning experience but through different modality.
2 Enhancing blends This category allows little changes to the pedagogy but do not radically
change the way teaching and learning occur. For example, in a traditional face-to- face learning environment, additional resources and perhaps some supplementary
materials may be included online. 3 Transforming blends
This category allows a radical transformation of the pedagogy. For example, a change from a model where learners are just receivers of information
21 to a model where learners actively construct knowledge through dynamic
interactions. These types of blends enable intellectual activity that was not practically possible without technology.
The designed materials proposed blended learning activities. The material instruction was conducted partly face-to-face and partly online. The designed
materials included in the enhancing blends category since there was no significant change in the way teaching and learning process.