Core Conceptual Features of Successful Blended Learning in Higher Education - Policy Implications

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by acoobca

COVID-19 taught universities worldwide that digital technologies supporting fully online or blended learning function as a survival strategy. The lesson, together with technology’s inclusion in continental, national, and university policies and strategic plans, implies deep technology integration—especially blended learning—in post-pandemic higher education. Yet sound theoretical frameworks are lacking to explain blended-learning success indicators and success factors. This study addresses these gaps through a configurative review of existing frameworks and emerging higher-education perspectives, proposing a holistic framework for policy, instructional design, and teaching and learning.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Keywords

| education policy analysis archives
A peer-reviewed, independent, open access, multilingual journal | | | --- | --- | | Arizona State University | | | Volume 30 Number 156 October 25 , 2022 ISSN 1068-2341 | | Core Conceptual Features of Successful Blended Learning in Higher Education: Policy Implications Teklu Abate Bekele The American University in Cairo Egypt Ibrahim M. Karkouti The American University in Cairo Egypt & Samuel Amponsah University of Ghana Ghana Citation: Bekele, T. A., Karkouti, I. M., & Amponsah, S. (2022) . Core conceptual features of successful blended learning in higher education: Policy implications. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 30(156). [https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.30.7444](https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.30.7444) Abstract: COVID-19 has “taught” universities worldwide that using digital technologies to support purely online or blended learning is a survival strategy. This lesson plus the inclusion of technology in continental, national, and university policies and strategic plans implicate significant technology integration, especially blended learning, in higher education in the post-pandemic era. However, there lacks sound theoretical frameworks to adequately explain success indicators and success factors in blended learning. Existing frameworks provided particulars about the impacts of blended learning within certain contexts; none provided a comprehensive analysis of the significant factors that transcend specific application contexts. Moreover, the frameworks did not offer clear conceptions of knowledge, teaching, learning, and technology and its role in learning. To better inform successful blended learning adoption, this study problematizes success indicators and success factors based on a configurative review of existing frameworks and emerging theoretical perspectives in higher education. A holistic conceptual framework that transcends context specificity is proposed to better inform policy making, instructional design, and teaching and learning. Conceptions of adaptive policy, policy as learning design, and policy as practice are found relevant for blended learning policy making and analysis in higher education. Keywords: blended learning; higher education; policy making; success factors; success indicators Características conceptuales centrales del aprendizaje semipresencial exitoso en laeducación superior: Implicaciones políticas Resumen: COVID-19 ha "enseñado" a las universidades de todo el mundo que el uso de tecnologías digitales para apoyar el aprendizaje puramente en línea o semipresencial es una estrategia de supervivencia. Esta lección más la inclusión de la tecnología en las políticas y planes estratégicos continentales, nacionales y universitarios implican una integración significativa de la tecnología, especialmente el aprendizaje combinado, en la educación superior en la era posterior a la pandemia. Sin embargo, existen marcos teóricos sólidos para explicar adecuadamente los indicadores de éxito y los factores de éxito en elaprendizaje combinado. Los marcos existentes proporcionaron detalles sobre los impactos del aprendizaje combinado dentro de ciertos contextos; ninguno proporcionó un análisis exhaustivo de los factores significativos que trascienden los contextos de aplicaciónespecíficos. Además, los marcos no ofrecían concepciones claras del conocimiento, la enseñanza, el aprendizaje y la tecnología y su papel en el aprendizaje. Para informar mejor la adopción exitosa del aprendizaje combinado, este estudio problematiza los indicadores de éxito y los factores de éxito en función de una revisión configurativa de los marcos existentes y las perspectivas teóricas emergentes en la educación superior. Se propone un marco conceptual holístico que trasciende la especificidad del contexto para informar mejor la formulación de políticas, el diseño instruccional y la enseñanza y el aprendizaje. Las concepciones de política adaptativa, políti

FAQs

Why do the authors connect COVID-19 with blended learning policy in higher education?

COVID-19 showed universities that using digital technologies for fully online or blended learning is a survival strategy, and technology became included in policies and strategic plans.

What problem does the study identify in existing blended learning research?

There are not enough sound theoretical frameworks that adequately explain success indicators and success factors, especially in ways that go beyond specific application contexts.

What framework does the study propose to support policy and instructional design?

A holistic conceptual framework that transcends context specificity to better inform policy making, instructional design, and teaching and learning.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by acoobca