Blended Learning Implementation at Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology – an Academic Quality Enhancer and a Savior During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

PCF10 Sub-theme: Promoting Equity and Inclusion // This work evaluates blended learning implementation at Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST) by integrating technologies with the collaboration of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL). It explores the readiness of students toward blended learning through their attitudes, perceptions of, and satisfaction. The Technology-Enabled Learning policy is institutionalized based on the necessary infrastructure and capacity of AUST and Twenty blended courses were developed for the students. These blended courses were offered by AUST during the COVID-19 pandemic, from 2 February to 13 December 2020. A student survey was carried out in all these courses. Twenty instructors also participated in a different survey comprising a few very significant questions addressing the experience of the teachers in terms of designing and teaching blended courses. After a successful application of blended learning at the AUST premise, we have gathered, filtered, and performed a number of significant statistical analyses on the available data to assess the impact. Course-wise performances for blended courses over non-blended ones were calculated. A stepwise regression analysis was performed to see the impact of the students’ self-regulated learning behavior. The approach came in handy to partially tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced a nationwide shutdown of face-to-face studies in Bangladesh. // Paper ID 2566