Effects of blended learning on students' academic performance at Makerere University

Abstract

The main objective of the study was to assess the effect of blended learning to students’ academic performance at Makerere University. Therefore, it aims to find out whether gender, place of residence, financial condition of student’s family, Connectivity issues, adequacy of training students using online platforms have a significant relationship on the students’ academic performance during blended learning environment. It used primary data and collected using a questionnaire on a sample of 239 respondents from different courses at School of Statistics and Planning. Analysis was done using frequency distribution, Pearson chi-square, and logistic regression. In the results, majority of the respondents (83.19%) had declined in academic performance during blended learning with reference to traditional face mode of learning. Internet connectivity was reported to be moderate by slightly over a half of the respondents (68.49%). 73.11% of the respondents reported that they would access internet around their places of residence, slightly less than half of the respondents were students in third year with 47.06%, then 32.77% of the respondents were students in year one and finally 20.17% of the total respondents in year one. Majority of the respondents reported that the University was not prepared to adopt online learning with 76.47% and 23/53% of the respondents reported that the university was prepared for online learning. In the bivariate analysis, the variables that were selected for the multivariate level of analysis were device used, university preparedness for online learning, internet connectivity, online learning affordability, cost if accessing internet bundles, effectiveness of blended learning and how conversant the students were with the online approaches used for learning (P<0.1). In the multivariate analysis, the predictors that significantly influenced students’ academic performance during blended learning or not were ;University preparedness for online learning, effectiveness of the training and device used (smart phone) (P<0.05) as indicated in Table 4.5.a. Students who reported that the university was well prepared to continue studies with blended learning who reported that the university was not well prepared enough to conduct online learning (OR=0.362). Device used for online learning was also another significant variable affected student's academic performance during blended learning or not, those who reported that the owned a smartphone were 1.55 times more likely to be improve than those who had laptop tor learning (OR=1.554). Effectiveness of blended learning was also another significant variable affected student's academic performance during blended learning or not, those who reported that it was an effective mode for continuity of learning were 0.04 times less likely to be improve than those who accepted that blended learning was effective (OR=0.04). 5 The findings indicate the need to (i) formulate policies that will enable the university to adopt and prepare adequately before starting the semester using online learning and allocating more funds to facilitate the development of effective learning platforms for continuity of studies online. This will in turn increase the students' academic performance (ii) avail students with cheap smart phones and laptops aimed at supporting blended learning. This can be done by signing memorandum of understanding with different companies that produce these devices.