Designing and Developing a Prototype of Digital Learning-Teaching Materials in Blended Learning Approach

Abstract

Following COVID-19, the global educational landscape shifted dramatically. Almost every university globally was forced to begin offering online courses; for some countries, this was a sea change that opened the door to digitalizing their education. But Bangladeshi TVET institutions have been stumbling to adapt to the new normal classroom situation as the government directed institutes to reduce their face-to-face class time and start online learning. Again, teachers also face great difficulties producing blended learning as there is no specific study conducted on course design for Bangladeshi TVET students. Also, the teachers are often required to make the blended learning classroom faster than usual in this sort of situation. Thus, this study proposes a customized prototype that uses the features of both Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) and Rapid Prototyping (RP) to help Bangladeshi TVET educators to make a reliable and robust prototype faster. The prototype was reviewed by experts and end-users and validated to ensure its fidelity. Eventually, the prototypes' construct validity was confirmed using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and usage of the prototype was evaluated through students' academic performance. It has also been observed that using the end-users at the beginning of the design and development process significantly reduced the lead time to prepare the prototype. Further, in the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic, Bangladeshi TVET institutions are frequently expected to provide blended learning in order to create competent, effective, and inventive learners. But it has become a daunting task for the TVET educators to produce an effective blended learning environment as very few studies have been conducted on the preparedness of Bangladeshi TVET students for blended learning. Thus, this study also investigated the learners' readiness toward blended learning, which should help course designers to offer a successfully blended learning environment. As a result, another purpose of this study was to determine the degree of students' preparedness for various learning components and the dominating factor and other variables that may impact their readiness for blended learning. In this study, the researcher envisioned six learning components and then solicited answers from 235 students. The study suggests that the readiness of Bangladeshi TVET students toward blended learning is at a moderate level. There is a significant positive correlation between blended learning readiness and attitude towards online learning, openness to new technology, and attitude towards the face-to-face classroom. In contrast, significant negative correlations are found between blended learning readiness and basic skills of using technology, learning flexibility, and study management. This study also reveals that in some factors, Bangladeshi students' readiness was high, whereas, in some segments, the course designer must incorporate a few things to implement a successfully blended learning environment. This study should help the TVET course designers and government body acknowledges the hindrances that need to be stamped out to introduce blended learning in Bangladeshi TVET institutes.