Vol 59 (1), Mar 2015

 

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a blended delivery method in a large enrollment introductory nutrition course (n=400) offered to both on-campus and distance education students at a University in the western United States. In this blended class, half of the content (1.5 credits) was delivered in an instructor led synchronous format; the other half was delivered asynchronously in the online environment using Blackboard and enhanced with various instructional technologies. Student course evaluations and final grades were used to compare students’ level of satisfaction with the course and performance across student groups (on-campus vs. distance education). The majority of students (80%) recommended that the course continue to be taught in the blended format. Both student satisfaction and performance were influenced by student group. On-campus students earned higher grades than did distance education students, although distance education students reported higher levels of satisfaction with the blended design. A blended delivery method may be a successful alternative approach to large enrollment traditionally lecture-based courses. Blended delivery of such classes may offer students greater flexibility and the option of smaller class sizes.