Use of Resources, People and Approaches by Accounting Students in a Blending Learning Environment

Abstract

This research investigates how students used or “blended” the various learning resources, including people,while studying a compulsory, first year accounting unit. The unit design incorporated a blended learning approach. The study was motivated by perceived low rates of attendance and low levels of communication with lecturers which raised concerns that students were not managing their learning in this flexible, resource- and choice-rich environment. Students were surveyed to identify what resources and study approaches they relied on. The results showed that different students used resources and approaches in a diversity of ways to produce individual and distinctive “blends” even when several core strategies appeared to exist. This research demonstrates (1) that first-year students can choose and utilise resources in a great variety of ways when they control what and how they blend, and (2) the potential importance to students of genuine flexibility in how they interact with their learning environment.