University students’ perceptions of the B-Learning methodology

Abstract

The times of the last pandemic that plagued humanity challenged educators to find alternatives to face-to-face teaching, which arose through technological applications. Based on the symbiosis between face-to-face teaching and distance learning, this study seeks to gain insight into the perceptions of Mathematics and Biomedical Sciences students at a Portuguese public university regarding the b-learning methodology, as well as to identify the underlying factors that determine these perceptions, through their responses to an online survey. Adopting a quantitative approach, this study describes the students’ perceptions of the two courses, identifying characteristics related to their role in this learning modality. An exploratory factor analysis revealed four factors: learner receptivity towards the distance component, learner-learner interaction, learner-instructor interaction and transactional distance. The present findings revealed significant differences between the two courses, particularly in relation to the first factor. Mathematics students had lower factor scores compared to Biomedical Sciences students. Spearman correlation analysis identified effective time management as a crucial work habit associated with all four factors. Regarding the availability of resources, successful adaptation to distance teaching and learning platforms emerged as the primary characteristic correlated to the four factors. Additionally, learner receptivity towards the distance component, learner-instructor interaction and transactional distance were identified as the main factors associated with student motivation towards b-learning. This study suggests that while the b-learning approach proves to be suitable in terms of facilitating dialogue, the distance component has revealed its weakness, especially posing greater challenges for Mathematics students.