Expanding Blended Learning Scenarios: How to Empower Adult Learners to Persist?

Abstract

Blended learning, the seamless integration of online and face-to-face instruction, especially appeals to adult learners. However, it was repeatedly shown that learners’ persistence tends to be low in blended environments due to insufficient self-regulation skills. While in search of effective self-regulated learning (SRL) interventions to improve adult learners’ retention in blended learning contexts, our systematic review disclosed that scholars can not fall back on a suitable empirical knowledge base. The SRL-persistence relationship is seldom simultaneously addressed, the studied instructional context differs often from blended learning, adult learners are not targeted and/or the empirical approach entails static parameters. In order to expand blended learning scenarios aimed at SRL to improve adult learners’ persistence, further scrutiny is necessary. We argue that such research requires not only dynamic and context- related measures of learners’ SRL behaviours and persistence but also has to act upon learners’ progress through adaptable and timeable SRL interventions.