192 The Handbook of Blended Learning

however, could be viewed as post hoc rationalization, opting for a blended approach rather than a major redesign. However, it is important to realize that technology should not be used merely to emulate traditional methods of delivery; the challenge is to identify the gains from applying technology and use these alongside existing best practices in multimodal delivery. It is essential that the technology is not in­corporated into programs uncritically. Many students, especially those age eighteen to twenty-five, will probably not want entirely e-learning courses or study at a vir­tual university. The key features of university life for many young people are the social and recreational activities. In addition, for any age group, sustaining motiva­tion in a virtual environment is problematic. Blended learning offers one solution so that online learning enhances the best of the face-to-face provision.

For many, e-learning is seen as a technical solution to improve teaching. It is commonly viewed as neutral—just another tool in the lecturer's kit bag. This, I believe, is a naive view and hides the extent and complexity of change required at universities (Jones, 2004; Jones & O'Shea, 2004). Technology is not just another way of delivering course content. Blended learning is challenging our education practices and under­lying epistemologies and theories. The design of blended learning needs to be grounded in sound education theory. We need to ensure that we blend technological and peda­gogical advancements. If we design programs online and ignore education theory, we are in danger of leaving learning to chance. Of course, the disadvantages of a blended learning solution, which includes some face-to-face elements, are obvious: a loss of time and location freedom. Nevertheless, we believe that overall, there are great benefits from adopting a blended approach, and the benefits outweigh the costs.

Laurillard (2002) gives valuable advice emphasizing that the first execution of an e-learning program rarely works well. She recommends that we as academic -build a body of knowledge on how we could make best use of technology in learn­ing. There is not enough research evidence on which to base conclusions on the

efficacy of blended (earning, but this case study goes some way to Ш the evidence

gaps. There is clear evidence presented in this case study that a blended solution works better than an entirely computer-mediated environment. The variety of blends can be overwhelming and confusing, but the case study illustrates the suc­cess of combining elements of traditional and computer-mediated delivery.

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