Abstract
"This study explored participants’ experiences of tertiary Foundation Level 3 teachers and students transitioning to a blended learning environment with the introduction of a Learning Management System, Google Classroom and Google Suite for Education. Research participants comprised three teachers and 12 students from three regional locations using a mixed methods data collection of a student survey followed by focus group interviews, plus individual staff interviews. The significance of the findings relates to improving teaching and learning outcomes when transitioning from face-to-face to a blended learning environment. Highlights identified increased communication, collaboration and autonomy of participants’ experiences. Challenges were evident in digital literacy skills, professional development, Wi-Fi connectivity and hardware compatibility. A key recommendation from the study, for those introducing new learning management systems to an organisation, is the importance for staff to receive professional development before the introduction of new digital technologies, further supported by ongoing training. This training would alleviate some of the identified challenges of technical support, particularly those in the regions. It was also recommended that organisations have a reliable and robust digital technology infrastructure and compatible hardware. Limitations were noted in the sample size of participants."
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