Why Did You Blend My Learning? A Comparison of Student Success in Lecture and Blended Learning Introduction to Sociology Courses

Introduction to Sociology at a large public university was taught in two separate formats, blended learning and lecture, during the same semester by the first author. While some similarities existed, the distinction was in delivery of course content. Additionally, the blended class had one-third less in-class time that was primarily devoted to active learning. In this quasi-experimental study, the researchers tested differences in learning using grades and pre-posttests. Although there were no statistically significant differences across sections in exams and final grades, the blended class had significantly greater improvement on the overall pre- to posttest. Additionally, students of color and non-first year students in that class had significantly greater improvement on the pre-posttest compared to those subpopulations in the lecture course. The authors conclude that blended learning, employing flipped pedagogy and centered on active learning, may be more effective than lecture, particularly in narrowing the achievement gap between white and non-white students.