Influence of blended learning on outcomes of students attending a general chemistry course: summary of a five-year-long study

The development of the Internet, communication technologies and teaching methods creates new opportunities for the modernisation of academic classes. Many studies on the application of new educational models indicate that they are both more effective and preferred by students over classical approaches. Additionally, combining various education methods and didactic tools is a common approach, ensuring a high degree of flexibility in the courses and the ability to satisfy the expectations and needs of students with various inclinations, learning styles and intelligence types. In this study, an attempt was made to determine the effects of blended learning on the outcomes of biophysics students attending a general chemistry course. The blended learning model applied covered a combination of classically organised classes, flipped classes, and elements of distance learning supplemented with various multimedia resources. The study had a quantitative character and involved analysis of variance for comparison of student cohorts taking the course in classical and in modernised forms. The study was run for five consecutive years and covered 98 students. The obtained results indicated a statistically significant increase in the students' outcomes after the classes were modernised.