The value of a ‘wrap-around’ approach to blended learning: a quantitative study of student attainment and engagement with pre-class and post-class interactive online learning resources

Blended learning strategies that employ online resources and face-to-face classes are widely utilised within higher education. Although research suggests that online learning resources can enhance engagement and improve student outcomes, debate continues regarding how best to design the online component of a blended learning strategy. This study contributes to such debate by investigating the impact on student learning of a ‘flipped classroom’ design that configures pre-class interactive videos and post-class online quizzes around collaborative workshops within a first-year physics subject. Quantitative data relating to student engagement with these resources, as well as student results, was extracted from the host institution’s learning management system. The study reports on the analysis of such data from 490 students who completed the unit between 2018 and 2023, with some participants engaging extensively with both online resources, some using one but not the other, and around a third of the sample using neither extensively. Findings show that while student engagement with either pre-class interactive videos or post-class quizzes was associated with improved student attainment relative to those who used neither, there was no significant difference in results between those who extensively used one of these resource types but not the other. The highest results were achieved by students who engaged extensively with both types of resource, highlighting the value of employing both pre-class and post-class interactive online learning tools in delivery of a ’wrap-around’ blended learning strategy.<p></p>