The Application of Multiple-Criteria Decision Analysis to Address Blended Learning Design Challenges

Blended learning has proved to be more effective than either online learning or face-to-face instruction. For many researchers in higher education, it is almost certain that blended learning will be the new traditional model for course delivery. Despite this, designing blended learning courses is still a major challenge for many academics. Educational institutions’ lack of access to blended learning technical and pedagogical support, the large numbers of blended learning components that need to be considered when constructing a blended learning experience and the lack of a universally recognized formula or defined standards to guide the design process are examples of major challenges facing academics who want to implement a successful blended learning experience. To facilitate the design process, this paper discusses the different design challenges that face academics when designing their blended learning courses. It then discusses the applicability of using a multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approach to address these challenges and facilitate the design.