Blended Learning and Transformative Processes: A Model for Didactic Development and Innovation

The Covid-19 pandemic is overwhelming the way to think and practice didactic in higher education. Academic institutions are facing the challenge of providing courses in different ways from those used before the lockdown period. In this scenario of uncertainty, blended learning seems to be a possible solution that combines the benefits of online and classroom education. Based on many studies, researchers have concluded that a mix of face-to-face and online instructional formats is the best solution for accelerating students’ learning processes. This contribution describes a case study of the implementation of a didactic blended model in the bachelor and master’s degrees at the University of Siena. Specifically, research objectives were (1) analyze the digital environment that characterized faculties’ work before the lockdown phase, (2) describe the elements of faculties’ process of didactic redesign, (3) understand their expectations, needs, attitudes, and concerns in applying technologies to teaching and learning. The analysis allows the collection of a rich amount of data that lead to the design of a blended learning model specific for the two programs in educational science.