Blended Learning in higher education from a sustainability perspective

Summary

Online education could be an instrument to substantially decrease the carbon footprint of a higher education institution through its potential to reduce commute-related student travel. With an interdisciplinary approach, this PhD research investigates how learning and teaching in higher education can be enhanced both from an educational and a sustainability perspective.

To this end, this research first explored the pros and cons of online education as a measure to decrease the carbon footprint and subsequently, student travel behaviour in relation to their learning on campus. A mix of online and on-campus education, so-called blended learning, with on-campus education clustered on two or three days per week emerged as the most promising solution. Based on this premise, pedagogical design principles and recommendations were developed to maintain educational quality and foster the development of sustainability competencies. These principles were applied and evaluated in the design and implementation of a sustainable blended minor at Avans University of Applied Sciences.