The goal of this research was to better understand blended learning at the University of Central Florida (UCF). The investigator examined blended learning from the institutional, faculty, and student perspectives in an attempt to capture the complexities of this learning environment. For the institutional perspective, models emerged that were critical to the development of UCF's initiative and ongoing support of both fully online and blended courses. The individual faculty perspective outlined unique characteristics of one blended course, HFT4932 - Exploring Wines of the World. The professor explained his/her choices and reasons for an instructional model as well as why the blended format was selected. The student perspective indexed student attitudes toward blended classes at UCF. Students continued to report high overall satisfaction with blended courses as well as high levels of quality interaction among students and with faculty. However, there continued to be a downward trend in satisfaction levels with younger generations of students. Students still reported convenience and flexibility as their primary reasons for taking blended courses. Many students viewed the blended format as a way to become active participants in their learning thereby developing new learning skills. Infrequently, technology difficulties were reported. Challenges for students were time management and poor course organization. Web-based instructional delivery is still relatively new with a growing need for models that provide guidelines and strategies for instructors. The investigator suggests the possibility that this study serve as a model for a blended learning assessment for other institutions.

Este trabalho tem por objetivo analisar o comportamento aerodinâmico de dispositivos de ponta de asa e Fences acoplados em uma aeronave Blended Wing Body (BWB) através de testes em túnel de vento. A BWB é um projeto de aeronave alternativo que faz parte do conceito de aeronaves sustentáveis. O Laboratório de Aeronaves da Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, vem realizando uma série de pesquisas sobre este assunto. Em trabalhos anteriores com o modelo BWB foram observados a presença tanto de um escoamento transversal na parte externa quanto um forte vórtice no meio do modelo. A fim de melhorar o primeiro protótipo o Droop, bem como um arranjo de três Fences foram adicionados no modelo BWB. Além disso, os dispositivos Winglets e C-wing foram considerados neste estudo. Entre o desenvolvimento de aeronaves, vários dispositivos têm sido estudados e implementados em aeronaves convencionais. Estes tem várias vantagens, tais como a melhoria da eficiência aerodinâmica e a redução do arrasto induzido e efeitos positivos no rendimento do avião. Os dispositivos de ponta da asa criam uma força aerodinâmica em que um do seus componentes atua na direção do voo, esta também pode contribuir para a redução da intensidade dos vórtices nas pontas da asa, reduzindo o arrasto induzido. Pesquisas em aeronaves não convencionais mostraram que BWB poderia ter melhores características aerodinâmicas do que uma aeronave convencional. Aindústriaaeronáuticaestáprocurandoareduçãodoscustosoperacionais,bemcomo a adaptação das aeronaves para a restrição legislativa das emissões de gases e poluição sonora. Nas últimas décadas, esta redução não teve uma melhora significativa em termos de valores absolutos para configurações convencionais, isso fez com que novas e mais eficientes configurações têm sido estudadas. A interferência dos diferentes dispositivos no modelo BWB foram analisados em teste em túnel de vento. Os experimentos foram realizados no Laboratório de Aeronaves da Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo. Foi utilizado um túnel de vento fechado com uma seção de teste de 1.7x1.3x3 [m]. O ângulo de ataque foi variado desde -4º a 20º e Re = 390.000. Os resultados mostram que os dispositivos nas pontas da asa melhoraram o desempenho da aeronave, bem como a eficiência aerodinâmica. Com relação aos Fence este comportamento não foi observado. Entre tanto, em ângulos elevados a eficiência foi aumentada. Através da técnica de visualização oil flow observou-se que o escoamento sobre a asa foi redirecionado diminuindo o coeficiente de arrasto em ângulos de ataque elevados. / This work aims to analyze the aerodynamic behavior of wingtip devices and Fences coupled on a Blended Wing Body aircraft (BWB) through wind tunnel tests. The BWB is an alternative of airship design which makes up part of the Green aircraft concept. The Aircraft Laboratory of the School of Engineering of São Carlos-University of São Paulo has been carrying out a lot of research into this subject. In previous works with a BWB model, the presence both of a cross flow on the external part and a stronger vortex in the middle of the model have been observed. In order to improve the first prototype a Droop as well as an arrangement of three Fences were added on the BWB model. Furthermore the Winglets, C-wing devices were considered in this study. Among the aircraft development, several devices have been studied and implemented in conventional aircraft. These ones had several advantages such as improving the aerodynamic efficiency and induced drag reduction and getting positive effects on aircraft performance. The wingtip devices create an aerodynamic force in which one of this components acts in the flight direction, also these can contribute to the reduction of the wingtip vortices strength, reducing the induced drag. Researches in non conventional aircraft has shown that BWB could have better aerodynamic characteristics than a conventional aircraft. The aeronautical industry is looking for the reduction of direct operational cost, as well as the adaptation of aircrafts to the demanding legislative restriction of gas emissions and noise pollution. In the last few decades this reductions has not had a significant improvement in terms of absolute values for conventional configurations, this has meant that new and more efficient configurations have been studied. The interference of the different devices on the BWB model were analyzed in wind tunnel test. The experiments were carried out in the Aircraft Laboratory of the School of Engineering of São Carlos-University of São Paulo. A closed wind tunel with a section work of 1.7x1.3x3 [m] was used. The angle of attack was varied from -4º to 20º and Re = 390.000. The results shows that the wing tip devices improved the aircraft performance as well as the aerodynamic efficiency. Regarding the Fences this behavior was not observed. However, at higher angles the efficiency was increased. Through oil flow visualization it was observed that the flow over the wing was redirected decreasing the drag coeficient at higher attack angles.

Este trabalho tem por objetivo analisar o comportamento aerodinâmico de dispositivos de ponta de asa e Fences acoplados em uma aeronave Blended Wing Body (BWB) através de testes em túnel de vento. A BWB é um projeto de aeronave alternativo que faz parte do conceito de aeronaves sustentáveis. O Laboratório de Aeronaves da Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, vem realizando uma série de pesquisas sobre este assunto. Em trabalhos anteriores com o modelo BWB foram observados a presença tanto de um escoamento transversal na parte externa quanto um forte vórtice no meio do modelo. A fim de melhorar o primeiro protótipo o Droop, bem como um arranjo de três Fences foram adicionados no modelo BWB. Além disso, os dispositivos Winglets e C-wing foram considerados neste estudo. Entre o desenvolvimento de aeronaves, vários dispositivos têm sido estudados e implementados em aeronaves convencionais. Estes tem várias vantagens, tais como a melhoria da eficiência aerodinâmica e a redução do arrasto induzido e efeitos positivos no rendimento do avião. Os dispositivos de ponta da asa criam uma força aerodinâmica em que um do seus componentes atua na direção do voo, esta também pode contribuir para a redução da intensidade dos vórtices nas pontas da asa, reduzindo o arrasto induzido. Pesquisas em aeronaves não convencionais mostraram que BWB poderia ter melhores características aerodinâmicas do que uma aeronave convencional. Aindústriaaeronáuticaestáprocurandoareduçãodoscustosoperacionais,bemcomo a adaptação das aeronaves para a restrição legislativa das emissões de gases e poluição sonora. Nas últimas décadas, esta redução não teve uma melhora significativa em termos de valores absolutos para configurações convencionais, isso fez com que novas e mais eficientes configurações têm sido estudadas. A interferência dos diferentes dispositivos no modelo BWB foram analisados em teste em túnel de vento. Os experimentos foram realizados no Laboratório de Aeronaves da Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo. Foi utilizado um túnel de vento fechado com uma seção de teste de 1.7x1.3x3 [m]. O ângulo de ataque foi variado desde -4º a 20º e Re = 390.000. Os resultados mostram que os dispositivos nas pontas da asa melhoraram o desempenho da aeronave, bem como a eficiência aerodinâmica. Com relação aos Fence este comportamento não foi observado. Entre tanto, em ângulos elevados a eficiência foi aumentada. Através da técnica de visualização oil flow observou-se que o escoamento sobre a asa foi redirecionado diminuindo o coeficiente de arrasto em ângulos de ataque elevados. / This work aims to analyze the aerodynamic behavior of wingtip devices and Fences coupled on a Blended Wing Body aircraft (BWB) through wind tunnel tests. The BWB is an alternative of airship design which makes up part of the Green aircraft concept. The Aircraft Laboratory of the School of Engineering of São Carlos-University of São Paulo has been carrying out a lot of research into this subject. In previous works with a BWB model, the presence both of a cross flow on the external part and a stronger vortex in the middle of the model have been observed. In order to improve the first prototype a Droop as well as an arrangement of three Fences were added on the BWB model. Furthermore the Winglets, C-wing devices were considered in this study. Among the aircraft development, several devices have been studied and implemented in conventional aircraft. These ones had several advantages such as improving the aerodynamic efficiency and induced drag reduction and getting positive effects on aircraft performance. The wingtip devices create an aerodynamic force in which one of this components acts in the flight direction, also these can contribute to the reduction of the wingtip vortices strength, reducing the induced drag. Researches in non conventional aircraft has shown that BWB could have better aerodynamic characteristics than a conventional aircraft. The aeronautical industry is looking for the reduction of direct operational cost, as well as the adaptation of aircrafts to the demanding legislative restriction of gas emissions and noise pollution. In the last few decades this reductions has not had a significant improvement in terms of absolute values for conventional configurations, this has meant that new and more efficient configurations have been studied. The interference of the different devices on the BWB model were analyzed in wind tunnel test. The experiments were carried out in the Aircraft Laboratory of the School of Engineering of São Carlos-University of São Paulo. A closed wind tunel with a section work of 1.7x1.3x3 [m] was used. The angle of attack was varied from -4º to 20º and Re = 390.000. The results shows that the wing tip devices improved the aircraft performance as well as the aerodynamic efficiency. Regarding the Fences this behavior was not observed. However, at higher angles the efficiency was increased. Through oil flow visualization it was observed that the flow over the wing was redirected decreasing the drag coeficient at higher attack angles.

O presente estudo examina um dos modelos de blended learning que é modelo rotativo com seu subgrupo flipped classroom ou sala de aula invertida e a possibilidade de inclusão dessa modalidade de ensino em cursos superiores de moda, com o objetivo de ser aplicado ao ensino para os conteúdos de modelagem plana avançada sendo essa matéria prática. A análise inicial é bibliográfica e reúne contribuições teóricas e práticas de vários autores em livros, artigos, dissertações e teses. A coleta de dados foi em campo de caráter quantitativo e ocorreu por meio de questionários aplicados antes e depois de experimentação de um modulo on-line de ensino de modelagem plana, em vídeo, do qual participaram 42 alunos e oito professores. Com base nas respostas e na observação das atividades realizadas, conclui-se que existiria uma aceitação considerável dos alunos e professores para o ensino on-line, sugerindo a relevância de sua realização na disciplina de modelagem plana como os aspectos facilitadores do aprendizado / The present study examines one of the models of blended learning that is a rotating model with its subgroup flipped classroom or inverted classroom and the possibility of including this modality of education in higher fashion courses, with the objective of being applied to teaching the contents of advanced flat modeling being this practical matter. The initial analysis is bibliographical and brings together theoretical and practical contributions of several authors in books, articles, dissertations and theses. The data collection was in a quantitative field and occurred through questionnaires applied before and after experimentation of an online model of teaching of flat modeling in video, in which 42 students and eight teachers participated. Based on the responses and observation of the activities performed, it was concluded that there would be a considerable acceptance of students and teachers for online teaching, suggesting the relevance of their achievement in the discipline of flat modeling as the facilitating aspects of learning

La presente investigación “Retos y desafíos en un ambiente blended para el aprendizaje de las matemáticas de los primeros ciclos de estudiantes adultos”, plantea, desarrolla y evalúa los resultados y logros de aplicar una metodología de enseñanza-aprendizaje en un sistema semipresencial, al aprendizaje de las matemáticas en estudiantes adultos. El diseño de investigación es mixto. La población objetivo de la investigación está constituida por los ingresantes al programa de adultos de una universidad particular de Lima-Perú. El investigado para gestionar la intervención en la especialidad de Administración, considera que la población accesible está conformada por estudiantes elegidos aleatoriamente. / The present research "Challenges in a blended environment for the learning of the mathematics of the first cycles of adult students", proposes, develops and evaluates the results and achievements of applying a teaching-learning methodology in a blended system, to learning of mathematics in adult students. The research design is mixed. The target population of the research is constituted by those who enter to the adult program of a private university in Lima-Peru. The researcher to manage the intervention in the specialty of Administration, considers that the accessible population is made up of randomly chosen students.

Asynchronous discussion board (ADB) is considered to be a key online learning component. Although ADB has become an important teaching method in higher education for blended courses, the literature shows low levels of both the quality and quantity of learner interaction in the discussion boards of Saudi blended learning courses. The purpose of the current study was to explore the effects of different blended learning discussion formats on the motivation level of learners, the quality of ADB posts, and the quantity of ADB posts in a blended information and communication technology (ICT) course. The mode of online instruction was the independent variable with two levels: ADB-alone and blended online instruction that combined live virtual classroom (LVC) and ADB (ADB+LVC). The study took the form of a quasi-experimental design and a total sample of 42 students was involved. Learner motivation levels were measured using Keller’s Course Interest Survey (CIS). The ADB quantity was defined as the number of posts by one student in one discussion forum divided by the number of participants in that forum. The ADB quality was measured using a comprehensive rubric. This study found no statistically significant differences in motivation level and quantity of ADB posts between the ADB-alone group and ADB+LVC group. This study did find a significant difference in ADB quality scores between the two groups. The study contributed to improving Saudi higher education’s online practices by exploring ways to improve interactions amongst students and their peers as well as their instructors in online or blended courses.

O presente estudo examina um dos modelos de blended learning que é modelo rotativo com seu subgrupo flipped classroom ou sala de aula invertida e a possibilidade de inclusão dessa modalidade de ensino em cursos superiores de moda, com o objetivo de ser aplicado ao ensino para os conteúdos de modelagem plana avançada sendo essa matéria prática. A análise inicial é bibliográfica e reúne contribuições teóricas e práticas de vários autores em livros, artigos, dissertações e teses. A coleta de dados foi em campo de caráter quantitativo e ocorreu por meio de questionários aplicados antes e depois de experimentação de um modulo on-line de ensino de modelagem plana, em vídeo, do qual participaram 42 alunos e oito professores. Com base nas respostas e na observação das atividades realizadas, conclui-se que existiria uma aceitação considerável dos alunos e professores para o ensino on-line, sugerindo a relevância de sua realização na disciplina de modelagem plana como os aspectos facilitadores do aprendizado / The present study examines one of the models of blended learning that is a rotating model with its subgroup flipped classroom or inverted classroom and the possibility of including this modality of education in higher fashion courses, with the objective of being applied to teaching the contents of advanced flat modeling being this practical matter. The initial analysis is bibliographical and brings together theoretical and practical contributions of several authors in books, articles, dissertations and theses. The data collection was in a quantitative field and occurred through questionnaires applied before and after experimentation of an online model of teaching of flat modeling in video, in which 42 students and eight teachers participated. Based on the responses and observation of the activities performed, it was concluded that there would be a considerable acceptance of students and teachers for online teaching, suggesting the relevance of their achievement in the discipline of flat modeling as the facilitating aspects of learning

This thesis is focused on a new approach of education called blended learning. The history and developement of Blended Learning is described in the first part. Then the methods and tools of Blended Learning are evaluated and compared to the traditional methods of education. At the final part an efficient developement of the educational programs is emphasized.

This dissertation centers on competencies for K-12 online and blended teaching. Article 1, published in Distance Education, is the literature review, which compares K-12 online and blended teaching competencies. We found that online and blended teaching share personalization as the most salient competency, but that blended teaching competencies emphasize pedagogical skill sets and online teaching competencies emphasize managing the online course. Article 2, published in the Journal of Online Learning Research, is an analysis of selected literature from Article 1, which analyzes the modality in which competencies occur (online or digital context, face-to-face context, generic, or blended). Over half of the competencies analyzed were deemed generic, or not specific enough to denote which modality in which they occur, and 30% of competencies were for an online or digital context, and a very few competencies were specifically for face-to-face modality, and blended competencies made up Article 3 is a description of the validation of a Blended Teaching Assessment of five competency areas associated with blended teaching: (a) technology skills, dispositions, and digital citizenship, (b) technology-mediated interactions, (c) blending online and in-person learning, (d) personalization, and (e) real-time data practices. While the confirmatory factor analysis showed minimal evidence of validity, we believe this is an important first step to building an objective assessment of blended teaching skills, and the assessment should be refined and further analyzed if it is to be used for summative purposes.

Gegenstand dieses Beitrags ist die Entwicklung und Erprobung eines Blended-Learning-Kurses in der Sonderpädagogik zum Grundlagenwissen für den Förderschwerpunkt Hören. Eingebettet in ein bestehendes Modul stellt der Kurs eine Ergänzung des Curriculums im Förderschwerpunkt Sprache dar. Präsenzveranstaltungen wurden dabei auf E-Learning-Plattformen vor- bzw. nachbereitet. Die Evaluationsergebnisse zeigen, dass der Kurs gut angenommen wurde. Das Verhältnis von Aufwand und Nutzen wurde positiv beurteilt. Der Kurs wird mit einigen Überarbeitungen beibehalten.