L’objectif de cette recherche est d’évaluer l’intégration universitaire des TIC dans l’enseignement des langues étrangères en Palestine : le cas des projets RUFO et QIF. En adoptant un cadre théorique constructiviste, cette étude est effectuée sur trois plans : micro (enseignants et apprenants), méso (dispositifs en ligne) et macro (décideurs de l’université et du Ministère de l’Education). Se basant sur une méthodologie qualitative et compréhensive de recherche, une démarche d’analyse de contenu du triple corpus de données (entretiens, extraits de cours, communication officielle des institutions) a été appliquée. Les résultats illustrent que les pratiques enseignantes actuelles n’ont pas connu d’évolution par suite de l’intégration des TIC ; l’usage de cette nouvelle modalité a amplifié les pratiques directives et traditionnelles existantes et a parfois entrainé une régression par rapport au mode de présentiel. La conclusion principale est qu’il n’est pas possible d’innover sans changer le paradigme éducatif et passer de celui de l'enseignement à celui de l'apprentissage. Le développement de la pédagogie universitaire nécessite la mise en ouvre d’une ingénierie éducative complexe et participative accompagnée par un pilotage bidirectionnel et transversal de l’innovation et une formation-accompagnement des acteurs à tous les niveaux. / The objective of this research is to evaluate the integration of ICT in Palestinian universities for foreign language teaching: the case of RUFO and QIF projects. By adopting a constructivist theoretical approach, this study is conducted on three levels: micro (teachers and students), meso (on line courses) and macro (policy of the university and the Ministry of Education).The research is based on a qualitative and comprehensive methodology. A content analysis was applied to the triple collected data (interviews, excerpts from on line courses, official excerpts) The findings show that current teaching practices have not evolved as a result of the integration of ICT; the use of this new modality has amplified the existing traditional and directive practices; sometimes it has moved them backward. The main conclusion is that it is not possible to innovate without changing the educational paradigm and shifting from a teaching-centered model to a learning- centered one. Development of higher education requires the implementation of: a complex and cooperative educative engineering, a bidirectional and transversal management process of the innovation, and a training-coaching at all levels.

O uso de tecnologias digitais de informação e comunicação tem alterado a sociedade e seu emprego tem estimulado o debate na esfera pedagógica. A incorporação de tecnologias na educação pode ser considerada uma ferramenta facilitadora para transmissão de conhecimento ao aluno. O objetivo deste estudo de caso é identificar os desafios encontrados e as propostas de superação apresentadas. Buscou-se ainda analisar a satisfação e a usabilidade do ambiente virtual de aprendizagem (AVA) e dos materiais didáticos nele disponíveis, experimentados pelos alunos da graduação na Disciplina Odontologia Forense, na Faculdade de Odontologia da Universidade de São Paulo (FOUSP), dos cursos integral e noturno, no primeiro semestre de 2016. A tecnologia utilizada foi o software Moodle (\"Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment\"), onde foram depositados os objetos de aprendizagem: apostilas, vídeos, questionários e jogos. Participaram da pesquisa 113 estudantes. Como fonte de dados foram utilizados o grupo-focal, o questionário online semi-estruturado e os relatórios de logs do Moodle. Os dados foram analisados quantitativamente (análise descritiva) e qualitativamente (análise de conteúdo) e os resultados foram triangulados. Os desafios encontrados pelos alunos foram: dificuldade em acessar o AVA pelo celular; sobrecarga da estrutura curricular; não haver cobrança e lembretes para realizar as atividades online; desconexão entre a aula presencial e o ambiente virtual; haver mais de um site utilizado pelas disciplinas da faculdade. Em relação ao material didático, as atividades foram as mais visualizadas, com 1309 visualizações em média, seguida das apostilas (n=230), e dos vídeos (n=122). Os alunos sugeriram que tivesse mais atividades práticas no ambiente virtual. Para eles a realização de atividades no AVA foi importante para a fixação do conteúdo e para identificar eventuais dificuldades na aprendizagem (n=98%). As melhorias propostas, e concretizadas, foram no sentido de superar os desafios citados, ou seja, utilização da versão mobile do Moodle, diminuição da carga horária presencial e notificação de prazos e de atividades via redes sociais e correio eletrônico. Esta pesquisa demonstra a importância de ouvir os alunos durante o processo de ensinoaprendizagem para ajuda-los nas dificuldades encontradas e para que sejam estimulados a buscar o conhecimento. Demonstra também que o uso da tecnologia na educação é uma ferramenta facilitadora da aprendizagem, com alto nível de satisfação dos alunos. / The use of digital information and communication technologies has changed society and its employment has stimulated the debate in the pedagogical area. The incorporation of technologies in education can be considered a facilitating tool for transmitting knowledge to the student. The aim of this case study is to identify the challenges founded and the overcoming proposals presented, and to analyze the satisfaction and usability of the virtual learning environment (VLE) and of the teaching materials available there, in the University of São Paulo, School of Dentistry, of the integral and nocturnal courses, in the first semester of 2016. The technology used was Moodle (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment), where the learning objects, such as workbooks, videos, questionnaires and games. 113 students participated in the study. The focus group, the online semi-estructured questionnaire, and the Moodle\'s log reports were used as data sources. Data were analyzed quantitatively (descriptive analysis) and qualitatively (content analysis), and the results were triangulated. The challenges encountered by the students were: difficulty in accessing the VLE through the cell phone; overload of the curricular structure; there are no charges and reminders for online activities; disconnection between the classroom and the virtual environment; more than one site used by college subjects. Regarding teaching material, activities were the most visualized, with 1309 views on average, followed by workbook (n = 230), and videos (n = 122). The students suggested that they had more practical activities in the virtual environment. For them, the VLE activities were important for determining the content and for identifying difficulties in learning (n = 98%). The proposed and implemented improvements were aimed at overcoming the aforementioned challenges, namely, the use of the mobile version of Moodle, the reduction of classroom hours and the notification of deadlines and activities via social networks and electronic mail. This research demonstrates the importance of listening to students during the teachinglearning process to help them in the difficulties encountered and to be stimulated to seek knowledge. It also demonstrates that the use of technology in education is a facilitating tool for learning, with a high level of student satisfaction.

Nous décrivons le phénomène d’engagement à travers des expériences transmédia coconstruites avec les bénéficiaires dans le contexte de la formation pour adultes. Nous abordons ce terrain en faisant l’hypothèse qu’un transmédia à valeur expérientielle permet d’accroitre la participation des sujets pour consolider l’engagement en formation. Cette hypothèse ouvre la perspective d’une médiation de type transmédia capable, d’intégrer des objectifs d’exploitation scientifique de l’engagement et de valorisation de la participation et de l’attention qui pourraient être intéressants pour d’autres corpus.À partir d’un cadre d’analyse centré sur les bénéficiaires des transactions, notre enquête met en exergue différentes formes d’engagement suivant des transmédia hybrides aux caractéristiques spécifiques. La complémentarité de ces transmédia a favorisé divers régimes d’engagement observés de façon ponctuelle, pour un engagement sur la durée. / We describe the phenomenon of engagement through co-constructed transmedia experiences with the beneficiaries in the context of adult education. We approach this ground on the assumption that a transmedia with experiential value makes it possible to increase the participation of subjects to consolidate the commitment in training. This hypothesis opens up the prospect of a transmedia type of mediation capable of integrating the objectives of scientific exploitation for the commitment and enhancement of participation and the attention that could be interesting for other corpuses. Based on an analysis framework focused on the beneficiaries of transactions, our survey highlighted different forms of hybrid transmedia engagement with specific characteristics. The complementarity of these transmedia has favoured various commitment regimes observed on an ad hoc basis for a long-term commitment.

Considerato, in generale, l’impatto sempre più massiccio e pervasivo che le tecnologie hanno sulla vita di tutti i giorni e partendo dal presupposto del valore aggiunto derivante dall’impiego delle tecnologie per l’educazione linguistica, in questo lavoro dapprima abbiamo fatto alcune considerazioni in merito a tecnologie e apprendimento/insegnamento linguistico, soffermandoci su Internet e sui media digitali (Capitolo 1), quindi abbiamo selezionato, analizzato e organizzato, in forma di repertorio, diverse risorse online, gratuite, per l’apprendimento/insegnamento del russo (Capitolo 7). L’idea di realizzare un repertorio dei siti Internet e delle risorse è nata dall’intento di creare uno strumento utile, sia ai discenti, sia ai docenti. In particolare, nella prima parte di questo studio abbiamo proposto l’uso di alcune risorse online per presentare l’alfabeto russo (Capitolo 2) e per lo sviluppo della competenza fonologica (Capitolo 3), lessicale (Capitolo 4), morfosintattica (Capitolo 5) e testuale (Capitolo 6). Nella seconda parte, invece, una volta analizzate le caratteristiche di alcune modalità di apprendimento, in presenza, a distanza e in rete (FaD, e-learning, blended learning, didattica 2.0) e delineati i nuovi scenari di apprendimento, tra formale e informale (Capitolo 8), abbiamo realizzato due proposte didattiche, una in ambito universitario (Capitolo 9) e una in ambito scolastico (Capitolo 10), che prevedono sia esperienze di apprendimento collaborativo in rete, sia l’utilizzo di tecnologie e risorse online. / The influence of technologies on everyday life, as it emerges clearly, is increasingly pervasive. Assuming that the use of technologies adds a certain value to language education, in this dissertation we first considered some connections between technologies and learning and teaching languages, in particular dwelling upon Internet and media education (Chapter 1). Then we selected and analysed several websites and free online resources dealing with the Russian language. The result of this work is the inventory of websites and online resources, which we conceived as a useful tool for students and teachers of Russian as a foreign language (Chapter 7). In detail, in the first part of this research work we suggested some online resources to teach absolute beginners the Russian alphabet (Chapter 2) and to develop different competences and skills: phonological (Chapter 3), lexical (Chapter 4), morphological and syntactical (Chapter 5), and textual (Chapter 6). Whereas, in the second part, we dealt with the main characteristics of various types of learning (face-to-face, distance and online learning, blended learning, formal and informal learning etc.) (Chapter 8). In addition we developed two different proposals, the first for University level (Chapter 9), the second conceived for the school classroom (Chapter 10). Our proposals are based on both experiences of collaborative learning and on the use of technologies and online resources.

Cette recherche relève du domaine de la didactique des langues et plus particulièrement de l‘intégration d‘Internet dans l‘enseignement/apprentissage des langues étrangères (désormais L2). Elle se donne pour objectif de consolider l'intake et d‘améliorer l‘acquisition de L2 (ici le français) chez des apprenants de français, langue étrangère, à travers un dispositif hybride. Celui-ci est fondé sur des macro-tâches réalisées à distance et des micro-tâches administrées en présentiel. Ce dispositif s‘appuie également sur l‘exploitation du potentiel d‘Internet pour concevoir des tâches d‘apprentissage et pour créer un centre de ressources virtuel. Il a été conçu pour répondre aux difficultés particulières que rencontrent les apprenants lors de l‘appropriation de L2 et selon leurs besoins langagiers.Cette recherche-action a été menée en Egypte pour des arabophones égyptiens qui apprennent le français comme deuxième langue étrangère (FLE) au Centre Français de Culture et de Coopération (CFCC) au Caire. Elle m‘a conduite à élaborer ce dispositif hybride de tâches afin de vérifier l‘hypothèse générale de ma recherche qui stipule que les tâches d‘apprentissage fondées sur l‘exploitation du potentiel d‘Internet peuvent consolider l‘intake et améliorer l‘acquisition des apprenants de FLE. Ce dispositif m‘a permis de mettre en œuvre des expériences d‘apprentissage potentiellement favorables à l‘acquisition de L2 à travers la réalisation des macro-tâches à distance et des micro-tâches en présentiel. Celles-ci ont été administrées à travers notre centre de ressources en ligne.J‘ai donc conduit une série d‘études expérimentales destinées à évaluer le potentiel acquisitionnel de différentes tâches, réalisées avec des apprenants égyptiens de L2. La réalisation de ces tâches était en autonomie et/ou en collaboration, et sous différentes conditions. Elles avaient pour objectif de dénativiser, a priori, l‘intake des apprenants de L2 afin de les conduire, a posteriori, à un output compréhensible en L2. L‘exploitation d‘Internet m‘a donc permis de présenter aux apprenants un input authentique dans la conception des macro-tâches et de créer un centre de ressources virtuel pour la réalisation des micro-tâches.Grâce à la méthodologie suivie dans cette recherche, j‘ai pu valider mes hypothèses et rendre ces pratiques transférables à d‘autres contextes. Le contenu des tâches semble déterminant par rapport à leur valeur acquisitionnelle. J‘ajoute que les conditions et le contexte dans lesquels les tâches sont réalisées (la défaillance des technologies et du réseau Internet qui s‘imposent parfois sur le terrain) jouent évidemment aussi un grand rôle, et doivent en ce sens recevoir une attention égale dans la recherche en acquisition des L2. / The objective of this research, which lies within the field of language teaching and especially the integration of the Internet in the teaching/learning of foreign languages (Henceforth L2), is to enhance students‘ intake and improve L2 acquisition (French in this case) in French as a foreign language classes through a hybrid environment based on macro-tasks performed in distance and micro-tasks administered in class. This environment also relies on the exploitation of the Internet to design learning tasks and to create a virtual resource center in order to address the specific difficulties that students faced in their learning of the L2. This action research was conducted in Egypt for Egyptian Arabic-language students learning French as a foreign language (FFL) in the French Culture and Cooperation Centre (CFCC) in Cairo. It helped me develop this hybrid task environment to validate the general hypothesis of my research, which states that! learning tasks based on exploiting the Internet can reinforce the intake and improve the acquisition of FFL. This environment allowed me to implement learning experiences that are potentially favorable to the acquisition of L2 through the completion of macro-tasks performed in distance as well as micro-tasks performed in class. These tasks were administered through our virtual resource center. Therefore, Iconducted a series of experimental studies to assess different tasks‘ learnability when performed by Egyptian learners of L2. These tasks were completed independently and/or in collaboration, under various conditions. They were intended to first denativize the intake of L2 learners in order to then help them produce comprehensible output in the L2. The use of the Internet allowed me to present learners with authentic input in the planning and completion of macro-tasks and to create a virtual resource center for the production of micro-tasks. Thanks to the methodology applied in this research, I was able to validate my initial hypotheses and make this environment transferable and adaptable to other contexts as well. The content of the tasks is relative to its learnability. I would finally add that the conditions and context in which these tasks were performed (the failure of technology and Internet network, which may happen quite often in this setting) obviously played a bi! g role in their successful or unsuccessful completion and those factors must be given equal attention in L2 acquisition research.

El aumento del uso de internet en educación superior plantea una serie de retos para conseguir que esta tecnología contribuya, de una forma óptima, a la mejora del aprendizaje de los estudiantes. La teoría económica de la producción educativa destaca la importancia de incorporar internet como input productivo de la forma más eficaz y eficiente. La teoría sociológica de la brecha digital destaca la importancia de incorporarlo de forma que no excluya a ningún colectivo de alumnos. Partiendo de estas dos perspectivas, esta tesis tiene como objetivo principal identificar elementos llevan a una incorporación eficaz y no excluyente de internet en educación superior. Este objetivo general se ha dividido en 4 sub-objetivos: - Comparar la eficacia del uso de internet en educación para el aprendizaje interactivo con la del uso de internet en educación para el aprendizaje individual. - Estudiar la variación de los beneficios del uso de internet para la interacción en el aprendizaje según el grado de intensidad de dicha interacción. - Estudiar los efectos diferenciados del uso de internet para la interacción en el aprendizaje. - Estudiar cuáles son los determinantes del uso de internet para la interacción en el aprendizaje. Para cumplir con los objetivos se han utilizado datos de una muestra de algo más de 17.000 alumnos de tres universidades catalanas (una virtual y dos presenciales). Para ello, se han utilizado técnicas de reducción de la información para preparar las variables y, en la parte más analítica, se han estimado modelos de regresión, corrigiendo el sesgo de selección y la correlación intra-clase. Los resultados obtenidos demuestran que: - Utilizar internet para llevar a cabo un aprendizaje interactivo es eficaz a la hora de mejorar el rendimiento académico. Sin embargo, utilizarlo para un aprendizaje expositivo no tiene ningún impacto en los resultados académicos. - La productividad de la interacción online en el aprendizaje sigue pautas diferentes en la universidad online y en la presencial. En la primera sigue la primera la ley de rendimientos decrecientes mientras que en la segunda no, debido a una fase inicial de adaptación al medio. - Existen condicionantes del éxito del uso de internet para interactuar en el aprendizaje. Entre ellos destaca el elemento organizativo y las habilidades de uso de los estudiantes. - Pese a ser detectado como un uso positivo para mejorar el rendimiento académico, no todos los alumnos utilizan internet para la interacción con la misma intensidad. La utilidad es una variable explicativa del uso, pero más allá de ésta existen otras variables como la motivación por la que se estudia, los usos previos de internet fuera del contexto educativo o características sociodemográficas que dibujan el mapa de causas de la desigualdad de uso existente. En la tesis se discuten las implicaciones que estos resultados tienen para las políticas educativas y se proponen estrategias para incorporar internet en educación de una manera eficaz e igualitaria. / The wide incorporation of the Internet in higher education institutions raises some challenges about best uses of this technology. The economic theory of educational production highlights the importance of incorporating the Internet as a productive input, in the most effective and efficient way. The sociological theory of the digital divide highlights the importance of incorporating it in a non-exclusive way. Based in these two perspectives the main objective of this thesis is to identify elements that lead to an inclusive and effective incorporation of the Internet in higher education. This objective can be divided into four sub-objectives: • Compare the effectiveness of Internet use in education for interactive learning with the effectiveness of internet use in education for individual learning. • Study the variation of the benefits of using Internet for interactive learning according to the intensity of this interaction. • Study the different effects and the conditions that can enhance the benefits of Internet use for interactive learning. • Study the determinants of Internet use for interactive learning. To achieve this goal we have used data from a sample of over 17,000 students from three Catalan universities (one online and two). In order to analyze the data information reduction techniques have been used to prepare the variables and, in the analytical part, we have estimated regression models, correcting for selection bias and intra-class correlation. The results show: • The use of Internet to conduct interactive learning is an effective way to improve the academic performance. However, using it to conduct expository learning has no impact on academic outcomes. • The productivity of online interaction follows different patterns comparing online and face-to-face universities. In the first case the productivity is consistent with the diminishing returns law, while in the second case it is not true, due to an initial phase of adaptation to this internet use. • There are conditions for the success of using the Internet to interact in learning. These include the organizational elements and the student’s technological skills. • Despite being detected as a positive use to improve academic performance, not all students use the Internet for interactive learning with the same intensity. The utility is an explanatory variable of the variation of use but, beyond this, there are other variables (such as the motivation for the courses studied, the previous uses of the Internet, in a non-educational context, and some socio-demographic characteristics) that draw the map of causes of the inequality in the intensity of use. The thesis discusses the implications of these findings for educational policy and proposes some strategies to incorporate the Internet in an efficient and equal education.

The thesis presents a model, suitable for the design of any type of qualification in integrative eGovernment education. The integrative approach combines education of adult learners and students and promotes international cooperation.

This thesis investigates undergraduate experiences of studying within a blended learning environment at a UK university in the first decade of the 21st century. Blended learning in this context comprises the use of institutionally provided technologies including a university-wide managed learning environment, alongside campus-based classroom teaching to support student learning. The personal ownership of technologies and their importance for the student learning experience is also considered. The University of Hertfordshire has promoted itself as a ‘blended learning institution’ since 2005 and this study considers what blended learning means and how students use information technology to support their learning. The study approaches the student experience of blended learning by considering three constituent themes: the student, their HE study and their use of technology. The preliminary study for this work used student constructed reflective video and audio diaries over a period of 18 months. Subsequently a new conceptual framework was drawn up by the researcher. This provided a matrix structure with which to explore through interviews with students their uses of technology for learning, and the relationship with approaches to pedagogy. The analysis of the interviews has provided a snapshot of students’ experiences of pedagogy and technology use across their studies. A Venn diagram was used to explore the three themes and provide a representation of the extent to which technology is seen by students as a part of their everyday lives whether for study or leisure. The student experiences reported here demonstrated a high degree of dependence on technology overall in both their personal and study lives. Their preferences were for a learning environment which included both the taught campus–based experience and the opportunity for easy online access to materials and supplementary activities to support their studies twenty four hours a day. As the students reported on their ‘maturing’ as learners during the course of the study, they described increasingly sophisticated online searching strategies and independent approaches to their learning regardless of their personal pedagogic preferences. Garrison and Vaughan assert that the ‘ideal educational transaction is a collaborative constructivist process that has inquiry at its core’ (2008:14). The outcome of this study presents a more complex view of the student experience of pedagogy in Higher Education. While recent research has reported on the student experience of either technology or pedagogy, the unique contribution of this study is its consideration of both pedagogy and the use of information technology from the viewpoint of the student experience.

Η εισαγωγή και η ενσωμάτωση των Τεχνολογιών της Πληροφορίας και των Επικοινωνιών (ΤΠΕ) στην τριτοβάθμια εκπαίδευση αποτελεί πλέον στις μέρες μας γεγονός παγκοσμίως. Καθοριστικό ρόλο στην πραγματικότητα αυτή έχει διαδραματίσει η ραγδαία ανάπτυξη του διαδικτύου και οι επιμέρους εφαρμογές του. Στην παρούσα εργασία με θέμα «Σχεδίαση, ανάπτυξη, εφαρμογή και αξιολόγηση ενός συμβατικού πανεπιστημιακού μαθήματος με τη χρήση ενός υπολογιστικού περιβάλλοντος σύγχρονης και ασύγχρονης εκπαίδευσης: αντιλήψεις στάσεις και πρακτικές των φοιτητών», σχεδιάσαμε και εφαρμόσαμε ένα παιδαγωγικό πλαίσιο ένταξης ενός συστήματος διδασκαλίας και μάθησης εξ αποστάσεως εκπαίδευσης (Moodle) σε ένα πανεπιστημιακό μάθημα, αξιοποιώντας βασικές εποικοδομιστικές και κοινωνικοπολιστισμικές θεωρήσεις για τη μάθηση. Σκοπός μας ήταν να μελετήσουμε τα χαρακτηριστικά μιας ομάδας χρηστών ενός τέτοιου συστήματος κατά τη διάρκεια ενός εξαμήνου και να αποφανθούμε για τις στάσεις αντιλήψεις και πρακτικές χρήσης που ανέπτυξαν κατά την συμμετοχή τους στο εν λόγω μάθημα, καθώς και να αξιολογήσουμε τη μαθησιακή αποτελεσματικότητα του περιβάλλοντος μάθησης που σχεδιάσαμε. Στο πρώτο μέρος αυτής της εργασίας παραθέτουμε το θεωρητικό πλαίσιο της εργασίας, το οποίο αναφέρεται στις νέες παιδαγωγικές μεθόδους των ΤΠΕ στην τριτοβάθμια εκπαίδευση, σε σχετικές ερευνητικές διαδικασίες και τέλος στην περιγραφή τη σχεδίασης ενός παιδαγωγικού πλαισίου χρήσης, που διαπνέεται από την προσέγγιση της επίλυσης προβλήματος, κατάλληλο για την εφαρμογή σε μικτά μοντέλα διδασκαλίας και μάθησης σε παραδοσιακά πανεπιστημιακά μαθήματα. Στη συνέχεια περιγράφουμε το ερευνητικό πλαίσιο, το οποίο βασίζεται στις βασικές αρχές της αναπτυξιακής έρευνας. Σε πρώτη φάση σχεδιάσαμε ένα περιβάλλον μάθησης, στη συνέχεια το εφαρμόσαμε για ένα ακαδημαϊκό εξάμηνο και τέλος το αξιολογήσαμε εφαρμόζοντας μια μελέτη περίπτωσης. Τέλος, παρουσιάζουμε και αναλύουμε τα αποτελέσματα της έρευνας και προβαίνουμε σε κάποια συμπεράσματα. Τα συμπεράσματα αυτά αφορούν την αξιολόγηση του μαθησιακού περιβάλλοντος που εφαρμόσαμε, περιγράφοντας τις αντιλήψεις, τις στάσεις και τις πρακτικές των φοιτητών που παρακολούθησαν το μάθημα, συσχετίζοντάς τα με την επίδοσή τους και τη χρήση του συστήματος. / -

Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree in Master of Technology: Education, Durban University of Technology, 2009. / This study investigated key factors impacting on blended learning delivery with particular focus on socio-cultural and human-computer-interface issues, in the hope that the outcome of this enquiry might contribute positively towards the empowerment of learners and facilitators alike. The study involved a group of first year students enrolled in a Communications Skills Course offered by the (then) Department of English and Communication at the Durban University of Technology. The PRINTS Project, a webquest around which the course activities were based, provided an example of a blended delivery course in practice. While the teaching paradigm used in the course was constructivist, the research orientation employed in this project was critical realist. Critical realism focuses on transformation through praxis and also lends itself to modelling, which provides a way to understand the factors at play within a social system. In the preliminary stages of the research, an exploratory empirical (i.e. applied) model of blended learning delivery was formulated from a theoretical model of course delivery in order to assess which factors in blended learning were systemic and which were variables. The investigation then sought to uncover key factors impacting on the blended delivery system, utilising both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The findings were analysed in terms of the empirical model to gain an understanding of any factors that might be seen to either enhance or inhibit learning in blended delivery mode. The result was that certain core issues in blended learning and teaching could be clarified, including the use, advantages and disadvantages of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in a learning environment. The notion of the digital divide could also be reconceptualised, and the relationship between literacy (be it academic, professional or social), power and culture could be further elucidated, drawing specific attention to the South African educational environment. The notion of iv culture and its relevance in a blended delivery environment was also further clarified, since the findings of this research project suggested how and why certain key socio-cultural factors might impact, as both enhancers and inhibitors, on the blended learning delivery system.