Drivers and Barriers for Institutional Adoption and Diffusion of Blended Learning in Higher Education

Blended learning has been popular in higher education as a strategy to enrich learner experiences through the integration of digital technology with face-to-face instruction. Despite the growing adoption of blended learning at the institutional level in recent years, there remain gaps in our understanding of its dynamics, presenting challenges for university leaders in establishing crucial support mechanisms for both lecturers and students. This chapter employs a case study approach to delve into this issue, specifically examining the drivers and barriers influencing the adoption and diffusion of blended learning at the institutional level. Participants were 24 lecturers and six university executives involved in institutional adoption of blended learning. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and relevant university documents were gathered and analysed. Results indicate that institutional agenda, restructuring, and clarifying played pivotal roles in facilitating the adoption and diffusion of blended learning. However, the study also identified several obstacles hindering the adoption process, including negative beliefs and attitudes among lecturers, low self-efficacy, technical challenges, and a lack of institutional readiness. These findings have significant implications for universities aiming for diffusion of innovations, specifically blended learning at the institutional level.