Experiences and practices in blended learning environment

The teaching materials, laboratory exercises, and the whole assessment system of the Personal Computer Applications (PCA) course, in the professional study of Electrical Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Zagreb, are based on the Moodle e-learning system. Generally speaking, there are always pros and cons when elearning is considered. Students have access to all teaching materials, tasks and direct communication with the teacher at all times. On the other hand, if there are problems, it is hard for the teacher to distinguish the exact cause. Students may encounter problems in understanding the materials or in the use of instruments and computer applications; without direct contact, it is virtually impossible for the teacher to motivate them to continue working despite the difficulties. Another challenge for the teacher is detecting which parts of the subject are most interesting to the students and which parts demand more attention and maybe different methodologies. Using blended learning, combining the advantages of both e-learning and person to person teaching / learning, it is possible to achieve a better effect for the mutual benefit. This paper presents the teachers experience and students perception of blended learning as well as assessment system.