Reframing the principle of specialisation in legitimation code theory: A blended learning perspective

• Published in: Education and information technologies Vol. 22; no. 5; pp. 2583 - 2603
• Main Authors: Owusu-Agyeman, Yaw, Larbi-Siaw, Otu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.09.2017; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Blended Learning; Classification; College students; Communities of Practice; Computer Appl. in Social and Behavioral Sciences; Computer Science; Computers and Education; Course Content; Education; Educational Administration; Educational Environment; Educational Policy; Educational Resources; Educational Technology; Educational theory; Electronic Learning; Epistemology; Guidelines; Higher Education; In Person Learning; Influence of Technology; Information Systems Applications (incl.Internet); Interpersonal Relationship; Learning Processes; Literature Reviews; School Policy; Specialization; Structural equation modeling; Structural Equation Models; Teaching Methods; Theories; Undergraduate Students; User Interfaces and Human Computer Interaction; United Kingdom; Epistemic relation; Structural alignment; Social relation; Blended learning; Structural equation model; Principle of specialisation
• ISSN: 1360-2357; 1573-7608
• DOI: 10.1007/s10639-016-9563-0

This study argues that in developing a robust framework for students in a blended learning environment, Structural Alignment (SA) becomes the third principle of specialisation in addition to Epistemic Relation (ER) and Social Relation (SR). We provide an extended code: (ER+/−, SR+/−, SA+/−) that present strong classification and framing to the architecture of blended learning while defining the impact of structural alignment in the trajectory. The subjects in this study were 500 undergraduate students drawn from three faculties in a university. Using a Structural Equation Model (SEM), we show that SR, ER and SA redefine the principle of specialisation in Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) which is necessary in enhancing blended learning. We conclude that whereas epistemic and social relations define the knower and knowledge code, structural alignment explains the infrastructure and policy framework that supports knowledge acquisition in a blended learning environment.