Quality and Accessibility in Blended Learning and Hybrid Solutions at Higher Education Level: A Word from the Students

The educational quality of hybrid solutions relies upon their capabilities to foster meaningful learning and support collaborative and learner-centred instruction. Higher education faculty's and institutions’ preparedness for delivering hybrid/blended instruction is crucial and it has not always passed the test for quality education in the past few years, especially when the Covid-19 pandemic forced the online transition. This study focuses on the educational quality and accessibility provided by hybrid/blended learning solutions (HBLS) at the university level, as perceived by the primary protagonists of education: the students. Six hundred and eighty higher education students completed an online survey on perceived quality and accessibility provided by the hybrid and blended learning solutions activated at their university. A cluster analysis on the participants revealed three patterns of response in terms of quality and accessibility appreciation: a dismissive, an appreciative and an enthusiastic profile. Implications for higher education response to the specific student characteristics are discussed.