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Unfortunately the study does not specify how these elements are integrated, orthe percentage of time spent on each. It does, however, detail the three factors thatwere taken into consideration prior to designing the course which were: the fact thatstudents prefer face-to-face classes to online learning; the programme’s focus wasto teach listening and speaking; and that in addition to English, students needed tolearn ICT.Is blended learning effective?Two of the reasons for employing a blended approach that are given above areimproved learning effectiveness and cost effectiveness, but how effective really isblended learning? And in what ways is it effective? According to Dewar and Whittington(2004: 5) there is a good deal less literature on the effectiveness of blended learningthan there is defining it and suggesting how to implement it. They state that ‘There issome anecdotal evidence about how well participants liked blended learning and manyarticles outlining the costs saving associated with integrating technology. There is alsoa growing literature base about the learning outcomes achieved through using varioustypes of technology. The biggest challenge is finding studies that specifically addressblended learning, as opposed to the use of technology alone.’In the context of higher education, Dziuban et al. (2004: 5) found that their blendedlearning courses had ‘the potential to increase student learning outcomes whilelowering attrition rates in comparison with equivalent fully online courses’ and thatblended learning results ‘in success and attrition rates [were] comparable to theface-to-face modality for all ethnicities.’ A study conducted by Harker and Koutsantoni(2005: 197) also found that ‘the blended learning mode was much more effectivein student retention’ than the distance learning mode on their English for AcademicPurposes (EAP) programme, ‘whilst students’ achievement levels were similar in bothgroups’ as were their satisfaction rates.A number of studies investigate learners’ attitudes towards blended learning.Leakey and Ranchoux (2006: 367) found that ‘the students in large measure foundthe blended CALL experience a positive and motivating one and tended towardspreferring [this approach] to the traditional classroom based learning.’ Brett’s (1996)results showed ‘strongly favourable attitudes; that learners believed they could learneffectively from multimedia and that it delivered a high quality independent learningexperience.’ Lin (2003: 1) also found that the majority of Taiwanese EFL learners‘had a positive attitude towards the use of multimedia resources in their languageprogramme, appreciating, in particular, opportunities to practice and extend theirlanguage abilities by surfing the internet, to take laboratory-based listening tests via atest analyzer, and to record and save their own writing and to make use of multimediaresources for developing their reading skills’.In response to the question ‘Is the TELL [technology-enhanced language learning]course an effective curricular design for achieving second language development?’Adair-Hauck et al. (1999: 293) found that ‘after carefully monitoring and assessinglanguage skills in listening, speaking, writing and cultural knowledge, we recognisethat the TELL course was indeed effective in helping our students learn French.Its strength in this particular instructional context appeared to be in writing and18 | Introduction