Blended Learning and Quality Challenges in University Education: Towards a Contemporary Academic Vision

Prepared by the researche  : Moussa Djokhdem ^* Ammar Thaliji University in Laghout – Algeria

DAC Democratic Arabic Center GmbH

International Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies : Thirty-first Issue – December 2025

A Periodical International Journal published by the “Democratic Arab Center” Germany – Berlin

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Abstract

Higher education is undergoing a radical transformation in its pedagogical models as a result of rapid technological changes. One of the most prominent of these models is “blended learning,” which combines traditional face-to-face teaching methods with digital distance learning. This theoretical study highlights the potential of this approach in ensuring the quality of university teaching and developing academic practices.

The study aims to analyze the complementary relationship between blended learning and educational quality by reviewing recent literature on the topic and exploring related theoretical approaches, such as constructivist learning theory and academic quality models (such as the Total Quality Management .

The study indicates that blended learning is not limited to the use of technology; It requires reengineering the educational process, in terms of course design, developing assessment methods, and stimulating student-faculty interaction. It also highlights the importance of providing a supportive digital infrastructure and training academic staff with appropriate digital and pedagogical competencies.

The study concludes that higher education institutions’ strategic adoption of a blended learning approach, while adhering to quality standards, can contribute to a more comprehensive, flexible, and effective education, enhancing academic competitiveness and serving sustainable development goals.

introduction:

            Educators are constantly searching for the best methods and technologies to provide an interactive learning environment that engages students and encourages them to exchange ideas and experiences.

            With the advent of the Internet and the use of modern information and communications technology, distance learning has developed and become known as e-learning.E.Learning focuses on integrating advanced technology into the teaching and learning process, transforming traditional classrooms into virtual classrooms. Many educators have recently become overly enthusiastic about e-learning, to the point that they have called for the abolition of traditional classrooms and their replacement with virtual classrooms.

            Over time, scientific research, studies, and experiments have revealed many shortcomings in e-learning, such as cost, unwillingness to interact with devices, and the absence of a human teacher and educational advisor. Numerous studies have also proven that e-learning is no better than traditional, traditional learning.

Blended learning can be described as “a learning program that uses more than one medium to transfer knowledge and experience to the target audience in order to achieve the best possible outcome and cost of program implementation.” Others have defined it as “a type of modern education in which the trainer combines traditional education with e-learning.” Also, “Blended learning means mixing or blending the traditional roles of the teacher in traditional classrooms with virtual classrooms and the e-teacher, i.e. it is a learning that combines traditional learning and e-learning.”

The importance of blended learning lies not simply in the combination of different modes of delivery, but rather in the focus on educational outcomes and the labor sector. Therefore, this definition can be rephrased as follows:

Blended learning focuses on achieving the best learning objectives, by using the “right” teaching techniques to meet the “right” personal learning styles in order to transfer the “right” skills to the “right” person at the “right” time.

It has emerged that the obstacles to implementing blended learning in teaching revolve around the high financial costs of this type of learning inputs, the low level of culture, experience, and skill among some teachers and students in dealing seriously with information and communications technology and educational technology, and the absence of integrated educational plans that ensure adherence to the guidance of science and technology.

The study emphasizes the importance of reconsidering the inputs to the educational process and its implementation procedures in order to absorb the concepts of the knowledge and electronic revolution, and community mobilization, to meet the requirements of the current stage, and to keep pace with modernity, development, and change.

Chapter One: Introduction to the Research

Study problem:

            All countries realize the importance of education in general and university education in particular, as it is the basic pillar for developing society, increasing national income, and pushing it towards the levels of advancement and prosperity. No nation can reach the stage of prosperity and progress without science and technology. Attention to quality and innovation in this field plays a prominent role in qualifying and accelerating the pace of human development to advance various sectors of society (Nasser,2018, p. 9).

The university’s major role revolves around a number of issues, most notably university teaching, scientific research, knowledge production and employment, continuing education and training, conferences, courses, and educational workshops, community service, and local and international cooperation. The success of university teaching is linked to many elements, some of which are related to the structure and academic and scientific system of the university, and others are related to the general education system as a whole. In other words, the university cannot achieve a renaissance in scientific and educational progress at the national level unless it adopts precise, high-quality standards in selecting the inputs of the university teaching process. This is because the requirements of the current stage, with all its technical, informational, cognitive and electronic implications, and its economic and political transformations, have placed all those responsible for university teaching, especially teachers, before questions and hypotheses, which have forced them to break out of the cycle of routine and tradition, and enter the world of communications, information and e-learning technology, and to think seriously about how to benefit from these innovations and design, integrate and employ them with existing traditional teaching methods, within the framework of active and free participation of both the student and the teacher, without paying attention to the temporal and spatial circumstances, to reach a distinguished educational service that meets the requirements of the educational situation, and to strengthen the principle of partnership between e-learning and traditional education, not aversion between them, in order to advance university teaching towards more renewal and development, and to achieve For high-quality educational products that serve the individual and society.

Other problems include the information revolution and the accompanying steady increase in technologies for generating, processing and storing information, the emergence of the Internet, available to all countries and individuals, which has enabled learners to access this information easily, quickly and at any time, as well as the emergence of multimedia.Multimedia and the resulting use of its elements in conveying and presenting this information in various learning programs (Al-Faqih, 2021, p. 7).

Importance of the study:

Modern educational trends emphasize the need to find the best methods and most effective means to provide an interactive educational environment suitable for attracting students’ interest, motivating them to learn, exchange opinions and engage in dialogue, so that the student is not only a recipient of information, but also a positive participant, a creator of experience, and a seeker of information and knowledge by all possible means, using a set of scientific procedures, such as observation, understanding, analysis, synthesis, measurement, data reading, and inference, under the supervision, guidance and evaluation of the teacher. The process of integrating information technologies represented by computers and the Internet, and their accompanying programs and multimedia into the teaching process, is one of the most successful means to create such rich environments rich in resources for learning and education, training, growth and future development, in a way that meets the needs and interests of students, enhances their motivation on the one hand, serves the educational process, and improves its outcomes on the other hand (Al-Ali,2014, p. 16)

Hence, interest in integrating blended learning into educational systems began, considering it a form of e-learning and a unique learning style that complements the educational process. It calls for the integration of modern technological means and their interaction with traditional educational methods, to provide a new type of education that is compatible with the characteristics, needs, and curricula of learners, at the lowest cost, and in a way that enables the educational process to be managed, controlled, measured, and student performance evaluated.

Blended learning has its roots in the beginnings of ancient educational systems, where its forms and names varied… from blended learning to integrated learning, or hybrid learning, to combined learning or component learning, and finally blended or mixed learning. However, with the development of communication systems, information networks, the Internet and computers, and the accompanying focus on knowledge and how to discover and transfer it through available means, in light of the amazing development the world is witnessing that has exceeded the limits of expectations and transcended distances, especially in the field of e-learning, terms began to appear in educational circles such as virtual education, virtual classrooms, virtual libraries, online or network learning, digital learning, knowledge economy, e-teacher, mobile learning… etc. The difference in these terms should not be a source of confusion in the educational process, but rather a suitable opportunity that allows for benefiting from these innovations, to the extent that it serves the interest of education (Haddad,2018, p. 19).

            This study reflects the importance of discussing blended learning standards and ensuring its quality in university teaching. It involves a set of rules and procedures that address educational objectives, teaching methods and activities, academic content, e-learning technology, infrastructure, financial capabilities, and the roles of both students and teachers within an engaging, interactive learning environment that works to establish and integrate modern technologies into prevailing teaching models. This is intended to provide the latest in blended learning to achieve educational objectives, meet student needs, serve the community, and keep pace with scientific development and progress at a time when the human mind’s products of knowledge and technology are accelerating. Given this importance, universities must continually work to develop their performance, programs, curricula, and implementation strategies.

And linking it to the requirements of the labor market, in an era where quality has become the main criterion for its outputs. This interest is crystallized through absorbing the concepts of the cognitive and technological revolution charged with positives and negatives, and presenting them to university students through effective and blended teaching methods and approaches, capable of criticism, refutation and analysis, in light of modern theories and the philosophy of society, and developing the student’s personality from all its intellectual, social and skill aspects. The relationship between the university and society is an integrated one, because the university leads society as a repository of thought, science, research, development and training, and follows society as one of its institutions working in its ideological, educational, economic and social fabric (Al-Ansari,2018, p. 12).

Study objectives:

This study seeks to achieve the following objectives:

• 1- Introduction to e-learning and blended learning.
• 2- Introduction to university education.
• 3- The study focused on the concept of total quality in education and the standards and quality assurance requirements for blended learning.
• 4- The study focused on highlighting the success criteria for blended learning and its benefits.
• 5- The study identified the obstacles to implementing blended learning.
• 6- Preparing a proposed design for a blended learning program

Study questions:

The study will answer the following questions:

– What is blended learning and what is its concept?

– What is total quality in education?

– What are the standards and quality assurance requirements for blended learning?

What are the criteria for the success of blended learning and its benefits?

What are the obstacles to implementing blended learning?

– How to design a blended learning program (lessons)?

Study methodology:

The researchers will adopt the descriptive-analytical approach to collect opinions, information, facts and concepts related to the study’s axes, in order to build an integrated knowledge system that clarifies the study’s problem, background, importance and objectives. This will be achieved by referring to a number of studies, research and articles, and reviewing some international experiences in the field of e-learning and blended learning, to benefit from them in presenting what they have indicated regarding aspects related to the concept of blended learning, its application, ensuring its quality, its success criteria and its benefits in the educational process.

Operational definitions:

– Quality: It is the total sum of the characteristics and features of the product, whether material or human, or the continuous service provided by the institution to satisfy the explicit and implicit needs of the beneficiaries, and meet their desires, ambitions and expectations with a high degree of efficiency and certain satisfaction. Al-Aqili defined it as ((2020): It is “a set of characteristics or features that express the extent to which the inputs, processes, and outputs in the educational institution meet specific levels that together constitute the standards of comprehensive quality” (Al-Aqili, 2020, p. 9).

– Quality standards: These are the specifications and characteristics that must be present in the blended learning inputs (learner, teacher, curriculum, university administration, teaching outcomes, society, financial and material capabilities, etc.).

– Quality Assurance: This means full commitment and seriousness to work, continuous giving, providing trust, and preventing deviations and errors, in order to maintain quality, good performance, and mastery at all times.

e-learning: A teaching and learning method that uses modern, multiple and diverse means of communication and computer technology, within the framework of a free interactive process between the parties involved in the educational process, not restricted by time or place, to achieve specific goals that serve the individual and society quickly and at a low cost.

Blended learning: is a form of e-learning that combines the use of information and communications technology with other traditional teaching methods. These methods complement and interact with students and teachers individually or collectively, serving educational goals and achieving student interests, without abandoning the educational reality of the classroom.

And Al-Faqih knew him ((2021): An integrated system that combines the traditional face-to-face learning method with web-based e-learning to guide and assist the learner as one of the modern approaches based on the use of educational technology in designing new educational situations (Al-Faqi, 2021, p. 4)

University teaching:It is a human planning process that is organized, not mechanical or random. It includes various variables and adopts procedures that focus on the learner’s needs and goals, and the exploitation of his environment and capabilities, with the aim of achieving the optimal and highest level of learning.

Chapter Two: Study Plan:

The study plan revolves around the following main axes:

The first axis: The concept of e-learning, blended learning, and university teaching.

Axis II: Total quality in education, standards and quality assurance requirements for blended learning.

The third axis: Blended learning models, its success factors, advantages, and obstacles.

Axis Four: How to design a blended learning program.

Axis 1: E-learning, blended learning, and university teaching

e-learning:

Al-Anzi knows it2021) as a method of education using modern communication mechanisms such as computers, networks, and their various media of sound, image, graphics, search mechanisms, electronic libraries, as well as Internet portals, whether remotely or in the classroom. The important thing is to use technology in all its forms to deliver information to the learner in the shortest time, with the least effort, and with the greatest benefit (Al-Anzi, 2021, p. 66)

Some teachers believe that their use of personal computers, data shows in the classroom, or entering the computer lab, sitting in front of the computer, and using the internet… etc. has completely destroyed e-learning. Others believe that e-learning is achieved by distributing computers and multimedia to universities, schools, and offices. It is believed that the main field of e-learning is the smart, electronic minds that imbue the language with the hue of scientific and technical development. On the other hand, this type of education has become famous recently, and its definitions have multiplied. Conferences and research have not been without discussion of it, and various media outlets have covered a wide space for it, to discuss it and identify its objectives and role in the educational process. However, the reality is far from this. E-learning is an integrated educational system (inputs – processes – outputs) that includes:

1- Physical components: including infrastructure, computers, and high-speed Internet.

2- Software components: including:

A- Learning Management Systems: It is an Internet-based program that provides management and follow-up for the learner in terms of his entry and exit, granting him permissions, and organizing the content. It performs the following operations: registering learner data, scheduling the study courses and the education plan, delivery, i.e. making the content available to the learner, tests and evaluation, communications, i.e. communicating between learners via email and other means of communication, and tracking and following up on the learner’s performance and issuing reports on that.

B- Content management systems are part of learning management systems. They are developed systems that control educational content and may be open or closed.

3- Human Resources: It includes the system manager, the educational designer, and specialists in various types of graphics, programming, quality control, and support and assistance technicians.

4- Legislation and regulations: These include assessment methods, student attendance, copyright and quotation rights, privacy of individuals and information, academic accreditation, and recognition of degrees (Abdul Majeed, 2019, p. 42)

In light of this, the concept of e-learning has transcended the use of educational machines, tools, and traditional and random methods. It is more like a complete revolution that was built on the shoulders of the revolution in computer technology, software, and communications. This integration is not a matter of calculations, but rather of multiplying the capabilities of scientific production in terms of quantity and quality.

And type. This approach emphasizes the integrated view of the e-learning system and its interconnectedness with other systems, with the goal of achieving the desired goals that ensure high quality education and the advancement of its outcomes, in line with the requirements of development plans and the labor market, and in line with the needs of students, the aspirations of members of society, modern developments, and the ability to keep pace with global civilization and culture.

Arab universities’ preparations for implementing e-learning:

Some Arab universities have made progress in ensuring these preparations by adopting some strategies (the sword,2009, pp. 23-24) The most important of which are the following:

1- Adopting a philosophy based on combining e-learning and the traditional education model simultaneously, with the proportion of traditional education gradually decreasing as the learner progresses through his educational years.

2- Joint cooperation with foreign universities and countries to benefit from their expertise in the field through:

• – Accrediting its programs and certificates and participating in supervising its students.
• – Offering international programs alongside Arabic programs, with Arab students enjoying the same benefits and rights as students registered at the university participating in the program.
• – Utilizing foreign experts to design and prepare e-courses according to approved quality standards.
• – Inviting experts to participate in conferences and workshops held at Arab universities.

3- Striving to create an educational environment suitable for the needs and requirements of e-learning. The most prominent features of this environment are:

• – Preparing and designing multimedia-based programs.
• – Broadcasting lessons prepared for e-learning via more than one technical means.
• – Online and on-site technical support for all beneficiary groups.
• – Making efforts to spread digital culture in general, and distance education and e-learning in particular.
• – Preparing electronic libraries that contain various references, documents, and electronic research.

Blended learning:

blended learningBlended Learning: It is one of the types or levels of e-learning, and it is “learning through which various means of communication are used, including direct teaching, self-learning, and communication via the Internet. It combines traditional education with the use of various educational technologies, which gives the teacher freedom to use communication technologies in the classroom” (Al-Shahri, 2018, p. 42).

It has been given different names that carry the same meaning in educational circles. It has its own style and method of teaching, which has been applied in some studies. Several definitions of this type of learning have become widespread, reflecting researchers’ views and interest in e-learning patterns. Some of these definitions, by way of illustration and not limited to, are the following:

• It is the restructuring and formulation of educational content based on learning theories and its integration with various modern electronic media that provide the learner with an active interactive environment through content management programs, as it transfers him from the traditional classroom to a wider class that is not limited by time or place (shtarat,2020, p. 17).
• Employing technological innovations and integrating them with the objectives, content, sources, learning activities, and methods of delivering information through face-to-face learning methods, to create interaction between the faculty member as a teacher and a guide for students (Al-Gharib,2019, p. 49).

An educational learning system that takes advantage of all available technical possibilities and media, by combining more than one method and tool for learning, whether electronic or traditional, to provide a good type of learning that suits the characteristics and needs of learners on the one hand and the nature of the curriculum and educational objectives on the other hand (Abu Khatwa,2019, p. 4)

• It is the use of modern technology in education without abandoning the usual educational reality and presence in the classroom, where the focus is on direct interaction between students and the teacher through the use of modern communication mechanisms such as computers and Internet portals (Al-Shomali,2017, p. 7)

One of the learning formats in which e-learning is integrated with traditional classroom learning in a single framework, where computers, internet networks and communications are employed, and where the teacher meets the student face to face most of the time (Zaytoun,2015, p. 24)

• Learning combines traditional learning and e-learning in several different ways to achieve productivity at the lowest cost ((Byrne, 2014, p. 12)
• Education that uses an effective set of multiple presentation tools, teaching methods and learning styles that facilitate the learning process, and is based on the integration of traditional methods in which students meet face to face with e-learning methods.Alex, 2014, p. 9)
• An integrated system that aims to help the learner during every stage of learning and is based on combining traditional learning and e-learning in various forms inside the classroom (Thursday,2023, p. 222)
• It is a learning that combines connected models through the Internet and intranet and other offline models that take place in traditional classrooms.Harveys, 2023, p. 14)

It is clear from the previous presentation that all definitions focused on blended learning as the use of modern communication means, such as computers, multimedia, and internet portals in the classroom, so that teaching methods are integrated, and students and teachers interact together, using electronic materials, whether individually or collectively, without abandoning the usual educational reality and student presence, and away from the constraints of time and place, and at the lowest possible cost, in a way that enables the management and control of the educational process, and the measurement and evaluation of student performance. The study presents a definition of blended learning

It demonstrates that it is an unconventional teaching and learning method that combines authenticity and modernity through the use of modern educational technologies and their integration with traditional methods. This is done to create a rich, interactive, and purposeful learning environment, independent of time and place. This environment meets the needs of students and enhances the teacher’s position, thereby raising the quality of education and improving its outcomes.

The use of blended learning in education is not a modern phenomenon. Rather, it is an issue with historical roots linked to human development throughout history. The scientific and educational experiments conducted by early Arab and foreign scholars before and after the Renaissance are evidence of the connection and integration of education with reality and the outreach to nature, to benefit from its data in enhancing individuals’ sensory perceptions and satisfying their needs. Despite the antiquity of this call, blended learning did not enter the world of education as a modern technology and its organized and intentional use until the first half of the last century, when a limited number of

Western schools, institutes, and universities, particularly in the United States, have been using and integrating audio-visual teaching aids into the educational process. However, the importance of these aids in education and the necessity of integrating them into education did not become fully recognized until after World War II, when they became a key component of the overall education system.

Perhaps the most vocal advocates of blended learning advocate for education without restrictions or boundaries, respect for the learner’s personality, experiences, abilities, positive role, freedom, and culture, support for specialized learning styles and strategies, consolidating the concept of lifelong learning, keeping pace with scientific developments and technological progress, focusing on knowledge rather than its transfer and the means of discovering, producing, and employing it in educational situations, the necessity of using technological, information, and communication media, and emphasizing the importance of linking and partnerships between the public and private sectors to provide the necessary financial, material, and technical support for this education. Engaging with technology does not negate the role of the effective and organizing teacher in the educational process. Without him, no appropriate educational material or media can be designated and selected. Without his knowledge, guidance, directions, and activities, there can be no effective and influential education. He is the planner of educational goals, the designer and developer of their programs, and is responsible for the procedures for their implementation and means of evaluation. He views education as an organized process through which all participating elements can be activated to develop the creative and innovative aspects of students (Al-Dabs,2020, 36)

It’s worth noting here that the process of integrating or blending different educational methods does not occur randomly or capriciously, but rather in a scientific, organized, and consistent manner, governed by several criteria related to the requirements of the educational situation. This has led some educators to refer to blended learning in metaphors such as a complete meal or a successful musical composition, preferring it to e-learning on the grounds that:

• 1- E-learning focuses on cognitive and skill aspects without paying attention to the emotional aspect.
• 2- E-learning sometimes fosters introversion and isolation among students because they are not exposed to a real learning environment where actual, interactive interactions between teachers and students occur.
• 3- E-learning focuses on using the senses of hearing and sight more than others.
• 4- E-learning faces some difficulties in implementing assessment methods.
• 5- E-learning requires a certain type of teacher.
• 6- E-learning sometimes lacks social intimacy and human relationships between teacher and learner.
• 7- Many students still prefer the traditional way of attending lectures (Al-Ghamdi2017, p. 11).

University teaching:

The university is an educational institution, philosophical in origin, developmental in aim, and rehabilitative in approach. It has the ability to understand and respond to the mutual relations between the various systems and all classes in society, and to determine its options and control its paths. It is supervised and managed by human, intellectual and academic energies in order to provide strategic services to restore the balance between needs and goals, within the state’s policy aimed at developing youth and directing them towards the right path (Aujan,2018, p. 11)

The university is viewed as an academic scientific community, an intellectual and educational forum, and a center of human civilizational influence. Throughout history, its name has been associated with the desire for progress, the incitement to thought, expression, creativity, and innovation, and the achievement of intellectual communication between peoples. It serves as an educational laboratory for the production of theories, theoretical and applied research, and worthy practical experiments.

The university’s mission does not stop at the borders of education and training only, but extends to include supporting the requirements of growth, belonging, construction, development, modernization and advancement. Its weight increases and its social position is strengthened to the extent that it confirms its presence and continuous keeping pace with the developments and changes that society is witnessing, as it describes (Resposo) The university represents a scientific field concerned with the search for truth, and its functions are represented in teaching, training, and continuing education, serving the community, increasing its social balance of qualified and trained technical cadres, developing its human energies, consolidating their moral values, meeting their desires and capabilities, and enhancing their scientific and national personalities (Bu Batana, 2018, p. 19). It also plays a major and important role in leading the transformation process, preparing young people towards spaces of freedom and creativity, scientific thinking, organized movement, the ethics of organized collective work, respect for democracy, transparency, and human rights, and how to manage dialogue and participate in decision-making in the future (Badran, 2018, p. 40).

Given the vital role university education plays in development, change, and progress, and because it is the long-term path to achieving further progress and qualitative development in all cultural, social, and economic fields, its importance increases in:

• 1- Disseminating the culture of quality, creativity, excellence and knowledge, and applying their philosophy, tools and implementation mechanisms in teaching.
• 2- Integrating existing teaching methods with teaching methods powered by modern technologies and e-learning technology to address the largest possible number of variables in the teaching process in terms of clarity, relevance, and integration.
• 3- Taking into account students’ characteristics and learning styles.
• 4- Methods of dealing with students and their channels of communication and interaction with educational situations and current events
• 5- Continuous training to develop the skills and capabilities of faculty members.
• 6- Controlling classroom teaching procedures.
• 7- Dynamic and flexible teaching.
• 8- Respect time and manage it as required.
• 9- Various methods of measurement and evaluation of reinforcement.
• 10- Feedback and follow-up strategies (Tel,2020, p. 74)

Axis II: Total quality in education, standards and quality assurance requirements for blended learning.

Total Quality in Education:

Under this framework, a set of definitions and explanations are provided that reflect the concept of quality in language and terminology.

Quality is a language:It means goodness, kindness, generosity, beauty, and liberality. Technically, it is defined as: the provision of a service by any institution or organization that is characterized by a high level of mastery and quality to meet the needs and desires of people in a way that is consistent with their expectations about the level of this service, which brings them satisfaction and pleasure (Ozi,2015, p. 47). Nothing is more eloquent than the Almighty’s words in His Noble Book: “Indeed, We will not allow to be lost the reward of anyone who does good work” (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 30), and the words of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: “Indeed, Allah loves when one of you does a job that he does it well” (Narrated by Muslim). Quality in this study refers to: type, good performance, and mastery. It is the sum total of the characteristics and features of the product, whether material or human, or the ongoing service provided by the institution to satisfy the explicit and implicit needs of beneficiaries, and fulfill their desires, ambitions, and expectations with a high degree of efficiency and certain satisfaction. He stated that the factors responsible for the quality of education do not stop at the teacher, but include the learner, family, school, university, and society (Gharib, 2017, p. 44). Therefore, any difference in viewpoints regarding the concept of comprehensive quality in education, they all focused on:

• 1- It is the strategic planning and continuous monitoring of student achievement, human resources management and human relations within the educational institution, and decision-making to achieve quality outputs that meet the needs of beneficiaries (Othman,2019, p. 43)
• 2- A comprehensive philosophy of life and work in educational institutions that aims to continuously improve the learning and teaching processes and develop educational outcomes on the basis of teamwork to ensure the achievement of comprehensive quality standards (Al-Hashemi, Soman,2018, p. 55)
• 3- The educational system should provide continuous distinguished service to satisfy the beneficiaries, including teachers, students, parents, and all sectors of society (Mazen,2018, p. 47)
• 4- It is a set of characteristics and features that accurately and comprehensively express the essence of the educational process and its condition in all its dimensions of inputs, processes, outputs, near and far, and feedback that interact with each other to achieve the desired goals that are appropriate for the beneficiary community (Abu Al-Haija,2017, p. 41)

Al-Khatib believes that quality in education reflects two meanings: realistic and tangible. The realistic meaning is the educational institution’s commitment to achieving real, recognized standards and indicators such as: promotion rates, quantitative internal efficiency, and the cost of education. As for the tangible meaning, it is based on the feelings or emotions of the service recipients, such as students and their parents (Al-Khatib,(2013, p. 48). Rizk stated that quality also has two dimensions: procedural and personal, both of which are important in providing high-quality service. The procedural dimension consists of the systems and procedures specified for providing the service, while the human aspect of the service is how employees deal with beneficiaries through their behaviors and verbal skills (Rizk, 2006, p. 77).

Quality is not a specific goal that is achieved and then forgotten, but rather an ongoing, organized process that aims to improve the final product, by controlling and improving all working conditions in the institution. It is worth noting here that increasing attention to quality does not mean turning educational institutions into commercial or industrial establishments seeking to double their profits by improving their products, but rather it should be used in managing the quality of education, by developing procedures and teaching methods, and implementing and evaluating them in a way that achieves the desired benefit in the educational product (Al-Najjar,2008, p. 102).

 Atiya says:2019) Quality has the following objectives:

1-         Continuously improve the quality of outputs (products).

2-         Create an environment to support and maintain continuous development.

3-         Reduce waste of effort and time.

4-         Involve everyone in the development process.

5-         Develop performance and quality measurement tools.

6-         Increase employee efficiency (Attia,2019, p. 201).

Therefore, the quality of blended learning is a strategic choice, imposed by the nature of the educational movement based on science, knowledge, development, scientific research and the requirements of the era. This requires an integrated and clear strategy, in which all human efforts are combined in a spirit of responsible cooperation, and the provision of material, technical and administrative conditions, technical and evaluation activities, and the creation of legal legislation and a regulatory environment that guarantees this type of education all the elements of success. Since both the teacher and the learner are the intellectual capital, the two poles of the educational process and one of its inputs, it was necessary for them to have a conscious culture, sufficient conviction and adequate knowledge of the application and practice of technology in education, on the pretext that change and development is a modern and future national requirement, and not a temporary luxury (Al-Khatib,2017, p. 32)

Blended Learning System (Requirements):

One of the most important things upon which the success of blended learning is built is reassurance of the standards and quality assurance of its requirements, which makes it feasible to implement, apply and evaluate, in light of the availability of an educated, supportive, trained and qualified human infrastructure, and a broad and broad community base in the field of computer and internet use. It also requires a dynamic electronic university community that includes teachers, lecturers, learners, technicians, curricula, laboratories, guidance, counselling, training and education, and has the ability to absorb technology, research, thinking, extrapolation and design, and an effective electronic connectivity system (Al-Shammari, and Al-Laithi,2018, p. 18)

Blended learning is a complement to existing traditional educational methods, and building its system requires a set of procedures, namely:

• 1- Setting goals.
• 2- Teaching methods, techniques, tools and accompanying activities.
• 3- Content analysis.
• 4-
• 5- Technical requirements.
• 6- Human requirements.
• 7- Financial and material support.
• 8- Community mobilization.
• 9- Partnership and linkage between the public and private sectors.

Dimensions of blended learning:

The original use of the term blended learning was often simply associated with linking traditional classroom instruction with e-learning activities. However, the term has evolved to include a richer set of learning strategies, and a blended learning program may combine one or more of the following dimensions:

• 1- Integrating direct and indirect education:Offline and Online
• 2- Integrating self-paced and collaborative learning:Blending Self-Paced, Collaborative Learning
• 3- Integrating formal and non-formal education:Structured and Unstructured
• 4- Merge custom content with ready-made content:Blending Custom Content with Off-the-Shelf Content (Al-Faqi, 2021, p. 39)

Blended Learning Requirements Quality Standards:

These are the specifications and characteristics that must be present in the inputs of the educational system, which are:

• Quality of objectives: Formulating clear, reasonable, and logical objectives that are consistent with teaching methods, the curriculum, and students’ needs. They are capable of being implemented, performed, applied, measured, and evaluated at the appropriate time and place.
• Quality of teaching methods and approaches: Selecting diverse and purposeful teaching approaches and methods, equipped with technical and electronic resources and accompanying activities, appropriate for implementing the curriculum content, achieving educational objectives, and meeting students’ needs. It also emphasizes the principle of learning through action, collaboration, interaction, dialogue, and problem-solving, and fosters in students a spirit of innovation, creativity, renewal, and continuous learning.
• Content Quality (Curriculum): The curriculum is the heartbeat of the curriculum, as it is interactive and contains the objectives, knowledge, and techniques that students study to enrich their knowledge and skills in the required manner. Therefore, the quality of the curriculum is one of the most important factors related to the quality of university teaching. There are a number of requirements that must be met in the curriculum for the purposes of blended learning, namely:
• 1- Dividing the curriculum into gradual and logical units that are easy to understand and acquire, on the one hand, and serve individualized education, on the other.
• 2- Each lesson should include a comprehensive, detailed explanation, exercises, questions, and simulations, tailored to the students’ needs, and allow for continuous evaluation of student performance.
• 3- Each lesson should contain additional and external sources of knowledge that complement the students’ needs.
• 4- The content should cover the same content as the traditional curriculum.
• 5- The content should be compatible with the teacher’s strategies and all learning methods.
• 6- The content includes interactive activities that suit learning styles such as memorization, comprehension, analysis, synthesis, criticism, and evaluation.
• 7- The ability to invest in the content of all technological data as available.
• 8- Usability and reusability.
• 9- Its ability to reach students and achieve what is required of it.
• Modification of the course (dynamic and flexible) (Ahmed,2017, p. 44)
• Infrastructure quality: This includes spatial, physical and climatic conditions, capacity, speed and the capacity of communication means and available alternatives.
• Quality of technical requirements and requires:
• 1- Providing a sufficient number of modern computers equipped with data shows and connected to the Internet.
• 2- Providing an electronic curriculum for each subject.
• 3- E-learning management system.
• 4- Curriculum content management system.
• 5- Electronic assessment programs.
• 6- Websites that can be contacted and communicated with.
• 7- Guidance and guidance from teachers.
• 8- Virtual and traditional classes.
• 9- Email, messages, and electronic simulations.
• Weekly meetings between students and subject supervisors.
• Partnership and linkage between the public and private sectors (Amasha,2010, p. 23)
• 6- Quality of human requirements:

1- The teacher must have:

• 1- Desire to move from traditional education to e-learning.
• 2- Desire to enter virtual classes.
• 3- Ability to combine traditional and online teaching.
• 4- Strong desire to enter e-learning and e-management.
• 5- The ability to use the Internet to update his information and develop his curricula.
• 6- The ability to provide traditional training for students on how to use computers and their technologies.
• 7- Ability to deal with course design programs.
• 8- Ability to design computer tests.
• 9- Ability to handle email and exchange messages with students.
• The ability to motivate learners and create a spirit of participation and interaction within the classroom.
• A complete understanding of the characteristics, needs and requirements of students at different levels.
• Monitoring the performance of individual students.
• Applying the principle of individualized education to help students learn according to their abilities.
• Understanding the goal of blended learning (Hadi,2015, p. 11)

2- The learner: He is the focus of attention in various learning circumstances. In order to carry out this task, he must:

• 1- To have a genuine desire for blended teaching and learning.
• 2- Learner autonomy means commitment and perseverance to achieve e-learning success.
• 3- The ability to participate in the learning process to be an interactive rather than a passive recipient.
• 4- Ability to practice and deal with email.
• 5- The ability to perceive, be fully aware, and think maturely.
• 6- The ability to dialogue, debate, constructively criticize and make decisions.
• 7- Respecting time, managing it and preserving it.
• 8- Pay attention to their desires, abilities and interests.
• 9- To have mature cognitive abilities.
• 10- Their preferred learning styles.
• 11- Their enemies and how to reach them.
• 12- Practice using electronic communication patterns.

3- Computer lab technicians who possess sufficient knowledge and skills to qualify them to perform their technical, artistic, advisory and training roles towards students, according to the requirements of the educational situation, and to provide all assistance, advice and support to ensure the success of the educational process.

• 1- Quality of financial capabilities: Money is the true artery of life and the main engine of its wheel. Without it, hopes, slogans and plans remain in the drawers, due to its direct impact on supporting and developing economic, social and educational life. Therefore, embarking on developing education towards scientific and technological progress requires, first and foremost, the provision of an actual financial budget, scheduled and governed by a timetable, covering all aspects of financial expenditures, expenses and operational costs, to ensure the proper functioning of the e-blended learning system.
• 2- Quality Community Mobilization: The university community is the fertile framework that encompasses the educational process, its system and philosophy, from the learner to the instructor, lecturer, lab, library, guidance, and counseling. Therefore, this human structure must possess a degree of desire, knowledge, culture, and skill in dealing with computers and related technologies. This must be achieved through a purposeful, interactive environment that supports individuals’ orientations toward absorbing technology, communication, exchange of experiences, and collaborative work. This is to enhance the blended learning system and usher in the era of e-learning.
• 3- Quality Partnerships and Connections Between the Public and Private Sectors: In light of the widespread availability of communications networks and the internet, and the fact that private companies own a significant portion of these networks financially, administratively, and technically, and in light of the successes achieved by this sector and the quality of the services it provides, coupled with the high financial cost of this technology and its associated components, on the one hand, and the inability of some government institutions to provide electronic services, on the other hand, there appears to be an urgent and necessary need for partnerships and automated connection of communications networks and the internet between the public and private sectors. This is achieved through organized protocols, proposals, and legislative agreements, characterized by the provision of all high-quality electronic services—written, spoken, audio, and visual.

quality assurance:

It means commitment to work, continuous giving, providing trust, and preventing deviations or errors, in order to maintain quality, good performance, and mastery at all times. To ensure this, it is necessary to:

• 1- Adopting transparent and diverse control methods for quality programs for all employees, students, and faculty at the university.
• 2- Emphasizing that quality, mastery of work, and good performance are a modern job requirement and a national duty, required by the requirements of the current stage.
• 3- Developing the spirit of teamwork and cooperation to benefit all employees in the organization.
• 4- Establishing the concepts of comprehensive quality under the slogan “There is no alternative to the right thing.”
• 5- Achieving qualitative progress in the educational process by activating all systems in force at the university without exception.
• 6- Maintaining the performance level of teachers, technicians, and students at the university through continuous field follow-ups and providing the necessary directives with a sense of responsibility whenever necessary.
• 7- Taking all measures and procedures that enhance and raise the level of quality and reduce the occurrence of errors in teaching.
• 8- Solving teaching problems in the field using scientific methods, proposing appropriate solutions, and following up on their implementation.
• 9- Opening communication channels with official bodies, and cooperating with companies involved in the system to update and develop its programs.
• Applying the principle of decentralization and flexibility in decision-making will allow all employees in the organization to participate, each according to their specialization and place of work.
• The productivity and accountability of everyone working in the teaching process.
• Honesty and credibility in providing and obtaining educational services.
• Teaching has value, striving for excellence and exceeding expectations.
• Stability and continuity in providing educational services, regardless of the different circumstances and capabilities (Al Wadi, Al Tai,2013, p. 15)

Axis III: Blended learning models, success factors, advantages, and obstacles

Blended learning modelsValetan male ((Valetan) Blended learning has three models, according to Al-Ghamdi’s study:

• 1- Skill development model: combines self-learning with a teacher who supports and develops knowledge.
• 2- Situation development model: a method that combines various events and means of presenting them in order to develop specific behaviors.
• 3- Competency development model: This method combines performance and its supporting tools with knowledge resource management, guidance and experts, in order to develop competencies, acquire knowledge and transfer it (Al-Ghamdi,2017, p. 18).
• 4- Blended learning success factors:

The program begins with a face-to-face general session between teachers and students. The program’s objectives, plan, and implementation methods are explained, as are the strategies used, and the role of each in the success of blended learning, through:

• 1- Effective, purposeful communication and guidance between the parties involved in the educational process.
• 2- The learner’s independence in learning according to his capabilities and abilities.
• 3- Encourage creative and innovative work.
• 4- Focus on knowledge and how to discover and employ it in educational situations.
• 5- Collaborative teamwork.
• 6- Continuous and flexible choices.
• 7- Involving students in choosing the appropriate course.
• 8- Repetition because it allows students to receive the same message from different sources and in multiple forms.
• 9- The measurability of its outputs and their effectiveness can be verified.
• 10- The suitability and appropriateness of this type of learning for large numbers of students.

Features of blended learning:

Studies and research agree that blended learning has many advantages, which can be summarized as mentioned by (Abu Khatwa), (Abu Khatwa,2019, p. 13), as follows:

• 1- It provides purposeful communication and interaction mechanisms, enhances social and collaborative relationships, and increases interaction between the parties involved in the educational process (teacher, student, curriculum, trainer, and technician).
• 2- Its costs and financial expenses are lower compared to e-learning.
• 3- Linking goals to results.
• 4- Sufficient flexibility to provide all the needs and requirements of individuals and learning opportunities for learners at different levels.
• 5- It increases accessibility and access to information between sites and people, transcending time and space.
• 6- Developing the concepts of teamwork and cooperation.
• 7- .. freedom… flexibility in learning and shortening in time and place.
• 8- Maintains the continuity of the original bond between student and teacher.
• 9- It creates a sense in the learner that learning takes place outside the four walls of the classroom.
• 10- Communication and cultural interaction between different cultures to keep up with everything new.
• 11- Optimal use of educational technology in the design, implementation and application of blended learning.
• 12- Focus on learner independence and increasing motivation and experience.
• 13- Optimal use of physical and virtual resources.
• 14- Supporting traditional teaching methods with modern technological media.
• 15- It works on integrating formative and summative assessment systems for students and teachers.

Obstacles to blended learning:

Despite all that has been said and written about the advantages and benefits of e-learning and blended learning, some human, material, and procedural obstacles emerge from time to time, which, from near or far, hinder the implementation of blended learning. These are:

• 1- The low level of experience and skill among some students and teachers in dealing seriously with computers and their accessories.
• 2- The high costs of computers and their accessories can sometimes be an obstacle to their acquisition by some students, teachers, and other parties.
• 3- Low level of actual participation of curriculum, education, and teaching specialists in the development of blended electronic courses.
• 4- The difference in the efficiency and capacity of computers, and the speed of their development from one generation to the next, sometimes hinders keeping up with them.
• 5- The multiplicity of networks, their capacity, speed, companies and connections sometimes hinders the provision of the best service to the individual.
• 6- Low level of effectiveness of the system of monitoring, evaluation, correction, attendance and absence of students.
• 7- There are still some customs, traditions and concepts that encourage the use of technology.
• 8- The low level of culture among some teachers and students in dealing seriously with educational technology.
• 9- Focus on students’ cognitive and skill aspects more than their emotional aspects.

Axis Four: How to design a blended learning program (lessons):

Based on the above, the process of combining different educational methods does not take place in a random or capricious manner, but rather in a scientific, organized, and homogeneous manner, governed by several standards and controls related to the requirements of the educational situation. Accordingly, starting to design a blended learning program requires the following:

• 1- Determine the type of blended learning program: Will it be transformative and innovative, meaning the existing program will be transformed into one that incorporates electronic technology tools and methods, with the goal of developing, improving, and enhancing its performance? Or will a pre-existing blended learning program be used from the outset?
• 2- Determine the mixing methods, types, and how to do it. This depends on the following questions:
• 1- What is the best teaching method to implement content learning well?
• 2- What is the best way to guide student learning?
• 3- What is the best way to address institutional requirements, procedures, and constraints in blended learning?

Therefore, the designer of blended learning-based lessons must implement blended learning based on:

• 1- Analyzing content into gradual units that include facts, concepts, generalizations, principles, and additional sources, in order to facilitate understanding, explanation, analysis, synthesis, criticism, and evaluation.
• 2- Determine the method and style in which each component of the content will be implemented.
• 3- Identifying students’ needs, interests, and individual differences.
• 4- Organizing requirements and restrictions to organize the work environment (attendance records, time and absence records, and lecture times).
• 5- Determine the necessary temporal and spatial conditions for the program (Abu Musa,2010, p. 7).

Chapter Three: Conclusions and Recommendations

First: Conclusions:

Humanity has never witnessed in its history a period in which time is shortened, space is narrowed, and the inhabitants of this planet communicate through vision, contemplation, and speech, like this period in which globalization has dominated all educational institutions, technology has invaded all aspects of human life and its various activities, and communications and the information revolution have become the focus of human thought and the preoccupying material of modern life. It was necessary for them to be included in the core of educational curricula and occupy their natural place in new educational systems. In such a case, the content of education has become enveloped in an applied technical character, such as e-learning, educational technology, and virtual education. The basic question facing everyone is how to keep up with this amazing explosion in human knowledge and its technological applications, and how will individuals be prepared for the future? The only solution is to focus on education, regardless of its level, the quality of its curricula and methods, and finding ways to solve its problems. Since human beings are the renewable, inexhaustible natural resource, and one of the main inputs, focus, and outcomes of the educational process, it is imperative that efforts be directed towards improving their quality, enhancing their performance, and elevating their culture, free from manifestations of imitation and Westernization. This is because their outcomes are represented by the development of human resources in their various scientific, cultural, economic, and social aspects. University education has become a locomotive of development, led by education makers, thinkers, and innovators, who assume the leadership role in managing and guiding the helm of growth and progress. Traditional educational methods and approaches are no longer capable of confronting the developments of the current phase. It has become necessary to integrate modern technological and electronic methods into teaching, with the participation of all stakeholders in the educational process, within comprehensive and purposeful programs characterized by qualitative performance and high quality, reflecting the future visions of education. Not everyone who has studied can teach, because teaching is a science, an art, and a profession. Only those who have acquired its rules and strategies and trained on them can master it, and who possess the elements of a successful teacher, capable of undertaking this noble humanitarian mission, and adapting to and controlling the data of technology and the information and communications revolution, under appropriate temporal and spatial conditions, to activate the process of group and individual dialogue, and educational communication, leading to specialized, high-quality educational outcomes that can deal with the vocabulary of the era and adapt to the variables of the present and the future, represented by the cognitive, technical, and electronic revolution.

Second: Recommendations:

With this scientific progress and knowledge explosion, and its current and future impacts, especially in the educational and teaching fields, and in light of what is stated in the study’s literature, the researchers recommend the following:

• 1- Reconsidering university curricula and implementation strategies to accommodate the concepts of the electronic and technological revolution, integrating them with high-quality teaching methods, and presenting them to students in a manner that meets the requirements of creativity and innovation and the needs of individuals and society.
• 2- E-learning is a cherished requirement for all educational settings. However, its high costs, numerous requirements, and complex procedures prevent its full implementation in the educational process. This opens the door to implementing one of its models, such as blended learning, distance learning, or open learning.
• 3- Emphasizing the importance of blended learning and its feasibility in the educational process, as it combines more than one teaching method and meets the requirements of the educational situation.
• 4- Improving teaching methods is a strategic choice imposed by the nature of the educational situation’s requirements, which aim to achieve both goals and objectives and link them to results.
• 5- Emphasizing the importance of using educational technology in teaching alongside information technology.
• 6- Good teaching at the right time by a good teacher gives a good product.
• 7- Entering the era of communications and the electronics revolution requires community mobilization and infrastructure to understand all related concepts.
• 8- Establishing the concept of a culture of change and development in society and convincing individuals that this change and development is a modern national requirement and not a temporary luxury.

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