Blended Learning Voice: Students' Perceptions of Mid Transitioning Into Digital Needs of Academic Reading

Blended learning is one of the e- learnings to be concerned its improvement and it can not be apart from the digital learning practices. Moreover, the application of blended learning itself is such of educational innovation in the 21st century era not only in Indonesian setting but also in the worldwide spread. In fact, the deployement of blended learning which is covered by e-learning in Indonesia is not good enough in higher education setting. The present study investigated students' perception of applying it in an academic reading class as  part of demand in digital era. The descriptive study was employed to analyze the students' questionnaire toward the application of blended learning during classroom practices with the 30 participants took part in the research. The students' positive responses and interpretation from students revealed of implementation of it though some troubles occured during teaching and learning process. From the result of the data, it indicates that blended learning can be one of the educators' choices of classroom practices in order to improve the quality of higher education and it provides  innovation of education in digital era. The study  provides the limitations and pedagogical suggetions.


INTRODUCTION
Educational innovation is one of the government efforts in improving the quality of education especially in higher education (Indonesian Government Vision, Mission and Plan, 2014). Nowadays, innovation especially in educational setting is deliberately related to Information and Technologies (ICTs). Besides, the basic output of Indonesian country in which the integration of ICTs and the educational setting develop the quality and access of education to especially university students around. 1 The worldwide facts indicates that the access of education widespreadly occured because of technology. 2 Also, the influence of ICTs toward educators and learners stimulate them to be innovative during classroom practices yet the learning environment zzzzzz is supported to do one. 3 Recent years, the applications of Web 2.0 Technologies also have coloured significantly in Chinese educational setting. 4 The role of ICTs then beneficial in calssroom setting for supporting the academic activities but not limited to Internet-based content. 5 As the realization of optimalization of ICTs as the soulpart of education, blended learning is such of recent crucial ways for meeting the educational worldwide demand in 21st century. As it is stated by Bernatek, Cohen, Hanlon & Wilka (2012) 6 that integrating between pedagogy and practice in educational setting with donating the technology role as the part of the academic practices innovation 7 . This blended learning provides the flexibility and comfortness to the students becuase of prior activities are conducted on line, besides FtF or Face to Face activities may be done for crucial consideration between teacher and students so that increasing the learnig community is recommendable to support effective learning. 8 Some benefits are offered by applying blended learning such as; freeness of access, flexibility, active learning zone, self-regulated learning promotes. 9 From considerations aforementioned, the blended learning is noticeable to be applied by Indonesian educators in facing globalization.

RESEARCH PROBLEM
7KH UHVHDUFK TXHVWLRQ ZDV ´:KDW DUH VWXGHQWV· SHUFHSWLRQV RI DSplication blended OHDUQLQJ LQ DFDGHPLF UHDGLQJ FODVV LQ WHUPV RI XWLOLW\ VDWLVIDFWLRQ DQG PRWLYDWLRQ"µ )RU conducting the study, questionnaire with Likert Scale 5 was administered to the students online at the end of the semester. The considerations of choosing the online mode were flexibility and privacy terms. The term flexibility refers to the online questionaire provides free times and place WR SROO WKH FKRLFHV ZKLOH WKH IROORZLQJ WHUP ´ SULYDF\µ PHDQV WKH HGXFDWRUV RU RWKHU IULHQGV surely possible to QRW UHFRUG RQH·V SROOV )XUWKHUPRUH WKH REMHFWLYH RI WKH VWXG\ ZDV DW PHDVXULQJ VWXGHQWV· SHUFHSWLRQV LQ WHUPV RI XWLOLW\ VDWLVIDFWLRQ DQG PRWLYDWLRQ GXULQJ WKH implementation of blended learning in classroom practices.

LITERATURE REVIEW
zzzzzz Some avidences indicated that application of blended learning significantly and positively influence classroom. 10 The positive impact of applying online learning and instructions showed in language learning 11 . Then, the blended learning is one of the teaching method which is assured to be supplemental solution for classroom learning. 12 The implementation of blended learning WKHQ SURYLGHV ELJ UROH IRU SURPRWLQJ VWXGHQWV· DFKLHYHPHQW FRJQLWLYHO\ PRWRULFDOO\ DQG affectively (Bawaneh, 2011). Another research also reported that the use of blended learning got positive result if it compared with the pure face to face activities during teaching and learning process. 13 The same voice of application of blended learning occured that combining two models of learning: traditional and online affected dramatical result on academic writing class (Mizayoe & Anderson, 2009) .

E-Learning in Indonesia
As the part of realization of implementing the e-learning, the coverage of blended learning, the Indonesian government through the decree of ministry of Education and Culture declared the program of the integrated and opened Indonesian e-learning since 2014 (Guidelines of KDITT, 2014). Through the program, all of the higher education isntitutions both public and privates are demanded to develop the courses with Internet-based content. The considerations for choosing higher education as the stakeholder of e-learning because of the worldwide demands and the globalization competences 14 . As the previous description of the worldwide facts of digital learning in which the access of education and flexibility of education are commonly offered to the students without limitations of place and time so that the education for whoever is achieved 15 . Higher education is then directly facing the challenges from digital and globalization era so that the global competencies are crucially needed for university students as the part of the input before working. To support the goverment program, some universities and higher education institutions now preparing the e-learning in which the forthcoming will be mandatory for all higher educations. 16

Theoretical Framework
As it is explained from the previous session. The author intended to study extent the VWXGHQWV· SHUFHSWLRQV UHJDUGLQJ WKH EOHQGHG OHDUQLQJ DSSOLFDWLRQ GXULQJ Whe classroom activities (utility, satisfaction and motivation) are described in detail from the questionnaire. The utilizing of blended learning is the primary-topic to be discussed for evaluating the application of blended learning during teaching and learning process and to do forthcoming activities related to it. indicators showed the ulizitation of blended learning environments provide the effective and HIILFLHQW OHDUQLQJ VW\OH WR VWXGHQWV SURPRWH VWXGHQWV· HQJDQJHPHQW DQG HPSRZHUPHQW GXULQJ academic activities, active learning and construct problem-based learning. 17 The perceptions of utility derived of blended learning, the students can easily express their preferences, their SUREOHPV HQFRXQWHUHG GXULQJ WKH XVH RI LW DQG VWXGHQWV· DGYDQWDJHV RI OHarning tools provided during classroom activities. 18 7KH VHFRQG SDUW RI VWXGHQWV· SHUFHSWLRQV DVVHVVHG LV LQ WKH WHUP RI satisfaction 19 . Some authors have reported that student satisfaction increases when blended learning is adopted (Lim & Morris, 2009). The motivation to learn is one of the variables that has most often been studied in the field of education (Lim & Morris, 2009). The possibility of having more types of interaction has proved to be a factor that increases motivation, creating positive attitudes towards learning and leading to higher marks being awarded (Donnelly, 2010 20 ; Woltering et al., 2009) 21 .

RESEARCH METHOD Participants
The study was conducted to the 30 students with lower intermediate reading proficiency who studied academic reading. During a semesster, blended learning has been utilized for academic activities which combined face to face interaction and online mode during learning. By JLYLQJ WKHP DQ RQOLQH TXHVWLRQQDLUH WKH VWXG\ ZDV DLPLQJ WR ILQG RXW WKH VWXGHQWV· SHUFHSWLRQV on application of blended learning at one of private universities in Ciamis, West Java.

Research Design
The answers of the online questionnaire were measured by using descriptive analysis on a 5-SRLQW /LNHUW VFDOH ZKHUH LQGLFDWHG ´ORZHVW GHJUHH RI LQWHUHVW RU RI DJUHHPHQWµ DQG LQGLFDWHG ´KLJKHVW GHJUHH RI LQWHUHVW RI DJUHHPHQWµ RU YLFH YHUVD GHSHQGLQJ RQ WKH LWHPV RI WKH statement. After the data collected online, the value of data were given for each answers. Then the frequency answers were also multiplied which is totally added at the end of activity. For JHWWLQJ WKH UHVXOW RI LQWHUSUHDWLRQ IRU WKLV FDVH ZDV VWXGHQWV· SHUFHSWLRQV RQ XWLOLW\ VDWLVIDFWLRQ and motivation toward application of blended learning, the multipicaton of the highest and lowest score and the total number of the students.

Data analysis
According to the survey to 25 students of academic reading class, the data collected from the their perceptions of utility, satisfaction and motivation on applying blended learning. 7KH SDUW RI WKH WRSLF FRQFHUQV RQ WKH GDWD DQDO\VLV RI VWXGHQWV· SHUFHSWLRQV DQG WKH IRUWFRPLQJ topic is followed by its discussion. 1. 7KH 6WXGHQWV· 3HUFHSWLRQV RI 8WLOLW\

No
Items of Question The teacher expects me to do my best 0 9 0 11 5 25 2 The teacher respects my individual way of learning 2 5 6 7 5 25 3 It is very easy to organize a group for a project 2 15 4 4 0 25 4 It is easy to work together wih other students involved in agroup project After getting the raw data IURP RQOLQH TXHVWLRQQDLUH WKH UHVSRQGHQWV· FDOFXODWLRQ LV provided the following The present study reported the similar perceptions with some previous researches which stated that blended learning raised . First, the utility of blended learning achieved good response from students in terms of the a high degree of utility, motivation and satisfaction is perceived from blended learning, which could lead students to have a positive attitude towards learning. 22 Another same report is also highlighed by (Mitchell & Forer, 2010) 23 that the role of e-learning activities can complemen even replace the role of applying the traditional modes of learning in digital era.

CONCLUSION
According to the present study, a significant value of agreement of utility, satisfaction and motivation is perceived from blended learning. This learning environment then lead students to have got positive response, feedback and attitude toward learning activities. Furthermore, the FRQFOXVLRQV GUDPDWLFDOO\ LQGLFDWH WKDW EOHQGHG OHDUQLQJ UHLQIRUFHV VWXGHQWV· XQGHUVWDQGLQJ RI WKH concept active learning, problem-based learning, self-regulated learning and learning community. Also, the present study suggests that blended learning nowadays is part of digital learning to be familiarized by the educators for promoting the flexibility and excellent access of education.