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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol.7, No.11
Publication Date: November 25, 2020
DOI:10.14738/assrj.711.9374.
Prayekti, (2020). The Effectiveness of Blended Learning Teaching Materials Based on Cognitive Styles to Improve Students’ Learning
Outcomes in Solid State Physics Subjects. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(11) 452-466.
The Effectiveness of Blended Learning Teaching Materials Based on
Cognitive Styles to Improve Students’ Learning Outcomes in Solid
State Physics Subjects
Prayekti
Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia
ABSTRACT
The industrial revolution 4.0 forces various sectors, including the
education sector, to face rapid technological innovation changes.
Universitas Terbuka, as a distance learning activity management
system, has made information and communication technology a
fundamental requirement for implementing learning activities at UT or
PTJJ. Blended learning emerges as an effective strategy that can combine
the advantages of online education or technology-based learning and
face-to-face learning. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of
blended learning teaching materials based on cognitive styles to
improve students’ learning outcomes in solid-state physics subjects.
This research is quasi-experimental research conducted in 3
Universitas Terbuka; those are Universitas Terbuka of Surabaya,
Malang, and Jember. In this study, Respondents were 11 students who
were treated with blended learning teaching materials in solids state
physics subjects. The data obtained are in the form of students’ learning
outcomes, which are then analyzed using the N-gain test. Based on the
N-gain test, the test result was accepted that the average N-gain of
students was categorized as medium and high. In addition to learning
outcomes, data on student responses, and learning activities were also
obtained using blended learning teaching materials in solids state
physics subjects. The majority of students respond to learning activities
with a positive response, and students actively participate in all the
learning activities provided. This study implies that blended learning
materials based on cognitive styles effectively improve students’
learning outcomes in solid-state physics subjects.
Keywords: distance education, learning outcomes, blended learning,
cognitive styles
INTRODUCTION
We are currently facing the fourth industrial revolution known as the Industrial Revolution 4.0. To
deal with these changes in innovation, education is one of the critical sectors required to experience
significant changes to face the Industrial Revolution 4.0. Emerging technologies have had a
profound effect on education in general (Rafiola et al., 2020). Technology-based learning, such as
online learning or electronic learning (e-learning), has recently become a trend for effective
education in both schools and universities. E-learning has become a popular approach to effective
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Prayekti, (2020). The Effectiveness of Blended Learning Teaching Materials Based on Cognitive Styles to Improve Students’ Learning Outcomes in Solid State
Physics Subjects. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(11) 452-466.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.711.9374 453
learning in educational settings due to the extensive use of web systems in learning. There are
various benefits of technology-supported learning or e-learning. Learning with this strategy is
flexible and allows learning to occur at a distance and time according to students' needs.
Universitas Terbuka, as a distance learning activity management system, has made information and
communication technology a fundamental requirement for the implementation of learning
activities at UT or PTJJ. The use of information and communication technology for PTJJ is the right
solution to time and space constraints to improve PTJJ services and increase student learning
effectiveness (Daulany, 2009). Besides, information and communication technology can also
enhance the quality of the teaching and learning process through an internet-based learning system
(e-learning) or to learn in cyberspace (virtual learning).
However, although online learning makes it easier for students to access knowledge at any place
and any time, direct communication between teachers and students in face-to-face learning is also
essential. Blended Learning is a learning system that can combine face-to-face learning with
computer-mediated education or other electronic learning media (Graham, 2006). Thus, blended
learning is an effective strategy that can combine the advantages of online learning and face-to-face
learning.
The industrial 4.0 era also requires each individual to have high abilities and qualifications to
control the rapid development of technology. Higher education graduates are expected to have
adequate competencies by society's needs and the current world of work, which is oriented towards
the industrial era 4.0. Competent graduates can undoubtedly be seen from the high achievement of
learning outcomes.
Learning outcomes are abilities that students have, both in terms of knowledge, skills, and attitudes,
after gaining experience through the learning process. Good learning outcomes can certainly be
generated from significant learning activity. Designing learning activities, one must consider how
learners understand new information, acquire new skills, or develop new ways of life (Wasserman
et al. 2009).
Cognitive style is a way for an individual to process a stimulus or information to produce a response.
In the learning process, the type of mental kind of students determines how they process the
information received to solve problems related to the concepts that have been learned. Students
who have a dependent cognitive style can work well with other people, focus more on the general
picture, and only follow the instructions and information that has been presented (Nugraha &
Awalliyah, 2016). Students who have a field-independent cognitive style will tend to find various
information that is out of the box (outside the content), sort objects more quickly, more analytic,
and driven by motivation from within (internal). Students' cognitive styles will positively impact or
influence if the right environment and conditions are provided so that students can learn optimally
(Widiyana, Bayu, & Jayata, 2017). Thus, a learning activity needs to pay attention to students'
cognitive styles, such as field dependent and field independent, to learn optimally and obtain good
learning outcomes.
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol.7, Issue 11, November-2020
PERSPECTIVE
Teaching Materials
Teaching materials are all forms of material used to assist teachers/instructors in carrying out
teaching and learning activities in the classroom. The material in question can be written or
unwritten material. In other words, teaching materials are learning tools or tools that contain
materials, methods, limitations, and ways of evaluating, which are designed systematically and
attractively to achieve the expected competencies (Nurdyansyah & Mutala’liah, 2018)
Learning materials take several forms (Nguyen, Duong, & Cambria, 2019), including (1) Books,
which are bound sheets of paper, both written and blank, for example, textbooks; (2) Magazines,
namely periodicals containing actual topics in society. According to the specialization, the contents
of magazines include knowledge magazines; (3) Brochures, which are brief but complete
information, in a printed form consisting of only a few pages and are folded without being bound;
(4) Poster, is a placard posted in a public place in the form of an announcement; (5) Encyclopedia,
namely a book or series of books containing information on various fields of science, for example,
an animal encyclopedia.
Blended Learning
Graham (2006) defined Blended Learning as a learning system that combines face-to-face learning
with computer-mediated learning. At the same time, Garrison and Kanuka (2004) described
Blended Learning as integrating face-to-face learning experiences in the classroom with online
learning experiences. Thus, it can be concluded that there is general agreement that the main
component of blended learning is face-to-face and online teaching or learning.
Research shows that learning using the Blended Learning model can increase learning motivation
and learning outcomes of students or learners (Nuraini, District, & Suana, 2018). Learning models
that use blended learning can generate student interest or students to learn and have an effect on
learning outcomes in this case in line with research which states that the views of students or
learners on the mixed learning process, such as a combination of web and face-to-face use, web and
face-to-face learning processes give different results according to the learning styles of students or
students. Therefore, blended learning is a combination of the advantages of learning that is done
face-to-face and virtually (Ardianti, Sulisworo, & Pramudya, 2019).
In Blended Learning, traditional learning will be integrated with online learning technology, such
as the Learning Management System (LMS), online learning videos, video conferences, and other
interactive communication tools to increase student participation and information transfer. Face- to-face learning in the classroom will be used to develop the thinking skills and attitudes needed by
students. Although online learning makes it easier for students to access knowledge anytime and
anywhere, communication between teachers and students in face-to-face learning is also essential.
Thus, blended learning is an effective strategy that combines the real world's best methods and the
virtual world.
Cognitive Style
Goldstein and Blackman define cognitive style as a hypothetical construct developed to explain the
mediating process between stimulation and response. The term cognitive style refers to the
distinctive ways in which individuals conceptually organize the environment (1978, 4) within