Blended Learning as a Response to Student Heterogeneity

These days the student body is characterized by a huge heterogeneity. Therefore, higher education has to cope with new demands concerning heterogeneous students. In addition to the examination of dimensions of student heterogeneity, the higher education system comprising bachelor's and master's degree is analysed. By using Spence's (1973) signalling model we compare the signalling-power of different degrees. In contrast to prior one-signal-degrees, this more differentiating system enables students to choose different levels of higher education degrees and therefore, it supports student heterogeneity. Nevertheless, a successful completion is not always achieved. Drop-out rates may be the result of wrong self-assessment, since signalling requires the knowledge of one's individual productivity. In order to implement actions in the daily teaching routine JACK as an example of blended learning is introduced as a response to wrong self-assessment and increasing heterogeneity of students. On the one hand, the implementation of JACK in courses meets the growing demands of a heterogeneous student body through guiding self-study and through flexibility of time and space. On the other hand, JACK helps to correct flawed self-assessment with the aid of immediate feedback and possibilities to repeat course contents. Consequently, this paper analyses dimensions of student heterogeneity and based on this analysis proposes blended learning as a successful measure to adapt teaching routines.