Innovation to Enhance Blended Learning Experience: Applying Google Sites in Higher Education

Abstract

Internet has influences numerous aspects in our life, including our learning process. Interest in the internet as a media to enhance learning experience in education operations has increased over the last decade. The recent web era termed as web 2.0. In web 2.0 era, users have the convenience to design their own website without need of learning complicated programming language. Combination between offline and online learning is known as blended learning. Innovations related with blended learning are emerging. The purposes of this paper are to elaborate the features of Google Sites that are useful for blended learning and to share users experiences from utilize Google Sites as tools of blended learning program at Faculty of Economics and Business University of Padjadjaran (FEB Unpad), Bandung, Indonesia. Users are often inhibited in creating or maintaining a website because of the complexity challenge. Google Sites, known for its tag line“create, collect and controlâ€, offers ease of use in this regard. Faculty member and student can use this tool to interact. Users experience survey was conducted involving 84 users (78 students and 6 faculty members) to elaborate response of users, both faculty members and students. Results suggest that highest agreement rate was attained that Google site is helpful in share information. The lowest aggrement rate was found in “Google site useful for online discussionâ€.