Samenvatting

The main objective of this dissertation is to examine, both theoretically and empirically, the specific requirements of a blended learning instructional model aimed at facilitating higher education adult-learners into online interaction. Three objectives were formulated:
Objective 1: to investigate adult-learners’ perceived satisfaction in relation to blended learning and the factors that foster their interaction with the ‘added’ online mode; and a thorough understanding of adult-learners’ educational needs and learning characteristics derived from theory.
Objective 2: to understand the factors of social presence and convergence, and how these can be ingrained into design principles that foster online interaction.
Objective 3: to explore the specifics of an instructional model for the design of a blended learning environment for adult-learners in higher education, both theoretically and empirically, and how said principles can be actualised in a validated model.