A Blended Learning Experiment in Kazakhstan

The teaching methodology at many universities in Kazakhstan is traditional: a lecture where professor talks and students listen, with little or no interaction, and a seminar that offers practical applications. Students follow the precisely prescribed path, regulated by the Ministry of Education, with little room for developing creativity or critical thinking. At Narxoz University we have conducted an experiment fully redesigning nine courses, using MOOCs and flipped classroom methodologies. We also selected nine “twin” or control courses taught traditionally. Focus groups conducted after the courses showed that MOOC/flipped courses were preferred by the students. We formally tested whether MOOC/flipped courses had a positive impact on learning outcomes (measured by exam scores) and on student satisfaction (measured by the Net Promoters Score). After controlling for teacher and student quality we found that the impact of the MOOC/flipped classroom methodology on both learning outcomes and student satisfaction was positive. The results presented in this paper were also used for policy evaluation purposes. Because the outcome was positive, the university decided to proceed to the next stage and to apply MOOC/flipped classroom methodology to 20-30% of all courses offered at Narxoz, starting from September 2016 on