Discovering Blended Learning Adoption: An Italian Case Study in Higher Education

In the last decade, online education has become a fast-growing delivery method in higher education in Italy. According to data provided by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research during the academic year 2014– 2015, 60,000 students were enrolled in a Telematic University, experiencing a 60% growth rate in the last five years. In this frame it is important to inquire about blended learning adoption and implementation in order to assist University leaders in changing policies that will lead to improvement of teaching and learning conditions. Using a case study and conducting a survey on online structure this paper aims: (a) to identify institutional strategy, structure, and support markers that would allow administrators to determine their progress in transitioning exploration of blended learning to implementation; (b) to understand what are the main factors affecting satisfaction of faculty involved in a blended learning experience.