Students' motivation and subjective task value of participating in online and blended learning environments

- Students need better and realistic information about online and blended learning.
- Distance moments create flexibility which is necessary to be able to participate.
- Distance moments create practical difficulties (e.g. group work; postponing tasks).
- Students value the importance of face-to-face moments (e.g. feedback, roleplay).
- A thoughtful balance between face-to-face and distance moments is necessary.

Online and blended learning (OBL) is intended for individualising education. However, while OBL attracts a diverse range of students, teachers lack insight into this diversity, which hinders them in anticipating students' individual needs. The present mixed methods' study examines the reasons and values that students in a teacher training programme in higher education attribute to their participation in OBL. Firstly, three motivational profiles were distinguished. Furthermore, the students value the flexibility and the face-to-face moments in OBL. However, based upon students' current experiences, costs - seen as negative aspects of OBL - seem to emerge. While students mainly mention costs regarding education in general (e.g. a high workload), they also indicate specific costs concerning OBL (e.g. harder to organise group work). A cost-value balance affects students' decisions to persist. Therefore, this study provides the values and costs that teachers should bear in mind for each profile.