Blended Learning and Higher Education: Pros and Cons.

Before COVID-19, education was conducted in person in lecture halls worldwide. The aftermath of COVID-19 compelled governments worldwide to modify their educational systems. The Covid-19 virus spreads rapidly, necessitating social and physical distancing measures to mitigate its impact. During the pandemic, universities had to adapt quickly, transitioning from face-to-face instruction to online learning to continue the educational process while minimizing the spread of the virus. As the pandemic eased and the new normal emerged, life gradually returned to pre-pandemic conditions. Consequently, higher education required adjustment to align with these new circumstances. In this context, blended learning (BL) has become a viable solution for the teaching and learning process in universities. The findings of this review show that BL online component can improve students' academic performance and retention, and improve undergraduate students' emotional and behavioral engagement, while graduate students' cognitive and emotional engagement was mainly promoted through peer collaboration and experience sharing. However, some strategies can be utilized to mitigate most of the issues in BL. This literature review seeks to explore the challenges and opportunities afforded by BL post COVID-19 pandemic in higher education. The study recommends further studies into mitigating factors of BL challenges and encourages BL implementation in higher education.