Disruptions and Disturbance as Challenges in a Blended Learning (BL) Environment and the Role of Embodied Habit Orientation 

In this paper we analyse two cases where BL courses have been run since the summer 2012 (Teachers´ and the radiography educational programmes at University College North in Denmark (UCN). In this study it was clear that the majority of students preferred face-to-face instructions and interaction over the implemented BL approach and they felt more disrupted and disturbed when required to work more online and from home. In the paper we therefore discuss how disruptions and disturbances have an influence on students’ study and learning activities in a BL environment. We argue how disturbances are related to students’ embodied experiences and habitual and spatial orientation, and how they play a role in students’ perceptions of different learning spaces. Based in Simonsen’s (2007) ‘geography of human practice’ and an ecological understanding of ‘orientations’ developed by Jander (1975) we analyse and discuss how students’ orientation in different learning environments influence their navigation, and how disruptions and disturbances affect their orientation. The findings illustrate and discuss students’ challenges of adapting to the BL approach and how students’ prior experiences and habits challenge their learning activities outside the educational institutions. Based in these findings the concluding discussion presents new perspectives on students’ orientation in BL environment to take into consideration in BL programmes.