METHOD FOR ORGANIZING STUDENTS’ INDEPENDENT EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY BASED ON BLENDED LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

This scientific article examines the methodological foundations for organizing students’ independent educational activity within higher educational institutions based on blended learning, conceptualized not merely as a technological hybrid of online and face-to-face instruction, but as a pedagogically structured system that reshapes students’ cognitive autonomy, learning responsibility, and academic self-regulation. The study interprets independent learning activity as a complex educational phenomenon formed through the interaction of instructional design, digital learning environments, and the pedagogical positioning of the instructor. Particular attention is given to the transformation of students’ independent work from a formal academic requirement into a meaningful, self-directed learning process supported by blended learning models. The article analyzes how asynchronous digital components, face-to-face instructional scaffolding, and reflective learning tasks interact to foster sustainable independent learning skills. The findings demonstrate that the effectiveness of blended learning in organizing independent educational activity depends not on technological availability alone, but on the coherence of pedagogical mechanisms, the instructor’s methodological competence, and the alignment of digital tools with educational objectives. The study substantiates that a well-designed blended learning methodology can significantly enhance students’ academic responsibility, critical thinking, and long-term learning autonomy when implemented as an integrated pedagogical system rather than a fragmented instructional practice.