Blended Learning in English Language Teaching: Course Design and Implementation
Blended Learning in English Language Teaching: Course Design and Implementation
Blended Learning in English Language Teaching: Course Design and Implementation
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Introduction<br />
This <strong>in</strong>troductory chapter will provide an overview of blended learn<strong>in</strong>g by<br />
consider<strong>in</strong>g where the term orig<strong>in</strong>ated <strong>and</strong> by seek<strong>in</strong>g to def<strong>in</strong>e what it means<br />
<strong>in</strong> corporate tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, higher education <strong>and</strong> <strong>English</strong> <strong>Language</strong> Teach<strong>in</strong>g (ELT).<br />
It will also establish why these three sectors employ a blended learn<strong>in</strong>g approach,<br />
outl<strong>in</strong>e a number of the models they use for blend<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>and</strong> consider the ways <strong>in</strong><br />
which blended learn<strong>in</strong>g is effective. It will conclude with a summary of why gett<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the blend right is important, whilst acknowledg<strong>in</strong>g that this is not an easy task <strong>and</strong><br />
that further research on blended learn<strong>in</strong>g is required <strong>in</strong> ELT contexts.<br />
<strong>Blended</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g – a def<strong>in</strong>ition<br />
The term blended learn<strong>in</strong>g orig<strong>in</strong>ated <strong>in</strong> the bus<strong>in</strong>ess world <strong>in</strong> connection with<br />
corporate tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g (Sharma <strong>and</strong> Barrett, 2007), then was employed <strong>in</strong> higher<br />
education (MacDonald, 2006) <strong>and</strong> lastly it appeared <strong>in</strong> language teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong><br />
learn<strong>in</strong>g. It is difficult to say exactly when the term became commonplace <strong>in</strong> ELT<br />
although I suggest that it co<strong>in</strong>cided with the publication of Sharma <strong>and</strong> Barrett’s<br />
book <strong>Blended</strong> <strong>Learn<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>in</strong> 2007. Although I had first heard the term <strong>in</strong> late 2003,<br />
the publication of this book cemented its place <strong>in</strong> ELT <strong>in</strong> my m<strong>in</strong>d.<br />
There is some debate as to whether it was simply the term that was co<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong><br />
corporate tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, rather than the actual approach to teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong>/or learn<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
with Oliver <strong>and</strong> Trigwell (2005) argu<strong>in</strong>g that it was simply the term. Masie, <strong>in</strong> Bonk<br />
<strong>and</strong> Graham (2006: 22), appears to agree with this by boldly stat<strong>in</strong>g that ‘all learn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
is blended learn<strong>in</strong>g’. In the same article, Masie (2006: 22) goes on to state that<br />
‘…blended learn<strong>in</strong>g has always been a major part of the l<strong>and</strong>scape of tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g,<br />
learn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>struction’ <strong>and</strong> encourages us to th<strong>in</strong>k back to our college days<br />
when the pedagogical approach <strong>in</strong>volved a number of different teach<strong>in</strong>g strategies.<br />
Personally I feel that the adoption of the term symbolises a change <strong>in</strong> what is be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
blended nowadays, as it signifies the <strong>in</strong>clusion of computer technology provid<strong>in</strong>g<br />
onl<strong>in</strong>e or offl<strong>in</strong>e activities <strong>and</strong> materials <strong>in</strong> the mix, rather than imply<strong>in</strong>g this is a<br />
wholly new approach to teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Despite its widespread use <strong>in</strong> corporate tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, higher education <strong>and</strong> latterly the<br />
field of ELT, many claim that the term blended learn<strong>in</strong>g is difficult to def<strong>in</strong>e (Kerres<br />
<strong>and</strong> de Witt, 2003; Oliver <strong>and</strong> Trigwell, 2005; Sharpe et al. 2006; MacDonald, 2006;<br />
Sharma <strong>and</strong> Barrett, 2007), the difficulty aris<strong>in</strong>g because consensus has not been<br />
reached on one def<strong>in</strong>itive def<strong>in</strong>ition. Furthermore, the term itself has not been fully<br />
adopted <strong>in</strong> these three sett<strong>in</strong>gs, where it is at times referred to as ‘hybrid or mixed<br />
learn<strong>in</strong>g’ (Stracke, 2007: 57); ‘e-learn<strong>in</strong>g’ (Shepard, 2005) or ‘b-learn<strong>in</strong>g’ (Banados,<br />
2006: 534). Smith <strong>and</strong> Kurthen (2007) <strong>in</strong> Gruba <strong>and</strong> H<strong>in</strong>kelman (2012: 4) attempt<br />
to differentiate some of these terms by us<strong>in</strong>g percentages (see Table 1).<br />
Introduction | 11