Blended Learning in English Language Teaching: Course Design and Implementation

Figure 4: Student created listening task
The ‘exams page’ held links to past papers and the exam timetable was displayed
there. A ‘Web resources’ page included links to the television show ‘The Apprentice’,
which was a current BBC programme about business which we discussed in class.
It also included links to websites for language practice and other business resources.
I did not have data on the number of student visits per page as this was not available
on my version of PBWorks, so the popularity of pages could only be judged by
discussions in class and by contributions made by students.
Teacher and learner interaction patterns
In the face-to-face class there was an informal atmosphere but I set objectives,
controlled tasks and set the pace. When I introduced the blend with wiki, I
demonstrated it in class and closely monitored its use in order to encourage
participation and troubleshoot learner difficulties. Later, tutor and individual learner
involvement went through phases as learners became more competent and needs
or interests developed.
As student participation increased and the wiki evolved as a result, I began to
question the nature and extent of my online involvement. The challenge was to
balance my presence on the site with the learner’s contributions and decide how
much I was going to correct or ignore mistakes and to advise on content. I wanted
to minimise learner inhibition and anxiety but to encourage a collective sense of
responsibility (see Figure 5). I tried not to correct mistakes but if they were significant
and remained unnoticed for a few weeks I would highlight them in a different colour.
I also tried to hold back in class discussions of wiki content to allow learner noticing
of errors and control of the space.
Using a wiki to enhance the learning experience on a business English course | 167