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
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Reasons given <strong>in</strong> the literature<br />
for blend<strong>in</strong>g<br />
M<strong>in</strong>istry of Education<br />
(or similar) directives<br />
228<br />
| Conclusion<br />
Support<strong>in</strong>g statements from the case studies<br />
It was a vertical decision from the adm<strong>in</strong>istration, but was<br />
favourably received by EFL <strong>in</strong>structors (Pardo-Gonzalez,<br />
Chapter 4)<br />
In addition to these reasons, the authors provide the follow<strong>in</strong>g rationale for<br />
<strong>in</strong>corporat<strong>in</strong>g technology <strong>in</strong>to their courses: motivation, autonomy, collaboration,<br />
market reach <strong>and</strong> experiential learn<strong>in</strong>g (see Table 3). What is noteworthy is that<br />
the majority of the reasons given <strong>in</strong>dicate that a blended approach is adopted for<br />
practical or f<strong>in</strong>ancial reasons rather than pedagogic or because it is considered<br />
to be more effective than traditional face-to face teach<strong>in</strong>g. Maybe the underly<strong>in</strong>g<br />
assumption is that it is more effective, or as effective, but this is not articulated.<br />
Table 3: Additional reasons for employ<strong>in</strong>g a blended approach<br />
Additional reasons for blend<strong>in</strong>g Support<strong>in</strong>g statements from the case studies<br />
Motivation Improve motivation by <strong>in</strong>tegrat<strong>in</strong>g the use of ICT <strong>in</strong>to the<br />
learn<strong>in</strong>g process; develop skills for autonomous learn<strong>in</strong>g…<br />
(Sokol et al., Chapter 17)<br />
Autonomy ... to foster more <strong>in</strong>dependent <strong>and</strong> collaborative learn<strong>in</strong>g…<br />
Fleet (Chapter 18)<br />
Collaboration To make the course more <strong>in</strong>teractive <strong>and</strong> provide more<br />
opportunities for collaboration (Eydelman, Chapter 3)<br />
Market reach A blended model <strong>in</strong>creases the market reach of the course,<br />
by appeal<strong>in</strong>g to teachers who may be concerned about<br />
embark<strong>in</strong>g on a fully onl<strong>in</strong>e tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g course (Dudeney <strong>and</strong><br />
Hockly, Chapter 6)<br />
Experiential learn<strong>in</strong>g Participants will have the opportunity to experience the<br />
k<strong>in</strong>ds of methods, approaches <strong>and</strong> problems that their<br />
students will encounter <strong>and</strong> this should help to give them<br />
deeper <strong>in</strong>sights <strong>in</strong>to the process <strong>and</strong> systems that should<br />
help to support the students they construct their own<br />
courses for (Peachey, Chapter 5)<br />
In the Bosnia <strong>and</strong> Herzegov<strong>in</strong>a blend that I describe <strong>in</strong> Chapter 16 there were four<br />
reasons (or drivers for change as we termed them) for redesign<strong>in</strong>g our orig<strong>in</strong>al blend:<br />
1. a change <strong>in</strong> goal direction<br />
2. the need for the long-term susta<strong>in</strong>ability of the course (particularly <strong>in</strong> terms of cost)<br />
3. user feedback (teachers <strong>and</strong> learners) on the shortcom<strong>in</strong>gs of the orig<strong>in</strong>al blend<br />
4. personal beliefs on how to design a blended learn<strong>in</strong>g course that would provide<br />
an optimal learn<strong>in</strong>g experience <strong>in</strong> our context.<br />
These reasons <strong>in</strong>fluenced all the decisions that we took <strong>and</strong> helped ensure that the<br />
f<strong>in</strong>al blend was suitable for <strong>and</strong> therefore worked <strong>in</strong> our context. This supports Shaw<br />
<strong>and</strong> Igneri’s (2006: 3) belief that there is ‘…no s<strong>in</strong>gle optimal mix. What configuration<br />
is best can only be determ<strong>in</strong>ed relative to whatever goals <strong>and</strong> constra<strong>in</strong>ts are<br />
presented <strong>in</strong> a given situation’.