Blended Learning in English Language Teaching: Course Design and Implementation

Table 5: Time spent on each mode
Peachey, Chapter 5 Eight-week 80-hour
tutor-moderated
course delivered online
using the Moodle LMS
Dudeney and Hockly,
Chapter 6
Block One Block Two Block Three
One-week online
orientation period
in the course
Moodle platform
Two-week 60-hour
face-to-face workshop
delivered at Bell
Teacher Campus
50 hours face-to-face
over two weeks
White et al., Chapter 8 Two weeks face-to-face Six-months online
tuition and assessment
Three-month
160-hour self-study
element (optional)
70 hours of the course
are taken online in a
VLE called Moodle
One-week online
simulation
When redesigning the blend in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a considerable amount of
time was spent determining the distribution of modes especially given the intensity
of the courses (12 weeks x 23 hours per week). As the learners saw the classroom
sessions as the most productive part of the course, time spent on the face-to-face
mode needed to outweigh or at least balance the amount of time spent on the other
two modes (computer and self-study). At lower levels I believed that students needed
more time in class than those at higher levels where the students should have
developed a greater level of autonomy by completing the lower level courses (most
worked their way through the levels) and therefore be able to cope with more time
in the self-study and the computer modes. So at elementary level 61 per cent of the
learners’ time was spent in class, 19.5 per cent in self-study and on the computers
whereas at upper-intermediate level 50 per cent of the learners’ time was spent in
class, 25 per cent in self-study and on the computers.
What will the pedagogic purpose of the modes be?
With reference to choice of mode (Neumeier, 2005), thought had clearly been given
to determining what each mode would be used to teach. Typically the face-to-face
mode was used to introduce the language or topic and the online mode was used
to either extend the students working hours (Aborisade, Chapter 2); or aid and
reinforce classroom instruction (Pardo-Gonzalez, Chapter 4); or to serve as the
supplementary part to the face-to-face training (Bo and O’Hare, Chapter 7); or to
check understanding (Hirst and Godfrey, Chapter 9); or for practice (Kern, Chapter
11); or to practise and revise the skills and points covered in the face-to-face lesson
(Bilgin, Chapter 19); or to consolidate or review language (Krake, Chapter 20).
Neumeier (2005: 171) introduces the terms ‘parallel’ or ‘isolated’. Parallel
incorporation means that ‘both modes are used for teaching and learning’.
In practical terms this means that the language item may be presented in class
and then practised using CALL, or vice versa. Isolated incorporation means that
only one mode would be used, for example writing sessions could be restricted
to the face-to-face mode. One consideration at this stage must surely be if ‘the
method of delivery is suited to the content’ (Dudeney and Hockly, 2007: 140) and
the example they give is that the use of email would be an inappropriate way to
teach and practise pronunciation.
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