Blended Learning in English Language Teaching: Course Design and Implementation

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Designing the blend As described earlier, the course is split into three blocks of eight weeks online (group with moderator) – two weeks face-to-face (group with workshop tutor) – three months online (individual participants with tutor). The online section The materials for the initial online units of the course are built within a Moodle LMS platform. This material is delivered in (at present) ten units each of four to five tasks. Many of the tasks incorporate Web 2.0 type tools which are embedded into the task templates to add an element of social interactivity. They also give participants experience of using the same tools as learners that they will then use as teachers to construct learning. Some examples of the kinds of tools used are: Tricider https://tricider.com/ This web-based tool enables a form of information crowdsourcing. Users can create questionnaires which recipients not only answer but also contribute to and comment on. The tool is used within the course itself to brainstorm teaching ideas for the various tools presented. MailVu http://mailvu.com/ This is a web-based tool that enables asynchronous video communication. The user can record up to ten minutes of spoken monologue and then very easily send it via email. It does not require any form of software as it works within the user’s web browser and does not require any form of registration, so is quick and simple for teachers and students to use. The tutor and participants on the course use this tool for communication and information sharing and then devise tasks to use with their students. VYou http://vyou.com/ This allows registered users to create their own communication video booth. They simply record an introduction video clip which loops continuously, giving the impression that the person is available online for questions. Visitors to the booth can then write questions and send them to the owner of the booth, who replies with a video message. This tool is used within the course to add a human presence to the online environment and to answer any questions that course participants have. The participants then create their own booth and use it with their own students. The participants on the course have the opportunity to evaluate activities and exercises already created with these tools and decide which can best be used within their teaching context. The course also has built-in study resources which include links to related online journals and blogs, embedded video clips of lectures, talks and presentations from various web-based sources, and custom-made video tutorials to help develop digital skills, which help to provide background reading and a theoretical perspective to the course. 66 | A blended learning teacher development course
The face-to-face element Because of the enforced limitations of the limited block of face-to-face time (the two-week attendance at Bell Teacher Campus) the initial online part of the course has been designed to prepare participants. Technology has been used to create a ‘flipped’ approach to instruction within a connected online platform with the tasks helping to develop and support participants’ autonomous learning through video-based instruction in the use of technology. This use of the online block as a preparation for the face-to-face block should ensure that participants come to the face-to-face course with a reasonably consistent level of ability. They can then focus on the more pedagogical and creative aspects of course creation during the face-to-face workshops. The final part of the course, which goes back to the online mode should give them the chance to reflect on their learning and build up their background reading, but they will be able to view what they read in the light of the practical experience and understanding that they have built up during the course. Teacher and learner roles and interaction The first element of the course – online – has been developed around learning tasks which encourage participants to actively investigate aspects of technology use within the context they work. These tasks vary from exploring recommended background reading and viewing, researching different types of web-based tools and creating learning activities and materials for their students. Having completed the tasks they should then reflect on them and share their reflections with their peers in online discussion forums. The main focus of the interaction within these forums is peer-to-peer, though these are tutor-moderated and it is the role of the tutor to stimulate discussion and interaction, draw participants’ attention to salient points and additional reading and resources, and summarise and tie up discussions. The second element of the course – face-to-face – is much more workshop based. Participants meet together for tutor-facilitated hands-on sessions which focus on developing the use of technology to create and share engaging content and explore how this can be used in varying contexts. Here the tutor acts as facilitator and technical support, helping participants to develop their own materials as they develop their technical skills and pedagogical understanding. The third element of the course – online – is the more academic part of the course. Participants complete academic assignments which encourage them to reflect on their experiences of applying blended learning materials with their students and their reading and research into the pedagogical foundations as well as to formulate their ideas in such a way that they contribute to the professional field of English Language Teaching. Their assignments for this final part of the course include action research projects and more literature-based research which they can use to frame their more practical experiences from the course. Here the tutor’s role reverts back to a more traditional one, offering support by reading through elements of the participants’ academic work and offering feedback and support online. A blended learning teacher development course | 67
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Blended Learning in English Languag
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ISBN 978-0-86355-706-4 © British C
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Part 3 - English for Specific Purpo
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Acknowledgements We would like to t
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To address this deficit I proposed
Page 11 and 12: Introduction This introductory chap
Page 13 and 14: an almost identical definition in h
Page 15 and 16: ■■ Learners’ expectations - l
Page 17 and 18: To achieve a ‘principled approach
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Page 21 and 22: References Adair-Hauck, B Willingha
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Page 25 and 26: 1 A collaborative online reading an
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Page 31 and 32: Conclusion Students received course
Page 33 and 34: 2 Blended learning in English for A
Page 35 and 36: All in the blend Reports on the app
Page 37 and 38: level of agreement or disagreement
Page 39 and 40: Hyland, K and Hyland, F (1992) Go f
Page 41 and 42: Why blend? The decision to offer th
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Page 45 and 46: In addition, there are a number of
Page 47 and 48: Turgut, Y (2009) ‘EFL learners’
Page 49 and 50: ■■ English for Academic Purpose
Page 51 and 52: Figure 1: Stages of the incorporati
Page 53 and 54: Table 3: Schedule for Unit 1 Week U
Page 55 and 56: Internet - links and WebQuests: Som
Page 57 and 58: References Allan, M (1985) Teaching
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Page 77 and 78: References Osguthorpe, RT and Graha
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environment and to meet the student
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■■ Fine-tuning of online course
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Comments on Part 2 Brian Tomlinson
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Learning a new language and reflect
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11 Blended learning: Podcasts for t
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to the content (see below). Additio
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Making recommendations My friend An
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Sustainability Blended learning oft
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Kukulska-Hulme, A and Shield, A (20
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The face-to-face aspect of the cour
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The course covers listening, speaki
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latest, most secure and flexible pr
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not so much for language improvemen
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the reader/listener as customer) an
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2. ‘Technology is only important
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14 A longitudinal case study of the
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In the next version (v3) of the cou
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of a blend in Collis and Moonen’s
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of telecoms engineers, but it was w
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15 Using a wiki to enhance the lear
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The ‘history feature’ which can
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Figure 4: Student created listening
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Teaching methodology The blended de
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Figure 8: Student reaction to probl
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Lund, A (2008) Wikis: a collective
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hazard a guess that it was over con
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the management of the centres would
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There was a steady increase in the
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3. User experience - feedback on th
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17 A thinking-based blended learnin
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In each of the above parts, the lea
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Figure 1: Cycle of working with gra
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Model by JP, Form 10 Structure Mode
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Recommendation 2 Ensure that the on
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Sokol, A (2008) Development of Inve
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Moreover, as a result of increased
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In general, the students remarked t
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19 Students’ CALLing: Blended lan
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The students were taken to the comp
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When considering blended learning,
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Introducing Macmillan English Campu
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In both scenarios, the ratio of con
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attending scenario 1 courses. The o
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Conclusion Claire Whittaker
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Table 1: Neumeier’s (2005) framew
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Reasons given in the literature for
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Software Author and Chapter New Lea
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Keedwell’s (Chapter 13) blend on
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Table 7: Learning theories, languag
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What will the interactional pattern
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Whittaker (Chapter 16) believed tha
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Summary This chapter draws on the l
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Appendix 1 - Questions for blended
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Contributors Peter Aborisade lectur
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Jody Gilbert taught in post-seconda
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Juanita Pardo-González (BA Hons in
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The British Council is pleased to o
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