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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7<br />
A case study of blended<br />
learn<strong>in</strong>g: The ‘Communicative<br />
Assessment – Development<br />
of Test<strong>in</strong>g Skills’ project<br />
Keith O’Hare <strong>and</strong> Xu Bo<br />
Background<br />
In 2010, the British Council <strong>in</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>a decided to use a blended learn<strong>in</strong>g approach for<br />
a tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g course to develop test<strong>in</strong>g skills, target<strong>in</strong>g test-writers <strong>and</strong> key teachers <strong>in</strong><br />
secondary schools <strong>in</strong> certa<strong>in</strong> cities <strong>and</strong> prov<strong>in</strong>ces across the country.<br />
Whilst it could be argued that all learn<strong>in</strong>g is blended, through the use of any<br />
comb<strong>in</strong>ation of <strong>in</strong>structional modalities (Bers<strong>in</strong> et al., 2003), such as videos or books,<br />
or <strong>in</strong>structional methods (Driscoll, 2002), such as problem solv<strong>in</strong>g or case studies,<br />
this was the first time the British Council <strong>in</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>a had attempted comb<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g onl<strong>in</strong>e<br />
<strong>and</strong> face-to-face <strong>in</strong>struction.<br />
This article outl<strong>in</strong>es why we decided to take this approach, the challenges we met<br />
<strong>and</strong> the learn<strong>in</strong>g po<strong>in</strong>ts of this tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g project, with particular reference to blended<br />
learn<strong>in</strong>g. As will be seen, the socio-cultural <strong>and</strong> educational context of Ch<strong>in</strong>a plays<br />
an important role <strong>and</strong> may be of <strong>in</strong>terest for other organisations work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> so-called<br />
‘Confucius-heritage’ contexts.<br />
The need<br />
In the Ch<strong>in</strong>ese teacher education system, teacher researchers (responsible for<br />
writ<strong>in</strong>g higher-stake tests) <strong>and</strong> key teachers (responsible for writ<strong>in</strong>g lower-stake<br />
tests, <strong>and</strong> for support<strong>in</strong>g other teachers <strong>in</strong> their schools <strong>and</strong> neighbourhoods) are<br />
given little formal tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> how to write tests. Tests are often written by teacher<br />
researchers draw<strong>in</strong>g on their experience as a student or novice teacher when<br />
teach<strong>in</strong>g was largely based on a grammar–translation approach, <strong>and</strong> so tests<br />
tend to reflect that approach.<br />
Thus, with the backdrop of a new national curriculum that encouraged communicative<br />
teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g of <strong>English</strong>, a clear need was identified to tra<strong>in</strong> this group of test<br />
writers <strong>in</strong> the basic skills to develop communicative tests that had a positive backwash<br />
on teach<strong>in</strong>g. They needed knowledge of the latest theories of assessment <strong>and</strong> its<br />
relation to test<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> teach<strong>in</strong>g, skills development (to write better tests), <strong>and</strong> a<br />
change <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d-set to believe that a different type of test would be beneficial for<br />
them, their teachers <strong>and</strong> their students.<br />
Revers<strong>in</strong>g the blend: From onl<strong>in</strong>e to blended | 83