Blended Learning in English Language Teaching: Course Design and Implementation

expected to use it appropriately. However, the course design overlooked the fact
that several had never followed an online course before, let alone used a
Moodle platform. It also ignored the importance of online social engagement.
The course was therefore re-designed so that two weeks before the face-toface
training, participants had a half day introduction to the platform and were
shown how it works. Then, following the first two stages of Salmon’s (2000) fivestage
model, they then had two weeks to build a profile, socialise and do some
background reading for the course.
Summary of Salmon’s (2000) five-stage model
Stage Student activities Tutor activities
Stage 1
Access and
motivation
Stage 2
Online
socialisation
Stage 3
Information
exchange
Stage 4
Knowledge
construction
Stage 5
Development
• Setting up system and accessing. • Welcome and encouragement.
• Guidance on where to find
technical support.
• Sending and receiving messages. • Introductions.
• Ice-breakers.
• Ground rules.
• Netiquette.
• Carrying out activities.
• Reporting and discussing findings.
• Conferencing.
• Course-related discussions.
• Critical thinking applied to
subject material.
• Making connections between
models and work-based
learning experiences.
• Use of conferencing in a
strategic way.
• Integration of CMC into other
forms of learning.
• Reflection on learning processes.
• Students become critical of
the medium.
• Facilitate structured activities.
• Assign roles and responsibilities.
• Support use of learning materials.
• Encourage discussions.
• Summarise findings and/or
outcomes.
• Facilitate open activities.
• Facilitate the process.
• Asking questions.
• Encourage reflection.
• Tutor is very active at this stage.
• Support.
• Respond only when required.
• Encourage reflection.
• Tutor is less active and hands
over to the students.
b. The programme was divided into two stages. As mentioned previously, one
of the reasons for this was to facilitate a ‘transformational blend’, i.e. one that
would achieve a radical change in pedagogy where participants’ attitude to, and
adoption of, communicative testing changes, as well as connecting the learning
with the workplace. Another reason was partly cultural. Chinese teachers, as
mentioned previously, are used to being led in their learning, but also they
are often not allowed to regulate their own time. They often have to react to
last-minute demands of their head teacher, parents, subject leader, or even
colleagues, and it is expected that requests will be seen to immediately. This
meant many participants would fall behind with the online study and assignments.
Several partners would therefore hold informal meetings of the participants,
Reversing the blend: From online to blended | 87