Blended Learning in English Language Teaching: Course Design and Implementation

There is a fourth activity type in which participants develop their own case study
through the online interactions. They post the situation (in effect generating their
own text), which is then commented on by their colleagues who offer possible
solutions. The case and the solution(s) are then developed by the original poster
(also with reference to the literature) and submitted for assessment. An example
from the Human Resource Management (HRM) module, in which the assignment
asks participants to:
Produce a case study of an HRM aspect of your own LTO, in which you describe
the situation, identify a problem and propose and evaluate a solution.
This is achieved in the following way, as outlined to the participants themselves:
First, you should produce a description of the situation and identify the problem
and post it on the discussion board.
Then everybody in the group is invited to respond to everybody else’s situation
with suggestions.
You complete the assignment by writing your own solution (incorporating as
many or as few as you like of your classmates’ ideas).
Finally, any of the above activity types can be linked closely to the assignments
which participants are required to complete for each module. The closeness of the
alignment between the activity and the assignment will vary, and some trainers set
up tasks which will provide content for the paper, as in the last example above.
Such activities involve a blend of text, task, discussion and application in a final
written text produced by the participants for assessment.
The role of the trainer in the above activities will vary, although for the most part it
is to act as a facilitator by setting up the activity and then clarifying the task if this
appears necessary, and prompting the participants by posing questions or drawing
attention to shared or contrasting issues arising from the content posted
by participants.
Synchronous activities form the second type employed on the course. These typically
involve chat sessions to discuss nominated topics or to deal with assignment-related
issues. The trainer mediates the discussion and, where participants are seeking
specific information or guidance on the assignment, answers questions. For the most
part, such sessions are an online substitute for the kind of face-to-face discussion
which would occur in a classroom.
A second type of synchronous activity is exemplified in the simulation, which forms
the culmination of the course. Participants are put into teams of up to six members,
and they are provided with briefing material which is downloaded from the VLE. This
material sets the context and provides information on the management structure,
staffing, services and finances of a fictitious LTO. The task is to analyse the strengths
and weaknesses of the LTO, to identify potential areas for repair or development, and
to prepare a medium-term business plan. The activity takes place over several days
during which tasks are assigned among team members, outcomes are posted on the
VLE, and texts are prepared and posted (a Powerpoint presentation and a plan
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