Here - EnglishAgenda - British Council

The face-to-face elementBecause of the enforced limitations of the limited block of face-to-face time (thetwo-week attendance at Bell Teacher Campus) the initial online part of the coursehas been designed to prepare participants. Technology has been used to createa ‘flipped’ approach to instruction within a connected online platform with thetasks helping to develop and support participants’ autonomous learning throughvideo-based instruction in the use of technology. This use of the online block asa preparation for the face-to-face block should ensure that participants come tothe face-to-face course with a reasonably consistent level of ability. They can thenfocus on the more pedagogical and creative aspects of course creation during theface-to-face workshops. The final part of the course, which goes back to the onlinemode should give them the chance to reflect on their learning and build up theirbackground reading, but they will be able to view what they read in the light of thepractical experience and understanding that they have built up during the course.Teacher and learner roles and interactionThe first element of the course – online – has been developed around learning taskswhich encourage participants to actively investigate aspects of technology use withinthe context they work. These tasks vary from exploring recommended backgroundreading and viewing, researching different types of web-based tools and creatinglearning activities and materials for their students.Having completed the tasks they should then reflect on them and share theirreflections with their peers in online discussion forums. The main focus of theinteraction within these forums is peer-to-peer, though these are tutor-moderatedand it is the role of the tutor to stimulate discussion and interaction, drawparticipants’ 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 focuson developing the use of technology to create and share engaging content andexplore how this can be used in varying contexts. Here the tutor acts as facilitatorand technical support, helping participants to develop their own materials as theydevelop 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 ontheir experiences of applying blended learning materials with their students and theirreading and research into the pedagogical foundations as well as to formulate theirideas in such a way that they contribute to the professional field of English LanguageTeaching. Their assignments for this final part of the course include action researchprojects and more literature-based research which they can use to frame their morepractical experiences from the course. Here the tutor’s role reverts back to a moretraditional 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