blended learning: how your students can benefit
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Handout from "Blended Learning: How Your Students Can Benefit"TRANSCRIPT
BLENDED LEARNING: HOW CAN YOUR
STUDENTS BENEFIT?TESOL 2010
Christina M. Cavage in conjunction with Pearson Education
DilemmaInstructional Tools to support course goals/outcomes and meet my students needs (beyond the core text)
They needed to be:
engaging
accessible, but not cost prohibitive
encouraged learners to be more independent; to develop greater autonomy
Solution Attempt . . .
Over the course of the years, I tried several things:
Had students purchase CDs with texts
found these were often unopened
Solution Attempt . . .
Assigned lab work for homework
students often could not attend due to their life schedules
Solution Attempt . . .Began using Course Management systems like WebCT and Blackboard
Very time consuming to create/load course content
Created my own website
found students were accessing it regularly, but allowed for little interaction
Blended LearningBegan using one web-based tool, Focus On Grammar Interactive
students appeared more engaged, seemed to take more control over their learning, and obviously they had greater access to course content
Blended Learning . . .what is it really? And could this be the answer?
Blended Learning
Research tells us that blended learning is . . .
The blending of in-class instruction with a web-based course system that supports and reinforces the content delivered in the face to face environment.
Blended Learning
Could a blended learning model truly help my English Language Learners make greater learner gains in their language development?
Was this the answer?
In class research
Fellowship
Blended Learning
Blended learning . . .
The blending of in-class instruction with a web-based course system that supports and reinforces the content that is delivered in the face to face environment. Additionally, it increases learner gains through the increased level of engagement, easy access to material and the promotion of independent study.
Advantages of a Blended Learning EnvironmentStudents interact with content more frequently when content is presented and supported in a web-based environment thus increasing learner gains (supported by Dept of Ed 2009 research)
Advantages of Blended Learning
Students have access to content anytime, anyplace . . . so that student who works till 3 am, can log on after work or can ‘keep up’ with the class if they need to return to their country due to an emergency
Advantages of Blending Learning
Students take more control over their own learning; i.e.. they develop greater learner autonomy
Blended Learning Environments
Three levels of blended learning
Non-management
electronic workbook
instructors can view student work
Little management
reinforcement of course content
can be manipulated to some degree
Full course management system
can be manipulated by teacher, i.e.. teacher can add and delete content
LEI and FOGILongman English Interactive
Four levels
Incorporates all skill areas (provides learning outcomes)
Provides remediation
Nicely Supports Side by Side, Center Stage
Focus on Grammar Interactive
Five levels
Corresponds/supports text
Allows student to submit up to 10 drafts of an essay
Provides essay revising/editing tools
MyNorthStar LabMy NorthStar Lab (and other MyLabs)
Five levels of MyNorthStar, to support 5 texts
Includes book content and so much more . . .
Rich vocabulary practice (pronunciation)
Directed and open speaking practice
Allows teacher to record feedback
Allows teacher to delete questions/content and also add questions/content
Includes Assessments
MyNorthStar LabWhat my students are saying . . .
“I can practice anytime.”
“I can practice as many times as I want.”
“I like NorthStar Lab because I can listen to my teacher.”
“I learn new words easily by playing games and practicing pronunciation.”
“More fun than doing homework in my book.”
“I like to practice my speaking on the computer because sometimes I am quiet in class.”
Blended Learning Environments
Longman English Interactive
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Focus On Grammar Interactive
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MyNorthStar Lab
login
Blended LearningWhat I have learned about using a blended learning environment . . .
allows the learners to have greater access to course content
allows the learners to interact with content in an engaging, stimulating way
allows learners to interact with course content at high frequency rates
allows the learners to self-direct their learning; leading to greater learner gains
Blended LearningUsing a blended learning environment . . .
allows ESL professionals to augment their teaching
allows ESL professionals to customize their course content to meet needs of their course/program(through the re-ordering to creating and deleting questions)
saves time for ESL professionals in searching for additional course support materials
provides ESL professionals with a “portfolio” of student work, evidence for mastery of student learning outcomes
Blended Learning
Questions???
Blended LearningReferences:
Al-Jarf, R. S. 2004. The effects of Web-based learning on struggling EFL college writers. Foreign Language Annals 37 (1):49–57.
Cavage, Christina. 2009. Teaching and Learning Language with Web 2.0. Princeton Mid-Career Fellowship Papers 2009
Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning; A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development, Washington, D.C., 2009. Accessed at — (http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/ evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf).