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Introduction
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In Unit 1 you will learn about and explore these aspects of blended learning:
the benefits
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At this point, you might be asking yourself: What are the advantages of using blended learning? Why should I consider using it?
Blended learning offers the best of both worlds because it keeps socialisation in the classroom. This is where students learn to
get along with others, and in many cases make friends for life. At the same time, blended learning provides technologyenhanced online materials which are accessible from any computer connected to the Internet or even through smart phones or
other electronic devices, at any moment. By technology-enhanced materials we mean videos, text, images, audio, interactive
exercises and quizzes, simulations and 3D games, etc.
Students learn in different ways. Some students learn best by listening, others by looking at things (texts and images, for
example), while others learn best by doing. Blended learning gives teachers the opportunity to cater to students individual
learning styles by offering texts, podcasts, videos, graphics and interactive activities to cover specific content. Teachers can also
assign individual students different tasks which they can complete at their own pace.
Using blended learning, students have the opportunity to communicate with speakers of the target language in other countries or
cities. For example, students can practise their listening and speaking skills live through voice chats, voice forums or virtual
rooms. They can also practise their reading and writing skills in text chats, forums and blogs.
The opportunity to listen to podcasts and videos recorded by speakers of English is another advantage of blended learning.
Teachers can invite guest speakers from any part of the world to talk to their students, and more advanced students can present
online for live audiences, which will make these projects more motivating for the students.
These interactions enrich their learning because they are being exposed to authentic language, the language spoken by
speakers of English, as opposed to the language samples especially created for classroom use.
Blended learning provides students with two fundamental competencies for their lives: computer literacy and autonomy.
Tasks that have become invaluable in todays world include being able to navigate the web:
to find information
One of the first questions people ask when planning to implement blended learning is: What is the right blend of face-to-face and online learning for our particular course or institution? Well, no one can answer that
question for them. They need to consider their context before making a decision.
These considerations fall into three groups: access, skills and attitude.
Access
The school needs to take into account the number of computers connected to the Internet that can be used and how often they would be available. Also whether there is a learning management system, like Moodle,
for example. It also needs to consider whether teachers and students involved have access to computers connected to the internet at home or in internet cafs.
Skills
It is important to find out about students use of computers, mobile or smart phones, including information about frequency and purpose of use. Similar questions need to be asked of teachers and their technological
skills need to be noted.
Attitude
The attitude of teachers, students and the institution as a whole to the use of technology also need to be taken into account.
The answers to the questions posed are important when adopting some blended learning models. However, most teachers who have gone blended have started small and this is what we would strongly suggest.
Only a computer connected to the Internet or a mobile phone with an Internet connection is needed to go blended. By starting small we mean adding supplementary, fun online activities to regular lessons for
students to do in class or at home. If done at home, the teacher shouldn't forget to check them in the next class. In this way, students will feel they are worth doing.
Let's stop and reflect on implementing blended learning in this gradual way. Complete the following two exercises and share your thoughts.
If so, are you allowed to download programs such as Flash, Java, and Skype onto the computers (or can you have other people download them for you)?
If you don't know the answers to these questions, talk to the person who can provide them.
For your students
How often do they use web applications (MSM, social networks, etc.) to communicate with friends?
Using the questions above, create a questionnaire to be completed by your students, and change the questions to make them personal use you.
For you
1.7 Review
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