Key Concepts in ELT

Blended learning

Asst. Lect. Huda Abd ALkareem Zhgair

Background ‘Blended learning’ (BL) is a ‘buzz’ word in language teaching. However, it has been in use for almost 20 years and its meaning ‘has been constantly changing during this period’ (Sharpe, Benfield, Roberts, and Francis 2006:18).

It was first used in the corporate world to refer to a course designed to allow workers to both continue in the workplace and study. Rather than taking time out on a residential seminar, training was delivered via (for example) self-study manuals, videos, and the web. BL was in part adopted as a cost saving measure (see Driscoll 2002).

Definitions In the world of education, three definitions of BL are especially relevant.

Definition 1: a combination of face-to-face and online teaching

‘The integrated combination of traditional learning with web based on-line approaches’ (Oliver and Trigwell 2005: 17). This is, arguably, the classic definition of the term. ‘Traditional learning’ here is classroom teaching or ‘face-to-face’ language lessons.The delivery of the online part of the course is usually through learning technologies, typically involving a Virtual

Learning Environment (VLE) such as ‘Blackboard’ or ‘Moodle’ and comprising the use of synchronous and asynchronous electronic tools, such as, respectively, ‘chat’ and ‘bulletin boards’.

Definition 2: a combination of technologies

‘The combination of media and tools employed in an e-learning environment’ (ibid: 17). This definition could describe a purely distance learning course, where no face-to-face lessons occur. Communication between the learner and e-tutor may take place through any number of technologies, such as email and internet telephone.

Definition 3: a combination of methodologies

‘The combination of a number of pedagogic approaches, irrespective of the learning technology used’ (ibid: 17). A course that combines ‘transmission’ and ‘constructivist’ approaches would fit into this category, such as one involving elements of a present-practice-produce methodology as well as task-based learning.

The term continues to develop. A further possible conceptualization of BL is as ‘a combination of real world plus in-world’, where a teacher delivers a face-to-face lesson and then arranges to meet his or her student for a follow-up class in a virtualworld such as ‘Second Life’ (Claypole 2010: 36).

Furthermore, computer-assisted language learning in general has been described as ‘context specific’ (Levy and Stockwell2006: 234), and a number of local uses of the term ‘BL’ also exist within various educational settings, both national and institutional. For example, as some governments switch from course books to CD Rom or web-based material, the term has been applied to the blending (or combination) of print and digital materials.

There are also a number of ‘dimensions’ associated with definitions of BL, such as ‘breadth’ and ‘connotation’.

Breadth: Claypole (2003: 169) has argued that BL is nothing new and is indeed the logical development of prior tendencies involving the mixing of methods of teaching. A similar ‘broad’ interpretation of the term states that BL is a combination of the face-to-face part of a course and an ‘appropriate use of technology’ (Sharma and Barrett 2007: 7, my italics). On the other hand, a ‘narrow’ definition—for example ‘blending face-to-face plus web-based learning’—excludes the use of CD Rom and other technologies and therefore could be seen as excessively restrictive.

Connotation: The term BL is used both positively and disparagingly. Thus, a ‘1 + 1 is more than 2’ argument assumes a positive connotation, i.e. combining the best of the teacher with the best of the technology will deliver improved learning outcomes. On the other hand, a negative connotation can be assumed where there may be no thought-through pedagogical relation between parts of the blend, so that the course may appear to lack coherence.

The practice of BL One of the main factors involved in running a BL course is a consideration of the ‘appropriateness’ of each medium of course delivery and the related matching of the delivery type to the learning activity. Thus, the face-to-face part of the course might develop student fluency through in-class discussion, while the electronic bulletin board component might develop learners’ critical thinking skills. However, in practice, of course, students may favour one of the delivery modes (face-to-face or online) to the detriment of the other.