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Virtual Blended Learning: principles and practice
Pete SharmaDirector
EAP Lecturer
Teacher Trainer
Author
Aim
to explore how the principles
of Virtual Blending can help
teachers moving online
• Set scene
• Virtual Blending
• Practical ideas
• Reflections
Overview
•Blended Learning
•From classroom to online
Part one: Set scene
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Do you run BL courses?
•Y
•N
•?
1.1 Blended LearningKey concept in ELT
ELT Journal, Volume 64, Issue 4, October 2010
Definition 2
Definition 3
Combination of
f2f + online
Combination of
methodologies
Combination of
technologies
Multiple definitions
“The best of both worlds!”
Why blend?
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Classroom +
Virtual reality
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Flexible not one fixed
thing but many
depending on context
Dynamic – components constantly changing
Challenges
“The BL course failed to satisfy anyone’s
learning style.”
“the course was a mish-mash of different components, but with no underlying unifying philosophy”
“there may be little or no integration between the
two tracks….”
Dual
track
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Success with Blended Learning
Attitude
Training
Appropriacy
Robust technology
Same time same place
Same time different
place
Different time
different place
Same place
different time
Time and place
1 Appropriacy
Classroom
ForumE-mail
Four Key factors
Discussion
Critical thinking
Class work
“Self study”
2 Integration
3 Attitude
4 Training
Teachers and students
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1.2 From classroom to online
Scrivener
Distance learningClassroom teaching
Salmon
HarmerHockly
Challenges
Online
Theory, research and practiceClassroom Online
Move furniture
Both
Teacher motivates
Instructions ‘Netiquette’
Stating lesson aims
Having a warm-up / filler
non-tech activities Headset
Webcam
Classroom Online
Differently
Pair work and small group work – breakout rooms
Communication includes facial expression & gesture- difficult
Signalling turn-taking –difficult
Synchronous teaching
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Asynchronous delivery
•LMS / apps
•Flipped EAP course
Part two: Virtual Blending
Asynchronous
2.1 LMS / apps Lockstep
Targeted
Open access
Flexibility
Flexibility Differentiation
Personalisation Choice
Encouraging autonomy
Virtual Blended Differentiation
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Fun! Motivation! Engagement!
Navio
The power of data
2.2 Flipped EAP course
Presentation
Guided practice
Output – task MS Teams
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Message
Screen shot
Grammar
Part three: Practical ideas U S I N G ‘ M E S S A G E S ’ F O R G R A M M A R I S S U E S
U S I N G S C R E E N S H OT S
1 I don’t remember having see this word before
2 I have seen this word before, but I don’t know what it means
3 I have seen this word before and I think it means ________________(synonym or translation)
4 I know this word, it means ________________ (synonym or translation)
5 I can use this word in a sentence, for example ________________________
Not every word progresses through each phase on the continuum
Partial to precise
knowledge
Show words
Decide on number
Vocabulary EthogenicQuasi-
experimental
Ontological
Axiology
Syllogism Algorithm Affordance
Idiographic Phenomenology Empirical
Adaptive learning
Spaced repetition
‘forgetting curve’
Speaking
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Lion
‘Out of class’
Strategy work
Choice
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“I’m going to play the tape
twice….”
Listening
Normalisation (Bax)
The in-class technology didn’t work!
The students just listened on their Smartphones or tablet
Pre-lesson
Vocabulary input
Content input
Prepare discussion
Online lesson
Discussion
Reading
Text A
Text B
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Pronunciation Blended – long historyMove online – quick for manyVirtual blend vs online / distance
Context is all – LMS / Flipped EAP course
Virtual blend – build on principlesappropriacy / integration / attitude / training
Benefits – differentiation / choice time & place
Reflections
Hybrid learning
“an instructional approach that combines face-to-face (f2f) and online learning. Each class session and learning activity is offered in-person and synchronously online” (Educause 2020). This is also known as Hybrid-Flexible (Hy-Flex) and co-modality learning. Concurrent teaching
Acknowledgement:
Beth Alexander
Speaking
Voice recognition
Siri
Smart home
assistants
“Alexa…..”
A.I.Key takeaways
BL is the principled combination of modes
Principles of Virtual blending can help in online
Know your role and the role of technology
“The teacher will always be at the heart of the learning
experience”
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