“Contemporary Strategies for Blended Learning in the Language Classroom”

Claudia Warth-Sontheimer

University of Tübingen & University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Foresite training event & conference

Sèvres, France, 5/7/2011

Lecture:

Overview

Blended Language Learning

(1) What is “blended language learning” (BLL)?

(2) Blending – What & why?

(3) Blending it! – A glimpse into some school kitchens

(4) DIY - Some ingredients to start your own blend

WHAT IS “BLENDED LANGUAGE LEARNING” (BLL)?

Blended Language Learning

BLL as a combination of …

Blended learning offers

“a real opportunity to create learning experiences that

can provide the right learning at the right time and

in the right place for each and every individual, not

just at work, but in schools, universities and even at

home. […] Blended Learning could become one of the

most significant developments of the 21st century.”

Thorne, K. (2003). Blended Learning. How to Integrate

Online & Traditional Learning. London: Kogan Page, p. 18 (bold added)

Blended Language Learning

“Blended learning should be viewed as a pedagogical

approach that combines the effectiveness and

socialization opportunities of the classroom with

the technologically enhanced active learning

possibilities of the online environment […]”

Bonk, C. J. & Graham (2006). Handbook of Blended Learning: Global perspectives,

local designs. (bold added)

“constructive mix of online and face-to-face phases”

(translated from Kröger & Reisky, 2004: 11; cited in Kohn, 2006: 286)

Blended language learning (BLL) combines different methods and elements from face-to-face and online learning

More definitions

BLENDING – WHAT & WHY?

Blended Language Learning

Blended learning

Classroom learning

Mobile (“gadget”) learning Computer- &

web-based learning

Blended Language Learning

Parts of blended learning

… offline and online methods

… offline and online resources

Combines …

across levels of time and space

Blended Language Learning Continuum of BLL

(image: http://www.masternewmedia.org/images/synchronous-vs-asynchronous-collaboration-by-Ramius.gif)

Blended Language Learning

Common elements and features I

Offline vs. online learning

Structured vs. unstructured / formal vs. informal learning

Off-the-shelf content vs. custom content

(cf. http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blended_Learning_in_K-12/General_Comparisons_in_Blended_Learning )

Synchronous vs. asynchronous communication and collaboration

Common elements and features I

Blended Language Learning

Distributive materials are provided through an online source (e.g. link, LMS)

Interactive students can interact with the system (e.g. quiz with feedback or communication with other online users)

Collaborative students interact and collaborate with others (own class, other class, other web users…) with the help of web tools

Different scenarios and how to distinguish them:

often: combination of the above

(cf. Reinmann 2005, 104)

Common elements and features II

Blended Language Learning

Sounds good, but…

student-centered approach & support of student autonomy

“Lifelong learning” & 21st century skills

orientation towards communication and action

real-life context, authenticity and authentication

cooperation and collaboration in teams (local and abroad)

21st skills http://www.p21.org LLLP of the EU more here

Potential of BLL

BLENDING IT! – A GLIMPSE INTO SOME SCHOOL KITCHENS

Blended Language Learning

Scenario 1

“Complementary online

materials”

Classroom face-to-face

teaching is

complemented by

in class…

• ... online self-study &

assessment activities

• … online search

• … work with online

dictionaries

Example: “Old Navajo rugs”

Scenario 1

Scenario 2 “At home online” component Classroom work (onl & offl) is

complemented by online

activities at home (through

Moodle)

• materials to deepen

understanding & encourage

own paths of learning

• guided online research

• forum exchanges

• homework as online

assignment (and onl. feedback)

• self-study exercises

• feeds into next face-to-face

session & wiki-writing

Example: La francophonie dans le monde

Scenario 2

Scenario 3

“Intercultural web

collaboration”

• mix of offline and online phases (preparation –

interaction – debriefing)

• local class (in small

teams) collaborates with

class(es) abroad

• all materials (multimedia)

provided through an LMS, e.g.

Moodle

• classes interact and

collaborate through forums,

chat, Skype, Facebook and

wikis

Example: icEurope

Scenario 3

DIY – SOME INGREDIENTS TO START YOUR OWN BLEND

Blended Language Learning

How to start blending?

Blended Language Learning

(1) Where are your learners coming from? – as usual, pick them up from there (2) Which resources (and support) are available to you (and your students)? (3) Start out small

(e.g. how could one “new technology” aid your learners? How could it add a benefit or replace something that you’re not totally happy with?) – next, add more, then, revise a unit.

(4) Think from the perspective of skills / competences / learning aims – then pick the tool (but of course, feel free to experiment – always wanted to use a wiki? Look for adequate places in your syllabus )

(5) Which role should the elements and features play in your blend? (6) Blend it – i.e. don’t stick, don’t repeat, don’t overwhelm (see here for pitfalls) (7) Reuse, recycle & grow: Consider working with an LMS (e.g. Moodle)

Blended Language Learning

The role of an LMS (e.g. Moodle) How can Moodle help with the new roles of a teacher in BLL

and with pedagogic re-design?

Administration organization of the syllabus, productivity/efficiency, distributing/collecting material, scheduling duties Assessment providing feedback, tracking student progress, and testing Content delivery communicating content for different learning styles, using multimedia, incorporating learning activities, using the Internet for the acquisition of knowledge all in one place (the online classroom) Community e.g. building the classroom community through synchronous/threaded chats, providing office/help hours to communicate online; community across borders

(adapted from Schmidt 2002)

Some pitfalls

• Velcro model • Duplicated model • Complex model

(Clark, 2003)

Blended Language Learning

Possible ingredients for your own blend

Blended Language Learning

GoogleMaps

Taking part in an online discussion (e.g. of a travel site or an online magazine)

Creating a podcast

Virtual field trip (to Colonial Williamsburg, maybe? 0 1 2 3 4)

Authentic resources from the web (e.g. video or audio clips, news, podcasts)

Online quizzes and “games”, e.g. crosswords (ES) or a game on being a football fan in Germany (DE)

Writing a blog

LITERATURE & RESOURCES

Blended Language Learning

Bax, Stephen (2003). CALL – past, present, future. System 31/1, 13-28. Dooly, Melinda (2008). Telecollaborative language learning: A guidebook to moderating intercultural collaboration online. Bern, New York: P. Lang. Erben, T., Ban, R. & Castañeda, M. E. (2008). Teaching English language learners through technology. Teaching English language learners across the curriculum. New York, NY: Routledge. Felix, Uschi (2002). The web as a vehicle for constructivist approaches in language teaching. ReCALL 14/1, 2–15. Kohn, Kurt (2009). Computer assisted foreign language learning. In K. Knapp & B. Seidlhofer (Eds.), Handbooks of Applied Linguistics: Vol. 6. Foreign Language Communication and Learning. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 573-602. Kohn, Kurt (2006) "Blended Language Learning. Potential und Herausforderung." In: Jung, U.O.H. (Hrsg). Praktische Handreichung für Fremdsprachenlehrer. (4. völlig neu bearb. Aufl.). Frankfurt/M: Peter Lang. Langer de Ramirez, Lori (2010). Empower English language learners with tools from the web. Thousand Oaks: Corwin. Macdonald, Janet (2008). Blended learning and online tutoring. Planning learner Support and activity design. Aldershot: Gower. Reinmann, Gabi (2005). Blended Learning in der Lehrerausbildung. Grundlagen für die Konzeption innovativer Lernumgebungen. Lengerich: Pabst Science Publishers. Schmidt, Klaus (2002). The Web-Enhanced Classroom. Journal of Industrial Technology 18/2. Warth-Sontheimer, Claudia (2011). Intercultural Language Learning through Web Collaboration in Moodle - Some Insights from the icEurope Project. University of Tübingen: Tübingen, for the Comenius Network Wide Minds magazine Kaleidoscope. Warth, Claudia (2009). Fachsprache Deutsch: Lernen im europäischen Team – das Blended-Learning-Projekt EnTecNet. In: Michaela Albl-Mikasa / Sabine Braun / Sylvia Kalina (Eds.). Dimensionen der Zweitsprachenforschung – Dimensions of Second Language Research. Festschrift für Kurt Kohn. Tübingen: Narr, 363 – 382. Warth, Claudia & Kurt Kohn (2011). Web collaboration for intercultural language learning. A guide for teachers, student teachers and trainers. Münster: Monsenstein & Vannerdat.

Bibliography Blended Language Learning Bibliography

Web resources

Blended Language Learning

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages http://www.apple.com/education/itunes-u/whats-on.html http://londonwalks.libsyn.com/ http://sprachlernmedien.de http://www.iceurope-project.eu http://www.ael-learning.uni-tuebingen.de/backbone http://www.wideminds.eu

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blended_Learning_in_K-12 http://www.cognitivedesignsolutions.com/Instruction/BlendedLearning.htm http://www.schulpodcasting.info/

Claudia Warth-Sontheimer

University of Tübingen & University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

c.warth-sontheimer@gmx.de

http://spracheundkultur.com/ikkzwei.null/

Thank you!