March 2006 Brussels-British Council ELT and Blended Language Learning: From theory to practice Prof...

March 2006Brussels-British Council

ELT and Blended Language Learning:

From theory to practice

Prof Dr Piet DesmetJohan StrobbeK.U.Leuven


Tomorrow’s technology combined with yesterday’s methodology?

1. Invest in wine or in bottles?(pedagogy-driven v technology driven)

- New window, same shoplearning environment for the conjugation of verbs or vocabulary

Dos on diskette Windows on CD-ROM website LMS

- Can we really drive our 4x4?First installation of multimedia language class, only then question of use and integration need of a digital methodology (extra driving licence)


2. Build a garden shed or renovate the house?

- The tail wags the dog.impact of e on c

- Cherry on the cake or javanais?extra feature (bonus/discount) or integrated part of the

curriculum

- Give the public what they want?

learner –centred approach also for e? - The human factor: teachers ready for BLL? learners: focus on engine or driving comfort?


1. How to transcend ‘traditional’ CALL

1.1. What is ‘traditional’ CALL?

• Activities: exercise types: closed (MC, drag & drop, etc.)level: beginners/false beginners

• Interactivity: feedback: local (right-wrong – correct answer)program-controlledlimited tracking & logging

• Content/domains: knowledge based (lexicon, grammar, etc.)

• Support: stand alone (diskette/CD-ROM)

• Formula: sheer independent learningminimally integrated


1.2 Recent tendencies1.2.1 Learning activities

Closed, half-open and open exercises Number of possible

answersDegree of predictability of the answers

closed exercises one maximal

half-open exercises several high

open exercises unlimited limited

closed: MC, drag-and-drop, fill in the blank, ordering/matching, cross words, etc.

half-open: translation (of set passages)reformulationcorrectiondictation

open: essay-question


1.2.2. Interactivity° types of feedback

general and specific

error-specific

intelligent (e.g. Approximate String Matching, parsing, etc.)

° learner control

“follow the guide” v “do it your own way”

reports for the learner based on tracking & logging data

° Human-machine interaction -> human-machine-human interaction

IT -> ICTcommunicatio

nsynchronous asynchronous

oral voice over IP (Skype)videoconferencing

(Microsoft Netmeeting, MSN

Messenger)

voice mail (wimba)voice board

audio blog (incl. podcasting)

written chatsms

e-maildiscussionboard

weblogwiki


1.3. Contentlexicon listening skillgrammar reading skillpronunciation speaking skillspelling writing skillLandeskunde/civilisation intercultural competence= knowledge domains = skill domains->no specific c- or e-domains!

1.4. Support

Evolution in support:Diskette -> CD-ROM/DVD-ROM -> static web -> dynamic web -> LMS -> web services

Evolution in functionality:

Technology: availability anytime, anywhere? installation low threshold (specific software?, plug-ins?, etc.)

editability upgrades & updates compatibility communication with other systems,

exportability of the data, etc.Educational technology: multimedia possibilities?

interface grafism, dynamic frontendregistration learner login ->report for the learner?collaborative learning Learning Community?reports for the content developer


1.5. Formula

• From e-learning to blended learningc-mixe-mix

• From private study to guided autonomous learning

• From minimal to maximal integration

• (cf three cases)


6. Underlying methodological principles: from behaviourism to socio-constructivism

6.1 View on learning• From absorption to the construction of knowledge (task based, skills based)• From input-output to independent learning (BZL)• From individual work to collaborative work

6.2 View on teachingFrom ‘sage on the stage’ (instructor) to ‘guide on the side’

(facilitator, guide)


2. BLL: another buzz word?

Blended learning seems to mean that there will be some e-learning and some classroom learning. It is in vogue for a simple reason. No one wants to spend that much on e-learning, and people in general want to preserve what they have, so they have made up this name for not changing much and called it blended learningRoger Schank

(From: Epyc white paper Blended Learning)


2.1 Definitions• Rochester Institute (2004):

blended learning aims to join the best of classroom teaching and learning with the best of online teaching and learning.

• Colis and Moonen (2001):

blended learning is a hybrid of traditional face-to-face and online learning so that instruction occurs both in the classroom and online, and where the online component becomes a natural extension of traditional classroom learning.


Heinze and Procter (2003-2004)

Blended Learning is learning that is facilitated by the effective combination of different modes of delivery, models of teaching and styles of learning, and founded on transparent communication amongst all parties involved with a course.


3.1 The BLCC- case

integrated language learning environment (ILLE)

focused on business language & communication

(Dutch, English, French, German)

developed by our university & BLCC (www.blcc.be)

created with our authoring tool IDIOMA-TIC

integrated within the LMS Cognistreamer

c-learning activities within the multimedia language

labs of KULAK


FormulaE-learning not only for remediation or differentiation

purposes, but integration of e- and c-learning.

10 weeks access to the e-environment with 8 contact sessions of 3 hours Electronic starting test Before each session: prepare one of the 6 modules of the e-course

“Professional communication” (cf. supra) 6 sessions (each devoted to one of the 6 modules)

- c-learning: role-playing

- c-learning: synthetic activity

- e-learning: evaluation

- e-learning: telephone skills or speaking of finance/speaking of quantity or grammar

Between the sessions: e-coaching + analysis of tracking & logging results (-> individual coaching)


Content

Not only knowledge-oriented…pronunciation & spelling, lexicon, grammar

… but also receptive and productive skills

listening, reading, writing, speaking (at least exercises preparing for

communication)


Professional communication (speech acts): 6 modules

Module 1: SocialisingSaying hello – Introducing yourself or someone else – Welcoming visitors – Making an appointment – Inviting people, accepting and refusing invitations – Thanking people – Apologising – Saying goodbye

Module 2: CommunicationStarting off – Giving the floor – Reporting – Asking for repetition and clarification – Buying time – Structuring your speech/your text

Module 3: Dealing with informationAsking for information – Giving information – Expressing your opinion

Module 4: Giving orders, asking for permission, offering help

Module 5: Assessing a person, a situation

Module 6: Plans & projects


Follow the guide (road map) v Your own way

March 2006 Brussels-British Council ELT and Blended Language Learning: From theory to practice Prof...

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