03/02/2021

1

Virtual Blended Learning:

principles and practice

Pete Sharma

LecturerEAP

Consultant Teacher Trainer

TeacherDirector

Author

To explore how

the principles of

Virtual Blending

can help teachers

moving online

Aim

OVERVIEW• Set scene• Virtual Blending• Practical ideas• Reflections

1. SET SCENE

• Blended Learning • From classroom to

online

1 2

3 4

5 6

03/02/2021

2

1.1 Blended Learning:

Key concept in ELT

ELT Journal, Volume 64, Issue 4, October 2010

Definition 3Combination of

f2f + online

Definition 2Combination of

methodologies

Multiple definitions

“The best of both worlds!”

Why blend? 10

Classroom +

Virtual reality

SO

UR

CE

: w

ww

.pix

ab

ay.

com

Flexible not one fixed

thing but many

depending on context

Dynamic – components constantly changing

“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

Challenges

7 8

9 10

11 12

03/02/2021

3

Appropriacy

Integration

Attitude

Training

Robust technology

Success with Blended Learning

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

1.2 From

classroom

to online

Coronavirus

13 14

15 16

17 18

03/02/2021

4

Online

Theory and research

Scrivener

Distance learningClassroom teaching

Salmon

Harmer Hockly

Challenges

Classroom 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 teachingAsynchronousdelivery

19 20

21 22

23 24

03/02/2021

5

2. VIRTUAL

BLENDING

• LMS

• Flipped EAP course

Virtual blending

Asynchronous Synchronous

2.1 Learning Management

SystemLOCK STEP

TARGETED

OPEN ACCESS

Flexibility

Virtual Blended

Flexibility Differentiation

Personalisation Choice

Encouraging autonomy Differentiation

25 26

27 28

29 30

03/02/2021

6

Absentee

Needs extra help

Wants to know the answers

Fun! Motivation! Engagement! Navio

Flipping

Choice

The power of data

31 32

33 34

35 36

03/02/2021

7

2.2 Flipped EAP course

Asynchronous

h5p

Presentation Guided practice

Output – task MS Teams

3. Practical ideasGrammar Speaking

Vocabulary Listening

Reading

37 38

39 40

41 42

03/02/2021

8

Screen shot

Message

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

USING SCREEN SHOTS

Prepare learners for the live

class with a pre-lesson task

Speaking

Lion

Partial to precise

knowledge

Show word

Decide on number

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

EthogenicQuasi-

experimentalOntological Axiology

Syllogism Algorithm Affordance Idiographic

Phenomenology Empirical

43 44

45 46

47 48

03/02/2021

9

Listening

‘Out of class’

Strategy work

Choice

SO

UR

CE

: w

ww

.pix

ab

ay.

com

“I’m going to play the tape

twice….”

Normalisation (Bax)

The in-class technology didn’t work!

The students just listened on their Smartphones or tablet

Pre-lesson

Vocabulary inputContent inputPrepare discussion

Online lesson

Discussion

In-class

Sound down

Write voiceover

Self study

Listen and compare

List new words

In class

Summarise differences

Text B

49 50

51 52

53 54

03/02/2021

10

4. ReflectionsBlended – long history

Move online – quick for many

Virtual blend vs online / distance

Context is all – LMS / Flipped EAP course

Virtual blend – build on principles

Appropriacy / integration / attitude / training

Benefits – differentiation / choice time & place

• “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

Hybrid learning

Concurrent teaching

Acknowledgement:

Beth Alexander

Key takeaways

BL is the principled combination of modes

Principles of Virtual blending can help in online

“The teacher will always be at the heart of the

learning experience”Pete Sharma| predipsharma@gmail.com

https://petesharma.com

Thank you!

55 56

57 58

59 60