Published: Blended learning spaces: synchronous blending

7 11 2011

ELI lecturers Lara Promnitz-Hayashi, Daniel Jenks, Joe Geluso, Joachim Castellano and former lecturers Dirk MacKenzie and Roman Delgado, have published an article in the April 2011 issue of JALTCALL Journal. Publication details are as follows:

MacKenzie, D., Promnitz-Hayashi, L., Jenks, D., Geluso, J., Delgado, R., & Castellano, J., & Hinkleman, D. (2011). Blended learning spaces: Synchronous Blending. JALTCALL Journal 7(1), 43-60.

Discussions of blended learning (BL) have generally failed to account for the synchronous combination of computer-mediated and face-to-face interactions that can occur within a blended learning space (BLS). This paper provides an overview of BLS use by a department of 51 teachers at a Japanese university specializing in foreign language learning. Data was collected via a teacher questionnaire (n=38, response rate=75%) and follow-up interviews. Compared to non-BLS lessons, BLS lessons had different lesson goals, different patterns of interaction, different types of homework, more variety of media, and more variety of input and output. BLS lessons also showed signs of increased learner autonomy and motivation.