The
term blended learning refers “[…] to the
practice of using both online and in-person learning experiences when teaching
students.”(Hidden curriculum; 2014) This means that students attend regular
face-to-face lessons but at the same time “[…] in-class time may be either replaced or supplemented by online learning
experiences, and students would learn about the same topics online as they do
in class—i.e., the online and in-person learning experiences would parallel and
complement one another.” (Hidden curriculum; 2014).
Both
online and face-to-face learning have many advantages and if they are combined
the result will be positive. A case in point of face-to-face learning benefit is
the fact that teachers can cater for their students emotional needs in irreplaceable
ways. Moreover, teachers can provide a stable and comfortable classroom
environment to make the learning process more engaging and satisfactory. What
is more, for English teachers, it can be said that face-to-face learning is
highly necessary. “In situations like
foreign-language teaching, where a teacher’s body language and cultural
insights provide students with complex information, it’s difficult to
imagine a robot or computers entirely replacing teachers” (Partarrieu, S.;
2015)
On
the other hand, the importance of including online instances of learning and
teaching cannot be dismissed. First, our students are Digital Natives (Prensky,
M.; 2001) and the use of technology can make the learning and
teaching processes much more engaging. Second, students can work on themselves,
organize their activities around their needs and work at their own pace. Third,
teachers can structure and schedule lessons so they can become more elastic. Finally,
“Blended learning may also allow teachers
to spend less time giving whole-class lessons, and more time meeting with
students individually or in small groups to help them with specific concepts,
skills, questions, or learning problems […]” (Hidden Curriculum; 2014).
In
conclusion, it can be stated that nowadays a combination of face-to-face and
online learning is the most suitable way to carry out foreign language lessons.
"There is no single recipe for success
when combining traditional and digital methods, but it’s clear that human
presence – even remotely – still plays an important role in student motivation
and progress" (Partarrieu, S.; 2015). Also, using the web to enhance the
learning process allows the students to choose when, where and how to learn.
(Itslearning Global; 2013)
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References:
Hauze, S. (2013, October 22) Blended learning. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVDx6tK_Y9k
Hidden
curriculum (2014, August 26). In S. Abbott (Ed.), The glossary of education reform. Retrieved from http://edglossary.org/hidden-curriculum
Itslearning
Global (2013, may 24) Blended learning in
2 minutes and 38 seconds. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5txJfv2q0c&feature=youtu.be
Partarrieu, S. (2015, October 5) Why we still need face-to-face teaching in the digital era.
Retrieved from https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/why-we-still-need-face-face-teaching-digital-age
Prensky, M. (2001) "Digital Natives, Digital
Immigrants" On the horizon 9 (5) 1-6.
