International House World Organisation

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International House World Organisation

• Blended Learning in Action
• BrazTESOL 2006

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Our context

• Language school network
• 135 schools in 50 countries
• Our Client needs
• Our Schools needs
• Experience of Self-access
• Experiments in Guided Study
• Institutional Goals

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First principles

• As educators, we believe learners needs come
  first
• With careful use of Technology we can enrich the
  learners experience of learning improve
  success
• Thus were committed to offering online options
  for teacher and student development
• Informed by theory
• Focused on best practice

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Hows your personal technology rating?

• Have you ever said Im not good with technical
  things?
• Do you use website content in class less than
  once a week?
• Do you use an OHP less than once a week?
• Do you show video clips in class less than once a
  week?
• Do you have ever problems re-winding the cassette
  to repeat a dialogue?

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Digital convergence

• Audio Podcasts MP3 from the PC
• Video DVD or MPG from the PC
• OHP data projector from the PC
• Interactive Whiteboard from the PC
• Radio DAB from the PC
• Readers eBooks Podcasts from the PC

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Strategy integrate technology take 4 granted

• Radio used to be new technology
• Mobile phones SMS are taken 4 granted
• No technology lessons
• Only language lessons
• Link to language curriculum, skills tasks

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Models

• F2F
• Self-access E-learning (EL)
• Collaborative E-learning
• Blended Learning (BL)

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Self-access

• Add a self-access component to your course, using
  technology to deliver it
• Commit to concept of Individualised Learning
• Commit to respecting Learning Styles
• Result some success, some half-empty Resource
  Centres

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E-learning

• Is it relevant to your classes?
• Extends your class time
• Supports individual learning styles
• Is modern homework
• Links home to school for YLs
• Result some success, but low take-up of
  sequenced courses high dropout

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Blended learning benefits

• Communicative interaction
• Collaborative tasks
• Instant detailed feedback
• Self-paced learning
• Flexibility of time, place, resource
• Increased learning time available

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Definitions

• BL is the bringing together of traditional
  physical classes with elements of virtual
  education (Motteram, 2005)
• A BL approach offers students ways of
  integrating study support into their already busy
  lives (Jelfs 2004)
• blends not only of time and place of
  participation, but also of different forms of
  activities and types of communication (Cooke,
  2004)

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Assumptions

• Preferences for relationship-based interactions
  in some cultures may mean that some learners will
  not respond to E-learning without at least some
  human introduction (Stewart, 2002)
• Activities should make more use of the
  opportunity for participants to learn from each
  other and work collaboratively (Cooke, 2004)
• Human learning is constructed not only by
  interacting with the content but also by working
  together with colleagues and instructors
  (Alonso, 2005)

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Self-directed vs Directed

• Respect learning styles VARK
• Visual Study Strategies (V)Aural Study
  Strategies (A)Read/write Study Strategies
  (R)Kinesthetic Study Strategies (K)Multimodal
  Study Strategies (MM)
• Imposed ideology in the online classroom it is
  the relationships and interactions among people
  through which knowledge is primarily generated
  (Palloff Pratt 1999)

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Classrooms unplugged

• Focus technology use to self-access homework
  space
• Move system knowledge practice and extensive
  reading/listening to self-access space
• Free up classroom time for F2F (human)
  communicative interaction
• Allow Self-directed vs Directed modes
• Encourage Teaching unplugged

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Platforms

• Delivery systems
• VLE or web?
• Blackboard vs WebCT vs Moodle?
• Development systems
• Text
• Audio
• Video
• Flash

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Teacher support focus

• Teacher development programmes
• VLE familiarisation courses
• IH COLT
• Re-designed IH teacher training programmes
• IH Young Learners
• IH Teaching 1-to-1
• IH Teaching Business English

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Online Teacher Development
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IH COLT

• IH Certificate in Online Tutoring
• --training in supporting learners online
• --understanding online learning approaches, VLEs,
  asynchronous communication etc
• --setting up collaborative tasks
• --climate setting, netiquette etc
• --experience online learning

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Collaborative learning
I increase what the group knows
I know what the group knows
I know
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Salmons model of online learning

• 1 Access motivation
• 2 Online socialisation
• 3 Information exchange
• 4 Knowledge construction
• 5 Development
• (Gilly Salmon, E-moderating, 2000)

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COLT objectives

• Learn about using VLEs (Virtual Learning
  Environments), experience working with one
  (Blackboard) and navigate several more as a
  visitor.
• Reflect on the skills needed for face to face and
  online tutoring and compare them.
• Develop and practise the skills necessary for
  managing online learners work and facilitating
  their interaction with each other, including
  moderating discussion, providing support, climate
  setting, encouraging involvement, setting up and
  closing activities, and managing learner
  problems.
• Experience being an online learner and work
  collaboratively to develop your own skills in
  online tutoring.
• Explore principles of learning theory as they are
  applied to online learning, including for
  example, Gilly Salmons work on the stages which
  learners go through in online learning
  environments, and learning styles and their
  impact on online learners behaviour.
• Compile a portfolio of tasks including a
  reflective journal and ideas for an ELT-related
  mini-course which could be run online.
• Prepare yourself for a possible role as an online
  tutor within your school, subject to the
  development of such courses.

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COLT feedback

• As I said in a task in week one, I was a
  complete cynic as to the value and effect of
  online learning. From a practical application
  this course has changed my view completely on
  this the tasks not only introduced me to skills
  needed to be an online tutor but also helped me
  learn to how to use a VLE and how to adapt task
  from f2f
• I feel its really important to have a visual
  clue about the person you are talking to my
  communications with those whose pictures were
  there felt much fuller and more complete
• The main moan is that there are too many tasks
  for the time span. 6 tasks a week makes life
  impossible! Its a task a day .
• Part of the time problem is the quantity of
  messages to read.
• It definitely changed and enlarged my view of
  online study and what it can be for a student.

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Student language focus

• Grammar practice
• Reading
• Listening
• Games
• Web projects

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IH Campus
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What is IH Campus?

• An online learning environment for IH Students
  and teachers.
• A motivating Learning Resource that can be used
  at all levels.
• A resource that can be used anywhere there is an
  internet connection
• A resource that can be integrated into the
  curriculum

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How does it work?

• Students receive a username (i. e. IHMilan054)
  and password.
• Students access from www.ihworld.com/campus
• Students use the numerous different learning
  tools guided by their teacher and based on their
  syllabus
• Students use the search engine to find their own
  self-directed activities
• Teachers can access with a teacher login with
  special privileges (access to Methodology
  Database, student monitoring pages etc.)
• Materials for Lessons, homework and blended
  learning tasks can be chosen among the activities
  available on the system

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IH Campus Pathway
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Pathway design
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News
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Games
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Other features....

• Generic Pathways and Book-related Pathways
• Paper Pathways
• Online Dictionary with UK and American English
  Pronunciation
• Grammar Reference Units
• Search Engine to find more exercises on a given
  learning topic
• Web Projects
• News Bank The Guardian
• Methodology Database for Teachers

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IH Campus - a DOS View

• With a Customised Pathway Syllabus the DOS is
  merely recommending the materials that correspond
  to work they are doing via their general
  syllabus. Teachers can then recommend specific
  tasks and select homework from the syllabus.
  Students can opt to do the minimum required by
  the teacher or look at the syllabus via the
  website and do as much as they want.
• Encouraging teachers to be enthusiastic about
  the programme obviously has an effect on the
  students perception of it.
• Initially we did have quite a few teachers that
  were making photocopies of the workbook to give
  as homework to their students this of course
  completely defeats the object

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IH Campus teacher feedback

• "What's the point of me teaching anything
  anymore
• "I hate this bloody thing"
• "I don't know how to work this thing"
• "can't we just use the workbook?"
• "this is really good, but I bet I can't use it"
• Cool, this sounds great my students will love
  it
• I see, this student is as much of a slacker here
  as he is in class"
• "Having the Pathway syllabus helps, it's
  practically like browsing through a workbook for
  exercises at the end of the lesson"
• These are really interesting, my teenagers have
  thoroughly enjoyed surfing the Internet for
  information"

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Students comments

• Its very useful to listen to the dialogues and
  texts in the correct pronunciation by very
  english people
• Its something useful and fun, but sometimes I
  havent got the time to go here!
• I like studying with web computer. I can use it
  when I stay at home
• I dont have internet at home/the internet is
  expensive
• It is better to have a workbook too. You can
  read a workbook everywhere and every time

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Students commentsIs it Useful?
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Students commentsIs it Motivating?
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School feedback

• Introducing IH Campus is relatively easy, but it
  needs careful planning on behalf of the DOS.
• Blended Learning encourages learner autonomy,
  which can boost confidence and productivity
• Students feel they are getting the most
  up-to-date methodology and are therefore likely
  to stay with your school rather than head for the
  competition
• Students who are really busy who have little or
  no time to spend in the school find this resource
  a great asset and have done a lot more homework
  than usual!
• There will be difficulties associated with the
  introduction of this new instrument. They can be
  overcome with patience and planning.

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IH Campus development

• New material added on a regular basis
• Business and YL banks later in 2006
• More Pathways
• More control in the hands of teachers
• Better customisability
• Detailed tracking - user feedback analysis

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Overall ROI

• 1500 students accessing 2000activities for the
  price of one workbook each, with re-enrolment
  effects
• 70 teachers trained for 250 setup with cascade
  effects

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Pitfalls

• Assuming any technology can do it all
• Assuming teacher motivation
• Underestimating techno-fear
• Overestimating learners technical skills
• Neglecting screen-based workday factor

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Next

• Class Student blogs
• Further use of VLE for TD TT
• IHC Online
• Train teachers in convergence
• Add further rich media resources (eg IWB)
• Experiment with Video conferencing

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Beyond classroom - Community conversation
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The classroom of 2010

• IWB with projector
• Tablet laptops for each student
• Wireless connection to internet with Bluetooth
  headsets
• Coursebook on screen with audio/video
• Website each class has a website with
  resources, blogs, links, showcase
• Homework - online interactive exercises MP3
  listening practice for iPods
• Parents can see the classs website with
  teachers notes, coursework, grades for their
  child
• E-readers students take home downloadable book
  material on E-reader
• Video-conferencing students can take part from
  home if sick, as classroom camera links lesson
  live to the website.

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• Experiment with Blended Learning
• Dont be a technophobe!
• michael.carrier_at_ihworld.co.ukwww.ihworld.com