Blended Learning and multitasking

Blended Learning in English Language Teaching: Course Design and Implementation Edited by Brian Tomlinson and Claire Whittaker

We have read and discussed in groups some chapters from the book on Blended Learning by the British Council that present several study cases.It was great to go around and share the information about 7 different chapters in a relatively short time span. ...feels like creativity is the key to make blended learning work in multiple contexts. It is just a matter of finding the right tools for your students and redefine the learning process to create a continous flow between the F2F and online or ICT components.

 To access the book click here.

Then we discussed the principles underpinning Blended learning.

• There is no "right" mix
• Online component deals with theory whereas F2F deals with practice = flipped classroom (Examples Delta and Celta certificates)
• Higher scores
• Higher drop outs (example MOOCS from MIT and BC, Future learn) 
• Better Retention
• Balance between Technical and content demand (cognitively difficult) ( handholding students)
• Course needs revisiting (practice-reflect-redesign)
• Teacher's supervision and promptness at replying. 
• Risk: too many aims, too much technology (because of the speed tech. develops). No adding but replacing. (A good rule of thumb:you put sth in then get sth out)

MULTITASKING

The Monkey Business Illusion by Daniel Simons about selective attention task.

For more on this topic visit this site

Implications  that selective attention may have on teaching and learning. It makes you wonder how shallow our learning is. Deep thinking doesn't take place when multitasking, then we need attacking issues from different angles. If the video was viewed as a collaborative  activity some in the group would have seen it.

• students focus down on one specific aspect
• objectives may need to be attacked from different angles
• collaborative work helps widen focus (tidy student working with the crazy artistic type)

Multitaskers are easily distracted. 

On this topic there is an interesting book "The Shallows" by Nicholas Carr. Listen to the writer.
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