Abstract:

English language learners in years 7 to 13 in New Zealand schools need to access English both for social situations, including interacting in the classroom (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) and for curriculum access (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency). It is particularly important that goals set for these learners are age appropriate and that they are enabled to work towards that same objectives as their peers, with adequate levels of support.

A team in New Zealand has been working with the Ministry of Education to trial a blended learning solution that accelerates students’ foundation learning so that the they can make this successful transition to mainstream classes, better prepared for the language, content and social demands, especially in schools where there is little or no specialist ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) support.

The staff on the design team work collaboratively, enabling a cross functional, multi-skilled team environment, sharing an online project team working space and collaborative documents. An ICT Enhances Learning and Teaching (ICTELT) blended design has been developed for this pilot intervention, initially through the use of the ICTELT model and suite of tools (e.g. process model, framework, and mindmap). The main focus is to offer personalised learning in an environment with students engaged in activities where they are able to generate and co-construct knowledge through their interactions with other learners and teachers and with the activities and opportunities provided. The underpinning design places great importance on the students' background, culture and learning preferences.

Learners are supported by an eTutor in face-to-face and/or asynchronous mode, as well as with a designated off-site eTeacher who acts as a learning coach who guides and collaborates, partly through facilitating weekly webinar sessions with geographically diverse students. The programme of learning is mainly hosted in a Learning Management System (Moodle) site that functions as the formal hub for learning activities and resources. Asynchronous communication with peers, reflective activities, social interaction and learning, and communication with the eTeacher is hosted in a social networking space (ELGG). Assessment (both formative and summative) is embedded within the programme, and includes peer-feedback and self-assessment.

The project, having completed a trial in 2010, is currently in the pilot phase. Evaluation was collected from the students, eTutors, eTeachers, and support staff who were involved in the trial, and, this has been fed into the build and facilitation of the pilot programme. The pilot includes a formal research study that is being conducted to measure whether the ICTELT blended design approach assists second language acquisition, as well as its effects on affective factors such as motivation.

This paper will describe the design and development phases that led to the trial, as well as describing the programme, and the results of the evaluation. A brief overview of changes that have been implemented in the pilot will be given, along with broader recommendations for other organisations who may be considering this approach.

Keywords:

ESOL, EAL, blended learning, e-learning, communities of learning, e-learning design, ICT enhanced learning and teaching.