Applying a blended learning program to improve students’ IELTS speaking performance in an IELTS speaking class an action research project

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES HUỲNH THỊ NHẬT UYÊN APPLYING A BLENDED LEARNING PROGRAM TO IMPROVE

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

HUỲNH THỊ NHẬT UYÊN

APPLYING A BLENDED LEARNING PROGRAM TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ IELTS SPEAKING PERFORMANCE IN AN IELTS SPEAKING CLASS: AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT

(ÁP DỤNG MỘT CHƯƠNG TRÌNH HỌC KẾT HỢP CÔNG NGHỆ THÔNG TIN VÀO LỚP HỌC TRUYỀN THỐNG ĐỂ CẢI THIỆN KHẢ NĂNG NÓI IELTS CỦA HỌC SINH TRONG MỘT LỚP HỌC NÓI

IELTS: NGHIÊN CỨU CẢI TIẾN SƯ PHẠM)

M.A MAJOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field : English Teaching Methodology Code : 60140111

HÀ NỘI – 2017

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

HUỲNH THỊ NHẬT UYÊN

APPLYING A BLENDED LEARNING PROGRAM TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ IELTS SPEAKING PERFORMANCE IN AN IELTS SPEAKING CLASS: AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT

(ÁP DỤNG MỘT CHƯƠNG TRÌNH HỌC KẾT HỢP CÔNG NGHỆ THÔNG TIN VÀO LỚP HỌC TRUYỀN THỐNG ĐỂ CẢI THIỆN KHẢ NĂNG NÓI IELTS CỦA HỌC SINH TRONG MỘT LỚP HỌC NÓI

IELTS: NGHIÊN CỨU CẢI TIẾN SƯ PHẠM)

Field : English Teaching Methodology

Supervisor : Dr Huynh Anh Tuan

HÀ NỘI – NĂM 2017

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CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY

I certify that the major thesis entitled “Applying a Blended Learning Program to improve students‟ IELTS speaking performance in an IELTS speaking class: an action research project” is the study of my own research and the substance

of this research has not been submitted for a degree to any other university or institution

Hanoi, 2017

Approved by

SUPERVISOR

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DEDICATION

I would like to dedicate this work to:

 my beloved father

 my mother who has sacrificed her life for me…… …

 a friend of mine whose love, continual support, and patience encouraged me to reach my goal……

 my adorable sister who supported me until the

finish of this research ……

 all those who gave me love, strength and patience…

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First, my respect and appreciation is to my dear mother, the greatest mother

in the world, my beloved father and my sister whose prayers and love guided, helped and supported me to carry out this work

My gratitude is deeply paid to my supervisor, Dr Huynh Anh Tuan for his invaluable assistance and insightful guidance on every taken step of the research

Special thanks are due to two friends of mine - The Nguyen, who devoted his time and experience to cooperate with me during my thesis work, and Truong Giang Do, who dedicatedly cooperated with me in designing the Website (iespeaking.club) for the Blended IELTS speaking course in my research

Finally, my great appreciation is to the teachers and students of the Institute

of Equest Education, where the study was carried out

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ABSTRACT

This thesis explores the design of a blended learning environment in an ground traditional face-to-face IELTS course and seeks to determine the extent to which the Blended IELTS speaking course significantly affects the improvement in students‟ IELTS speaking performance as well as the learner satisfaction levels toward the model in terms of their improvement in IELTS speaking performance

on-30 ELT students from two IELTS classes (intermediate level) were involved in an IELTS intermediate course (IELTS 5.5) lasting for 16 weeks in the Institute of Equest Education This course covered all the four skills of IELTS (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking), but only Speaking skill was the focus for the researcher to design the blended learning environment Every two weeks, each participant was asked to complete a variety of assignments both online and offline such as recording an audio The audio recorded interview of each student or a pair

of students must be posted on the web page and the other students in the class will comment on the recorded audios in a certain lesson with the management of the researcher Multiple data collection instruments were used in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the blended course including pre-test and post-test, observations, survey questionnaire and interviews

The results from the data revealed that the Blended IELTS speaking course significantly affected the improvement in students‟ IELTS speaking performance

In addition, most of the participants were satisfied with the Blended IELTS speaking course in terms of their improvement in IELTS speaking performance, instructor‟s feedback and the interaction and communication aspects; by contrast, they showed dissatisfaction with peer feedback due to weak peer feedback, which could be considered the only drawback of the blended course

Albeit results of the present research indicated that Blended IELTS speaking course was perceived positively by learners, further research is still necessary to examine if the identical results and findings might be achieved in other courses in different educational environments

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Statement of the problem 1

1.2 Aim and objectives of the study 4

1.3 Research questions 4

1.4 Significance of the study 5

1.5 Scope of the study 5

1.6 Organization of the study 6

Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW 7

2.1 Introduction 8

2.2 IELTS speaking 8

2.2.1 The IELTS speaking test: an overview 8

2.2.2 IELTS speaking performance through Performance Descriptors 8

2.2.2.1 Fluency and coherence in IELTS 8

2.2.2.2 Lexical resource in IELTS 9

2.2.2.3 Grammatical range and accuracy in IELTS 9

2.2.2.4 Pronunciation in IELTS 9

2.3 Blended Learning 9

2.3.1 What is blended learning? 9

2.3.2.The Terminologies: E-learning and Blended Learning 15

2.3.3 Characteristics of blended learning 17

2.3.4 Levels of blended learning 18

2.3.5 Methods of the Blend 20

2.3.6 Factors that influence the application of blended learning and promote successful blended learning 21

2.3.7 Learning outcomes in blended learning environment 22

2.3.8 Advantages and disadvantages of blended learning 25

2.3.8.1 Advantages of BL 25

2.3.8.2 Challenges of blended learning 26

2.4 Theoretical framework 27

2.5 The review of related studies 34

2.6 Conclusion 36

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CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 37

3.1 Introduction 37

3.2 Research questions 39

3.3 Research approach 41

3.4 Strengths and weaknesses of action research 43

3.5 The Validity and Reliability of the Action Research 43

3.6 Research design 43

3.6.1 Participants of the study 43

3.6.2 The researcher 43

3.6.3 Data collection methods 44

3.6.3.1 Pre-test and post-test 44

3.6.3.2 Blended IELTS speaking course Satisfaction Survey 44

3.6.3.3 Interviews 46

3.6.3.4 Observations 47

3.7 Data collection Procedure 47

3.7.1 Phase One: Pre-intervention (The Observing, Planning and Designing of the Blended Learning Environment for the IELTS speaking course) 47

3.7.1.1 Statement of the problem 47

3.7.1.2 The blended learning model for the Blended IELTS speaking course 48

3.7.2 Phase Two While intervention (Implementation of Blended Learning Environment) 55

3.7.3 Phase Three Post intervention (Evaluation of the Blended IELTS Speaking program) 58

3.8 Data analysis procedures 59

3.8.1 Quantitative analysis 59

3.8.2 Qualitative analysis 60

Chapter 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 61

4.1 Introduction 61

4.2 The significant level of the blended IELTS Speaking course in the improvement of students‟ IELTS speaking performance 61

4.3 Participants‟ Satisfaction levels with Blended IELTS speaking course 64

4.3.1 Participants‟ general satisfaction with Blended IELTS speaking course 68

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4.3.2 Participants‟ satisfaction levels with the Blended IELTS speaking course in

terms of the improvement in their IELTS speaking performance 70

4.3.3 Participants‟ satisfaction with the feedback aspect of the blended IELTS speaking course 72

4.3.4 Participants‟ satisfaction towards the Communication and Interaction aspects of the Blended IELTS speaking course 72

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 76

5.1 Summary 76

5.2 Conclusion 79

5.3 Implications 81

5.4 Recommendations for Further Research 82

REFERENCES 84

APPENDICES 91

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LIST OF THE TABLES

Table 2.1: Opposed Forms, Contexts and Practices in Blended Learning 12 Table 3.1: Survey questions mapped to research question and survey question type 45 Table 4.1: Paired Samples Statistics 62 Table 4.2: Paired Samples Test 62 Table 4.3: The students' mean scores, standard deviations, t-value and level of significance of the study samples in the pre-test and post-test of the students‟ IELTS speaking performance 62 Table 4.4: The recommended table for analyzing the effect size level 63 Table 4.5: The effect size of the Blended IELTS speaking course on the students‟ IELTS speaking performance 63 Table 4.6: Participants‟ general satisfaction with the blended IELTS Speaking course 65 Table 4.7: Participants‟ satisfaction levels with the Blended IELTS speaking course

in terms of the improvement in their IELTS Speaking performance 68 Table 4.8: Participants‟ satisfaction towards the feedback aspect of the Blended IELTS speaking course 70 Table 4.9: Participants‟ satisfaction with communication and interaction 73

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LIST OF THE FIGURES

Figure 2.1: A taxonomy of Blended learning 13

Figure 2.2: Combining the Options in a Decision 14

Figure 2.3: The Eclipse Diagram by Markos Tiris, LSDA, 1999 and the Definitions Used in the Centre for Excellence in Leadership‟s Report (CEL, 2003) 16

Figure 2.4: A Diagram of the Blended Learning Definition 17

Figure 3.1: Homepage of Blended IELTS speaking course (before login) 51

Figure 3.2: Homepage of Blended IELTS speaking course (after login) 51

Figure 3.3 : Syllabus Page 52

Figure 3.4 : Recorded audios 53

Figure 3.5: Discussion Forum Page 54

Figure 3.6: Extra sharing resources 54

Figure 5.1: Five stars rating system 81

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Statement of the problem:

In the age of the fourth industrial revolution, almost all professions and sectors of society are affected by this general trend with strong dominance of information technology, especially the Internet in the operation modes Education in general and ESL in particular are not the exceptions At the beginning of the 21st century, it may be hard to imagine what English teaching and learning will be like within the next 100 years, but many researchers subscribe to the idea that blended learning can be closer to second language teaching in the future Historically, right from the early days when education began to apply information technology, two forms of the learning environments which are traditional face-to-face environment and online classroom environment were separately existed because they used different communication channels or different methods of combinations and aimed

at different audiences For instance, traditional face-to-face learning regularly took place in the teacher-centered environment with person-to-person interaction in a directly synchronous environment In contrast, online learning focused on asynchronous interactions in the virtual environment At the very beginning of the period, only asynchronous interactions were probable because at that time the technology had limitations in the methods of instruction used Therefore, the model

of online learning environment put emphasis on merely online materials and learners interacting in an only text environment, while the traditional classroom environment was a priority for human-to-human interaction Following the period,

the phenomenon of e-learning was an alternative way of delivering education to

students who could not attend the traditional classrooms by offering added "the full advantage of anytime, anywhere learning" (Young, S.S.C., 2004: 133)

Besides the valuable contribution to education, e-learning environment has some disadvantages to some extent The first drawback of such educational setting is that the motivation of students is ignored due to the fact that online learning environment does not focus on human interaction that is normally regarded as a

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center in traditional face-to-face educational environment According to Kirby (1999), one of the major weaknesses of e-learning classroom is the shortage of face-to-face physical interaction Moreover, another critical requirement of attending an online class is the knowledge and skills of applying information technology into learning; hence, teachers‟ guidance is essential for students, which is another limitation of online learning (Hajsadr, 2005) Therefore, the demand for a virtual educational setting where students are enabled to not only gain knowledge but also interact physically with their partners are becoming inevitable aspects of such technology-assisted learning environments As Kern and Warschauer (2000: 11) state, “a shift in dynamic away from learners interacting with computers to interacting with other humans via the computers” began to be very important aspect

of such educational settings in the last few years

Thus, the need for accelerating person-to-person interactions and decelerating the isolation from other learners in online learning environments stimulates the educational experts and administrators to search for a measure for the sake of improving teaching and learning process It is obvious that the combinations of all the advantages of both traditional face-to-face and online learning environments are inevitable, which leads the educators to a new approach to teaching and learning

English that is “Blended Learning” (Rogers, 2001: 11) (BL)

Friesen, N (2012) recommends the definition of BL in his report of defining Blended learning:

„“Blended learning” designates the range of possibilities presented by combining Internet and digital media with established classroom forms that require the physical co‐presence

of teacher and students.‟ (2012: 1)

In other words, since 2006, the term „blended learning‟ has been defined as the integration of traditional face-to-face and „technology -mediated instructional forms and practices‟ (2012: 1) Another simple definition of blended learning suggested

by Graham (2006) is an association of traditional face-to-face and assisted instruction These definitions are, however, rather simplistic and will be indicated and explained more intensively in Chapter 2 of the research

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Although it is not a new issue with a series of in-depth research in the world, blended learning in Vietnam is still a relatively new, much less common and less widely applicable method in almost all school levels in Vietnam due to the fact of high demands on IT professionals of both teachers, learners, flexibility in teaching and learning and especially equipment and means of information technology to apply this method The fact that most learners use information technology regularly

in their daily lives such as social networks, search engines, websites to serve their learning is an advantage to gradually apply information technology in teaching English English courses which are the combination of technology and traditional classroom now in Vietnam and around the world shows that this approach supports 2nd language learning more effectively and gives students the flexibility to learn independently, and promotes specific language learners (Morton et al, 2016, Ying and Yang, 2017) According to a study by Olivier, J (2016), it was revealed that learners are “quite positive towards the use of the learning environment for learning and teaching” (2016: 1) In addition, the participants in the courses also noticed that the online activities promoted learning and expressed the needs to include more web-based activities in their learning English (Morton et al, 2016; Banditvilai, 2016) Besides, the study of Felix (2003) showed that English learners felt more comfortable with courses which were combined with technology in learning their second language Blended learning is also a positive support for less confident and passive learners in ESL classes

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is one of the most reputable international English exams in the world in general and Vietnam in particular In Vietnam, it is not only the exam for students who wish to study abroad, IELTS has been included as criteria for evaluating English proficiency of teachers and students However, currently several teachers and students as well as schools and centers specialized in teaching IELTS have been still struggling to find

a method for teaching and learning IELTS properly, or they just simply apply a traditional teaching method for teaching IELTS Moreover, the reality is that there

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is quite a lot of in-depth research on BL in writing and reading ESL classes rather than speaking and listening skills for many reasons, one of which in my point of view is that teaching speaking and listening can be more supported by traditional classrooms (face-to-face teaching) where students are capable of communicating, practicing with the guidance and instructions of their teachers directly in the face-to-face classroom, which is better for Vietnamese learners who regularly lack independence in learning Hence, this study intends to propose a BL model and evaluate its effectiveness as well as the students‟ satisfaction levels to improve their IELTS speaking performance in an action research project in an IELTS speaking class

1.2 Aim and objectives of the study:

The purpose of the action research is to evaluate the extent to which the BL model is significant in improving students‟ IELTS speaking performance in an intermediate IELTS speaking class and move it to a largely – but not entirely – digital environment to enhance the quality of the English teaching and learning process

The first objective of the study is to describe the newly designed BL model The additional goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of such attempt through investigating the students‟ improvement in IELTS speaking performance by comparing their pre-test and post-test scores as well as their satisfaction levels toward the Blended IELTS speaking course

In this research, technology-assisted BL is seen as traditional face-to-face learning environment supported by technology-assisted instructions In this blend, the amount of time spent on face-to-face classroom is not affected by online activities, but remains the same

1.3 Research questions

Considering this purpose, the study will seek answers to the following research questions:

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(1) To what extent does the Blended IELTS speaking course significantly affects the improvement in students‟ IELTS speaking performance?

(2) What are the satisfaction levels of the students toward the blended learning

environment provided for IELTS speaking course (intermediate level)?

1.4 Significance of the study

BL approach has been the most widespread teaching and learning method in the world recently and seems a routine for IELTS teaching and learning process for many years Since the last few decades, the existence and unstoppable developments of technology especially the Internet have been easily seen in every aspects of human society This widespread and accessible way has brought the convenience of online learning to a growing number of students who attend in e-learning courses

The first contribution of the present study is to provide a BL model for teaching and learning IELTS speaking through blending a traditional face-to-face class and online learning environment to enhance the quality of IELTS speaking teaching and learning process in Vietnam Hence, this BL model can be applied into a real IELTS speaking course

Another possible contribution of this study centers on the shift in educators‟ perspectives towards the effectiveness of implementation of BL procedures into their IELTS speaking courses in order to determine the changes for improvements

in terms of teaching and learning methods thanks to better understanding the level

to which students express satisfaction with courses delivered through BL model Finally, the present research makes a potential contribution to the body of knowledge of BL in IELTS pedagogy, and provides recommendations for further research on BL

1.5 Scope of the study

The purpose of this study is to provide an alternative dimension to learning environment for teaching and learning IELTS speaking, and assess the educational effectiveness of the BL model, with reference to the students‟ improvement in their

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IELTS speaking performance and their satisfaction levels with this model in terms

of improvement in their IELTS speaking performance

The present study is idiosyncratic to IELTS speaking intermediate classes (IELTS 5.5) in the Institute of Equest Education in Hanoi, Vietnam and restricted to the exposure of a limited number (N: 30) of students as participants All of the participants declared that they have an adequate amount of background on the information technologies and have ample computer skills such as using word processor or surfing on the Internet Most of the participants were students at Vietnamese colleges or universities in Hanoi; some others were working at offices and a limited number of participants are high school students at several high schools

in Hanoi

The institution used in the present study, offers all courses in the intermediate IELTS programs in traditional face-to-face modality Otherwise, all the technology-assisted resources such as e-mail, Web accounts, Facebook accounts are delivered

by the researcher However, in this study, the participants particularly students are encouraged to possess these other resources including wireless internet access, PC, laptop, video and audio recorder (through smart phone, cell phone) or other internet tools because the online learning environment is outside the Institute of Equest Education

1.6 Organization of the study

The thesis consists of five chapters The first chapter provides a detailed introduction to the study by defining BL, and presenting motivation for the study, its purpose and significance and listing two research questions Chapter 2 contains a review of the literature on BL, introducing theoretical background, conceptual framework, theoretical framework of the study and the theory of IELTS speaking pedagogy After that, critical synthesis and summary of related research on BL and IELTS speaking pedagogy will be touched briefly Chapter 3 introduces action research methodology and describes the context, participants, and a detailed overview of the research procedures, including the data collection methods and

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analysis Chapter 4 presents and discusses the results for each research question and Chapter 5 summarizes the results and ends with a discussion of implications and limitations of the study followed by the final conclusions and recommendations

briefly

2.2 IELTS speaking

2.2.1 The IELTS speaking test: an overview

The speaking test lasts for 11 to 14 minutes and is an oral interview between the candidate and an interviewer All the speaking tests are recorded for the purposes of later assessment if there are some questions over the students‟ score In addition, recording speaking tests is necessary to record excessive noise outside during the interview The speaking test consists of three parts, each of which fulfils

a particular function in terms of interaction pattern, task input and candidate output

2.2.2 IELTS speaking performance through Performance Descriptors

Speaking performances are evaluated by certificated IELTS examiners who hold relevant teaching qualifications and are recruited as examiners by the test institutes and approved by British Council or IDP: IELTS AUSTRALIA The detailed performance descriptors have been developedwhich describe spoken performance at the nine IELTS bands on four analytical subscales (Appendix G) In each performance descriptor, there is a range of marks from 1.0 to 9.0 equivalent to

9 stated requirements for candidates‟ speaking levels (IELTS Handbook, 2007)

2.2.2.1 Fluency and coherence in IELTS

This criterion assesses the ability to converse with normal levels of continuity, rate and effort and to connect ideas and language together to form coherent, connected speech The key indicators of fluency are speech rate and speechcontinuity Coherence involves logical sequencing of sentences, clear marking of stages in a discussion, narration or argument, and the use of cohesive

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devices (e.g connectors, pronouns and conjunctions) within andbetween sentences (IELTS Handbook, 2007)

2.2.2.2 Lexical resource in IELTS

Lexical resource is a criterion which aims to assess the variety of vocabulary the candidate can use and the accuracy with the meanings and attitudes expressed The key indicators are the multiplicity of words used, the adequacy and appropriacy

of the words used as well as the appropriate usage of idiomatic expressions and the ability tocircumlocute with or without noticeable hesitation (IELTS Handbook, 2007)

2.2.2.3 Grammatical range and accuracy in IELTS

This criterion assesses the candidates‟ range and the accuracy and appropriate use of grammatical resources The length and complexity of the spoken sentence and the appropriate use of subordinate clauses, the range of sentence structures (especially to move elements around for information focus) are considered as the key indicators of grammatical range In addition, the key indicators of grammatical accuracy are the precision in candidates‟ grammatical usage in their utterances and the communicative effects of the grammatical errors made (IELTS Handbook, 2007)

2.2.2.4 Pronunciation in IELTS

This criterion refers to the ability to produce comprehensible speech to achieve the speaking test requirements The key indicators of pronunciation are the amount of strain created to the listener, the number of speech that is unintelligible, and the notice ability of La influence The range of phonological features the candidate produces is also considered, such as the use of intonation (IELTS Handbook, 2007)

2.3 Blended Learning

2.3.1 What is blended learning?

The definitions of BL in language teaching vary, but the most common definitions are those categorized by Graham, Allen, and Ure (as cited by Bonk,

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2006): (a) Combining instructional modalities (or delivery media), (b) Combining instructional methods, and (c) Combining online and face-to-face instruction

The first category which is combining instructional modalities is defined as an

integration of various delivery media Singh & Reed (2001) states, “[BL is] a learning program where more than one delivery modeis being used with the objective of optimizing the learning outcome and costof the program” (2001: 1) Thomson (2002) supports the idea that BL model utilizes a structured integration of instructional media which can encompass online-instruction, mentoring/ instructor-led support, andvarious sources of information and practice from text and electronic media (2002: 5)

The second category of definitions is instructional methods, which is defined as a combination of multiple instructional strategies This category is supported by some authors such as Rossett (2002) stating that “BL is the use of two or more distinct methods of training” (As cited in Graham, Allen & Ure, 2003, Appendix Table I) and House‟s BL definition as “ training delivered by a combination of methods” (As cited in Graham, Allen & Ure, 2003, Appendix Table I)

However, according to Graham (2006), the first two definitions are too broad in such a way that they encompass most instructional environments in which there are

at least two modalities (instructional method and delivery media) included in a course Furthermore, as stated by Friesen, N (2012), “only definitions from 2006 and later are to be considered current” (2012: 1) The first two categories, in addition, are not appropriate for the present study because of the aforementioned problem that cannot describe precisely the characteristics and features of the BL environment

As suggested by Graham (2006), the final definition, which integrates online and face-to-face instruction, is the most conventional definition for BL As cited by Friesen, N (2012), Graham (2006) also explains more clearly:

Th[is] working definition … reflects the idea that [blended learning] is the combination of instruction from two historically separate models of teaching and learning: traditional

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F2F learning systems and distributed learning systems It also emphasizes the central role

of computer‐based technologies in blended learning (2012:3)

Mason and Rennie (2006) extend this type of definition to add “other combinations

of technologies, locations orpedagogical approaches” (2006: 12) “BL combines the best attributes of electronic and traditionalclassroom experiences to present and reinforce learning” (Al Fiky, 2011: 21-22) Additionally, Friesen, N (2012) cites

Stacey and Gerbic in his 2009 Introduction to Blended Learning Practices:

“Blended learning can be placed… between fully online and fully face‐to‐face courses, and one of the definitional issues is where this might be on such a continuum.” (2012: 4)

This final definition can be implemented into three different ways: providing online materials similar to the course contents, providing online materials as supplementary resources, and replacing portions of theface-to-face contents with online materials This category totally supports the definition of BL that guides the present research According to this definition, BL is the integration of the best features of both face-to-face and technology-based learning environment, in which technology-based learning environment are both Internet and non-Internet resources such as website, email, social network to audio recorder, video recorder…

Friesen, N (2012) recommends another way to categorize BL definitions In his report of defining Blended learning, it is stated that the definitions of „blended learning‟ have changed over time, but the BL definitions since 2006 have been regarded current and updated Therefore, he suggests a definition as follows:

„“Blended learning” designates the range of possibilities presented by combining Internet and digital media with established classroom forms that require the physical co‐presence

of teacher and students.‟ (2012: 1)

In other words, since 2006, the term „blended learning‟ has been defined as the integration of traditional face-to-face and „technology - mediated instructional forms and practices‟ (2012: 1)

On the one hand, Friesen, N (2012) makes an argument against the 2002-2003 definitions of BL as they were considered to be outdated and could not be used in

2 To combine various pedagogical approaches (e.g., constructivism, behaviorism, cognitivism) to produce an optimal learning outcome with or without instructional technology

3 To combine any form of instructional technology (e.g., videotape, CD‐ROM, web‐based training, film) with face‐to‐face instructor‐led training

4 To mix or combine instructional technology with actual job tasks in order to create a harmonious effect of learning and working.‟ (2012: 2)

However, as quoted by Friesen, N (2012), Driscoll (2003: 1) stated that those definitions indicated the “untapped potential of blended learning”(2012: 2)

From the year 2006, there has been a change in the utilization of the term BL:

These positions suffer from the problem that they define [blended learning] so broadly that they encompass virtually all learning systems One would be hard pressed to find any learning system [or combination of methods] that did not involve multiple instructional methods and multiple delivery media (Graham, 2006: 4)

As outlined by Friesen, N (2012) in his report, all the terms related to the two modes of BL are used throughout the period from 2006:

Table 2.1: Opposed Forms, Contexts and Practices in Blended Learning

(2012: 6)

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Blended Learning Forms (updated since 2006)

Staker and Horn (2012) in their report for the Innosite Institute depict four forms of BL (Figure 2.1) in K-12 environments as follows:

1 “The rotation model,” in which online engagement is combined or rather, embedded, within a range of face‐to‐face forms of instruction in a cyclical manner;

2 “The flex model, in which multiple students are engaged primarily online, but under the supervision of a teacher who is physically present;”

3 “The self‐blending model,” in which students choose different courses to take independently, but do so in a setting where a supervising teacher and other students are co‐present;

4 “The enriched‐virtual model,” in which online, virtual experiences are seen as being enriched only periodically through arrangements of physical co‐presence

(2012: 8‐15)

Figure 2.1: A taxonomy of Blended learning

(2012: 2)

Last but not least, it is rather vital to illustrate BL and how to distinguish between

BL with other types of learning environment such as online learning The

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2.3.2 The Terminologies: E-learning and Blended Learning

The emergence of the new terminology BL results in the interchangeable use

of the two important terms: BL and e-learning which tends to be more familiar with institutions as well as some literatures A clear distinction between BL and e- learning (electronic learning) will be presented in this section for the sake of the

precise use of these terms in the present study Conventionally, e-learning can be defined as the type of learning with the support of technologies through a variety of delivery media

According to Littlejohn & Pegler (2007), the term e-learning indicates online

learning, computer-assisted learning (CAL), computer-mediated learning and based instruction, which refer to any use of communications and information technologies in teaching and learning process Figure 2.3 suggested by Markos Tiris shows the close relationship between e-learning, information technology (IT) and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

web-Littlejohn and Pegler (2007) state that defining e-learning is difficult to be precise because of the rapid growth of technologies in learning However, as Conole and Oliver (2006) states that e-learning is “the term most commonly used to represent the broader domain of development and research activities on the application of technologies to education” (2006: 4) Abbad, Morris and Nahlik (2009) support this idea by explaining more precisely that e-learning,in its broadest sense, is the learning that is electronically enabled, while in its narrowest sense it is Internet-enabled or web-based

Moreover, it is conventionally approved that e-learning refers to blended learning in case of distance learning Indeed, Littlejohn and Pegler (2007) indicate that there is

a common use of the term e-learning for internet-based open university programs; whereas, the emergence of the term „blended learning‟ leads to the combination of face-to-face and online mode which can be commonly known as a blended mode of

e-learning

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As analyzed above, there is a distinction between the two terminologies e-learning and BL which have currently used interchangeably in a variety of literatures or institutions To avoid this situation in the present study, I choose to use technology-based learning and online learning when referring to e-learning which is Internet-enabled, whereas BL can be defined as an integration of face-to-face learning and online learning (see Figure 2.4)

Figure 2.3: The Eclipse Diagram by Markos Tiris, LSDA, 1999 and the Definitions Used in the Centre for Excellence in Leadership‟s Report (CEL, 2003)

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Figure 2.4: A Diagram of the Blended Learning Definition

In addition, the use of the two terminologies e-learning and BL in Vietnam is worth

of discussion as well There is no doubt that the term BL is much less widespread than the term e-learning in the literatures as well as institutions in Vietnam In particular, BL is not a familiar learning concept, or even few people can recognize

or understand this terminology precisely E-learning is considered to be more

common in Vietnam, but its scope is quite restricted in learning of private institutions or organizations rather than schools, colleges or universities Meanwhile, some private institutions have implemented the convergence of online learning and traditional face-to-face classroom, but they do not realize that they

have applied BL in their teaching and learning process In other words, they use interchangeably the term BL with e-learning or even merely traditional face-to-face

learning As the researcher observed, in Vietnam nowadays, fully online courses and blended courses are all called e-learning courses

2.3.3 Characteristics of blended learning

Al Fiky (2011: 23-24) assumes that BL has five key characteristics The first

is maximizing the variety of interactions in learning such as teacher-student, student, student-student, student-material…Secondly, blended learning results in the shift from teacher-centered learning to student-centered learning In other words, modern learning in the digital age supports learner autonomy, which indicates

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learners‟ independence and self-control in their learning process The third characteristic of BL is the support of management diversity including feedback, marking, submission, interaction, or assessment which are integrated for teachers and students The fourth is to avoid time and place limitation for learning with the availability of course content and materials…every time and everywhere, which leads to the full provision of resources and information to learners Supporting the idea, Huang and Wang (2006) state that BL boosts the flexibility of supplying learning resources and information in a networked environment Last but not least,

BL enhances students‟ engagement and motivation as well as improves their morale thanks to collaboration

Furthermore, Huang and Wang (2006) add another characteristic of BL that is respecting learning diversity Since students are various in terms of learning ability, learning proficiency and learning styles, BL makes it possible for all learners to promote their individual learning

2.3.4 Levels of blended learning

As stated by Graham (2004: 10-12), it is fundamental to figure out different levels of BL including the student activity, course, program, and institutional level

Al Fiky (2011: 42-45) supports this idea by pointing out four levels of BL in terms

of its quality, nature and the degree of blend:

Component level: this depicts the integration of a plenty of information transfer

media and the course content to produce a whole that encompasses a variety of separated components in terms of the students‟ nature and traditional face-to-face or online learning resources The examples of this level are as follows:

 Two-Component model: it describes learning through taking advantage of online learning tools or resources followed by traditional face-to-face learning in the classroom

 Three-component model: it depends on feedback to diagnose learning process of students, followed by adapting learning using traditional face-to-face methods and finished with the enhancement and enrichment of learning using online learning

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From the present research‟s perspective, the three-component model is my immediate interest in designing a BL model due to the fact that the learners‟ ability needs diagnosing based on their feedback or teacher‟s feedback for the sake of modifying course content in traditional classroom, which can be used to boost learning through electronic learning

Integrated level: it is the combination between various elements of the online

learning depending on the Internet Each element supports other elements and assessment is one of the integrated elements to evaluate learning abilities of the learners in performing different learning assignments The example of this level is:

 Integrated blend between three components (available learning resources online (i.e online text materials), online discussion group (i.e online forum or chat forum

on website or social network) and direct assessment on the internet (i.e direct teachers‟ feedback using website, chat forum or social network) The three aforementioned components are appropriate for the designed model in the present research with full online activities such as web-based learning instructions, forum and discussion…

Collaborative level: it depends on the blend between the teacher (as a

guide/instructor) in the traditional face-to-face classroom or the teacher (as a tutor)

on the internet and the students (as the co-operative learning groups) in the traditional face-to-face classroom or the students (as the collaborative learning groups) on the internet The examples of this level are as follows:

 Blend between the teacher in his/her traditional role and the learners and the online teacher (as a tutor) This kind of blend in this level fits our model in such a way that teachers play different roles in different modes For example, in traditional classroom, teachers play the traditional role as an instructor for students, while in the online learning, teachers play the role of a tutor to give feedback and provide them with a wide range of electronic materials as well as supply direct evaluation and marking

Expansive level: the integration between traditional face-to-face learning and

offline electronic learning resources (electronic materials, email) This level fits the model designed in the present study Indeed, the BL model in the research depicts technology-based learning in the convergence with traditional face-to-face learning

In other words, the technology- based learning describes both online learning resources such as web-based learning resources) and offline learning resources (i.e email, electronic materials, video recorder, audio recorder)

2.3.5 Methods of the Blend

The emergence of new learning technology resources and tools such as internet-based audio, video, podcasting and Vodcasting and social network including blogs, wikis, Facebook, Skype promotes new blending potentials The information technology knowledge of the net generation has currently raised further demands for blended learning design

It is argued by Vaughan (2007) that the mere application of some technologies in a face-to-face classroom is not considered as blended learning Hence, a critical issue

is about the methods of designing the blend

The approaches to apply BL are also recommended by Rossett, Douglis, and Frazee (2003), Kurtus (2004) and Zaitoon (2005: 174-176) as follows:

 First method: teaching certain lesson followed by another online lesson Finally, learners can be assessed with either traditional or electronic means

 Second method: applying both modes: face-to-face teaching and online alternatively in the same lesson, but the face-to-face instructions are used at the beginning of the lesson and then the technology-assisted learning Finally, learners are assessed using either traditional or electronic means

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 Third method: applying both modes: face-to-face teaching and online alternatively in the same lesson, but the technology-assisted instructions are used at the beginning of the lesson and then the face-to-face instructions Finally, learners are assessed using either traditional or electronic means

 Fourth method: applying both modes: face-to-face teaching and online alternatively in the same lesson more than once, then students are assessed using either traditional or electronic means

In addition, as suggested by Dorman Woodall, Director, Skillsoft Learning (May 2012) in his book called „Blended Learning Strategies: Selecting the Best Instructional Method‟, there are two methods of the Blend as follows:

- Synchronous instructional methods: methods in this domain consist of traditional classrooms, virtual classrooms, live product practice (labs), interactive chats and mentoring (coaching).(2012:4)

- Asynchronous instructional methods: Methods in this domain consist of documents and web pages, web-based training (WBT), computer-based training (CBT), CD-ROM, assessments, tests, surveys, simulations and labs and recorded live events (2012:7)

It is considered that BL is designed according to the teacher‟s ability to select the appropriate methods of applying it effectively Due to the nature of the present study, IELTS speaking performance, the students‟ features and the scope of the research, both methods recommended by Woodall, Dorman (2012) are adopted to

be applied in teaching IELTS speaking skills

2.3.6 Factors that influence the application of blended learning and promote successful blended learning

According to Sharma and Barret (2007), the use of BL in language teaching and learning can be affected by the following factors Firstly, the application of BL can be influenced by teachers‟ and students‟ attitudes (positive, negative or neutral) Second, it is considered that students‟ levels in information technology or language might impact the selection of technologies and how it is applied In addition, implementing BL in language courses requires technology training for the teachers

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who are employing technology inside or outside of the classroom Furthermore, it is worth concerning the conditions in which the teachers and students access to the technology in the courses Finally, cost of materials supported for BL is also a major influence on the use of BL (2007: 12-13)

In terms of the factors that promote successful BL, Sharpe, Benfield, Robert and Francis (2006) state that BL models should be implemented to meet the local community or organizational demands instead of applying a Generic Approach Meanwhile, Mason And Rennie (2006) subscribe to the view that students‟ needs should be put first in developing BL models, ahead of the interest of the teachers or the context in making selections, remarking that BL models should respond to students‟ needs and teachers‟ readiness Littlejohn and Pegler (2006) suggest that teachers‟ workloads must be put into considerations in BL In addition, according to Vaughan (2007), that the students believe fewer traditional classes mean less work must be corrected Hence, in BL, students are highly recommended to develop their independence and self-control as well as time management skills in their learning Tabor (2007) indicates that organizational readiness, sufficient technical resources, motivated teachers, good communication facilities, and feedback channels are essential in BL Furthermore, Vaughan (2007) extends the idea to teachers‟ responsibility in continuing their professional developments to respond to the needs

of a successful BL Last but not least, the possibility of measuring its outcomes and effectiveness should be taken into account (Ismail, 2009: 98)

2.3.7 Learning outcomes in blended learning environment

According to Mugenyi Justice Kintu and Chang Zhu in their article The Electronic Journal of e-Learning Volume 14 Issue 3 (2016) depict the learning outcomes in BL environment In details, they explain learning outcomes in terms of four factors namely (1) intrinsic motivation; (2) satisfaction; (3) knowledge construction and (4) learning performance (2016: 184)

The first factor which can be regarded as a learning outcome is intrinsic motivation

As described by Kintu, M J., & Zhu, C (2016), this factor is utilized to examine

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students‟ experiences regarding “the experimental tasks set in the blended learning intervention” (2016: 184) For instance, negative feelings such as worry, stress and anxiety or positive feelings like fun, comfort and satisfaction might affect students‟ intrinsic motivation

The second factor which can be considered as another learning outcome is

satisfaction According to Naaj, Nachouki, and Ajman (2012), there have been only

a few studies in which the term “learner satisfaction” is defined in BL environment For instance, as defined by the Sloan Consortium 2009 (as cited by Naaj, Nachouki, and Ajman, 2012), student satisfaction could be understood as “Students are successful in the learning and are pleased with their experience” (J C Moore, 2009,

as cited by Naaj, Nachouki, and Ajman, 2012) Sweeney and Ingram (2001) also support the J C Moore‟s definition by stating that satisfaction is the perception of fulfillment and achievement in the BL environment (as cited by Naaj, Nachouki, and Ajman, 2012) Hence, it can be inferred from the two aforementioned definitions that both concentrate on “accomplishment and success in learning, and pleasure and enjoyment with the experience” (as cited by Naaj, Nachouki, and Ajman, 2012: 188) Meanwhile, Thurmond, Wambach, Connors, and Frey (2002) (as cited by Naaj, Nachouki, and Ajman, 2012) depict learner satisfaction as a notion that indicates learning outcomes and concessions that take place in the student- instructor interaction Wu, Tennyson, and Hsia (2010) additionally believe that “satisfaction as the sum of student feeling and attitude that results from aggregating all the benefits that a student hopes to receive from blended learning environment system.” (2012: 188) This factor is one of the vital aspects of evaluating a successful BL environment As mentioned by Naaj, Nachouki, and Ajman (2012), Sinclaire (2011) stated three convincing reasons for the importance

of learner satisfaction in the effectiveness of the BL environment Firstly, it is claimed that “it reflects learners‟ evaluation of the quality of all aspects of the educational program” (Sloan, 2011, as quoted by Naaj, Nachouki, and Ajman, 2012: 188) In addition, according to Booker & Rebman (2005), student satisfaction

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is evidently associated with learners‟ decision to take additional BL courses (as quoted by Naaj, Nachouki, and Ajman, 2012: 188) Last but not least, learner satisfaction is an important factor with the demand for more research and understanding since “satisfied students represent a public relations asset for a college or university If students are viewed as customers of college education, their satisfaction is important to recruitment efforts.” (2012: 188) According to Debourgh (1999, as cited by Kintu, M J., & Zhu, C., 2016), there was a high equivalence between student satisfaction and the course teachers‟ performance in terms of feedback and interaction with the learners Jones and Chen (2008) support the aforementioned point by indicating that the instance feedback and updated content as well as interaction between the instructor and learners improve student satisfaction in comparison to a traditional classroom Bower & Kamata (2008, as cited by Kintu, M J., & Zhu, C., 2016) added another vital factor contributing to student satisfaction which is “reliable and accessible equipment” (2016: 184) Research conducted by Debourgh 2003 (as as cited by Kintu, M J., & Zhu, C., 2016) also reveal that planning course content and teaching methods as well as teaching activities are considered to result in learner fulfillment

Furthermore, knowledge construction is referred to as another important learning

outcome as student are capable of exchanging and sharing their ideas and information with each other in BL environment (Rahman, et al, 2011, as cited by Kintu, M J., & Zhu, C., 2016)

Learning performance is the final learning outcome As compared to traditional

face-to-face classroom, students produce better learning performance when they are engaged into BL environment (Hill, Chidambaram and Summers, 2013, as cited by Kintu, M J., & Zhu, C., 2016) On the other hand, other studies show the contrary (Brown and Liedholm, 2002, as cited by Kintu, M J., & Zhu, C., 2016) or there was

“no effect of blended learning on the performance of students in a statistics course” (Delialioglu and Yildirim, 2009; Kwak, Menezes and Sherwood, 2013), as listed by Kintu, M J., & Zhu, C (2016)

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Due to the purpose and the limitation of the present study, not all the factors of learning outcomes suggested by Kintu, M J., & Zhu, C (2016) was dealt with In other words, only satisfaction and learning performance were considered as the main criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of the Blended IELTS speaking course

2.3.8 Advantages and disadvantages of blended learning

2.3.8.1 Advantages of BL

According to Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (2012), it is indicated that BL is a combination of the most effective factors of the two modes: traditional classrooms and online instructions In particular, the advantages of BL are reported from both the teachers and students‟ perspectives From the teacher‟s perspective, BL helps enhance students‟ learning outcome and diminish the limitations of e-learning (Dziuban, Hartman & Moskal, 2004) Additionally, it is reported that BL creates chances for students to apply their

„technology skills‟ in reality through „online course materials and creating their own digital content for assessment‟ (2012:29) Further, BL is a good environment for collaboration and interaction between students and teachers, students and students thanks to the application of several communication instruments such as social networking sites, discussion forums It is also possible to create a wide variety of interactive activities in traditional face-to-face classroom thanks to technology like

„higher-level discussions, small group work, debates, demonstrations, or lab activities‟ (2012:29) From the students‟ perspective, it is reported that students can develop their flexibility and independence by learning anytime and anywhere Moreover, it is indisputable that „some level of control over the pacing of their learning‟ (2012:29) In other words, „Difficult concepts can be reviewed as often as necessary‟ (2012:29) Students can also make and use their own initiative and networks based on their own learning experience Last but not least, students could have „the opportunity to engage and draw on expertise that would otherwise not be available to them without costly travel, such as virtual conferencing with

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zoo/museum/galley staff or virtual excursions to overseas historical or culturally significant landmarks.‟ (2012:29)

2.3.8.2 Challenges of blended learning

The application of BL environments encounters a myriad of difficulties and challenges which need to be identified and overcome to achieve its success

Hofmann (2011) depicts a number of designs, technical and organizational difficulties that might influence the quality of applying BL as well as hinder its expansion in teaching and learning:

1 the bias that traditional face-to-face learning is more effective than BL

2 the use of technology merely because it is available

3 the concentration on what to teach rather than how to teach, which is more critical

4 all the components of BL are not integrated and coordinated

5 participants‟ ability to use technology

6 various challenges in assessment, monitoring and class administration

7 the misunderstanding of the role of the facilitator

8 computer-related phobia of some adults

Additionally, According to Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (2012),Challenges in Implementing Blended Learning Strategies can

be outlined as follows:

- developing blended pedagogy

- teacher support and professional development

- technological challenges

- student preparation/support and transition

- assessment considerations

- culture and innovation (2012:30)

Another author – Al-Betar et al (2008) reveals in his study about several obstacles

in terms of administration, technique, human, finance and technology when designing and applying BL into learning environment successfully While according

to Abo-Mosa and Al-Soos's study (2010), BL is facing some difficulties in

The convergence of traditional face-to-face learning with the assistance of online learning in a BL environment requires the intensive understanding the learning theories involved the two separate environments As mentioned in the BL Research Reports (2007), the theory of BL does not seem to belong ‟to one learning theory but is rather a method used within different pedagogical approaches” (2007: 11) The three common learning theories which are behaviourism, cognitivism and constructivism not only tend to underpin face-to-face instruction but according to Ally (2007), “The design of online learning materials [that] include principles from all [these] three schools of thought”( 2007: 20)

From George Siemens‟s perspective (January 2005), “All of these learning theories

hold the notion that knowledge is an objective (or a state) that isattainable (if not already innate) through either reasoning or experiences Behaviorism,cognitivism, and constructivism (built on the epistemological traditions) attempt to address how itis that a person learns.”(2005: 4-5) He continues with behaviorism that learning is

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about observable change in behaviour, which is “more important than understanding internal activities” (2005: 4) In other words, this theory supports the “black box theory” in which the thought processes in the mind is absolutely ignored because

“we can‟t possibly understand what goes on inside a person” (2005: 4) Cognitivism, on the other hand, overcomes the key limitation of the previous learning theory by viewing the learning as a thought processes behind the observable behaviour, which means that “Learning is viewed as aprocess of inputs, managed in short-term memory, and coded for long-term recall” (Siemens, G 2005, January: 4); Whereas, constructivist theory focuses on learner‟s knowledge construction/constructing through their learning experiences rather than regarding

“knowledge as external tothe learner and the learning process as the act of internalizing knowledge” (2005: 4)

In the age of technology or the digital age, a new approach to the recent digital context is highly demanded for the sake of supporting learning process due to the

limitations of the three aforementioned schools of thought: Behaviorism,

Cognitivism, and Constructivism According to Siemens, G (2005, January), the

central tenet of all these learning theories is to address learning occurring inside a person instead of outside of person, which is one of the principal factors of learning process in our digital age in general and the BL environment particularly Indeed, behaviourism and cognitivism fail to “describe how learning happens withinorganizations” (2005: 5); Therefore, using them in designing technology-based learning environments leads to the limited learner-content interactions, and fails to promote student-lecturer interaction (Hirumi & Bermudez, 1996 cited in Woo & Reeves, 2007) According to Schwandt (1997), the third learning theory, constructivism is defined as follows:

Philosophical perspective interested in the ways in which humanbeingsindividually and collectively interpret or construct the social andpsychological world in specific linguistic, social, and historical contexts

(1997: 19)

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As indicated earlier, from the Constructivists‟ point of view, learning is the process

of constructing and interpreting knowledge based on personal experiences Therefore, this theory can support the combination of e-learning in education This

is best described by social constructivism developed by Vygotsky, which indicates that the methodology of web-based learning has to bebased on social constructivism

learning theory (Wise and Quealy, 2006 and Woo and Reeves, 2007) On the one

hand, social constructivism can be recognized in the learning process in which sharing text, audio and video materials through online environments promotes the acquisition of knowledge in groups or individually which will be then constructed and interpreted diversely depending on the learners‟ personal perspectives towards learning experiences In other words, there is an integration between social interaction and cognitive activity In addition, Confrey (1995) also indicates that the principal constructing processes have a tendency towards social interaction which is

in turn the foundation to develop learners‟ constructions (1995: 214) As Woo and Reeves (2007) state, “Recently, many educators have come to see the value of social constructivism as a foundation forthe design of more effective learning environments” (2007: 18) Despite the recognition for social constructivism as a widespread and effective framework for online learning, the main issue concerned

by Wise and Quealy (2006) is that “social constructivist pedagogies and onlinelearning have been conceptually conjoined with little attention to theoretical detail” (2006: 903), which can be implied that “social constructivist learning does not require technology, anddoes not emerge directly from use of online environments” (2006: 903) In a digital era, “…action is often needed without personal learning – that is, we need to act by drawing information outside of our primary knowledge The ability tosynthesize and recognize connections and patterns is a valuable skill” (Siemens, G 2005, January: 5), which results in the demand for a new learning theory that can be workable in a learning environment in which the impacts of technology are myriad in order to alter the established learning

theories as previously discussed