Abstract

Teaching presentation skills is by no means an easy task. To teach such skills effectively, a teacher must help the students to learn how to (1) design and organize the presentation contenteffectively; (2) strengthen their verbal and nonverbal communication skills;and (3) master the use of visual aids. Often, the traditional face-to-face classroom setting falls short when the lecturer has to teach more than 100 students how to observe small details of body language and vocal skills. In this case, a blended learning mode — a hybrid of face-to-face and online learning — may be a better option than a pure face-to-face learning mode (Fang, Chow & Soo, 2012). The purpose of this paperis to demonstrate how blended learning can be implemented to teach university students' presentation skills. In the spring term of 2013, ENGL A122F: Presentation Skills, a five-credit course for full-time undergraduate students, was first delivered via a blended learning approach at the Open University of Hong Kong. Attempting to combine the best features of the online and face-to-face modes of teaching, the blended delivery course incorporated video and interactive web-based components into the course outline. In this paper, I share my experience of how presentation skills can be taught through video lectures and assessed through the online learning environment (OLE), alongside traditional teacher-led lectures and tutorials. Also, I discuss how the blended learning approach, compared with the traditional face-to-face teaching mode, can not only facilitate propositional knowing, but also help learners to achieveexperiential knowing, and presentational knowing (Heron & Reason, 2006). Last but not least, the paper reflects on students'feedback, as well as the challengeswhen implementing the blended learning mode.

Highlights

  • Introduction to Blended LearningA blended course design, development and delivery mode provides flexibility in terms of assignment submission, assessment methods, group work transparency, marking, feedback, the release of grades, and communication between students and teachers

  • The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how blended learning can be implemented to teach university students’ presentation skills

  • According to Krase (2007, cited in Bath and Bourke, 2013: Blended learning is realized in teaching and learning environments where there is an effective integration of different modes of delivery, modes of teaching and style of learning as a result of adopting a strategic and systematic approach to the use of technology combined with the best features of face to face interaction (p. 1)

Read more

Summary

Introduction to Blended Learning

A blended course design, development and delivery mode provides flexibility in terms of assignment submission, assessment methods, group work transparency, marking, feedback, the release of grades, and communication between students and teachers. The most popular blended learning tools employed by universities worldwide include blogs, Twitter, discussion boards, e-assessment, e-portfolios, live Internet streaming, video conferencing, mobile device apps, MOOCs, and open educational resources (OERs). All of these tools enrich the student learning experience and optimize student engagement, as well as improving the course administration and management through the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). The blended learning approach has opened up endless learning possibilities for the Net generation

A Blended Learning Case Study at the Open University of Hong Kong
Experiential knowing
Presentational knowing
Practical knowing
Findings
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call