Self-Knowledge and Learner Engagement in Hybrid Classrooms

Abstract

It has been reported that 70% of classroom talk is taken up by Teacher Talk Time (TTT) (see Davies, 2011), with little space left for Student Talk Time (STT), which leads to learner disengagement in hybrid classrooms. In search of an optimal teacher talk model conducive to learners' self-knowledge and engagement, this interdisciplinary research tested the educator-guided use of assessment tools (e.g., MBTI, SWOT, Johari's Window) in learners' self-assessments, peer group assessments, and classroom interactions. Drawing upon psychological, social, and organisational learning models, this research integrated learning models into a standard 45-minute teaching experiment participated by twenty-two consented first-year undergraduates (N = 22) enrolled in the Bachelor of Translation and Interpreting programme at a regional university in North East China. Results from surveys support that the increased self-knowledge has pedagogical implications for educators to adopt personalised learning activities and create conscious discussion groups to engage diverse learners in hybrid classrooms.