Abstract
This paper describes and discusses experimentation with the use of blended learning in teaching Shakespeare. Previous iterations of the subject in a traditional lecture and tutorial format had seen a decline in student attendance and a fall in student achievement at the higher grade levels. A further complicating issue was the range of expectations from the cohort, which comprised students from Creative Writing, Drama, and Education, a factor which also highlights the cross-disciplinary nature of teaching Shakespeare. A blended learning and lectorial format was employed to facilitate small group discussion of the plays in conjunction with a wider social and historical overview. Student feedback indicated that the changes to the delivery method were received positively, although some questions do remain concerning levels of student engagement and the specific disciplinary needs of student cohorts. The findings of the teaching of this subject will translate usefully to other fields and disciplines, especially as more and more subjects take up blended learning. The findings indicate that it is not enough to take up new technologies in the teaching of a unit. The learning environment must also be rethought and reconceptualised.
Highlights
This paper describes and discusses experimentation with the use of blended learning in teaching Shakespeare
The case study for this paper was the teaching of Shakespeare to a university level class with students from a variety of backgrounds and undertaking different courses: Creative Writing, Drama, Acting, and Education
The unit had been taught for a number of years via the traditional lecture and tutorial style, with ongoing assessment during the semester and a central exam at the end of the semester
Summary
The unit had been taught for a number of years via the traditional lecture and tutorial style, with ongoing assessment during the semester (a research essay) and a central exam at the end of the semester. The teaching team, via observation, student feedback and peer reviews, had noticed that as the years moved on there was a growing issue with attendance and engagement levels These have been in decline for some time, manifesting in poor attendance levels in lectures and tutorials. Instead of having tutorials with one tutor leading the discussion and those present in the tutorial (often in diminishing numbers) reluctant to speak, we had all four teaching members present throughout the lectorial and the seminars for a unit enrolment of 90 students This method was implemented to challenge issues of separation as the blended technique allows for more focused and small group discussions. One of the commonalities between their findings and what we are discovering in our classrooms is the question: What is the right blend between traditional and innovative methods of teaching?
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