Blended learning
Featured Research
Impact of blended learning course positive for students and teachers
A study looking at the blended learning English course held at an Italian university has shown it has had a beneficial effect on both teachers and learners.
What is blended learning?
Blended learning is a process where classroom learning is supported and developed by the use of structured learning through the internet and other media.
Cambridge ESOL and blended learning
Cambridge ESOL is investing in research and development on how blended learning can support exam preparation. Our first major project in this area is a collaboration with the Conference of Italian University Rectors (CRUI), the major body representing Italian universities, and Cambridge University Press.
The aim of the project is to help Italian University students to attain an English language ability at Level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). See article below for further information about this project.
Cambridge ESOL’s Research and Validation Group has launched a study which will examine the effects of this programme on those who take the tests, and the wider educational community.
Dr Roger Hawkey is leading the study on the course at the University of Bergamo in Northern Italy.
Initial responses, from teachers, students and course administrators, are very positive. The impact study will include a number of Italian universities who adopt the course and the results will be made widely available.
Blended learning programme tailored for Italian universities
In a development which could become a model for other countries to raise English standards among undergraduates, Cambridge ESOL with Cambridge University Press has tailored a blended learning programme for Italian universities.
The B1 Cambridge English Online programme is the result of collaboration with the Foundation of the Conference of Italian University Rectors (CRUI), the major body representing Italian universities.
Determined to improve students’ skills in English, the CRUI Foundation approached Cambridge with a brief to design a language course that was specifically tailored to the needs of Italian university students. The course needed to make best use of limited teaching hours and was aimed at helping students reach the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages’ (CEFR) B1 level, widely regarded as the minimum standard for work and study purposes.
Working closely with the CRUI Foundation, Cambridge ESOL and Cambridge University Press used their world-leading expertise in language learning and assessment to provide Italian universities with a tailor-made and cost-effective way of improving the English language skills of their students.
The course is based on 75 hours of online self-study and 25 hours of face-to-face tuition and covers all four skills (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking). Students can learn at their own pace by logging in from any multimedia PC, at home or at university, and information can be brought to life in video and audio as well as picture and text formats. The course has 24 weekly modules, covering topics such as travel, family and sport, and each with four separate units covering Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking skills, as well as grammar and vocabulary.
Students can review their progress, receive instant feedback, get online support and take progress tests throughout the course. Ready-made resources, such as the syllabus, lesson plans and classroom activities, mean less preparation time for teachers. The emphasis on self-study element means classroom time can focus on the needs of individual students and teachers can easily keep track of their students’ use of the online system and review test results.
A key factor in the success of the programme will be how universities integrate B1 Cambridge English Online into their teaching programmes. Cambridge ESOL representatives will be working closely with universities and technical support will include:
- a dedicated Helpdesk based in Italy using Italian speakers
- professional support to help teachers understand the system
- a series of seminars and visits
- phone and email support.
There will also be marketing support to promote the course to students.
