“Igniting Motivation: Blended Learning in a Worksite Pronunciation Program”

Catherine Nameth
ESL Instructor
UCLA Extension

Brief Description:
Blended learning combines online and face-to-face activities. The purpose of this session is to share with teachers and administrators the benefits, challenges, and ten lessons learned from integrating a blended learning course into the curriculum. The presenter will give a definition of blended learning and will define her specific teaching context, a workplace pronunciation course at an international bio-tech company, including the reasons for choosing a blended course. The presenter will then identify the types of web-based tools available, and she will highlight the one used in her context. Next, the presenter will talk about "motivation and the adult learner" as it relates to the blended learning context, and she will identify her challenges in motivating her students to get started, to continue, and to supplement their in-class learning online. In this section, the presenter will elicit the audience's ideas about adult learner motivation and the challenges and successes they have encountered. Next, the presenter will share student feedback from the first semester of teaching this new course, will identify lessons learned and how the course was modified, and then will share the results from a more successful second semester. Finally, there will be a question and answer period.

What three specific things will attendees learn from your session?

• Be more familiar with the blended learning context and some challenges of teaching adult learners in this environment.
• Be knowledgeable about ten lessons learned from teaching in a blended environment as well as how to apply this knowledge to attendee’s own context.
• Be aware of how an instructor can be successful when teaching in a blended learning context.