Potential Benefits and Drawbacks of HyFlex Learning for Adult Literacy and EAL Education

HyFlex Learning is a relatively new approach to education that has gained popularity in recent years across sectors. It combines the flexibility of online learning with the interactive experience of traditional classroom learning, allowing students to choose how they want to participate in their courses. HyFlex Learning is particularly suited for Adult Literacy and English as a Additional Language (EAL) students, who may have limited access to traditional classroom settings, are remotely located or who need a more flexible approach. This article explores the potential benefits and drawbacks of HyFlex Learning, with a focus on its applications in Adult Literacy and ESL programs.

Image: Elf-Moondance : https://pixabay.com/illustrations/didactics-distance-learning-6086216/

HyFlex : Basic Principles

HyFlex Learning is an educational model that empowers students to choose whether they want to attend classes in person, remotely, or both. This approach allows students to take control of their learning experience and manage their schedules more effectively, making it particularly beneficial for those with other commitments such as work or family responsibilities.

Instructors in the HyFlex model teach the same material to both in-person and remote students, utilizing a variety of methods to ensure that all students receive the same quality of education. This approach promotes interactive and collaborative learning, which enhances the overall learning experience for students.

However, for this model to be successful, teachers must engage in careful planning and preparation. This involves creating engaging and interactive lessons that can be delivered effectively in both in-person and remote settings. Teachers must also be prepared to manage the logistics of accommodating different modes of learning.

HyFlex Learning could be particularly effective in adult literacy and English as an Additional Language (EAL) teaching. Adult learners often have competing demands on their time, making the flexibility of this model essential. Moreover, the HyFlex approach can address the unique needs of adult learners by catering to different learning styles and preferences. This approach can provide a sense of autonomy and control over their learning, which enhances motivation and engagement.

To effectively implement the HyFlex Learning model in adult literacy and EAL teaching, instructors must be mindful of the specific needs and challenges of this student population. This requires creating culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate lessons and providing adequate support and guidance for learners who may be less familiar with the technology used in remote learning. With careful planning and execution, the HyFlex Learning model can provide a flexible, dynamic, and inclusive learning environment that meets the needs of a diverse student body.

Application of HyFlex Approaches in North America 

Several adult literacy and EAL programs have implemented the HyFlex approach, some it would appear, with positive results. 

One example is the Community Literacy of Ontario (CLO), which is a non-profit organization that supports adult literacy programs across the province of Ontario, Canada. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CLO launched a HyFlex pilot project to enable adult learners to continue their education remotely. The project provided teachers with training on how to use digital tools effectively to support HyFlex learning, and learners were able to choose whether to attend classes in person or remotely. The pilot was successful, and CLO is now expanding the HyFlex model across its network of literacy programs. (1) 

Another example is the program at the Pima Community College in Tucson Arizona, which has integrated the HyFlex approach into its ESOL classes. Instructors use a variety of digital tools, such as video conferencing and online discussions, to facilitate remote learning, while also providing in-person support for learners who prefer to attend classes on campus. The program has found that the HyFlex model has increased student engagement and has enabled more learners to complete their courses successfully. (2) 

These examples demonstrate the potential of the HyFlex model to provide greater flexibility and accessibility for adult learners in literacy and EAL programs. By offering a range of learning options, the HyFlex model can cater to the diverse needs and preferences of adult learners, enabling them to achieve their educational and career goals. 

Application of "HyFlex" Approaches in Australia 

There are claims that Adult Literacy and English as an Additional Language programs in Australia are using a HyFlex approach to deliver but what they means exactly I am not sure. My own literature search revealed little in terms of how HyFlex is being applied in Adult Literacy and ESL programs specifically. 

The HyFlex model should enable learners to choose between and combine in-person and remote modes of learning, allowing them to better manage their schedules and achieve their educational goals. 

No doubt there are programs which throughout the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond followed a model of provision not unlike my own but there is little to demonstrate how exactly these programs operated. 

You can read about my approach here. (3) 

Potential Drawbacks 

Initiating such innovation is not straight forward. There are barriers which exist in terms of perceived and actual resistance from funding bodies for any kind of literacy or language program which is not totally face-to-face.  There is even reservation on the part of some providers who are not confident programs other than those that are delivered in-person are effective or desirable from a management over-sight point of view. 

Despite this, the HyFlex approaches described above show that Adult Literacy and EAL programs can be adapted and developed even though we are just at the beginning of the project. 

While the HyFlex model has many benefits for Adult Literacy and EAL students, there are also potential drawbacks to this approach. One of the main challenges with HyFlex learning is the need for effective time management skills - for both students and teachers. 

Students may need to balance their study time between in-person and remote classes, find time for collaboration with other class members as well as self-direct some online learning tasks. This can be challenging for some students, particularly those with limited experience using technology or those who have limited access to reliable internet connections. 

Teachers

Teachers too need to carefully manage planning and preparation, the technology, follow up and communication with their students. One of the potential issues for less experienced or tech savvy teachers may be a "blow-out" in time required to prepare and deliver with so many learning options being offered. Teachers also must be prepared and capable of working with various modalities of delivery and be critical in their application of technologies. 

Just how much time and at what hours of the day and night are teachers, for example, prepared to work with time strapped individuals? Are there industrial implications here? Is it realistic to expect students to make themselves available and communicate outside regular class hours? 

Management

As mentioned previously, there are also concerns from the point of view of management around investment in technology as well as the effectiveness, accountability and oversight of programs. 

I am of the mind that such concerns are largely unwarranted. For the last two decades most providers, even those relatively small in the community sector, have availed themselves of funding for technology and have encouraged their staff to attend training in the use of the internet for learning. Streaming and recording of classes does not need to involve an expensive set up (an iphone, some basic lighting and tripod are sufficient). If there is concern, it should probably be directed at ensuring students have adequate connectivity and support if required.

The End of Community Building?

One of the greatest fears for those working in the community education space is the potential danger of reduced interaction and community building among students. In-person classes provide opportunities for students to build relationships with their classmates and instructors, and to develop a sense of belonging within the learning - and wider - community. In remote or online learning environments, these opportunities may be more limited, which could possibly lead to disengagement. 

HyFlex learning may not be suitable for all learners, particularly those who prefer a more structured and predictable learning environment or for those with no or very basic experience of learning. The flexibility of the HyFlex model may be overwhelming for some students, who may prefer a more traditional classroom-based approach. 

Personally, I feel this danger is a little exaggerated as HyFlex includes exclusive in-class learning as a valid student choice. No one is going to throw students without tech skills into a situation in which they are bound to fail. Increases in online learning can slowly be introduced as the least tech savvy students learn skills and if they need to change or combine the mode of learning.

Except for some, many students  already engage with technology on a daily basis via social media. Over the past three years they have in many cases developed skills while studying and attending classes during the Covid-19 health emergency. It places them in a good position to engage in new, Hyflex aproaches. 

While the HyFlex model has many benefits, it is important to restate that there may well be some risks when implementing this approach in Adult Literacy and ESL programs. It is important for instructors to provide adequate support and guidance to students, particularly in the areas of time management and online skills, and to ensure that there are opportunities for students to build relationships and a sense of community within the learning environment. 

On the other hand, HyFlex provides a welcome extension to time and location fixed types of in-person provision which deny many adults an opportunity to learn because of their inflexibility and inconvenience. 

One such group who come to mind and stand to benefit are adult learners who live remotely. By providing remote access to learning content and instruction, the HyFlex model also enables students to engage with the material and other class members whose time is compromised by long days working in agricultural settings or working in itinerant situations or living in locations distant from community centres and colleges. 

The use of digital technologies, such as video conferencing and online discussions, can provide opportunities for these remote students to connect with their instructors and peers, and to participate in collaborative learning activities even with the limitations and potential problems described above. 

Effectiveness and Pre-requisite Conditions for Success 

It is important, however, to note that the effectiveness of the HyFlex approach for remote students will depend on several factors, including... the quality and reliability of internet connectivity, the availability of appropriate technology and equipment, high levels of support and guidance provided by instructors. Instructors will need to ensure that remote students have access to the same quality of instruction and support as in-person students, and that they are able to fully participate in the learning experience. 

The HyFlex approach could be an effective solution for remote students, but it is important to carefully consider the unique needs and challenges of these learners, and to provide appropriate support and resources to enable them to succeed in their studies. 

Conclusion 

HyFlex Learning is a valuable tool for Adult Literacy and ESL programs, providing students with the flexibility and convenience of online learning while still offering the benefits of a traditional classroom experience. While there are some drawbacks to the HyFlex approach, such as the need for a period of very substantial planning and technical preparation, the rewards of much greater flexibility, improved access to learning, convenience and student engagement, are worth the effort . 

Overall, the benefits of HyFlex Learning make it a promising option for Adult Literacy and ESL providers looking to innovate and broaden their teaching and delivery practices. Many adult learners in the community want to learn but cannot do so in the time and location bound dimensions of exclusive face-to-face provision. We owe it to them to innovate.

Notes: 

(1) Considering Use of the Hybrid Flexible Model in Adult Education, Amadapour, K., EdTech Centre for World Education, 2022, https://edtech.worlded.org/considering-use-of-the-hybrid-flexible-model-in-adult-education/
from Digital Literacy Success Stories, Community Literacy of Ontario, Nov. 2020
https://www.communityliteracyofontario.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/Digital-LIteracy-Success-Stories-Nov-2020-FINAL.pdf 

The article by one provider, PTP, is worth considering in terms of the development of some delivery beyond standard blending learning and into HyFlex: "We have also started to deliver a program in a HyFlex learning model with an in-class teacher using smartboard and a small number of in-class students with more students watching online with Zoom, all at the same time." 

(2) Building on a Pilot: HyFlex ESOL Class at Pima Community College, Hawes, Vi. 2022, https://edtech.worlded.org/building-on-a-pilot-hyflex-esol-class-at-pima-community-college/ 

This project is one of many based around the application of ideas found in Brian J. Beaty's excellent book , Hybrid Flexible Course Design: Implementing student-directed Hybrid Classes , EdTechBooks (2019) 

A PDF Version can be found here: https://edtechbooks.org/pdfs/print/hyflex/_hyflex.pdf 

(3) Towards a HyFlex Model of Teaching and Learning in Adult Language, Literacy, Numeracy and Digital (ALLND) Education, Pobega, D, 2022. https://dalepobegateaching.blogspot.com/2022/09/towards-hyflex-model-of-teaching-and.html
 

My plan for this year is to add another layer (live streaming from the centre / downloadable recordings for those who cannot watch or attend in real time) which will hopefully allow students from a very wide range of geographical locations and problematical life situations a genuine choice of the type and modalities of delivery that are convenient to or preferred by them.

Towards a HyFlex Model of Teaching and Learning in Adult Language, Literacy, Numeracy and Digital (ALLND) Education

In October 2020, I published a series of notes and slides on a presentation I gave for the Learning for Employment (LfE) Consortium in Western Melbourne about developments in my initial online learning model which was hastily prompted by the appearance of COVID-19 and subsequent need for classes to migrate online. 

The presentation focused heavily on the need to facilitate collaborative work and communicative opportunities among Adult Literacy, Language, Numeracy and Digital Skills (ALLND) students rather than keeping them in isolation at home "studying" with a paper based workbook or electronic equivalent. It also outlined the logistical problems of delivering and retrieving print based materials to and from students which I immediately identified as a limiting factor for learning. The low level of effective group interaction was also indicated in the approaches I had observed taken by many providers of adult education, forced as they were to pivot to online delivery for the first time with some teachers having little or no training or experience.

I explored and presented ways in which greater levels and types of interactions between teacher and student, student and student and even students and family members or friends could be introduced into learning. A brief recapitulation of parts of this approach:

De-Centred Virtual Classroom

Click on the graphic for a better view
A mini-class convened by the teacher in which students review and screen share their work. The teacher can start the process and teleport out to other mini-classes or sessions.

Teaching students to form online study circles and mini-classes in which they direct some of their own learning has been a valuable addition to whole class synchronous sessions over the last year or so.

Time carved out to work individually with students on materials sent electronically, learning plans, review of writing, conversation and the like (while others may be engaged in their study circles or be doing some self paced work) provided a third pillar to the initial approach and subsequent developments. 

Read more about my approach at:

https://dalepobegateaching.blogspot.com/2021/03/learning-circles-extending-study-skills.html

and https://dalepobegateaching.blogspot.com/2020/06/week-8-bringing-individual-learning.html

Click on the graphic for a better view
A one-on-one session in which teacher and student negotiate a learning plan.
A de-centred approach allows for time gains, a broader spread of teacher attention and arguably, better outcomes for all.

The attendant problems associated with the distribution, collection and correcting of print based materials during that period - as well as the issue of many teachers not knowing how to facilitate an effective virtual class, was on my mind. I did, however, see the practical side of producing sufficient materials or  "workbooks" for students but knew activities had to be created that were effective and not just limited to reading comprehension and flat grammar exercises. Why wouldn't we maintain similar classroom practices and norms by including interactions through technology that were communicative, pair or group centred, that engineered potential for some joint research, sharing and review of work? What simple tools were available to allow students to continue learning together? It was not just about using new technologies but thinking carefully about the nature of tasks being set and how to include group interaction rather than the individuals being left to navigate materials alone.

The new situation also provided an opportunity to test other ways of teaching - not always having to be the one who is front and centre of attention but to be more dispersed orchestrating different kinds of learning structures ranging from individual one on one to formations of students planning and meeting themselves whether it be on the phone, through email, chat, WhatsApp or Zoom. 

Click on the graphic for a better view
This is video snippet gives some idea of how I typically designed activities using Google Docs to which students could be assigned to work together on a common project or task.  The activity being discussed is one in which the paired students work individually and together on parts of a challenge - in this case, locating and finding out about the teacher's favourite icecream. They need to describe it, find out where it is produced, where it is available and how to get to the supermarket where it is sold. (The range of transferable language and technology skills here are fairly obvious).

The students also have a further opportunity to talk about their  answers and the set tasks as a whole group in a second  ZOOM class scheduled for later that week. So you can see that the material is covered in a variety of ways, with a range of skills being developed and many inputs being included from across the class over the week. The video also provides the students with points of comparison between their answers, those of the teacher and other answers from other workbooks the teacher might share with the class in the video (or in ZOOM later on).

It also provides precious time gains for the teacher, convenience and
structure for students as they work individually and collaboratively.

View some of the video at: https://youtu.be/aB4s8HzM0y4

The results I am still getting from students, their satisfaction with the flexibility and variety it provides got me thinking how my teaching might look in the longer term. 

What I asked myself then as Covid restrictions eased and students started returning to f-2-f classes in limited numbers was  "why would we now jettison the changes and gains made during the worst of the pandemic?" Did a return to the bricks and mortar classroom mean abandoning more flexible ways of working? Why would you give up the possibilities that online learning provides - even if you are primarily operating out of the face to face classroom?

Is actual attendance always the best option for those who might also work, live remotely, have limited transport options, have disabilities or struggle with illness, have complex family and caring arrangements? There are those who can attend some days but not others. Of course there are very real advantages to be gained in attending an actual class and there are activities and personal interactions that cannot be easily replicated virtually. But why can’t we work and develop pedagogy somewhere in the middle? Why can't we design an approach that caters to variety of complex, adult needs and circumstances?

A Hybrid Approach 

There was a brief period in 2021 when f-2-f classes were able to return for one day a week. 

Two other days of class were conducted online. 

In that time I found myself wanting to use the f-2-f time we had together as best we could for certain activities but not de-couple the learning from the types of communicative online activities that were working so well. I also anticipated that some students would not want to attend or could not attend due to COVID-19 (10 of the 15 students I taught in that time fell sick) so how could I cater in these complicated circumstances? 

Click on the graphic for a better view

Continuing to access materials in the face to face classroom with a workbook of QR codes. 
Students attending remotely were able to access the same workbook through Google Docs.
Activities were designed to include students attending face to face and remotely. They worked collaboratively through learning circles. Some activities were individually based and could be completed by the "absent" students in a self paced fashion.
The next logical step would have been to stream the class live to those attending remotely and facilitate some of the activities synchronously between the two groups. The aim was to maximize possibilities for student interaction through a rich blend of study activities and learning arrangements.

The students were mostly able and willing to work from home but now instead of being able to connect with others virtually, they would be be excluded for the duration of their time in quarantine. This is an obvious downside of a delivery mode that requires all students to be physically present at the same time and in the same place. If you are going to have a face to face class, students who are either sick or unable to attend physically, still need to be to attend or keep up some other way. 

I created workbook is sent to the online students by email or WhatsApp - there are links and QRs and instructions about making contact and communicating with the teacher and other class members so the work can be completed in a similar fashion to the way it is in the "real" classroom but in a much more flexible, time friendly fashion.

Either way, the students were working f-2-f and online with most of the collaborative activities being designed to allow students who could not attend to plug into work groups out of hours. 

What my model tried to achieve was a blurring of the boundaries between the f-2-f classroom and online classrooms - learning is approached from both angles no matter where the students are located and what time they have available. 

I now realise we were moving towards a form of “Hyflex” teaching and learning which unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to continue developing.

As it turned out, the surging pandemic put an end to that brief blended experiment and the students went back to studying fully online for the rest of the year as infection numbers soared. 

Predictably, the pivot to returning online was not a problem for them. It was simply a return to the online modes in which they were well versed. The structure and arrangements for learning were clear and well understood. The learners took up from where they left off the term before. Ironically, there was less disruption to learning for those who fell sick during the brief period in which we were able to return to class physically. 

The question now is could the hybrid model described above be taken that step further? Could we actually transform delivery by providing students with even greater levels of choice and access? Imagine being able to also stream to remotely located students on top of using the other strategies described. 

This is the crossroads at which I now find myself but fear the almost total snap back to face to face delivery across all sectors of education will preclude the potential for further developing the hybrid model which worked for both me and my students in 2021.

What is Hyflex?

HyFlex is an approach which tries to combine or mix a use of modes to maximize opportunities for study. It is a form of teaching in which some students are in the classroom and others attend remotely - or both. There are different graduations and levels of synchronous and asynchronous, individual and group work as well as engagement with the teacher which takes place. By streaming the class in real time another option is added to students participating remotely. 

In a recent forum, I addressed the concerns of parents of immuno-compromised children who were nervous about their kids returning to the f-2-f classroom because of escalating prevalence of Covid across the community - at the time of writing almost 40 000 cases a day!

I commented:

What is disappointing right across Education - regardless of the sector - is the missed opportunity to introduce a HyFlex approach that could cater to a range of students with varying and diverse needs. By HyFlex, I mean forms of delivery which are either

1) fully face-to-face,
2) part f-2-f / part online,
3) fully online with real time streaming to students remotely located at home or elsewhere
4) fully online self paced
5) flexible, customised variations of the above which students can move in and out of. 

We have the technology to roll out such a model and with some thoughtful planning and teacher PD, could revolutionise the way we deliver across the educational spectrum. But that’s not going to happen is it, with the great snap back to the tired status quo of traditional schooling? Why are we so stuck on pushing an industrial era model of education that is largely out of date, inflexible and incapable of properly serving us at such a critical time?

Imagine if we could organise these delivery variations and provide a whole range of students with genuine choice and flexibility? 

I have no doubt that the level of planning and preparation would add greatly to workload of a teacher. An issue that needs a lot of attention in itself. Hyflex also involves a investment in technology for live streaming but I think even more crucially, a very substantial upskilling of teachers. 

And yet what alternatives do we really have in such uncertain times? 

The centre will not hold as far as traditional, classroom delivery is concerned. 

Post Script September 2022: Now in what some (erroneously) call the “post-pandemic” period, most students have returned to long days of face to face study. Absenteeism is rife, teachers are regularly sick themselves and at times educational programs seem to be at crisis point - right across Education. 

It appears, however, that inventive, flexible ways of moving forward do not actually have much traction or support. There has been a definite shift back to the classroom and almost dismissal of online delivery as a failure or at best a necessary evil or last resort in the event of a total meltdown. 

Ironically, the health emergency exposed a great deal that was wrong with education and offered some new ways forward. My personal sense of the situation is that the opportunity to create a more responsive teaching/learning pedagogy is quickly disappearing as we move back to “normal” life and learning again.  

Notes on Blended Learning (1) From Online to Blended ... and back again

Click here to view the outline

Approach to online / blended learning in a nutshell over Semester 1, 2021 What impressed me about my own students over this period was their ability to quickly pivot back to full online learning mode during the sudden Lockdown at the end of Term 2.  I think this is due to the skills they developed studying online over such a long period which have not been lost and are being maintained via the current blended learning model now being followed. Here is a simple curriculum outline with some explanation as to how classes operated during Term 1 (fully online) and then transitioned to a blended model (one day face-to-face and two days online) thereafter.

Online Learners Overnight ... the Next Step

This presentation was delivered on 15 October 2020 to the Learning for Employment (Lfe) consortium, Melbourne, Australia.

The focus was on changes made to the model of delivery associated with migrating my own adult EAL class online from the beginning of the COVID-19 health emergency in March 2020. Developments and refinements to the model continue. 

PS. Click on each slide for a better view. There are links to short video snippets accompanying some slides.

PPS. the commentaries below are lecture notes - more "stream of consciousness" than crafted composition

***

Then e-learning comes along, and the old school seems to change. We don't have to be in the same time and space to learn. But pedagogically, things stay much the same. The cells of the timetable become the cells of the learning management system, blocks of time in the syllabus, day after day, week after relentless week. In “flipped classroom” videos, the teacher still mostly talks and the student mostly listens. The communications architecture is still one-to-many. Didactic knowledge transmission has gone online.

—- Bill Cope and Mary Kalantzis, ‘Five Theses on the Future of Learning’ https://tinyurl.com/y4gtpg7n

***

"Why we go back I can do all online? We working together just like in classroom, why we go back?”

—- M., Adult ESL learner, surveyed about study preferences for 2021 in an imagined COVID free situation

***

Slide 1 : Frontispiece /Intro

...Even if COVID went away tomorrow, isn't it time to reconsider the traditional teaching set up that has been with us for the better part of a century now? How useful, flexible and satisfying is traditional classroom delivery for busy adults who are also searching for work and have a range of other responsibilities and issues? As the astonished disbelief of my student, M., demonstrates, not all adult learners are so keen to get back to the traditional bricks and mortar classroom as many would assume.

Shouldn’t we be taking the opportunity of this period to reform the system? Students need to start genuinely owning and managing some of their own learning and teachers need to start developing a range of skills to help them (and themselves) adapt to online and blended environments that are going to be with us into the foreseeable future.

Hopefully this presentation can provide some pointers.

Slide 3: Changing direction 

My initial model was influenced by the belief we would be returning to the classroom within a few weeks! Little did I know it would be most of 2020 ... and who knows what the future holds?

Let’s take the use of print based workbooks during the first lockdown phase. While others rushed to produce them and struggled to distribute and collect them I had serious doubts about the whole strategy.

The logistics of their delivery, retrieval and correction are very problematical.

1) When exactly do the workbooks reach the student and get returned to the teacher - either through arrangements for pick up and drop off, or the postal service? Both systems became progressively problematical during the restrictions as direct personal contact between students and centres was cut due to OH&S considerations. It was also costly, risky and slow asking students to make use of the postal service to return photocopied work.

2) Aren’t there issues around “correcting” work in any case? Is corrected student work really revised by the student when it is returned? In my experience the answer is usually "no” so just like “homework” which has limited value in most cases, this exchange is essentially a time wasting exercise for both parties. 

Or was it just a way of proving work had been set, done and returned to please management, funding bodies and the like regardless of whether learning was actually taking place?

All of this went against the rich collaborative work and communication amongst students we normally facilitate in class. I was determined to involve the students themselves in working together and reviewing their work amongst themselves - and not just have me receiving homework to tick and return.

Sure, there is a role for the teacher - but the time for direct review of student work and progress by the teacher is better spent with the student face to face whether it is actual or virtual - see my discussion about online mini-lessons with students below)

Multiple dialogues and lots of group interaction are key. Learners should not be confined by the narrow one-to-many teaching approach : this transmission model is amplified in an online situation with studying online becoming a very lonely place for students stuck at home.

My approach attempts to encourage pair and group work, to build relationships and communication between students.

My “workbook” is really an "anti-workbook" of sorts - it is more an occasion for setting up situations for inter-student communication and collaboration rather than focusing on content which the individual consumes in isolation from others. It should be a jumping off point for actual practice in the macro skills rather than a lonely and tedious form of busy work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6_c1kkSbAo

Slide 4: More points of communication

The first version of my workbooks were also focused heavily on content (as the slide above illustrates) although each activity had some ‘talk’ engineered around them. Students used the phone and later video chat to talk about their answers with one another but more you interaction was needed.

Something interesting started happening almost of its own accord during that first phase - the students themselves were restless for more interactivity and began photographing and sending the work by email and SMS to me on their own volition. I also noticed that a few were starting to use video chat clients and the like to communicate and socialise with one another.

Overall the work returns were actually patchy and only the most technologically savvy or best supported students were reliable. 

There was a downside to these electronic returns - a huge increase in collecting, correcting, responding and filing it at all hours throughout the week - in fact, it became overwhelming.

In response to these developments and challenges I started to reconfigure my workbook, reducing the amount of content and setting up more points of communication (by phone, video chat, and later, Zoom) with each activity I designed. 

The workbook was in PDF - a huge advantage over its paper-based counterpart as it could be reliably and quickly distributed by email without delay. But it occurred to me that these efficiencies afforded by the technology could be better (See Google Docs discussion below as an instant channel for distribution and interaction)

Slide 5:  Towards plasticity  

Imagine, a workbook which could ....

• be delivered to the students instantly;
• be completed and corrected effortlessly;
• be a document in which a range of other media, links and resources could easily be embedded;
• be shared with more than one student with strategies developed to get them working together and communicating with one another.

Imagine a workbook that did not require printing or returning;

• that could be read on any device and require no installation of software;
• that is not just a workbook but more of an environment in which students and the teacher "meet" to share, edit and comment on each others'work;
• that is linked to a series of cloned copies that can be shared and be moved between by the teacher and even other students;
• that is totally free. 

That workbook is already potentially available in the form of Google Docs.

Slide 6: Interconnected Activities

The reformed learning cycle aimed to be like the dynamic structure of an Ecosystem rather than be an inert, management system. A learning cycle in which the parts flow into one another and work together (activities in the workbook prompt communication between students who must work together to complete it.

 The workbook prefigures extension activities done in Zoom or followed up on discussion boards or through quizzes ... and a range of other platforms / use of apps  --- and these in turn, flow into others and this worked well, as long as there are not too many difficult layers for learners to navigate (multiple logins, difficult interfaces, etc) 

*Supportive use of "low-tech" (phone!) to support activities and encourage peer interaction

*More time can be carved out during the week for short one-on-one sessions with the teacher. 

Time to review and check on students individually is important so a key "affordance" of online delivery is that there is time and space for this to happen, unlike the classroom, in which the group is pushed along a certain path together and assessed at the end of the cycle regardless of whether they are ready or not.

Slide 7: Google Docs as a communicative learning environment 

Google docs can be used as an environment or location in which work is done collaboratively with interactions between students and teacher almost being synchronous.

The workbook can be stand alone and self paced to a degree - it can be downloaded and worked on offline whenever a student chooses. However, it was the potential for devising “real time”, “plastic” virtual structures for collaboration and direct communication between students that most interested me.

I developed a range of workbook types : individual workbooks and assessment booklets, pair work and larger group workbooks. 

The latter types prompt the teacher to think about activities in terms of interaction not just content to be consumed and completed by each students individually.

Using Google Docs as the workbook medium, they can actually be released simultaneously. If all students are logged on and have their workbooks open, the teacher can literally line them up across her screen and jump between each workbook, correcting, commenting and observing as students work in pairs or teams. Imagine being able to talk to the student while she and her partner work together - not possible as yet 

For now the teacher can enter into a “chat” dialogue with the student(s)  in the margins with the workbook using the Comments tool.

Google Docs can also be used as a good channel for written assessment - When an assessment task or booklet is completed in Docs it can be instantly converted to PDF and be sent to the assessor via that student's unique email address thus providing a certain level of reliability as regards authentic authorship.

The 2 step verification process which is required to take out a Google account helps to verify the identity of the student - it is almost as good as an electronic signature,  and cannot be easily exploited.

Slide 8: Three types of Google Docs workbook

As stated above, I have designed three types of "workbook" 

1) individual (mainly for assessment);

2) pair workbook - students working collaboratively on information gap type activities - incorporate use of phone and video chat into pair activities - use as a base for group activities in Zoom ; 

3) Group Workbook - students working on larger projects of 3,4 or more. There is no reason you could not design a single class workbook in which everyone works on the same page (something I am experimenting with now) with the smart use of designated tables.

Slide 9: Mini-lessons as a more effective mechanism for teacher review and observation of student work

By scheduling a day in which students generally work together on a combined project in preparation for an online, whole class conference, time can be carved out for individual sessions with students. 

This is something not afforded the teacher and student in the traditional, time bound, face to face classroom in which every student is more or less pushed through the same program at the same time, in the same place and at the same pace! 

These mini-lessons or reviews evolved out of my individual work with students negotiating and overseeing learning plans which you can read about here.

Slide 10: Zoom Classes - beware the danger of allowing it to become a totalising classroom surrogate

Two scheduled Zoom meetings (1.5 hours Monday afternoon - picks up on activities collaboratively done by pairs or groups on Monday morning through the Shared Google Doc  workbook. 

2 hours on Wednesday - consolidates/extends work done on Tuesday in pairs or groups and shared through the Google Doc Workbook.

Zoom should not be used like some kind of “nanny-cam” - it is being used as such in many programs as a substitute for f-2-f classes. Again, just another way of proving the class is happening (you’ve got your students there and captive as you do in the f-2-f classroom) ...with little to show for actual learning?

There is a danger that this use of Zoom reduces possibilities for the development of other flexible and creative strategies, use of other platforms and products. Zoom is not a classroom replacement. 

It provides an opportunity for some whole class socialisation, some role play through breakout rooms, some review through Sharing - but that’s about it. 

It has its use as a virtual place to meet but the more I think about it, the more I am starting to think we need to move away from its application as a totalising “classroom surrogate” and start teaching students to use it to convene their own meetings? 

*Why not teach students to use Zoom as a convenient recording tool for their own presentations, role plays etc? 

*Why not re-purpose it as a tool for student initiated collaboration rather than always using it to ape the outdated practices of the traditional classroom environment? 

Zoom needs to be used sparingly and amongst other tools and strategies so a productive and flexible balance is struck.

https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cY6D197ZBT 

Slide 11: "Correction" and Review revisited - video use / mini-lessons

Correction and review videos - short screencasts produced by the teacher which allow students to review activities in their own time. 

Why not use synchronous environments productively/creatively rather than a teacher led opportunity for dry, lock step correction of exercises dished out to students via workbooks? 

Yet again, another mechanism in which we see platforms like Zoom being used to replicate the worst of the traditional classroom in online learning environments. One on one mini-lessons can be used as an opportunity for students to ask questions about aspects of set work they do not understand. 

Better still, why not use peer review incorporated into activities themselves as another strategy for review and correction?

https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cY6lcJKRww

12. Links, readings, reviews ...

https://youtu.be/AbDYDiXbanQ

https://tinyurl.com/y4xxk664

https://www.ibteachershub.site/2020/05/my-mantra-leave-no-one-behind.html

https://tinyurl.com/y6s9kje8

https://dalepobega.blogspot.com/

https://dalepobegateaching.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1145556932248422

 Kalantzis and Cope : https://newlearningonline.com/e-learning

Disclaimer: the views expressed and approaches taken are my own and not necessarily those of any organisation for which I work or am contracted.

Embed with Madonna

Madonna Material Girl

In one of my former posts I mentioned a limitation I encountered when it came to using Blogger as a classroom resource and teaching prop - ie. not being able to add documents for quick display and easy download for my students. I figured a patchy way around the problem. I could create links from my blog (Dale's Free ESL Club) to Google Docs, the latter a wonderful facility - like all things Google - which allows the user to upload and publish a document online with a distinct URL . The document can effectively be accessed as a web page. You can make it available to anyone or else set privileges so only your students or trusted friends can read it.

Last week I came across scribd.com ... an absolute cornucopia of a site storing millions of documents, books, notes, essays, journals, articles, power point presentations right down to the humble ESL worksheet - and it was a worksheet about Madonna that led me into this online El Dorado.

My students and I love to sing and if you visit Duke St you'll often hear us belting out a tune or two. 'YouTube Karaoke' is one of our favourite activities - this week I added a YouTube search gadget to the blog which allows students to play videos directly on the page ... so all sorts of Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish and African pop is secretly being accessed when my charges should be studying the Present Perfect or various modals or moods! ;-)

My colleague Evelyn teaching in the next room ... poor dear ... says she wishes she could join us - "teaching Excel or Introduction to Word just isn't the same thing !!!" she says. The laughing, the sheer joy, the tacky pop blaring out of the big speaker attached to my laptop - it must seem like a mad house to outsiders. Most of my students are Asian so they really get into karaoke - even those who are normally quite shy and self conscious about their pronunciation and ability to compose the language through speech.

Karaoke is also a fun and suprisingly productive way of winding down in class - singing builds confidence, provides students with an opportunity to vocalise whether it be as a class, small group, pairs or even solo . Singing lends itself to other activities such as working with the lyrics. We explore vocabulary and learn new expressions, discuss slang, even do simple translation - and this activity is moreover very motivating.

So I thought I'd search out a few Madonna songs and see what Scribd had to offer in the way of worksheets ... ah 'Material Girl' ... perfect!

What's great about Scribd is that you can embed the document very easily (as above) - the interface requires the latest version of Flash/Shockwave and allows for easy navigation via the tool bar. There's the capacity to view in various ways, print, save and send, as well as embed, link and download.

This week I was teaching language skills related to 'Asking for Help and Permission' (see Week 9 of my ESL Blog). The powerpoint presentation below which I found on Scribd was a very successful way of getting a couple of students sharing a laptop to do some pair drills - ie. practise request /reply :

Do you mind if I . . .

Scribd is a site with a commercial and communal side - you can choose to buy or sell texts (eg. publications) or else you can exchange them. Uploading three documents allows you to download one (although at work I seem to be able to endlessly download - don't ask me why). I was stunned by what I found on Scribd - entire textbooks for download - so you might need to consult your conscience about the goodies on offer. I did notice, however, that some publications are removed if it is felt they violate copyright or the publisher has objected. I don't see how this traffic in documents can realistically be controlled considering the vast numbers of uploads/downloads occurring. Interested to know what others think about that.

I'm finding that the use of my ESL blog has really developed in the last ten weeks - it's interesting the way you learn how to cycle through the use of various technologies and classroom techniques, to blend more conventional practices with new ones which the technology facilitates or invites. Watching a YouTube video can eventually lead to the the class producing its own video. Discussing and viewing naturally lead into speaking which often invites the use of Voxopop to record opinions, dialogues or even do oral assessments. The Voxopop recordings then sometimes become listening material for another class or level where the language objectives are similar.

All of these connections, blendings and cross overs continually fascinate me as a teacher - there's so much to explore and develop.

See you in term 3