DS Formació’s Smooth Transition: Navigating the Shift from In-Person to Blended English Teaching

DS Formació's Smooth Transition: Navigating the Shift from In-Person to Blended English Teaching

Due to economic reasons and the necessity to relocate to another city, it was not feasible for Cinta to continue the provision of private English lessons in person. In consideration of her substantial teaching experience and positive student relationships, an agreement was reached between Cinta and DsFormació for her to continue teaching remotely. This transition necessitated adjustments for both Cinta and her students, yet, with effective planning, the transition was executed smoothly, and the majority of students continued to engage in their classes.

Context

In 2021, Cinta completed her master’s degree in Professional English-Spanish Translation. Subsequently, a move back to her hometown became necessary due to high rental costs and a scholarship that solely covered expenses during the master’s duration. Having privately taught English for five years and having cultivated strong relationships with her students, neither the students nor Cinta desired a cessation of classes. Recognising the personalised nature of her one-to-one sessions, she proposed a shift to online teaching. Consequently, a collaboration was initiated between Cinta and DomSpain in Reus to undertake a case study and apply the methods and techniques demonstrated in the BLITT Bridging Course.

People Involved

Cinta Gascón, possessing a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s degree in Professional English-Spanish Translation, embarked on her journey as an English as a foreign language educator during her undergraduate years. This initiative was necessitated to supplement expenses that exceeded the scholarships she received. After the culmination of her academic pursuits, a job remained elusive, leading to her return home. Proposing the option of remote teaching to her students was the natural progression. With prior familiarity of select online tools, courtesy of the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, students were presented with the choice of either continuing with Cinta or recommending a colleague as her replacement. Fortunately, unanimous consensus was in favour of Cinta. While Cinta had prior acquaintance with certain online learning tools before partaking in the BLITT Bridging Course, the course significantly expanded her knowledge base and augmented her qualifications. Six students, aged between 11 and 15, constituted her pupil demographic, each motivated by distinct reasons to engage in additional English instruction alongside their regular school curriculum.

Before the transformation

Prior to the transition to online teaching, lessons were conducted in a face-to-face setting. Cinta personally visited the students in their homes to deliver one-to-one sessions, with each lesson spanning 1 hour and 30 minutes, occasionally extending to two hours, especially when students were gearing up for examinations. Cinta assumed responsibility for providing all requisite teaching materials, encompassing worksheets and games. The crux of the challenge was confronted when the feasibility of in-person classes dwindled.

The transformation

Online Live Sessions

Subsequent to the decision to continue instruction, the format of the classes transitioned to an online paradigm. Within this virtual setting, students were empowered to utilise their microphones for interactions, facilitating communication via chat. Cinta adhered to a pre-class ritual that entailed an initial microphone and camera functionality check to ensure operational integrity. This preparatory step, urging students to log in five minutes ahead of the scheduled commencement, helped preempt potential technical glitches and disruptions during the lesson.

Cinta admitted to a prior absence of presentations in her instructional approach before partaking in the BLITT Bridging Course. She expressed her boredom with PowerPoint, which had become a staple in educational settings, and harboured concerns regarding her students’ potential disinterest. Nonetheless, the course afforded her an introduction to Canva, a tool she found exceptionally useful for introducing new subjects to her students. To her surprise, students exhibited enthusiasm in preparing presentations to showcase their newly acquired knowledge. Originally conceived as a means of tracking learning progress, this practice gradually evolved into a motivational component of the classes, enabling students to develop digital skills and exercise their creativity. Game-based Learning Cinta underscored the importance of attention and motivation as paramount resources in facilitating high-quality learning. She noted the limited attention span associated with certain activities, a challenge exacerbated in the context of online learning. Cinta averred that attention hinges upon motivation and that both are invaluable for attaining educational objectives, particularly those geared towards acquiring new knowledge. Consequently, Cinta embraced game-based learning as a strategy for bolstering engagement, fostering teamwork, and stimulating critical thinking. She affirmed that the integration of games into her instructional framework contributed to solidifying knowledge while imbuing the learning process with an element of enjoyment. The transition to blended learning mandated a shift in game formats and selection, introducing distinct variants without necessarily asserting their superiority. Simultaneously, Cinta retained her all-time favourite games, albeit adapting them to suit the online format. Classics such as hangman and wordle were employed to review vocabulary.

After the transformation

In the initial phase of the transition, challenges and adjustments loomed large. Students had grown accustomed to both computers and the customary in-person teaching style. Cinta had previously maintained a dynamic classroom environment, and her task now was to convey that the online modality could offer an equally engaging experience. For younger students, the shift to online learning was relatively smoother as they welcomed the opportunity to employ computers at home. The extensive array of online tools at their disposal contributed to their adaptation. In contrast, the older students presented a greater challenge, with some reservations regarding the new format. Particularly challenging was the case of a 15-year-old student beset by learning difficulties and a limited attention span. Cinta continued her online teaching journey for nearly two years, suspending instruction only when a new job opportunity beckoned. In hindsight, both students and their parents expressed satisfaction with her approach, ultimately endorsing the transition to blended learning. Initial doubts that surrounded the prospect of engaging teenagers in a blended environment were dispelled. Cinta’s strategy of prioritising fun in the learning process, coupled with a personalised approach, effectively mitigated the significance of the transition to a blended environment.

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Computer, Camera, and Microphone: All students possessed a computer equipped with a camera and microphone, prerequisites for participation in the online classes.

Zoom

Zoom served as the designated platform for conducting classes. Cinta lauded Zoom as an apt choice for online English instruction, citing its user-friendly interface and versatile features. She highlighted attributes such as the built-in virtual whiteboard, a chat box that facilitated communication, screen sharing capabilities for materials and audio content, and the option for students to raise their hands – a feature particularly well-received by younger students. Notably, Zoom offered a free version allowing individual lessons with no time constraints or group lessons limited to 40 minutes. Cinta made use of the option to generate a recurring weekly meeting link, sparing her the hassle of setting up new meetings each week unless an additional class was required.

Wordwall

Cinta incorporated Wordwall, an online platform designed to facilitate the creation of interactive and engaging classroom activities. Wordwall offered a range of templates, eliminating the need for manual content generation by educators. Teachers specified the content, and Wordwall automatically generated corresponding materials. The platform presented various template options, spanning from multiple-choice quizzes to matching pairs, anagrams, sorting tasks, and close texts. Students engaged with these activities as interactive tasks during class or as homework assignments. Teachers gained insights into student progress, underscoring the platform’s time-saving qualities, promotion of interactive online learning experiences, and paper-reduction measures. Cinta commended Wordwall for its diverse array of activities, observing that while the questions remained consistent within a lesson, repetition proved effective in cementing information in students’ minds.

Canva

Canva, a free design tool with optional premium features, permitted the creation of diverse educational content. Educators harnessed Canva for generating professional-looking worksheets, lesson plans, presentations, posters, virtual backgrounds (for platforms like Zoom), documents, infographics, and more. In Cinta’s case, Canva was primarily employed for creating presentations, a strategy aimed at introducing new subject matter.

Podcasts

Cinta highlighted the utility of podcasts as a tool for instructing students on current and relevant topics. Podcasts represented a fun, homework-appropriate medium, particularly suitable for students possessing foundational language skills. Cinta pointed to the “English Learning for Curious Minds” podcast on Spotify, tailor-made for students with prior language proficiency. This resource augmented students’ listening comprehension skills while delivering informative content.

Various Online Games

Cinta occasionally adopted a more informal approach, exploring classic online games such as Hangman, Guess Who, or Scrabble. This practice granted students access to an array of enjoyable options for reinforcing their learning.

A Less Effective Tool: Google Meet

Some students opted for Google Meet over Zoom due to parental preferences. Cinta noted a propensity for technical challenges when employing Google Meet. Nonetheless, she acknowledged its potential as a suitable alternative to Zoom.

Reflections

Challenges Faced

The primary issue experienced was occasional internet connectivity problems, but, on the whole, the transition proceeded without major hitches.

The BLITT Bridging Course provided Cinta with the requisite tools that enhanced student participation. Zoom emerged as a favourable choice, offering a user-friendly interface and versatile interaction options. Moreover, the integration of online worksheets, presentations, and educational games was identified as highly effective. These games, designed with educational goals, facilitated learning without students perceiving it as work.

What went well?

Effectiveness

Cinta noted the challenge of finding optimal solutions in one-to-one instruction. Nonetheless, her prior familiarity with her students and their established rapport warranted the transition to online teaching. Supplemental strategies, including interactive quizzes, forums, and web chat within the virtual classroom, engendered an interactive environment mirroring real-world interactions. This approach heightened student engagement and, by extension, fostered a more effective learning experience.

DS Formació’s Smooth Transition: Navigating the Shift from In-Person to Blended English Teaching