The implementation of blended learning in an English communication course for first-year university engineering students - a case study
| dc.contributor.advisor | Du Toit, Catherine | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Raban, Mukhtar | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Modern Foreign Languages. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2018-11-24T20:06:42Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2018-12-07T06:52:07Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2018-11-24T20:06:42Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2018-12-07T06:52:07Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2018-12 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (MA)-- Stellenbosch University, 2018. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH ABSTRACTS: Engineering qualifications in South Africa are required to include an English communication module or course that equips students with the necessary academic and professional English communication competencies. Owing to the time and content burden of engineering-related modules and associated teaching and learning constraints, English communication courses subsequently receive less notional hours for achieving the module’s learning outcomes, and alternative methods for the delivery and facilitation of teaching and learning English have to be explored. This study investigated the implementation of flipped blended learning as a methodological approach to teaching writing from an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) perspective. The study was conducted in an English communication module, and the approach was explored through the lens of first-year university engineering student experiences. In particular, the investigation explored blended learning and flipped teaching practices, learning theories, pedagogical practices, learning styles, online learning and applied linguistic theories to inform the empirical case study set at a South African university. Following an interpretivist and qualitative research design, the interpretations and perceptions of participant experiences of flipped blended language learning practices were explored. The investigation yielded rich data about engineering student experiences with flipped blended language learning and concluded that individual student learning styles and preferences are directly linked to participant perceptions, experiences of and preferences for blended and flipped learning in the English communication module. The participants supported the approach and found flipped blended learning to be an effective teaching and learning strategy in the module. The participants also highlighted time management as one of the challenges experienced during the online learning phase of the flipped blended learning implementation. The findings of the study were limited to the context and experiences of the study’s participants, but encouraged future researchers to evaluate whether contextual resonance may be established. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ingenieursstudente in Suid-Afrika word verplig om ’n module of kursus in kommunikatiewe Engels te volg, om hulle sodoende toe te rus met die nodige akademiese en professionele vaardighede om in Engels te kan kommunikeer. As gevolg van die swaar belading van die ingenieursgerigte modules en verwante onderrig- en leerbeperkinge, word daar gevolglik minder veronderstelde ure aan kommunikasiegerigte kursusse toegewys en moet alternatiewe metodes vir die aanbied en fasilitering van vaardighede in Engels ontwikkel word. Hierdie studie ondersoek die implementering van omgekeerde vervlegte leer (“flipped blended learning”) as ’n metodologiese benadering om skryfvaardighede vanuit die perspektief van Engels vir Akademiese doeleindes te onderrig. Hierdie studie is onderneem in ’n Engelskommunikasiemodule en die benadering is verken deur die lens van die ervarings van eerstejaarstudente in ingenieurswese. In die besonder, word in hierdie studie vervlegte leer en omgekeerde onderrigpraktyke, leerteorieë, pedagogiese praktyke, leerstyle, aanlynonderrig en toegepaste linguistiekteorie gebruik om hierdie empiriese gevalstudie aan ’n Suid-Afrikaanse universiteit te analiseer. Aan die hand van ‘n interpretatiewe en kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp, is die interpretasies en opvattinge van deelnemers en hul belewing van omgekeerde vervlegte leerpraktyk ondersoek. Dié ondersoek het heelwat data verskaf oor ingenieursstudente se ervaring van omgekeerde vervlegte leer en is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat individuele studente se leerstyle en voorkeure direk gekoppel is aan deelnemerpersepsies asook die ervaring van en voorkeure vir vervlegte en omgekeerde leer in die Engelskommunikasiemodule. Die deelnemers steun hierdie benadering en het omgekeerde vervlegte leer ’n doeltreffende onderrig- en leerstrategie gevind. Die deelnemers het ook tydbestuur uitgesonder as een van die grootste uitdagings tydens die aanlynleerfase van die implementering van omgekeerde vervlegte leer. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie is beperk tot die konteks en die ervarings van die deelnemers aan die studie, maar moedig ook voornemende navorsers aan om te evalueer in watter mate kontekstuele resonansie neerslag vind. | af_ZA |
| dc.format.extent | 182 pages : illustrations | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/104955 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | English for Academic Purposes (EAP) | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Flipped learning | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Blended learning | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | English communication course -- Student experiences | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Education -- Study and teaching | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Language and education | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | UCTD | en_ZA |
| dc.title | The implementation of blended learning in an English communication course for first-year university engineering students - a case study | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |