UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR

SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH:

“THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A BLENDED EDUCATION SYSTEM AT THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR, FOR STUDENTS IN 4TH AND 5TH YEAR OF LICENCIATURA EN LENGUAS MODERNAS, ESPECIALIDAD EN FRANCÉS E INGLÉS AND, LICENCIATURA EN IDIOMA INGLÉS OPCIÓN ENSEÑANZA”

IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE DEGREE OF:

LICENCIATURA EN LENGUAS MODERNAS, ESPECIALIDAD EN FRANCÉS E INGLÉS

PRESENTED BY:

MARLENE ISABEL ACOSTA AGUILAR AA04182

DINA KEREN AGUILAR VILLALOBOS AV03004LUZ MARGARITA CÁCERES VELÁSQUEZ CV05016

CARLOS XAVIER MALDONADO MEJIA MM04054

ADVISOR:

MsD. ODIR ALEXANDER MENDIZÁBAL ARÉVALO

San salvador, el salvador, central america, FEBRUARY 19th 2013.

AUTORIDADES DE LA UNIVERSIDAD DE EL SALVADOR

RECTORIng. Mario Roberto Nieto Lovo

VICE-RECTORA ACADÉMICOLicda. Ana María Glower de Alvarado

VICE-RECTOR ADMINISTRATIVO(no ha sido electo a la fecha)

SECRETARIA GENERALDra. Ana Leticia Zavaleta de Amaya

AUTORIDADES DE LA FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS Y HUMANIDADES

DECANOLic. José Raymundo Calderón Morán

VICE-DECANAMsC. Norma Cecilia Blandón de Castro

SECRETARIOMsC. Alfonso Mejía Rosales

DEPARTAMENTO DE IDIOMAS EXTRANJEROS

DIRECTORMsT. José Ricardo Gamero Ortiz

COORDINADOR DEL PROCESO DE GRADUACIÓNMaster Ricardo Garay Salinas

DOCENTE DIRECTORMsD. Odir Alexander Mendizábal Arévalo

CONTENTS

Contents

Page

Introduction to the Research Project

6

CHAPTER I:

Antecedents, Justification and Objectives of the Research Project

1.1Antecedents of Blended Learning

7

1.1.1 Evolution in the Area of Sciences of Education

7

1.1.2One Century and Three Generations of Blended Learning

8-12

1.2Justification of Blended Learning

13

1.2.1Advantages

13

1.2.2Limitations

14-15

1.3Objectives

16

1.3.1General Objective

16

1.3.2Specific Objectives

16

CHAPTER II:

Theoretical Framework and Hypothesis of the Research Project

2.1A Conceptual Blended Learning Theoretical Framework

17

2.1.1Definitions

17

2.1.2Main Features

17

2.1.3The Differences Between Traditional Education and Blended Learning

18

2.1.4Three Theories that Support the Blended Learning

19-22

2.1.5Elements or Components to Consider in Blended Education

23-25

2.2Hypothesis of the Research

26

CHAPTER III:

Methodology for the Research Project

27

3.1.1Type of Research

27

3.1.2Instrument to Gathering Information

27

3.1.3 Sample

27

CHAPTER IV:

Presentation, Graphics and Analysis of the Research

29

4.1.Data Analysis

30

4.1.1General Information and Sample Selected.

30

4.1.2Results of the Surveys to Students of 4th and 5th Year of Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, Especialidad en Francés e Inglés.

31– 42

4.1.3Results of the Surveys to Students of 4th and 5th Year of Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés, opción Enseñanza.

43– 54

4.1.4Results of the Surveys to Professors of Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, Especialidad en Francés e Inglés.

55– 67

4.1.5Results of the Surveys to Professors of Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés, opción Enseñanza.

68– 80

CHAPTER V:

Conclusions, Recommendations and Proposal for the Research

5.1Conclusions

81– 82

5.2Recommendations

83

5.2.1Regarding to the University of El Salvador

83

5.2.2Regarding to the Professors Profile

83

5.2.3Regarding to the Students Attitudes

84

5.2.4Regarding to the Legal Basis for Major Development with the Blended Format

84

5.2.5Other Recommendations

84– 85

5.3 The Proposal

86– 87

CHAPTER VI:

Bibliography and Appendixes

88

6.1Bibliography

89

6.2 Sitography

89

6.3 Appendixes

90

6.3.1 The Survey to Students

90 – 91

6.3.2The Survey to Professors

92 – 93

6.3.3Estadísticas de Alumnos Inscritos en el Ciclo II-2012

94

INTRODUCTION OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT

The following work aims to understand the importance of the implementation of Blended Learning at Foreign Language Department at University of El Salvador, in order to help students of 4th and 5th year of the Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, Especialidad en Francés e Inglés and of the Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés, Opción Enseñanza that struggle with schedule issues or living in remote areas among others.

In Chapter I we present Antecedents of Blended Learning, also we establish the Justification and we set up the objectives.

Chapter II contains the Theoretical Framework, we as researchers present a tour for correspondence education, media communication, telematics education and finally Blended Learning different as teaching system. Also we postulate the hypothesis for this research project.

In Chapter III we present the methodology and the type of research to be implemented in this research, and the sample that we as researchers chose and gathering data tool we adopted.

Chapter IV encloses Data Analysis. Here we furnish an interpretation of the data gathered from the sample.

In Chapter V we include a Conclusion, Recommendation and finally the Proposal. They all include our insight regarding the implementation of Blended Learning as teaching system at the Language Department at University of El Salvador.

In Chapter VI, we resume the bibliography and we include the Appendixes. This chapter contains the surveys that were handed in to the sample. Also the data collection tool, as well as the letter we received from Administración Académica de Ciencias y Humanidades showing the amount of students registered in semester II - 2012.

CHAPTER I

1.1ANTECEDENTS OF BLENDED LEARNING

Early, people communicated through signs and gestures accompanied by sounds, subsequently, through the spoken language. Nowadays, the education through conventional means to satisfy the multiple formative that demands of the society is simply impossible. Therefore, since the decade of sixties, the traditional university, the institutions of adults' education, the companies dedicated to the professional development, etc., are in a constant search to establish facilities and organization that could fulfill efficiently and diligently the explosive demand of the new growing industrial society.

The conventional classrooms were not conceived to such increasing demand of formation. On the other hand there were not enough economic resources to provide staff and means to the already existing institutions and facilities. Many other factors along with the aforementioned gave the beginning and development of other ways of teaching and learning in which would not require a specific place or time to be delivered.

1.1.1Evolution in the area of sciences of education

The deficient of the conventional teaching system that was far from the idea of evolution or innovation to meet the new challenging times and social educational requirements leaded to dream of ground-breaking teaching ways outside the facilities, as well as the search of educational innovative systems that forced redesign of all the conventional assumptions on the education. But we shall not forget that the conventional education is one of the most resistant systems to the changes.

The outstanding progress of the Education Sciences and Psychology made possible a careful planning of the employment of resources and a methodology that, deprived of the direct presence of the teacher, promoted the independent work as well as the learning customization. This way, taming and development of the customized systems of education was achieved little by little.

1.1.2ONE CENTURY AND THREE GENERATIONS OF BLENDED LEARNING

To conquer the distances in large countries with scanty and dispersed population represented new methodological challenges to come up with a plan that would prevent students from coming to the big cities to attend to classes.

The technological advances have contributed in different societies; it has brought numerous benefits and advantages to life as we know it, and in spite of influence in the world of education, the above mentioned technology has not been applied yet to the formative processes with the same efficiency that has been done in other fields.

Blended learning is not a phenomenon of this decade; actually it has been a learning/teaching strategy used by thousands of people during more than hundred years. This type of learning was not always supported by the current electronic means; its teaching/learning approach has evolved in the last century, along three big generations of technological innovation that Garrison (1985 and 1989) identifies as correspondence, telecommunication and telematics.[footnoteRef:1] [1: GARRISON, D.R. (1985). "Three generations of technological innovation in distance education". Distance Education. N1 6, pp. 235-241. GARRISON, D.R. (1989). Understanding distance education. Londres: Routledge.]

A. The Correspondence Education

Texts very rudimentary and little adapted for the study independent from the pupils were used almost exclusively in this FIRST GENERATION, that was born at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th during the development of the press and of the postal services.

Certainly distance education “through correspondence”, initiates its development to the pace of the expansion of the post office national systems which origins being dated back in 1680 with the birth of penny post, service that allowed sending letters or packages for the price of a penny. The first information goes back to five decades after that date, in 1728. On March 20 of that year, Caleb Philipps's advertisement appears in the Gazette of Boston offering educational material and tutorships through correspondence (Battenberg, 1971), in the following terms:

Every person of the region, whiling to learn this art, can receive in the mail several weekly lessons and be perfectly educated, as the people who live in Boston “(p. 44).[footnoteRef:2] [2: BATTENBERG, R. W. (1971). The Boston Gazette. March 20, 1728. Epistolodidaktika, 1, 44-45]

Based on this text, it does not seem that was considered in this offer the possibility of bidirectional communication.

The communication system of those institutions or teaching programs was very simple, the written, initially manuscript text, and the national services of post office, effective enough though slow in that time. However they prepared the road for what we know as Distance education (nowadays: Blended Learning)

It took a quick view to appreciate that this learning was not easy, which tried to give a more interactive way than written material by the accompaniment of guides to assist the study, the systematic introduction of follow-up to each lesson, as well as working papers, exercises and assessment.[footnoteRef:3] [3: SARRAMONA, J. (1975). La enseñanza a distancia. Posibilidades y desarrollo actual. Barcelona: CEAC. SAUVÉ, L. (1992).Origini e sviluppodell´instruzione a distanza. En Instruzione a Distanza, IV, 2]

In 1914, l´Ecole Spéciale des Trabaux Publics du Bâtment et de l´Industrie in its publication l'Enseignement par Correspondance provides the following definition of teaching by correspondence:

The oral lesson of the teacher is, with all the explanations and developments that it entails, replaced by a written lesson that students must not only learn but also apply.[footnoteRef:4] [4: http://cdrsub.timerime.com/es/periodos/639798/Enseanza+por+correspondencia/]

At the end of this first stage we begin finding the teacher as a tutor or as a student counselor that responds students’ concerns by mail, returns homework already checked, encourage students to continue studying also relies on the inventions of the time to communicate as the Morse code and telegraph, telephone, radio, etc.

To a better answer for the requirements of the students’ orientation and guidance they were getting gradually the contributions of the emerging audio-visual technologies in these studies of only "correspondence".

Perhaps at this moment, it is worth to recall that in 1830 we began to communicate in a distance way through the telegraph and Morse code (1820). In 1876 the Scottish A. Graham Bell invented the telephone allowing us to communicate verbally in that way. In 1894 the young Italian G. Marconi invented the radio it was until 1920 that the first radio station was set up in North America. The teletypewriter (1910) allowed sending written messages remotely using certain codes, and in 1923 it was created the television, but it started from 1935 to make its first regular broadcasts. This stage was the longest. Even there are many countries still using this form of distance education.

B. The Multimedia education

Multimedia distance education, or in Garrison’s terms THE SECOND GENERATION, could be located in the late sixties (setting up the British Open University), likely it is living in these days its ending. The insignia of this stage is the Radio and television that are present nowadays in most households. The written text begins to be supported by other audio-visual resources (audio-cassettes, slides, videotapes, etc.). The phone incorporates most of the actions in this area, to connect the tutor to the students. In this second generation, breaking the concept of traditional class, the possibilities of presentably interaction are limited.

The primary aim of these first two generations in distance learning are the design, production and generation of materials, leaving secondly the interaction with their students and each other.

C. The Telematics Education

THE THIRD GENERATION, whose actual beginning could be placed in the 80's, would consist from telematics education. The integration of telecommunications with other educational Medias – most likely by computers –is defined by this stage. This third generation is based on the increasingly widespread use of personal computers and flexible programs actions in Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) and multimedia systems. Alluded integration can go from the classical concept of distance education to a student-centered education.

It was established something like a ring or communications network to which each actor in the educational had access from their own place to the other sectors with which it must interact. The immediacy and agility, in a vertical and horizontal way, are present in communications traffic. Garrison looked at this third stage, basically the EAO and telecommunications in the 80's flourishing. We therefore feel that this third generation has been born a second stage; we could focus on the virtual campus based on computer conferencing networks and multimedia workstations, not fully considered by that author.

In short, it is a mediated education that has been done with a sequence set to the evolution of the media that during the century and a half real life that has this type of education, we can summarize in the following sequence:

·

12

· Regular printed text.

· Text printed learning facilitators.

· Tutoring order.

· Telephone support.

· Using the radio.

· Emergence of television.

· Support for learning with audiocassettes.

· Computer assisted instruction.

· Conference Call.

· Interactive Videodisc.

· Email.

· Video conferencing room (group).

· WWW (lists, groups, online education).

· Video conferencing over the Internet

Education in a printed and unidirectional way went to education by correspondence and from there to the visual. Audiovisual teaching developed into supported training in computing, to end the era of telematics in which we are immersed. The technologies that have been used in the latter era, are assuming, as we say, a revolution in the field of education.

GENERATIONS OF BLENDED LEARNING

1st Generation

2nd Generation

3rd Generation

The Correspondence Education

The Multimedia Education

The Telematics Education

XIX and XX century

60’s, 70’s

80’s, 90’s, XXI century

The Stages in Distance and Blended Education

(Training in Computing (e-learning)) (Telematics) (Education Audiovisual) (Education by Correspondence) (Education in a printed and unidirectional way)

1.2JUSTIFICATION OF THE BLENDED LEARNING

Is it possible to offer a blended learning program at the Foreign Language Department of the University of El Salvador?

Before thinking in such project, we will go over some important facts about it:

Usually, when students reach the 4th year of the Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, especialidad en Francés e Inglés and Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés, Opción Enseñanza, they become candidates to be part of the labor market but they might face schedule issues since in most of the cases their work shift interfere with their class’s hours. Therefore it is needed to offer an option to these students so they can do both: study and work at the same time.

1.2.1Advantages

For the scenario mentioned just above, a blended learning program could help students to cope with lack of schedule flexibility since it does not require physical attendance to a classroom to continue with their studies. In addition, this option represents another benefit to students. For instance it could reduce students’ expenses such as: food, printed material, bus fare, among others. This is because a blended learning can easily take place anywhere there is a computer and internet access and all the contents and files regarding the classes that will be available on the web at any time.

Every day, overpopulation, crowded classrooms, uncomfortable desks and facilities in poor condition is just another problem students and teachers deal with. As aforementioned, a blended learning educational system offers a solutions to this phenomena since students can have remote access to their class related information from any internet connected device or place such as: coffee shops, libraries or very well their own homes.

Working or living in remote areas would no longer be an obstacle for studying. In other words learners would not be tied up to a specific place or time to access to class related information which strongly affects the amount of students that quit their majors due to the above stated.

It is important to mention that in a blended learning system, students are responsible of their own learning. Since students are in control of most of the learning process like environment, place and time they also become autodidact since professors will be tutors who assist learners whenever they have doubts.

1.2.2Limitations

In general, people usually think that e-learning just requires internet service but it is needed a special and developed software which is provided by the Site Administrator of the Institution or University. The student has to verify if his/her computer meets the hardware (e.g., Memory, Space on Disk, Processor) and software requirements (e.g., Operating System, Java version.) It means that computers that do not meet the requirements won’t be able to work with the blended learning system. Also a non-functioning hardware or software might affect considerably the learning once a student already started with the course, and if the computer is broken, student has to figure it out how it will get fixed or if he will need to purchase a new one, or, go to a cybercafé to use the resources. Also, the student could need some important information on a paper such as terms or important concepts, so he will need to have a good working printer machine and plain paper.

Second, in terms of people, the assigned professors who will teach subjects using blended learning will need to have schedule flexibility due to most of the students in the program will be working already and they won’t be able to attend to the University on regular business hours (Monday to Friday) and since the University of El Salvador is a public institution, professors do not attend on weekends. This means that the professor assigned for this option of teaching should be willing to attend when the majority of students can do it.

On the other hand, the students who sign up for the blended learning option should have a real commitment to complete the courses in the stipulated time, doing homework as well as approving it with all the requirements. Otherwise, if the students lack of this compromise, they could lead to fail the course, adding more time to complete the Major.

Last but not least, the Foreign Language Department must have an adequate budget to launch and continue with the blended learning option for the students who can’t attend to the classrooms. This budget must include the expenses of all supplies needed like a Laboratory of Facilities (Teacher-Students interactions), software system operators, trainings for professors who will teach using this option. This is one of the main limitations since nowadays the University of El Salvador requires a higher amount for the annual budget, so the University Authorities will need an increase in the budget or re-distribute it.

1.3OBJETIVES

1.3.1General Objective

To determine that the implementation of a blended learning methodology at the Foreign Language Department will provide an option to students in 4th and 5th year affected by lack of schedule flexibility or students that live in remote areas to complete their Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, especialidad en Francés e Inglés; and Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés, opción Enseñanza at the University of El Salvador.

1.3.2Specific Objectives

A. To mention which of the courses Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, especialidad en Francés e Inglés curricula and Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés, opción Enseñanza curricula are eligible to be implemented in a blended learning program

B. To establish the profile and requirements that a student of 4th and 5th year of Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, especialidad en Francés e Inglés; and Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés, opción Enseñanza should have in order to be eligible for a blended learning system.

C. To describe what will be the professor’s profile who will assist and evaluate students in the courses of blended learning.

D. To determine the different evaluation methods that will be used in the courses of blended learning system.

CHAPTER II

2.1A CONCEPTUAL BLENDED LEARNING THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

2.1.1 Definitions

Blended education is a mode that allows to teach by different methods, techniques, strategies and means in a situation where students and teachers are physically separated and only meet occasionally in person. Face to face interaction depends of the distance, the number of students and type of knowledge that is given. From the perspective of the instructional process, this mode allows to transmit information of cognitive character and educational messages through nontraditional means. It does not require a permanent face-to-face relationship and being limited to a specific site. It is a self-training process for the same student, supported by materials developed in some school, usually distant.

The meaning of Distance or Blended Education is more or less understood by most of people. However it is related, in some cases exclusively, in a derogatory manner with the instruction by correspondence. As a first approximation, we must say that this identification is not accurate since written correspondence is only one of the means used, among several others.

The blended learning is considered a didactic system in which the teacher’s behavior occur apart from the learner’s behavior, so that the communication between teacher - student is delayed in time, space or both at once. It is a teaching - learning process that requires all general conditions of the education methodology: previous planning, guideline of the process of evaluation and feedback but everything subordinated to the possibilities and limits inherent in the means of availing communication.

2.1.2Main Features

In the process of distance or blended learning, defined in the previous section, it is still possible to point main features to describe the approach described above that clearly shows the idea of independent study.

i. The self-taught in a high degree of interest and commitment of using this modality. The responsibility of learning rests in the student, who must plan and organize time to meet the course requirements. Also, the student must develop the mind, since there are many stimuli of environments attempting against the systematic study.

ii. The use of multiple media to achieve the objectives proposed. Along with the written material is also delivered instructional and educational messages by radio, television, audiocassettes, videocassette, by software and virtual classrooms via Internet. All these means do not exclude the teacher who acquires a new dimension in their professional work.

iii. Given the concern about the need and right of continuing education, blended education is a valid alternative, as it facilitates some lifelong learning strategies. Normally the population more beneficiated are the adults who want to start or continue their studies, or graduates seeking their renovation or an improvement without being removed from their labor, social and familiar context. This overcomes the traditional barrier between school and life, since the student is not separated from their environment. Moreover, he is provided with a reachable social coverage that makes more real the equality of opportunities, so it becomes a response to the democratic demand of education.

2.1.3 The difference between traditional education and blended learning.

The main difference between traditional education and the blended learning is that teacher and students share the same space and time of exchange. Otherwise the blended learning is characterized by the distance between the parties; this situation facilitates the student with a flexible plan. However both should be joined to each other; the traditional education should be supported with distance methods, at the same time the learner of the blended learning can be guided with face advice. Finally the only important thing is that teacher and students are open to share new possibilities and knowledge, also the improvement in the new technologies and everything that fosters the learning autonomy. Follow a plan of traditional education or blended learning depends on the needs and possibilities of the student.

2.1.4 THREE THEORIES THAT SUPPORT THE BLENDED LEARNING

A) Theories of the autonomy and the independence

The most known names behind of the theories of the autonomy and the independence are, Charles Wedemeyer and Michael Moore, with the analysis of the learning (more than of the education one) specifically on the learning of the adult student. The central ideas that base their theory are:

i. The adults, for definition, are auto responsible, and in agreement with this they have right to set the direction of their own education.

ii. In the human beings there are differences regarding cognitive styles and the pace of learning.

iii. The efficiency of the learning lies in that it is empirical.

iv. In a world in continuous change, the learning process lasts a lifetime

With base in these principals, Wedemeyer and Moore support that the opened and distant education, beside making education available, it must allow and facilitate the independence and the autonomy of the student to exercise his freedom of choice, his responsibility to take decisions in his education and to establish his goals in the learning.

In the practice, this theory supposes an educational model characterized by two stages: One, common to a group of students who share aims and similar goals, who get in touch with every thematic content across the study of standardized didactic elaborated materials; and the second one, where the needs and problems encounter during the independent study are attended individually, projecting new needs and requirements of formation that are oriented by a tutor, who in addition stimulates, supports and provides feedback to every pupil.[footnoteRef:5] [5: Michael Moore's editorial on the passing of Charles Wedemeyer. The American Journal of Distance Education, Vol 13, No. 3, 1999]

B) Theories of the interaction and the communication

Börje Holmberg, one of the most famous exhibitors of the theory of the interaction and the communication, approaches the study of the desirable psycho pedagogical characteristics in the didactic materials of a system of opened and distant education. Together with his collaborators, he developed the idea that has characterized conventional education which is the relation of communication and interaction established between the teacher and the group of students, the "face-to-face” and contiguous contact that in most cases acquires the form of a conversation. Below, Holmberg establishes the principal aspects and elements that materials must include, so that they promote situations of learning as near as possible to a real life situation of communication and interaction.

i. The feeling of a personal relation between the education and the learning promotes the motivation in the student.

ii. Such feelings can be promoted by a well elaborated, auto educational material and a communication of double route distantly.

iii. The taste for the study and the motivation are encouraging to achieve the goals of study; the use of appropriate methods favors it.

iv. The atmosphere, the language and the conversation support the feelings of a personal relation.

v. The messages given and received in the shape of conversation are easily understood and remembered.

vi. The concept of conversation can be successfully moved to other mass media in opened and distant education.

vii. The planning and orientation of the work provided by the education at the institution are necessary in order for the pupil to organize his study[footnoteRef:6]. [6: HOLMBERG, Börje. (1986) Growth and Structure of Distance Education, London: Routledge]

These types of interactions are known under the terms of synchronous and asynchronous interaction.

C) The theory of industrialization.

Different scholars consider that the most elaborate and complete theory to explain the open and distance education as a socio-historical phenomenon is the Peter’s theory of industrialization. This type of education is understood as a result of the industrial era, as a consequence of the development and technological advancement. The technological innovations and the proliferation of ways and means of communication put new resources and alternatives available to bring education to the place of residence of the applicant's educational; but at the same time, it transformed the organization of educational institutions, their methods and procedures.

The theory of industrialization essentially takes the principles and procedures from industrial organizations, such as the rationalization of production, the division of labor, mechanization and mass production, planning and organization of work, among others. The theory is applied then to an open and distance education seen as a systemic organization in which each component has a particular function within the set. The realization of this approach is seen in those institutions of open and distance learning that were created as autonomous and independent universities, where there is a responsible governing center for planning, selecting and organizing the academic content of teaching, develop teaching materials in all its varieties, establish procedures and criteria for evaluating, developing and certifying examinations learning package and distribute the materials in the peripheral sites or partner institutions located in other regions. Each and every one of these functions, in addition to those associated with technical support and school administration, are performed by units or departments in an integrated headquarters.

(Three theories that support the Blended Learning)In this approach, under the principle of division and specialization of labor, the teaching is divided into the different elements that integrates a specialist person or a specialist team who plans and organizes the educational process as a whole, determines the objectives and contents of learning; a team ―usually multidisciplinary― making teaching materials, other makes the reviews and evaluations for purposes of accreditation; another (which is commonly located in regional centers) provides direct contact with the student to provide counseling and academic support for learning and clarify aspects of the use of materials. From this division, there are different figures, which vary by institution: responsible teachers for the curricula, advisers and advisory methodological and didactic aspects, supervisors and coordinators (staff tutors), tutors, counselors and tutors of course, among others.[footnoteRef:7] [7: Peters, O. (2000). “Digital learning environments: New possibilities and opportunities.” International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning.]

2.1.5Elements or components to consider in Distance and Blended Education

This theoretical proposal can be closed considering the components that interact in the educational reality in which it has to apply the most appropriate methodology of teaching / learning, according to:

i. The type of students participating of this training;

ii. The type or method of didactic communication that may be available within the standard or model of education proposed;

iii. The type of organizational structure which integrates its teaching, and

iv. The type of teaching duties is expressly required within the educational approach designed.

Therefore, we will refer to the components or building blocks that are integrated into the system remotely and whose characteristics and / or functions differ substantially from those of similar conventional systems which are the students, teachers, materials or media content, communication roads, and organizational infrastructure and management that integrate it[footnoteRef:8]. To these classic components we add others that are being also common to other institutions of formal education. With all of them we dare building the space or structure of distance education. [8: García Aretio, L. (1994). Educación a distancia hoy. Madrid: UNED, 645 pp]

Consistently with these theories, the contributions from the Psychology of Learning are essential at the moment of planning and implementing instructional situations and distance training. Existing agreements regarding the achievement of learning are in the manner that is discussed an appropriate response. Despite the differences between the theories, there are clear areas of agreement, among which are the following:

· The Student in an active role

· Respect of individual differences

· A true motivation

· A flexible use of time

· The Professor or facilitator

· Using the knowledge and skills

· Formative Assessment

In addition, the blended learning or online education has increased rapidly in higher education. Most online education attempted to mirror the traditional face-to-face (FtF) classroom with generally favorable results.

From the point of view of the curriculum process, it credits the experience and the student's prior knowledge, allowing a meaningful learning. The contribution in the constructivist theories[footnoteRef:9] finds in the blended education an excellent scope. [9: In psychology, the Constructivism is a perspective which considers the human beings as active constructors of their reality through the sense and meaning, rather than passive recipients of experience and learning. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism)]

This is a type of education academically challenging, especially for the main features that users must develop as pre-requisites: abilities of reading and comprehension, identification and solution of problems, of analysis and criticism, ability to properly investigate and report the results. Although the study is individual, it does not rule the work in small groups , even more, it is recommended.

From the perspective of teaching, the blended education does not ignore the relationship teacher-student, it just change the format and frequency. In the role of teacher, the teacher becomes a facilitator of learning, a creator of innovative means and situations that allow students to achieve changes in behavior and development of some skills.

It is important to consider the quality of the designed and instructional resources implemented because they are critical to achieving excellence in learning. The formative evaluation, the meaningful learning for the domain, the individualized instruction, the proper use of new media in present information and individual skills for development are core concepts of Educational Technology which acquire a large relevance in the Blended Learning.

a) Information search

While a learner is searching for information, he interacts with multiple information sources. These include libraries, the Internet, and fellow searchers. In blended learning, the internet provides access to library databases, blogs, news media, wikis, and individual experts. Through the search process, the learner develops the ability for discriminating between fact and fiction. The information is provided through multiple channels and through multiple symbol sets. The increased symbol sets allow for increased understanding of the information. The information can be text, video, audio, or a combination of the above. As new media channels are developed, they are incorporated. An online course is a temporary environment; therefore, it is the responsibility of the educator to help students make the transition to the real world and apply the information to other environments[footnoteRef:10]. If learners are the opposite of self-directed, they are dependent; and may, based on a past traditional educational experience, see new information only in relation to the course assignment. [10: Taylor M. 1986. 'Learning for self-direction in the classroom: The pattern of a transition process’]

b) Discourse

The discourse provides the learner with a method for expressing understanding and getting feedback on completeness and sufficiency. Discourse requires a high transmission speed, high parallelism, and a greater need for rehearsability. Discourse can vary and includes audio-visual conversation, synchronous discussion groups, asynchronous and threaded discussions, e-mail, chat, text messaging, instant messaging, and FtF discussions. As online media continues to develop, new methods of discourse will be added.[footnoteRef:11] [11: Fletcher H. Glancy and Susan K. Isenberg. The learner is European, Mediterranean & Middle Eastern Conference on Information Systems 2011 (EMCIS2011) May 30-31 2011, Athens, Greece]

2.2HYPOTHESIS OF THE RESEARCH

In the beginning of this century there have been many improvements in the education field. One of the most remarkable was distance education and nowadays is blended learning.

Lately there has been a tremendous evolution in regards of teaching and methodology, materials means of delivering a class have evolved as well. Within this evolution came the aforementioned distance education and later as a response of dynamic and changing society we have what is called blended learning.

Blended learning is a teaching system or learning processes in which students do not attend to classes on a daily basis, only once or twice a week or month. Meaning that this is not fully distant education neither traditional system where students attend to classes to a specific place every day but a combination of both and it has had great acceptation success in big societies such European and American.

In our country, to be more specific at Universidad de El Salvador students face many obstacles in their learning process such as over population, poor equipped facilities, lack of schedules flexible and also living in remotes areas are just factors that can cause a delay in student´s learning path.

As mentioned before Blended learning provides an answer to these phenomena since blended learning for students’ daily attendance is not required also students can manage their own schedules and learning.

Therefore searcher’s hypothesis is: Blended learning offers a solution to students who work or live in remote areas to finish their major in the stipulated time.

CHAPTER III

3.1 METHODOLOGY

3.1.1Type of research

The type of research implemented is descriptive in which it was analyzed and the answers of surveyed students and professors of the Foreign Language Department about blended learning system and about its implementation for some subjects of XII, XIII, IV and V semesters (4th and 5th year) from the Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, especialidad en Francés e Inglés, and Licenciatura en Inglés, opción Enseñanza.

3.1.2Instrument to gather information.

To gather the data needed to execute this investigation searchers agreed to use the SURVEY (Intended for the sample: students and teachers) as data collection tool. This decision of using surveys as a data collection tool is since they provide valuable information from the sample that allows making statistical inferences about the population.

In addition, they are relatively easy to process, can be developed in less time compared to other data collection methods and also, they can cover a vast area of the topic with a considerable flexibility to the analysis.

The Instrument will be in Spanish to avoid misunderstandings when a question will be read since it is the mother tongue of the people that will participate.

(See this survey on Appendix #1 and #2)

3.1.3Sample

The sample type will be Quota sampling which is a method to select participants to help with a survey. In quota sampling, a population (students and teachers) is first segmented into mutually exclusive sub-groups (UES, Foreign Language Department), just as in stratified sampling (Teachers and Students). Then judgment is used to select the subjects or units from each segment based on a specified proportion (e.g. Teachers of the Foreign Language Department, Students of 4th and 5th year).

Quota sampling is useful in next circumstances: (1) time is limited, (2) a sampling frame is not available, (3) the research budget is very tight or when (4) detailed accuracy is not important. Subsets are chosen and then either convenience or judgment sampling is used to choose people from each subset. The researcher decides how many of each category is selected.[footnoteRef:12] [12: Dodge, Y. (2003) The Oxford Dictionary of Statistical Terms, OUP. ]

The researchers will ask the collaboration to students of the 4th and 5th Year from the Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, especialidad en Francés e Inglés, and Licenciatura en Inglés, opción Enseñanza, as well as Professors of those Majors aforementioned.

The researchers will get the total of the population (students inscribed on Semester II – 2012) by requesting the information to the “Administración Acádemica de la Facultad de Ciencias y Humanidades” and it will be selected the 10% as a sample.

The researchers will survey some of the professors about the topic and will gather opinions and answers that will help to analyze the acceptation or rejection to implement a blended learning system for some subjects of Semesters XIIth, XIIIth, IXth, and Xth at the Foreign Language Department.

1.

CHAPTER IV

4.1DATA ANALYSIS

4.1.1 General information and sample selected

Below, it is presented the results gathered using surveys. The sample is the 10% out the total population of Students in 4th and 5th year of the Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, especialidad en Francés e Inglés; and, Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés, opción Enseñanza and the answers from some Professors at the Foreign Language Department of the University of El Salvador in 2012[footnoteRef:13] who were randomly selected [13: Information provided by “Administracion Academica de la Facultad de Ciencias y Humanidades”, Students inscribed during Semester II-2012. SEE Appendix #3]

Students of the Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, especialidad en Francés e Inglés

Students of the Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés, opción Enseñanza

Professors at the Foreign Language Department (FLD)

4th Year

5th Year

4th Year

5th Year

Lenguas Modernas

Inglés

Population

137

110

107

90

7

36

SAMPLE

13

12

10

9

5

11

The results and analysis are presented in the following way: (1) Students in 4th and 5th Year of Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, Esp. en Francés e Inglés; (2) Students in 4th and 5th Year of Licenciatura en Inglés, Opción Enseñanza; (3) Professors of Major in Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, Esp. en Francés e Inglés; and, (4) Professors of Licenciatura en Inglés, Opción Enseñanza at the Foreign Language Department.

1.1.2 RESULTS OF THE SURVEYS TO STUDENTS4TH AND 5TH YEAR OF LICENCIATURA EN LENGUAS MODERNAS, ESPECIALIDAD EN FRANCÉS E INGLÉS FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT

SAMPLE

4th Year

5th Year

13

12

1. Do you know what a blended education system is?

4th Year

5th Year

Yes

No

Yes

No

7

6

10

2

According to the information gathered from Students of Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, especialidad en Francés e Inglés at the FLD that shows the following: From the 4th Year, 54% of the students are familiar with Blended Learning Term and just 46% is not related with the topic. Meaning that a great majority of the sample is aware or informed what Blended Learning is about. Also, their counterparts, 83% of the students of 5th Year are related with Blended Learning and just the 17% are not familiar with it.

2. Have you ever participated in a virtual or blended course?

4th Year

5th Year

Yes

No

Yes

No

1

12

12

0

This graphic presents the level of participation of students in a blended learning course: 8% of the surveyed students from 4th Year have participated in a virtual or blended education system before, 92% has never been involved in such learning system. However, the 100% of the students from 5th Year in this sample have participated in a blended or virtual course.

3. Do you think that a blended education system would work at FLD?

4th Year

5th Year

Yes

No

Yes

No

8

5

7

5

According to the gathered data of the undergraduates of Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, especialidad en Francés e Inglés, 62% from 4th year and 58% from 5th year has the same insight when asked whether a blended learning system would work at FLD. On the other hand, the students state such teaching system will fail with the 38% in the 4th year and 42% from 5th year and their answers follow the same pattern.

Among the answers of the students who answered “yes”, they pointed out comments such as: people who has issue to attend classes due to transportation or because they live in remote areas, also students who work and had not schedule flexibility to carry out the semester, help to reduce missing classes when there are strikes at the University, bad weather conditions and natural disasters. On the other hand, students who disagreed with the statement considered it will failed due to the nature of this Major, students need practicing the learned language and being corrected and evaluate by the professors.

4. Would you be beneficiated with the implementation of a blended learning system at the FLD?

4th Year

5th Year

Yes

No

Yes

No

8

5

6

6

This graphic shows a relation with the one above (Question 3) for the 4th Year students. They think that implementation of blended learning will be a success they will also be beneficiated by this program.

The students who answered “no” in question 3 said they won’t be beneficiated with it, and now it is split on 50% that they will be beneficiated and 50% who will not.

5. Do you consider that the University of El Salvador has the resources to implement and support a blended learning system at the FLD?

4th Year

5th Year

Yes

No

Yes

No

7

6

10

2

This graphic shows the next result: 54% of the surveyed students of the 4th year think that UES and the FLD have the resources (financial, facilities, equipment, software, trained professors, network specialist etc.) to implement and support a Blended Leaning System. But the 46% think there are not enough resources. Also, 83% of the students in 5th year think there are such means, and 17% said that UES and FLD does not have the means to support the project.

6. What subjects do you consider could be taught with a blended learning system at the FLD during the Semester VIIth of the Major in Modern Languages?

Subject of VIIth Semester (4th Year)

4thYear

5thYear

Composición Inglesa I

11

6

El Francés y el Comercio

6

3

Introducción a la Civilización Francesa

8

2

Lectura y Conversación en Ingles II

3

4

According to the results:

a) 85% of the students from the 4th Year and 46% from the 5th year consider that Composición Inglesa could be taught with Blended Learning.

b) 46% of the students from the 4th Year and 17% from the 5th year consider that El Francés y el Comercio could be taught with Blended Learning.

c) 62% students from the 4th Year and 33% from the 5th year consider that Civilización Francesa could be taught with Blended Learning.

d) 23% of the students from the 4th Year and 33% from the 5th year consider that Lectura y Conversación en Inglés II could be taught with Blended Learning.

6b. What subjects do you consider could be taught with a blended learning system at the FLD during the Semester VIIIth of the Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, especialidad en Francés e Inglés?

Subject of Semester VIIIth (4th Year)

4thYear

5thYear

El Francés y el Turismo

7

1

Gramática Avanzada

3

2

Literatura Francesa I

3

7

Didáctica en Ingles I

3

4

Opinión Pública

1

7

Based on the information gathered:

a) 54% of the students from the 4th Year and 8% from the 5th year consider that El Francés y el Turismo could be taught with Blended Learning.

b) 23% of the students from the 4th Year and 17% from the 5th year consider that Gramática Avanzada could be taught with Blended Learning.

c) 23% of the students from the 4th Year and 58% from the 5th year consider that Literatura Francesa could be taught with Blended Learning.

d) 23% of the students from the 4th Year and 33% from the 5th year consider that Didáctica en Inglés I could be taught with Blended Learning.

e) 8% of the students from the 4th Year and 58% from the 5th year consider that Opinión Pública could be taught with Blended Learning.

6c. What subjects do you consider could be taught with a blended learning system at the FLD during the Semester IXth of the Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, especialidad en Francés e Inglés?

Subject of Semester IX (5th Year)

4thYear

5thYear

El Francés y la Traducción

8

2

Introducción a la Lingüística

5

5

Literatura Francesa II

7

7

Seminario I

5

4

Based on the information gathered:

a) 62% of the students from the 4th Year and 17% from the 5th year consider that El Frances y La Traduccion I could be taught with Blended Learning.

b) 38% of the students from the 4th Year and 17% from 5th year stated that Introducción a la Lingüística could be taught with Blended Learning

c) 54% of the students from the 4th year and 58% from 5th year stated that Literatura Francesa II could be taught with Blended Learning

d) 38% of the students from the 4th Year and 33% from the 5th year consider that Seminario I could be taught with Blended Learning.

6d. What subjects do you consider could be taught with a blended learning system at the FLD during the Semester Xth of the Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, especialidad en Francés e Inglés?

Subject of Semester Xth (5th Year)

4thYear

5thYear

Fonología y Morfología Inglesa

6

2

Literatura en Inglés

5

6

Seminario II

5

7

Didáctica en el Idioma Inglés

5

3

Historia del El Salvador y Centroamérica

7

9

Based on the information gathered:

a) 46% of the students from the 4th Year and 17% from the 5th year consider that Fonología y Morfología Inglesa could be taught with Blended Learning.

b) 38% of the students from the 4th Year and 50% from 5th year stated that Literatura en Inglés could be taught with Blended Learning

c) 38% of the students from the 4th year and 58% from 5th year stated that Seminario II could be taught with Blended Learning

d) 38% of the students from the 4th Year and 25% from the 5th year consider that Didáctica en el Idioma Inglés II could be taught with Blended Learning.

e) 54% of the students from the 4th Year and 75% from the 5th Year consider that Historia de El Salvador y Centroamérica could be taught with Blended Learning.

7. Do you know any University in El Salvador that has implemented blended learning as a learning system?

4th Year

5th Year

Yes

No

Yes

No

8

5

4

8

Based on results, the most of the students, 62%, from 4thyear are aware that Blended Learning is being implemented by some private institutions. Their counterpart, the students of 5th year, we found out that 25% of them are aware of this learning system and 75% of the sample does not acknowledge that it has been used by private universities to deliver classes, being the more known for those students: the Universidad Tecnológica de El Salvador, Univesidad Francisco Gavidia, and Universidad Don Bosco.

8. Do you think teachers are capable of delivering a class through blended learning?

4th Year

5th Year

Yes

No

Yes

No

10

3

9

3

This graphic represents that students support towards teachers at the FLD, as it shows, 77% of the 4th Year Students and 75% of the 5th year thinks that teachers have what it takes (knowledge, being capable to be trained with technologies) in order to teach using the Blended Learning.

9. Which criteria should a student meet in order to apply for a blended learning system?

 

4th Year

5th Year

Total

Responsibility

6

6

12

Computer and Internet

5

2

7

Autodidact

2

3

5

Computer Knowledge

0

2

2

When asked about the criteria that students should meet to apply for Blended Learning, 4thand 5thYear students paid more attention to Responsibility, computer and internet access. Also one of the criteria is that the student who will apply has to be autodidact (self-learner). Other suggested being computer knowledge on software and networks.

1.1.3 RESULTS OF THE SURVEYS TO STUDENTS4TH AND 5TH YEAR OF LICENCIATURA EN IDIOMA INGLES, OPCIÒN ENSEÑANZA FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT

SAMPLE

4th Year

5th Year

10

9

1. Do you know what a blended education system is?

4th Year

5th Year

Yes

No

Yes

No

9

1

7

2

According to the information gathered from Students of Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés Opción Enseñanza at the FLD that shows the following: From the 4th Year, 90% of the students are familiar with Blended Learning Term and just 10% is not related with the topic. Meaning that a great majority of the sample is aware or informed what Blended Learning is about. Also, their counterpart, students of 5th Year follows the same trend, 78% are related with Blended Learning and just the 22% are not familiar with it.

2. Have you ever participated in a virtual or blended course?

4th Year

5th Year

Yes

No

No Answer

Yes

No

7

2

1

1

8

(No Answer)

This graphic presents the level of participation of students in a blended learning course: 70% of the surveyed students from 4th Year have participated in a virtual or blended education system before, 20% has never been involved in such learning system and 10% did not answer it. In the other hand, 89% of the students from 5th Year have never participated in a blended or virtual course and only 11% of the sample has had to do with the learning system in question.

3. Do you think that a blended education system would work at FLD?

4th Year

5th Year

Yes

No

Yes

No

5

5

4

5

According to the gathered data of the undergraduates of Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés Opción Enseñanza, both from 4th and 5th year has the same insight when asked whether a blended learning system would work at FLD. 4th year students’ answers are even since 50% of the students think that the implementation of the system will be a success and the other half states such teaching system will fail. With the 5th year students’ answers follows the same pattern, the 56% of the sample stated it will fail and the 44% consider it could be a successful project.

Among the answers of the students who answered “yes”, they pointed out comments such as: it will help to students with schedule issues to attend to regular classes, reduce the overpopulation in crowded classroom, it will develop an autodidactic student and it will allow us to start using technologies at the FLD. On the other hand, students who disagreed with the statement considered it will failed due to Students are not ready for such system and the Department does not have the resources for it.

4. Would you be beneficiated with the implementation of a blended learning system at the FLD?

4th Year

5th Year

Yes

No

Yes

No

5

5

4

5

This graphic shows a relation with the one above (Question 3). The students think that implementation of blended learning will be a success they will also be beneficiated by this program and the students who answered “no” in question 3 said they won’t be beneficiated with it.

5. Do you consider that the University of El Salvador has the resources to implement and support a blended learning system at the FLD?

4th Year

5th Year

Yes

No

Yes

No

9

1

7

2

20% of the surveyed students of the 4th year think that UES and the FLD have the resources (financial, facilities, equipment, software, trained professors, network specialist etc.) to implement and support a Blended Leaning System. But the 80% think there are not enough resources. Also, 33% of the students in 5th year think there are such means, and 67% said that UES and FLD does not have the means to support the project.

6. What subjects do you consider could be taught with a blended learning system at the FLD during the Semester VIIth of the Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés Opción Enseñanza?

Subject of Semester VIIth (4th Year)

4thYear

5thYear

Lectura y Conversación en Ingles II

4

2

Literatura II

7

4

Práctica Docente

6

3

Sintaxis

1

1

According to the results:

a) 40% of the students from the 4th Year and 22% from the 5th year consider that Lectura y Conversación II could be taught with Blended Learning.

b) 70% of the students from the 4th Year and 40% from the 5th year consider that Literatura II could be taught with Blended Learning.

c) 60% of the students from the 4th Year and 33% from the 5th year consider that Práctica Docente I could be taught with Blended Learning.

d) 10% of the students from the 4th Year and 11% from the 5th year consider that Sintaxis could be taught with Blended Learning.

6b. What subjects do you consider could be taught with a blended learning system at the FLD during the Semester VIIIth of the Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés Opción Enseñanza?

Subject of Semester VIIIth (4th Year)

4thYear

5thYear

Estadística Aplicada a la Educación

3

5

Gramática Avanzada

5

5

Métodos de Investigación

5

5

Práctica Docente

6

3

Based on the information gathered:

a) 30% of the students from the 4th Year and 56% from the 5th year consider that Estadística aplicada a la Educación could be taught with Blended Learning.

b) 30% of the students from the 4th Year and 22% from the 5th year consider that Gramática Avanzada could be taught with Blended Learning.

c) 50% of the students from the 4th Year and 56% from the 5th year consider that Métodos de Investigación could be taught with Blended Learning.

d) 60% of the students from the 4th Year and 33% from the 5th year consider that Practica Docente II could be taught with Blended Learning.

6c. What subjects do you consider could be taught with a blended learning system at the FLD during the Semester IXth of the Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés Opción Enseñanza?

Subject of Semester IX (5th Year)

4thYear

5thYear

Seminario I

4

6

Alemán II

1

0

Dibujo II

0

0

Francés II

1

0

Japonés II

1

0

Pintura II

0

0

Portugués II

1

0

Traducción II

2

1

Based on the information gathered:

a) 40% of the students from the 4th Year and 67% from the 5th year consider that Seminario I could be taught with Blended Learning.

b) 10% of the students from the 4th Year stated that Aleman II, Frances II, Japonés II, and Portugués II could be taught with Blended Learning. And no students from 5th consider that any of the aforementioned could be taught with Blended Learning.

c) 20% of the students from the 4th Year and 11% from the 5th year consider that Traducción II could be taught with Blended Learning.

6d. What subjects do you consider could be taught with a blended learning system at the FLD during the Semester Xth of the Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés Opción Enseñanza?

Semester Xth (5th Year)

4thYear

5thYear

Semester Xth (5th Year)

4thYear

5thYear

Seminario II

5

6

Japonés III

0

1

Alemán III

4

0

Pintura III

1

0

Dibujo III

0

2

Portugués III

2

0

Francés III

0

2

Traducción III

3

1

a) 50% of the students from the 4th Year and 67% from the 5th year consider that Seminario II could be taught with Blended Learning.

b) 40% of the students from the 4th Year stated that Aleman II could be taught with Blended Learning, and Frances III, Japonés III, and Portugués III as well as Pintura III could be taught with Blended Learning. None students from 5thconsider that any of the aforementioned could be taught with Blended Learning.

c) 30% of the students from the 4th Year and 11% from the 5th year consider that Traducción III could be taught with Blended Learning.

Regarding the subjects that could be delivered through Blended Learning, undergraduates agreed that the ones that involved writing, such as Grammar, Translation and Literature, as well as subjects that involve researching like Seminar I and II, Teaching Practice, Statistic and Reading can be taught with Blended Learning.

7. Do you know any University in El Salvador that has implemented blended learning as a learning system?

4th Year

5th Year

Yes

No

Yes

No

6

4

5

4

Based on results, the most of the students from 4th and 5th year are aware that Blended Learning is being implemented by some private institutions. 60% of the sample acknowledges that has been used by private universities to deliver classes in our country, being the more known the Universidad Francisco Gavidia, then Universidad Tecnológica, then Escuela Superior de Economía y Negocios and Universidad Don Bosco.

As a remark, none of the surveyed students mentioned UES as part of this group, although there are some Schools and Careers that have already implement Blended Learning System for some classes / courses.

8. Do you think teachers are capable of delivering a class through blended learning?

4th Year

5th Year

Yes

No

Yes

No

9

1

5

4

This graphic represents that students support towards teachers at the FLD, as it shows, 90% of the 4th Year Students and 56% of the 5th year thinks that teachers have what it takes (knowledge, being capable to be trained with technologies) in order to teach using the Blended Learning.

9. Which criteria should a student meet in order to apply for a blended learning system?

 

4th Year

5th Year

Total

Responsibility

0

4

4

Computer and Internet

5

2

7

Schedule Issues / Other

7

5

12

Computer Knowledge

3

0

3

CUM / Grades

4

5

9

When asked about the criteria that students should meet to apply for Blended Learning, 4th Year students paid more attention to Schedule issues or that can´t attend to classes, followed by having computer and internet to access. Another criteria has to do with the CUM and the grades gotten in previous semesters. Other suggested being computer knowledge on software and networks.

Their counterpart, in the other hand, think that being responsible, CUM, grades on previous semesters and issues to attend classes are the most important criteria, then having a computer and internet connection is the less voted.

1.1.4 RESULTS OF THE SURVEYS TO PROFESSORSOF LICENCIATURA EN LENGUAS MODERNAS, ESPECIALIDAD EN FRANCÉS E INGLÉSFOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT

SAMPLE

In Lenguas Modernas

In Inglés

5

11

1. Do you know what a blended education system is?

Yes

No

5

0

According to the results collected through the research, the graphic shows that the 100% of the surveyed teachers agreed that they know about the blended education system.

2. Have you ever participated or taught in a virtual or blended course?

Yes

No

1

4

As this graphic shows only one of the five teachers have taught or joined any virtual or blended course, it indicates that most of them have not experienced this type of education system.

3. Do you think that a blended education system would work at FLD?

Yes

No

4

1

Most of the surveyed teachers agree that a blended education system would work at the FLD, in which four of them think that it would help to prevent overpopulation in classroom, moreover it would be appropriated to implement it from the third or fourth year of the major since students have already learned the languages, but it is necessary to take into account the facilities, and the competences of the human resources.

4. Would you be beneficiated with the implementation of a blended learning system at the FLD?

Yes

No

5

0

According to the graphic all of the surveyed teachers considered that they would be beneficiated with the implementation of the blended learning system at the Foreign Languages Department.

5. Do you consider that the University of El Salvador has the resources to implement and support a blended learning system at the FLD?

Yes

No

2

3

As the graphic illustrates, the 60% considered that University of El Salvador does not have neither the economy nor the infrastructure capacity of implementing and supporting a blended learning system at the FLD.

6. What subjects do you consider could be taught with a blended learning system at the FLD during the Semester VIIth of the Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, especialidad en Francés e Inglés?

Subject of Semester VIIth (4th Year)

Total

Composición Inglesa I

3

El Francés y el Comercio

1

Introducción a la Civilización Francesa

5

Lectura y Conversación en Ingles II

1

Comparing the results with the answers of students from 4th and 5th Year of the Major in Modern Languages: 60% of the professors consider that Composición Inglesa could be taught through this learning system, meanwhile 68% of the students have the same opinion. El Francés y el Comercio, the 20% of the professors consider that it could be taught with a blended learning system versus 36% of the students who share this opinion. For Lectura y Conversación II, 20% thinks similar to the students’ answer, 28% considers it could be taught through this system, and with Civilización Francesa, 100% of the professors think that it could be taught by blended learning but only 40% of the students agreed with it.

6b. What subjects do you consider could be taught with a blended learning system at the FLD during the Semester VIIIth of the Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, especialidad en Francés e Inglés?

Subject of Semester VIIth (4th Year)

Total

El Francés y el Turismo

0

Gramática Avanzada

0

Literatura Francesa I

4

Didáctica en Inglés I

1

Opinión Pública

2

Based on the eighth semester, none of the sample considers that El Francés y el Turismo, and Gramática Avanzada could be taught with blended learning system, but 36% of the students consider that El Francés y el Turismo could be taught through a blended learning system; and 20% thinks that Gramática Avanzada could be delivered with it. On the other hand, the 80% of the sample consider that Literatura Francesa I could be taught through this system while 40% of the students agreed with it. For Didáctica en Inglés I, 20% of the professors and 28% of the students thinks it could be taught using a blended learning and with the 40% of the professor’s opinion and 32% from the students’, Opinión Pública could be delivered with such system.

6c. What subjects do you consider could be taught with a blended learning system at the FLD during the Semester IXth of the Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, especialidad en Francés e Inglés?

Subject of Semester IX (5th Year)

Total

El Francés y la Traducción

2

Introducción a la Lingüística

1

Literatura Francesa II

4

Seminario I

2

According to the graphic, the sample considered that a blended learning system could be applied to El Frances y la Traducción with a 40% which is the same with the students’ answer (40%). It also could be applied to Introduccion a la Ligüistica with only the 20% and 40% of the students’ opinion. With Literatura Francesa II the 80% thinks that could be used blended learning but 56% of the students agreed with it. Then for Seminario I, 40% thinks that could be delivered with such system likewise 36% of the students think in the same way.

6d. What subjects do you consider could be taught with a blended learning system at the FLD during the Semester Xth of the Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, especialidad en Francés e Inglés?

Subject of Semester Xth (5th Year)

Total

Fonología y Morfología Inglesa

1

Literatura en Inglés

3

Seminario II

1

Didáctica en el Idioma Inglés II

1

Historia de El Salvador y Centroamérica

5

Comparing with the students’ answer, 36% consider that Fonología and Morfología Inglesa could be included on a blended education system but only 20% of the professors think in the same way. With Literatura en Inglés, 60% of the sample said agreed to include it in such system and 44% of the students agreed with it. For Seminario II, 20% of the professors and 48% of the students consider it for blended learning, with Didáctica en Inglés, 20% of the professors and 40% of the students think that it could be delivered with such system. Historia de El Salvador y Centroamérica is the most voted, 64% of the students’ and 100% of the professor’s.

In general, surveyed teachers agreed that subjects involving writing and reading such as Composicion, Civilizacion Francesa, Literatura Francesa I and II, Literatura en Ingles, and Historia de El Salvador y Centroamerica could be taught using the blended learning system.

7. Do you know any University in El Salvador that has implemented blended learning as a learning system?

Yes

No

4

1

90% of the sample is aware that blended learning system has already been implemented by some private institutions. The most mentioned are Universidad Don Bosco, Universidad Tecnológica, Universidad Francisco Gavidia and Universidad Jose Matías Delgado.

8. Do you think students of 4th and 5th year of the Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas, especialidad en Francés e Inglés and Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés Opción Enseñanza, are capable of having classes through blended learning?

Yes

No

2

3

The 60% of the sample consider that students are not capable to study through a blended learning system (because the student profile should consist on being self-didact, that means have other study habits with more responsibility).

9. Which criteria should a professor meet in order to teach classes using a blended learning system?

Requirement

Total

Training in Blended Education System

4

Knowledge of TIC

4

Computer Skills and abilities

4

Willingness and Accountability

1

The common answers that surveyed teachers listed about the criteria that a professor should meet in order to teach classes using a blended learning system were classified in Training in Blended Education System, Knowledge of TIC[footnoteRef:14]; and Computer Skills and Abilities with the 80% in each one, and Willingness and Accountability with only the 20%. [14: TIC: (acronym in Spanish for Tecnología de la Información y de la Comunicación). They are a group of technologies applied to provide people with information and communication through the latest technological means.]

10. What would you recommend as an evaluation method in a blended learning system?

Evaluation Method

Total

Online Tests

1

Classroom Final Exam

1

Writing Reports

1

Standardized and Formative Evaluation System

3

The common answers that surveyed teachers listed about the recommended evaluation method in a blended learning system were classified in Online Exams, Classroom Final Exam, Writing Reports, obtaining the 20% respectively, and Standardized and Formative Evaluation System with the 60% of the sample.

1.1.5 RESULTS OF THE SURVEYS TO PROFESSORSOF LICENCIATURA EN IDIOMA INGLÉS OPCIÓN ENSEÑANZAFOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT

SAMPLE

In Lenguas Modernas

In Inglés

5

11

1. Do you know what a blended education system is?

Yes

No

11

0

According to the results collected through the research, the graphic shows that once again, the 100% of the surveyed teachers to the Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés Opción Enseñanza said that they know about the blended education system.

2. Have you ever participated or taught in a virtual or blended course?

Yes

No

8

3

As this graphic shows the 73% of the surveyed teachers have taught or joined any virtual or blended course, while the 27% have not, it indicates that most of them have experienced this type of education system.

3. Do you think that a blended education system would work at FLD?

Yes

No

No Answer

9

1

1

(No Answer)

Most of the surveyed teachers agree that a blended education system would work at the FLD, in which the 82% of them think that it would help to prevent overpopulation in classroom, moreover it would be appropriated to implement it from the third or fourth year of the major since students have already learned the languages, but it is necessary to take into account the requirements, facilities, the competences of the teachers / professors. The 9% answered no, and the other 9% did not answer.

4. Would you be beneficiated with the implementation of a blended learning system at the FLD?

Yes

No

9

3

According to the graphic the 82% of the surveyed teachers considered that they would be beneficiated with the implementation of the blended learning system at the Foreign Languages Department. While the 18% think the opposite.

5. Do you consider that the University of El Salvador has the resources to implement and support a blended learning system at the FLD?

Yes

No

Does not know

5

5

1

(Does not know)

As the graphic illustrates the 45% of the surveyed teachers considered that the University of El Salvador has the economic and infrastructure capacity of implementing and supporting a blended learning system at the FLD. While the other 45% considers the opposite and only the 10% does not know.

6. What subjects do you consider could be taught with a blended learning system at the FLD during the Semester VIIth of the Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés Opción Enseñanza?

Subject of Semester VIIth (4th Year)

Total

Lectura y Conversación en Ingles II

1

Literatura II

5

Práctica Docente

2

Sintaxis

2

Comparing the answers with the students, 32% of the students considered that Lectura y Conversación en Inglés II could be implemented with blended learning but only 9% of the professors suggested it to be delivered with such system. Regarding Literatura II, the 45% of the professors suggested to use blended learning and 58% of students agreed with it. Práctica Docente and Sintaxis were suggested for the 18% of the sample but 47% of the students considered Práctica Docente and 11% suggested Sintaxis to be delivered with that system.

6b. What subjects do you consider could be taught with a blended learning system at the FLD during the Semester VIIIth of the Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés Opción Enseñanza?

Subject of Semester VIIIth (4th Year)

Total

Estadística Aplicada a la Educación

1

Gramática Avanzada

2

Métodos de Investigación

8

Práctica Docente

2

In the VIIIth semester, 9% of the professors considered that Estadística aplicada a la Educación could be taught with blended learning system, however 42% of the students of the Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés Opción Enseñanza think that it is an option to be delivered through such system as well as Gramática Avanzada of which 53% of the students in the sample versus 18% of the professors’ answer. For Métodos de Investigación, we have similar answers: 53% from the students’ and 72% from the professors’, whose also considered Práctica Docente II with 18% when 43% of the students suggested this subject could be taught with the blended learning system.

6c. What subjects do you consider could be taught with a blended learning system at the FLD during the Semester IXth of the Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés Opción Enseñanza?

Subject of Semester IXth (5th Year)

Total

Seminario I

8

Alemán II

0

Dibujo II

0

Francés II

0

Japonés II

0

Pintura II

0

Portugués II

0

Traducción II

5

For the IXth semester, 53% of the students and 73% of the professors considered that Seminario I could be taught using the blended education system. For the subjects that involved learning another language or an art (Aleman II, Dibujo II, Francés II, Japonés II, Pintura II, Portugués II) the professors considered that students have to attend classes to learn them, and students has the same opinion. And with Traducción II, professors support that it could be taught with blended learning system with the 42% and 12% of the students agreed with it.

6d. What subjects do you consider could be taught with a blended learning system at the FLD during the Semester Xth of the Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés Opción Enseñanza?

Subject of Semester IXth (5th Year)

Total

Seminario II

8

Alemán III

0

Dibujo III

0

Francés III

0

Japonés III

0

Pintura III

0

Portugués III

0

Traducción III

5

This graphic has the same results of the professors’ answers: 73% suggested Seminario II, 45% for Traducción III and none of them selected Aleman III, Dibujo III, Frances III, Japonés III, Pintura III or Portugués III because in their opinion, this level in language or arts needs a professor in a classroom and students need to attend to them. Comparing this graphic with the one for the students, the percentages are pretty much the same, there are a few students that consider that subject to learn languages or arts could be delivered using blended education system but it is not over 20% of them.

7. Do you know any University in El Salvador that has implemented blended learning as a learning system?

Yes

No

9

2

This graphic shows that 81% of the professors know Salvadorian Universities that already implemented a Blended Learning System to teach some subject in different Majors or Schools. The most mentioned are: Universidad Tecnológica de El Salvador, Universidad Francisco Gavidia, Universidad Don Bosco, Escuela Superior de Economia y Negocios, where students has the option to course different subjects with blended learning system or virtual classes.

8. Do you think students of 4th and 5th year of the Majors in Modern Languages and English are capable of having classes through blended learning?

Yes

No

5

6

The 54% of the sample consider that students are not capable to study through a blended learning system (because the student profile should consist on being self-didactic, that means have other study habits with more responsibility) but 46% of them think that students would be able to learn with this system.

9. Which criteria should a professor meet in order to teach classes using a blended learning system?

Requirement

Total

Knowledge in virtual platforms

4

Computer skills and abilities

7

Discipline and Accountability

3

Other Answers

4

The common answer that surveyed teachers listed about the criteria that a professor should meet in order to teach classes using a blended learning system was Computer Skills and Abilities with the 63%, followed with knowledge in virtual platforms with 36% and other answers such as visual aids, use the proper methodology, and last but not least important, Willingness and Accountability with only the 27%

10. What would you recommend as an evaluation method in a blended learning system?

Evaluation Method

Total

Responsibility

2

Oral and Written Exams

5

Writing Report

4

Essays

3

Research Projects

2

Reading Control

2

Other Answers

2

The common answer that surveyed teachers listed about the recommended evaluation method in a blended learning system was Oral and Writing Exams with 63%, then writing report and essays with 36% and 27% respectively and responsibility, research projects and reading control has 18% each, as well as other answers.

CHAPTER V

5.1CONCLUSIONS

Throughout the research project about blended learning we were able to identify and to highlight the areas that are important to cover and take in consideration regarding the implementation of Blended learning system at FLD. This research provides many key aspects that will help authorities to consider the implementation of aforementioned teaching system. Within the aspects that we consider more significant for implementing a project of this nature are the ones related to the needs of the people involved. The main drive of this research is to address student’s need of an alternative to cope with their schedule issues and difficulty to attend to classes, which interferes and strongly affects their academic career.

I. Something important to mention is the fact that students are aware of this teaching system since 54% of the students from the 4th year are familiar with Blended Learning Term and just 46% is not related with the topic. Meaning that a great majority of the sample is aware or informed what Blended Learning is about.

II. Also, their counterparts, 83% of the students of 5th Year are related with Blended Learning and just the 17% are not familiar with Blended learning as a teaching system. Moreover when asked about whether they would be beneficiated by the implementation of Blended Learning at FLD the great majority of the sample (almost 75%) stated that see in this teaching system an option carry out their major and also claimed that it would work at FLD.

III. As mentioned along this document the aim is to offer students an option to continue and finish their major in the stipulated time, so aspects such as schedule issues and living in remote areas will no longer represent an obstacle in their learning process and we could conclude that the project has succeeded.

While developing this research we were able to realize that there are aspects that were not taken in consideration when started the research. At the beginning our focus was on student’s needs. However to achieve a successful implementation of such a system there are some requirements that FLD need to fulfill before start considering to offer Blended Learning as an option to deliver classes.

IV. For instance, it is important to define the type of evaluation to apply, develop the software to use, facilities where meeting or coaching will take place, whether the FLD has enough finds available implement and support Blended Learning, train teachers so they are familiar with equipment and software among others.

V. We also consider that there should be further research and more important there should be some planning before executing this project. Furthermore building support relationships with universities that have blended learning as teaching system would be a key point to safeguard the implementation of such system. By doing this FLD would have valuable information about their experiences in this field.

VI. There are some other aspects that we learned during this research; however we consider that we have covered what could impact the execution of Blended Learning. Nevertheless it is needed to emphasize that carrying out a detailed analysis would increase in great proportion the probabilities of being successful.

5.2RECOMMENDATIONS

5.2.1Regarding the University of El Salvador is re