Blended Learning in a University Writing Course - A Test of Effectiveness

The advancement in technology has offered both teachers and learners countless opportunities for exploring and pursuing higher standards in the field of education. Particularly in the era of industrial revolution 4.0, technology has become an indispensable tool for both teachers and learners in language learning. However, the appropriate integration of technology in teaching and learning still needs the thoughts and consideration of many educated minds. This case study aimed to explore the impact of combining traditional methodologies and various technological applications and modern classroom activities in a writing class at a national university in Southern Vietnam, hoping to figure out the effectiveness and drawbacks of this mode of learning. Participants were thirty-two intermediate level freshmen, divided into eight groups for various learning activities. Throughout the course of thirteen weeks, the students received formal classroom instructions, got involved in a variety of interactive and independent learning activities and channels (extensive online reading, discussion, analysis of essays, error recognition, mind map presentation, vocabulary collection, Kahoot, Facebook group postings and corrections, Google quizzes), did the pre-test and post-test and completed the questionnaire at the end of the course. Analysis of the questionnaire, and review of the procedures, activities and pretest, post-test scores revealed that this blended learning model helped students improve writing competence, gain valuable skills needed for the twenty first century and more importantly, generated the motivation of lifelong learning. The study also reported a few issues that need careful thoughts when applying this mode.