The study of Blended Learning in Chinese Education of Undergraduate Program

Abstract

     This research has the following objectives: 1) to investigate the physical characteristics of blended learning in teaching Chinese language and their impact on learning outcomes, and 2) to examine the advantages and limitations of blended learning in teaching Chinese language, focusing on a sample group of Chinese language teachers from various regions in Thailand, representing the northern, central, northeastern, eastern, and southern regions, totaling 5 universities with a total of 60 participants. The study classified the course content into two categories: skills oriented Chinese language courses and cognitive-oriented Chinese language courses. The research was conducted in the year 2020. The research instruments used in the research include questionnaire and interview. The statistics used in the research include percentage and data analysis of comments or suggestions was done through document analysis.         

     The research findings indicated that 1) the physical characteristics of blended learning in teaching Chinese language have a greater emphasis on skills-oriented content compared to cognitive-oriented content. This has implications for the different teaching and learning activities. The class size for skills-oriented Chinese language courses ranges from 30 to 39 students, while for cognitive oriented courses, it ranges from 30 to 59 students. The teaching method for skills-oriented courses involves video lecture recordings followed by in-class practice, while cognitive-oriented courses utilize live teaching sessions with video recordings for review. Some of the challenges encountered include internet connectivity issues, student learning environments, self-directed learning, and online proctoring. The assessment and evaluation methods for skills-oriented and cognitive-oriented Chinese language courses underwent minor adjustments after the implementation of blended learning. The quality of student learning outcomes varied, with improvements in some cases and decreases in others, largely depending on students' adaptation to the blended learning format and 2) the advantages and limitations of blended learning in teaching Chinese language, as perceived by the instructors, are summarized as follows: 2.1) Advantages: increased student autonomy in language learning, greater diversity in teaching materials for Chinese language instruction, enhanced interactions between students and instructors, fostering improved communication and students adapt better to the blended learning format. 2.2 Limitations: challenges related to the readiness of learning equipment and the learning environment, increased preparation time required by instructors, variability in student language proficiency, and challenges in speaking, writing, and presenting in Chinese language classes.