Learning "B-Learning" through "B-Learning": A Practice Model for Teachers' Professional Development

Blended learning (B-learning) has been regarded as an effective instructional and learning mode in recent years. It has also been widely recognized that systematic training is urgently needed for in-service teachers to design, develop and deliver effective B-learning courses. As shown in the literature, in-service teacher training is usually carried out in three formats. The first is face-to-face conducted in a concentrated period of time. There are two constraints in this format: the time constraint on the part of the participants due to other commitments, and the resource constraint on the part of the institution for managing large-scale workshops. The second format is a purely online one, often featuring the lack of effective interaction between the instructor and the participants and among participants themselves. The third type is offered in blended mode. However, most programs do not offer ongoing support for participants or follow-up evaluations. Our research developed and evaluated a five-stage blended training model that caters for the needs of in-service teachers in their professional development for B-learning. It is a practice model enabling participants to learn B-learning in B-learning mode and through the design and implementation of a real blended learning course. This study evaluated 10 institutions across China, which adopted this training model with the participation of 952 teachers between October 2016 and January 2017. Our findings confirm the effectiveness of this model and direct our attention to more in-depth studies on teachers' professional development for B-learning in blended mode.