Blended Instruction: The Roaring Twenties Meets Coursesites

Abstract

The action research study described in this report follows the design and implementation of a blended learning unit in a traditional English classroom. Twenty technical high school students in an 11th grade Honors English class engaged in a variety of internet-based activities in conjunction with traditional activities while studying The Great Gatsby. The instructor chose to use Coursesites.com for the learning management system, where students entered a virtual classroom to take surveys and quizzes; engaged in collaborative discussions in discussion forums, wikis, and blogs; and worked in collaborative online groups to create a final wiki or website. Use of internet resources, discussion forums, and other 21st century learning tools sparked new excitement for learning, and made an old favorite accessible to modern young minds.