Abstract
Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, one important challenge for educators has been to find the right mix of face-to-face classes and virtual environments. Especially mature working students in master programs who are on a career path at their company and who may have to commute more than 100 kilometers between home, workplace, and university are provided better chances to complete their studies if scheduling becomes easier due to virtual classes. At the same time, face-to-face classes enhance a sense of community and foster a learning environment that allows for closer, interpersonal interaction that is vital to motivation and learning outcomes. This poster aims to show how the EAP (English for Academic Purposes) program at CUAS (Carinthia University of Applied Sciences) is constantly evolving to meet the needs of working students enabling them to complete their study program while finding the right blend of face-to-face classes and online learning. Environments and activities were identified that work best for blended EAP teaching in the context of the requirements of CUAS. MS Teams is the Collaboration App of choice for Virtual Classrooms and Moodle was chosen as the Learning Management System, complemented by other collaborative teaching and learning tools. A reflection of several synchronous and asynchronous teaching methods applied is presented. The findings confirmed that the cornerstones of successful implementation of blended classes included a timely face-to-face session at the beginning of the semester, a flexible, constant adaptation of teaching strategies, learning tools and contents, and access to appropriate, digital infrastructure.
Author Information
Oswald Jochum, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Austria
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