A Blended Learning Course on Chinese Yue Opera Ying Wang and Lisha Xu, Mount Holyoke College Jun’an Wang, Fanghua Yue Opera Troupe, PRC

Blended learning: definition Blended learning represents a new approach and mix of classroom and online activities consistent with the goals of specific courses or programs. It recognizes the strengths of integrating verbal and text-based communication and creates a unique fusion of synchronous and asynchronous, direct and mediated modes of communication in that the proportion of face-to-face and online learning activities may vary considerably. (Garrison and Vaughan, 2008)

Blended Learning: The Key Assumptions Thoughtfully integrating face-to-face and online learning Fundamentally rethinking the course design to optimize student engagement Restructuring and replacing traditional class contact hours (Garrison and Vaughan, 2008)

Designing BL to Create A Community of Inquiry The ultimate goal is to create a community of inquiry in which learners are fully engaged and responsible. A blended learning environment offers the potential not only to create but to sustain a sense of community beyond the temporal limits of the face-to-face context. This means to extend the learning community over time and enhance the depth of engagement. Designing a blended learning experience entails taking special consideration of social and cognitive issues at the front end—issues that go well beyond deciding what content will be covered. (Garrison and Vaughan, 2008)

Community of Inquiry Teaching Presence Cognitive Presence Social Presence

Chinese yue opera an all-female cast art since 1923

Jun’ an Wang: Trained as a young male lead in Yue Opera Project description Jun’ an Wang: Trained as a young male lead in Yue Opera The project aimed at better meeting the course objectives by incorporating two “blended learning” approaches into the classroom teaching—1) having a theater practitioner contribute to the curriculum and 2) reinforcing learning by utilizing technology.

The three components of the project Blending online learning approaches into the course curriculum: 1) a portion of the class teaching/learning materials was assigned to students online; 2) Three one-hour-online-commentaries were included into the seminar; Creating some mini videos of Yue Opera stage conventions and back-stage preparations (such as costumes, makeup, musical instruments, stage conventions, etc.) and these visual materials were integrated into the classroom learning; Building a blog/archive site, which includes the selected visual and written materials developed for/in this course.

Project goals To emphasize writing, critical thinking, and analytical skills by adding the online commentary component. To enrich the curriculum and provide students with some first-hand experience (such as meeting Jun’an Wang, the Yue Opera artist in person) and course-tailored learning materials (such as the mini-videos) that students would not have access otherwise. To build a stronger learning community that goes beyond regular class meetings.

Course Learning goals To broaden and deepen students’ understanding of Chinese society and culture in the aspects of gender and performing art; To foster multicultural awareness and incorporate diverse perspectives; To develop analytical and research skills through class discussion, writing online commentaries, and papers, and by using print and online sources; To improve students’ skills in writing and doing literary critique.

station-rotation-modal Instructor-Led-Instruction (lecture & discussion) Collaborative Activities (group discussion and oral presentation, for instance) Online Learning (before class: reading and watching online materials; After class: writing online commentaries)

Project tools Moodle Course Site for the course organization Moodle Forum for online commentaries Google drive folder for gathering video and written materials YouTube and iMovie for editing mini-videos and adding English subtitles for the videos Wordpress for course blog design Trello for project organization

Student self-assessment tools guideline for writing online commentary Identify the issue (theatrical character, socio-cultural phenomenon, artistic treatment, etc.) you comment on; Briefly but clearly state your view or opinion on the issue or character commented; Develop your argument or elaborate on your viewpoint; Provide evidences to support your view or opinion.

Student self-assessment tools rubrics for writing papers Identify the issue (artistic work, character, or technique, etc.) selected to write about or to be critiqued at the beginning of your paper State your main theme or argument Develop your argument by using both primary and secondary evidences Provide your analysis of the issues or evidences in question Provide references for both primary and secondary sources Standardize your writing style (double spaced, font “Times New Roman”, size 12, consistent with either using footnotes or endnotes, provide English translation for Chinese sources, to be consistent with your citation style—the Chicago Citation Style, for instance, etc.) Clearly state your conclusion at the end of the paper