Chapter 6 delves into the second phase of the BLL framework, the Build phase. This phase involves creating and layering activities and tasks and ensures that the course is centered upon active student learning. The Build phase considers teaching objectives, learning outcomes, and the organizational structure of a BLL course (course mapping, course and unit outline), which greatly informs the blended path. The chapter is rife with examples of activities delivered in the online component of the blended path with the help of technology tools. The final section of the chapter encourages educators to conduct a reflection on the integration process of such tools in the blended path.

Chapter 7 focuses on the Teach phase of the BLL framework. It presents a number of practical teaching recommendations that follow the research-based approach adopted in the other chapters of Part III and their pedagogical applications in a blended environment. The main contribution of the chapter is the proposal of a set of core practices that can guide effective teaching in a BLL context and that we refer to as high-leverage practices, or HLPs. These practices are rooted in SLA theory and the experiences of successful blended courses. The chapter includes a detailed discussion and analysis of each of the practices as well as specific examples taken from existing BLL courses.

Chapter 1 compares the curricular roles of technology in different language courses: Web-facilitated or -enhanced, blended, and fully online. The chapter also provides definitions of the term blended and a rationale for its adoption. In addition, Chapter 1 reviews comparative and noncomparative research studies conducted in the field in order to describe the conditions for effectively blending language environments. The review of research presented proves that blended learning (BL) in language education cannot be considered a monolithic enterprise and that there are currently as many different models – and divergent results – as there are programs or instructors implementing them.

Chapter 3 explains the blending process – a thoughtful combination of F2 F and online component. This chapter delineates what the process entails and describes the BLL path. Readers will understand the crucial aspects of the pedagogical plan at the base of the blending process in order to guide a successful blending process. To this end, the chapter identifies and explains the essential organization of the blended path and differentiates between its two main types: input front-loading and input back-loading.

Chapter 8 introduces the final component of our framework, the Revise phase. This phase of the framework provides recommendations for conducting assessment, both formative and summative, that will allow teachers and instructional designers to determine the extent to which students have met the learning outcomes of a course or unit. In keeping with the general orientation of the book, we encourage an approach to assessment that is authentic and task oriented. The assessment practices proposed align with the activities and tasks recommended in the Build phase and are consistent with the teaching practices described in the Teach phase. In addition to assessment at the course level, we propose a set of criteria to evaluate the overall performance and quality of a course.

Chapter 4 provides examples that represent either design or redesign solutions for language education in institutions located in the United States and Europe. In the second section of the chapter, a set of follow-up activities allows readers to analyze and compare the information from each example. This will consolidate the content presented in Chapters 2 and 3, giving a more concrete idea of the context and process involved in a BLL path.

Chapter 5 focuses on the Design phase of the BLL development framework. This phase deals with macro-level structure and process. The design phase has two main purposes: identifying the characteristics of the target learners and the contextual factors surrounding them through a needs analysis. The chapter also establishes realistic course goals, achievable teaching objectives, and measurable learning outcomes at the course level.

Chapter 2 describes the route leading to blended language learning (BLL) in higher education. The chapter allows readers to understand rationales for designing and redesigning language courses or programs based on key experiences from European and North American institutions. It also identifies the role of stakeholders in the decision-making process that leads to the adoption of the blended format of courses or programs at higher education institutions.