The Effectiveness of Blended Learning in Improving Students’ Workplace Communication Skills: A Case Study on Olive Website Test Result

Agnes Siwi Purwaning Tyas; Ahmad Muam; Yohana Ika Harnita Sari; Cisya Dewantara

doi:10.21512/lc.v14i1.6130

Authors

Agnes Siwi Purwaning Tyas Sekolah Vokasi Universitas Gadjah Mada
Ahmad Muam Sekolah Vokasi Universitas Gadjah Mada
Yohana Ika Harnita Sari Sekolah Vokasi Universitas Gadjah Mada
Cisya Dewantara Sekolah Vokasi Universitas Gadjah Mada

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21512/lc.v14i1.6130

Keywords:

blended-learning, business communication skills, student skill

Abstract

The research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of using blended-learning instruction in improving students’ communication skills at Sekolah Vokasi Universitas Gadjah Mada. They were required to take the Test of English for Vocational Students (TEVOCS) and it indicated that there was a gap between listening and speaking ability as presented in the test scores. To support the improvement of both skills, blended-learning instruction was designed and carried out in the forms of online listening activities via Online Listening for Individual Practice (OLIVE) website and offline meeting for speaking activities. The research used experimental research, which referred to the results of pre-test and post-test scores of the group. The participants of the research were 275 students from three departments of Sekolah Vokasi Universitas Gadjah Mada; Language, Arts, and Cultural Management department; Engineering department; as well as Economic and Business department academic year 2019/2020. The pre-test and post-test scores show improvement in students’ performance in both skills. The result of the t-test also shows that there is significant improvement after the application of blended-learning instruction.

Dimensions

Plum Analytics

Author Biography

Agnes Siwi Purwaning Tyas, Sekolah Vokasi Universitas Gadjah Mada

Agnes Siwi Purwaning Tyas is a lecturer in Sekolah Vokasi Universitas Gadjah Mada. She is currently teaching in English Program specializing in English language teaching, learning program design, English for specific purpose, and applied language. She earned her bachelor degree from English Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University in 2012 and master degree from English Language Studies of Sanata Dharma University in 2015. Her research interests are vocational education, business English, language learning and teaching, SLA, applied linguistics, material and curriculum development, and CALL.

References

Albino, G. (2017). Improving readability in an explicit genre-based approach: The case of an EFL workplace context. RELC Journal, 48(3), 311–326. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688216684279.

Aswicahyono, H., Brooks, D. H., & Manning, C. (2011). Exports and employment in Indonesia: The decline in labor-intensive manufacturing and the rise of services. ADB Economics Working Paper Series, 279, 1–35. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203384824

Aswicahyono, H., & Rafitrandi, D. (2018). A review of Indonesia’s economic competitiveness. CSIS Working Paper Series WPSECO - 01/2018. Retrieved from https://csis.or.id/uploads/attachments/post/2018/10/05/The_CSIS_Working_Paper_Series_B_Wpseco_01_2018.pdf

Basturkmen, H. (2012). Languages for specific purposes curriculum creation and implementation in Australasia and Europe. The Modern Language Journal, 96(1), 59–70. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2012.01297.x.

Billett, S. (2014). Mimesis: Learning through everyday activities and interactions at work. Human Resource Development Review, 13(4), 462–482. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484314548275.

Bimba, A. T., Idris, N., Al-Hunaiyyan, A., Mahmud, R. B., & Shuib, N. L. B. M. (2017). Adaptive feedback in computer-based learning environments: A review. Adaptive Behavior, 25(5), 217–234. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059712317727590.

Blackmore, P., Bulaitis, Z. H., Jackman, A. H., & Tan, E. (2016). Employability in higher education: A review of practice and strategies around the world. London: Pearson. Retrieved from https://www.pearson.com/content/dam/one-dot-com/one-dot-com/uk/documents/about/news-and-policy/employability-models-synthesis.pdf.

Breen, P. (2018). Blended Learning’s Consistent Presence. In Developing Educators for the Digital Age: A Framework for Capturing Knowledge in Action (127-142). London: University of Westminster Press.

Chan, M. (2014). Communicative needs in the workplace and curriculum development of business English courses in Hong Kong. Business Communication Quarterly, 77(4), 376–408. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329490614545987.

Coffelt, T. A., Baker, M. J., & Corey, R. C. (2016). Business communication practices from employers’ perspectives. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly, 79(3), 300–316. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329490616644014.

Fung, D. (2018). A connected curriculum for higher education. London: UCL Press.

Graham, D. (2014). The temporal impact and implications of e-learning. E-Learning and Digital Media, 11(4), 323–332. https://doi.org/10.2304/elea.2014.11.4.323.

Hellekjær, G. O., & Fairway, T. (2015). The mismatch between the unmet need for and supply of occupational English skills: An investigation of higher educated government staff in Norway. Higher Education, 70(6), 1033–1050. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-015-9882-x.

Henderson, M., Ryan, T., Boud, D., Dawson, P., Phillips, M., Molloy, E., & Mahoney, P. (2019). The usefulness of feedback. Active Learning in Higher Education, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787419872393.

Hunter, J., & Cooke, D. (2014). Education for power: English language in the workplace. Power and Education, 6(3), 253–267. https://doi.org/10.2304/power.2014.6.3.253.

Ismail, N., & Sabapathy, C. (2016). Workplace simulation: An integrated approach to training university students in professional communication. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly, 79(4), 487–510. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329490616660814.

Kankaanranta, A., & Lu, W. (2013). The evolution of English as the business lingua franca: Signs of convergence in Chinese and Finnish professional communication. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 27(3), 288–307. https://doi.org/10.1177/1050651913479919.

Kankaanranta, A., & Planken, B. (2010). Belf competence as business knowledge of internationally operating business professionals. Journal of Business Communication, 47(4), 380–407. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021943610377301.

Kebritchi, M., Lipschuetz, A., & Santiague, L. (2017). Issues and challenges for teaching successful online courses in higher education. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 46(1), 4–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239516661713.

Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia. (2017). Peta jalan generasi emas Indonesia 2045. Retrieved from https://paska.kemdikbud.go.id/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/170822-V.2-Generasi-Emas-2045-.pdf.

Kersh, N. (2015). Rethinking the learning space at work and beyond: The achievement of agency across the boundaries of work-related spaces and environments. International Review of Education, 61(6), 835–851. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-015-9529-2.

Khan, M. S. H., Bibi, S., & Hasan, M. (2016). Australian technical teachers’ experience of technology integration in teaching. SAGE Open, 6(3), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244016663609.

Kiddie, T. J. (2014). Text(ing) in context: The future of workplace communication in the United States. Business Communication Quarterly, 77(1), 65–88. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329490613511493.

Kim, R., Roberson, L., Russo, M., & Briganti, P. (2019). Language diversity, nonnative accents, and their consequences at the workplace: Recommendations for individuals, teams, and organizations. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 55(1), 73–95. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886318800997.

Kramer-Simpson, E. (2018). Moving from student to professional: Industry mentors and academic internship coordinators supporting intern learning in the workplace. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, 48(1), 81–103. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047281616646753.

Kroon, D. P., Cornelissen, J. P., & Vaara, E. (2015). Explaining employees’ reactions towards a cross-border merger: The role of English language fluency. Management International Review, 55(6), 775–800. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11575-015-0259-2.

Lin, C. J., Hwang, G. J., Fu, Q. K., & Chen, J. F. (2018). A flipped contextual game-based learning approach to enhancing EFL students’ English Business writing performance and reflective behaviors. Educational Technology & Society, 21(3), 117-131.

Mahboob, A. (2018). Beyond global Englishes: Teaching English as a dynamic language. RELC Journal, 49(1), 36–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688218754944.

McKay, S. L. (2018). English as an international language: What it is and what it means for pedagogy. RELC Journal, 49(1), 9–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688217738817.

Nomaan, M., & Nayantara, S. (2018). Employment and growth in Indonesia (1990–2015). Employment Working Paper no. 239. Retrieved from https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/documents/publication/wcms_618910.pdf.

O’Donovan, D. (2018). Bilateral benefits: Student experiences of work-based learning during work placement. Industry and Higher Education, 32(2), 119–128. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950422218761273.

OECD. (2017). OECD skills outlook 2017: Skills and global value chains. Retrieved from https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264273351-en.

OECD. (2019). OECD skills strategy 2019. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264313835-en.

Ortiz, L. A., Region-Sebest, M., & MacDermott, C. (2016). Employer perceptions of oral communication competencies most valued in new hires as a factor in company success. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly, 79(3), 317–330. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329490615624108.

Pandey, P. K. (2014). Better English for better employment opportunities. International Journal of Multidisciplinay Approach and Studies, 1(4), 93-100.

Ruiz-Garrido, M. F., & Palmer-Silveira, J. C. (2015). Authentic materials in the Business English classroom: Annual Reports. Kalbotyra, 67, 86-103. https://doi.org/10.15388/klbt.2015.8944.

Siegel, J. (2015). Research involving L2 listening instruction and instructors. ELT Journal, 69(3), 323–326. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccv014.

Takino, M. (2017). Power in international business communication and linguistic competence: Analyzing the experiences of nonnative business people who use English as a Business Lingua Franca (EBLF). International Journal of Business Communication, 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329488417714222.

Tenedero, P. P. P., & Vizconde, C. J. (2015). University English and audit firms in the Philippines: Meeting needs, merging deeds. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly, 78(4), 428–453. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329490615596154.

Tindowen, D. J. C., Bassig, J. M., & Cagurangan, J. A. (2017). Twenty-first-century skills of alternative learning system learners. SAGE Open, 7(3), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244017726116.

Tran, T. T. (2015). Is graduate employability the ‘whole-of-higher-education-issue’? Journal of Education and Work, 28(3), 207–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2014.900167.

Trede, F., & McEwen, C. (2015). Early workplace learning experiences: What are the pedagogical possibilities beyond retention and employability? Higher Education, 69(1), 19–32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-014-9759-4.

Van der Kleij, F. M., Feskens, R. C. W., & Eggen, T. J. H. M. (2015). Effects of feedback in a computer-based learning environment on students’ learning outcomes: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 85(4), 475–511. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654314564881.

Washor, E. (2018). A wider vision of learning. Phi Delta Kappan, 99(7), 67–71. https://doi.org/10.1177/0031721718767865.

Xie, Q., & Chen, J. (2019). The English communication and learning needs of Master of Business Administration students and curriculum development at a Chinese university. SAGE Open, 9(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019835951.

Xu, Z. (2018). Exploring English as an international language – curriculum, materials and pedagogical strategies. RELC Journal, 49(1), 102–118. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688217753848.

Yu, Z., & Wang, G. (2016). International Forum of Educational Technology & Society Academic Achievements and Satisfaction of the Clicker-Aided Flipped Business English Writing Class. International Forum of Educational Technology & Society Linked.

Zhu, W., & Liu, D. (2014). Study on the theoretical foundation of Business English curriculum design based on ESP and needs analysis. Higher Education Studies, 4(1), 68–74. https://doi.org/10.5539/hes.v4n1p68.