Adopting a Blended Learning Approach for Teaching Chinese Classical Dance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/abacodijournal.2021.18Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the blended Chinese classical dance course in improving the dance performance of dance students at the College of Art and Design at Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, China. Opinions of students regarding their learning experiences in the blended learning environment were also obtained through a face-to-face interview. This research utilized a mixed methodology design. The quantitative part was the quasi-experiment to determine if the Chinese classical dance performance of students would improve after using the China Dance Network Application in a blended learning environment. The sample was selected using purposive sampling. The participants selected had not used China Dance Network Application before. There were four freshmen, two sophomores and five juniors who participated in the quasi-experiment. It was conducted for eight weeks to determine the effectiveness of the blended dance course. Before the quasi-experiment, participants took the pre-test and after eight weeks were completed, the participants took the post-test. Pre-test and post-test scores were compared and analyzed using the paired t-test. The qualitative part involved a face-to-face interview with all 11 participants. Results of the paired t-test showed that there were significant differences in the pre-test and post-test scores of the participants in terms of body rhyme, soft opening, dancing posture, rhythm style, and expressive force. Based on the interviews with 11 participants, they admitted that their dance performance had improved, the use of China Dance Network helped them in learning more about Chinese classical dance and they were more motivated in learning dance online and offline anytime. They used the Chinese Dance Network to learn dancing online, broadening their horizons, watching many dance videos, and learning more contents. The interviewees also added that compared with a single traditional classroom teaching, their interest in learning was stimulated.
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