Developing and Integrating Constructive CALL Courseware for EAP in Chinese Universities: A Report on a Case Study

This paper reports on the development of constructive EAP CALL courseware, and its integration into blended learning contexts, as a solution to the problems in EAP courses in Chinese universities. A case study of a defining skills package, developed for undergraduates at the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), is used to illustrate the design and integration of the courseware. Guided by constructivist learning theory, the design draws on a synthesis of language-centered, academic skills-centered, content-based and task-based approaches. The integration is evaluated through the quality of students' written work and evidence of their satisfaction with their defining skills improvement and the CALL courseware, based upon the data from a questionnaire survey. Web-based digital tools and multimodal media have been exploited to devise and produce CALL materials on defining skills. After three weeks of blended learning, students' learning outcomes and satisfaction with the courseware and its integration were significantly positive.