Multilevel courses and blended learning – tools for pedagogical differentiation and promoting student automony

Abstract Multilevel language courses are frequently seen in teaching and learning contexts in higher education. These complex teaching situations can sometimes lead to frustration and a slowdown in student learning, which can even hinder their success in university. Despite the heterogeneities present within a class, studies on differentiated pedagogy have shown that it is possible to build a group where each student can evolve at his or her own pace – according to his or her level, profile, or needs. Furthermore, hybrid courses that are based on an authentic project pedagogy make it possible to offer differentiated courses, stimulate motivation, maintain group cohesion, and encourage the development of learning autonomy. This study examines the relevance of setting up a hybrid course within the framework of multilevel courses to suggest a differentiated pedagogy that would effectively meet the needs of learners and evaluate its potential to develop their autonomy. The methodology is part of an action-research composed of 4 experiments focused on the implementation of a hybrid course based on the differentiated pedagogy, the project pedagogy, and the levers identified to develop autonomy. The corpus will consist of questionnaires and recordings of interviews, classroom sessions, and semi-directed interviews. This short article aims to summarize the theoretical framework, to describe our hybrid course, to show our methodology, and to provide the first results of our study. The paper is part of the AILA Europe Junior special issue.