TITLE:
Research on the Blended Teaching Model for College English Courses in Higher Education in the Context of Smart Education
AUTHORS:
Dan Xu
KEYWORDS:
Smart Education, College English, Blended Teaching, Generative Artificial Intelligence, Teaching Reform
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.14 No.11,
November
5,
2026
ABSTRACT: Online resources are now a routine part of college English teaching, but their use alongside classroom lessons does not, in itself, make learning continuous. This paper examines that problem from the perspective of smart education. It identifies three related weaknesses in blended courses: fragmented content, weak connections between online preparation and classroom activities, and assessment practices that offer an incomplete account of students’ development. The discussion considers where digital resources and generative artificial intelligence (AI) may be useful in addressing them. It argues for linking general English with academic, discipline-related and intercultural communication; designing learning tasks that carry forward from preparation to discussion and subsequent practice; and interpreting assessment evidence through both teacher judgment and appropriate technological support. The proposed model keeps teachers responsible for pedagogical decisions and students responsible for inquiry and language use. Its purpose is to support English proficiency, intercultural competence and independent thinking, while offering a basis for making blended college English courses more coherent.