Developing an Affordance-Rich Curriculum to Enhance English Reading Proficiency Among Chinese College Students Through Blended Learning

Abstract

Affordances, defined as "potential opportunities" enabling learners to engage in goal-directed actions, serve as a pivotal concept in curriculum design. This study explores the implementation of an affordance-rich curriculum, developed based on affordance theory and delivered through a blended learning approach, to improve the English reading proficiency of Chinese college students. A quasi-experimental design was employed, involving 106 non-English major undergraduates from a Chinese vocational university, with 53 students assigned to an experimental class (EC) and 53 to a control class (CC). Over 12 weeks, the EC received instruction through an affordance-rich curriculum, which systematically integrated linguistic, social, and technological affordances, while the CC underwent conventional lecture-based teaching. Pre- and post-test assessments of reading proficiency were administered to both groups. Statistical analyses revealed significant improvements in the EC’s reading performance, demonstrating the efficacy of the affordance-rich curriculum in fostering reading proficiency. These findings underscore the potential of integrating affordance theory within blended learning frameworks to address challenges in English language acquisition in non-native contexts.