Blended Project-based CLIL in Open University International Education: An AI-Enabled Management Case Study
Jingyi Zhong

School of Economics and Management, The Open University of Sichuan

Abstract

In the wake of digital transformation and the surge of Generative AI, international education at Open Universities grapples with critical dilemmas, including learner social isolation, double cognitive overload and the decoupling of professional content from language practice. This paper incorporates the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework as its conceptual cornerstone, arguing the logical necessity of its three essential dimensions-teaching, social, and cognitive presence-in surmounting the systemic barriers to deep learning in remote contexts. Accordingly, the study constructs a Blended Project-based CLIL (B-P-CLIL) instructional model, achieving a robust coupling of theoretical logic and pedagogical practice. Specifically, Blended learning optimizes instructional scaffolding (teaching presence), Project-based learning drives collaborative human-AI interaction (social presence) and CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) scaffolds anchor knowledge co-construction (cognitive presence). Taking the course AI-Enabled Global Business Management as an exemplar, the paper explores a localized implementation path encompassing AI prompt logic, cross-cultural ethics and professional communication. Results demonstrate that the B-P-CLIL model effectively mitigates cognitive delays caused by physical separation while synergistically enhancing global competence and AI literacy of adult learners. This study provides a transformative paradigm for the intrinsic development of internationalization in open and distance education.

Keywords: Open University, Community of Inquiry (CoI), Blended Project-based CLIL, Generative AI, Global Business Management

Topic: Distance dan Blended Learning