This web site is created for participants at the CAPE Workshop for Asia-Pacific Teachers of English. It presents the trends, theories, resources, and techniques of language teaching with technology. (last updated: Feb. 10, 2008)
A. Web-Enhanced Language Instruction
Web-enhaced language instruction refers to a way of language instruction where online tools and web resources are used to support the learning at the traditional face-to-face classroom. There are similar terminologies in the sense that technologies play an important role in language learning and teaching. They are CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning), CACD(Computer Assisted Class Discussion), DDL (Data Driven Learning), WELL (Web Enhanced Language Learning) and so on.
1) Online Communication - Learning Community:
- MOO (schMOOze University, text only) : schMOOze with ESL/EFL Students .. (2001)
2) Online
Material - Administration, Content Delivery, & Assessment:
Online material is another component of web-enhanced language instruction. For administration, it provides syllabus, class schedule, and other administrative items. Also, it provides easy
and convenient access to the lecture material and resources. With this content delivery, students can be more
effectively and conveniently engaged in learning than only
face-to-face class. Students presentations, blogs, and homepages can also be incorporated in the class. Online quizzes and exercises can be used for assessing students' performance.
*
As for the research on the web, it is important that students have navigational guides and training on critical examinations of the sources to
prevent plagiarism (turnit.com, sample).
a. course administration: syllabus, schedule, and other administration items.
b. course content: lecture notes, handouts, references, multimedia material, etc.
c. student
presentation, blogs & homepage
d. online quizzes
& exercises
- vocabulary, stories, powerpoints, pre-recorded books, lectures, video, pdf, ...
B. Web-Delivered Language Instruction - Distance Education, Asynchronous Learning Network(ALN) classroom
Web-Delivered instruction is a distance education. Most class activities are done via online, but the class may need more than one offline meeting for exams or other class activities. Following are some of characteristics identified in web-delivered instruction.
1) Accessibility:
On-line course material and communication: Easy and limitless access to class material, Access to the class anytime from anywhere -> flexibility, convenience
2) Availability & Presentation:
- various levels & depths of information, presentation in various types of media
3) Autonomy:
Work at one's pace and push to learn for him/herself - requires "maturity, time-management, high motivation levels, and self-discipline".
4) Interaction:
C. Developing Web-Enhanced Language Lesson Plan: - Instructivism (direct instruction) vs. Constructivism (collaborative)
Planning a course content and schedule? Teacher-facilitated? Student-determined? Or Both? In the instructive appoach, an instructor, as a decision maker, presents contents and sequence of learning to the students. On the other hand, the constructive approach assumes "students learn best by interacting with others, rather than working in isolation". In web-enhanced instruction, online quizzes and exercises are more instructive and discussion board tends to be more constructive. Depending on the learning tasks, combination of instructive and constructive instruction would be most beneficial.
(Comparison table from Michael Coghlan, WebCT Asia Pacific Conference, 2002, * reference links to summative & formative assessment)
D. Evaluating Web Resources
Evaluation Criteria of Web Resouces (modified from Alexander & Tate, 1998)- Accuracy: How reliable and free from error is the information?
- Authority: What are the author’s qualifications for writing on the topic?
- Objectivity: Is the information presented with a minimum of bias?
- Currency: Is the content of the work up-to-date?
- Coverage(Depth): What depth are topics explored?
- Also, from the design point of view, you have to look at the ease of navigation, use of multimedia, browser compatibility, download speed, etc.
- Checklist:
- Checklist for Content Evaluation (1 Page PDF file)
- Checklist for Web Site Design (1 Page PDF file)
- Seven Point Checklist (Online) --> Based on the appropriate checklist criteria, determine the relative quality of the web site.
E. Final Comments
In Budhism, there is a phrase called "MOON SA SOO" (shown below in traditional Chinese characters). Moon is translated to "listen", SA to "think", SOO to "perform". The message in this phrase is very similar to the concept of information processing. Information flows from input(MOON) via process(SA) to output(SOO). No matter how conveniently the information is accessed and how efficiently it is presented, the crucial question here will be how a learner will digest it, retain it, retrieve it later and produce the output out of it.
With web-enhanced language instruction, we may shorten the input steps and provide the variety of options to learners, but the main tasks for learners still remain the same: to try to digest input and produce output as a result. In this sense, web-enhanced language instruction should focus not only on the input (contents presented) but also on the learner's process (attention, recognition, and retrieval of the information) and output (use, performance, evaluation and application).
