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Creating, Developing and Sustaining a Computer-Based Language Learning Environment

Creating, Developing and Sustaining a Computer-Based Language Learning Environment . John Gillespie & David Barr School of Languages and Literature University of Ulster. Key Questions. Is it possible? Is it desirable? What would such an environment be like?

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Creating, Developing and Sustaining a Computer-Based Language Learning Environment

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  1. Creating, Developing and Sustaining a Computer-Based Language Learning Environment John Gillespie & David Barr School of Languages and Literature University of Ulster

  2. Key Questions • Is it possible? • Is it desirable? • What would such an environment be like? • Is it just about doing the same old thing with computer bells and whistles? • Is it the same for all academic subjects or are languages different? • Does the environment depend on the institution?

  3. What is a Learning Environment? • Physical Resources • Technological Resources • Human Resources • Information processing, management and transmission • Cultural context • Pedagogical planning • Communication • Gumption

  4. What is a Computer-Based Learning Environment? • Computer technology used to enhance the learning and teaching experience in the following ways: • To enable efficient communication • To facilitate flexible information management & processing • To access electronic learning resources (reference material & CALL) • To enhance traditional pedagogical methods

  5. Case Studies Cambridge, Toronto and Ulster

  6. Physical & Technological Resources (Cambridge) • CALL Facility, equipped with software for 12 languages. • CALL resources made available via University network, allowing student access from colleges • Web-based material is limited • CALL website, with web gateway for 9 languages

  7. Physical & Technological Resources (Toronto) • 6 Multimedia labs on 2 campuses, with 130 computers. Access restricted • Limited local CALL packages • Preference for web-based material. Flexibility of Web access. Links from course websites to a range of TL resources eg: Banks of news clips from Radio Canada and on-line grammar exercises

  8. Physical & Technological Resources (Ulster) • Extensive general purpose computer labs • CALL labs have just been installed • Limited use of CALL software • Developments in web-based resources, through FirstClass and WebCT • Web gateway for French/German/Spanish/Irish

  9. Human Resources (Cambridge) • CALL Officer to maintain CALL Facility/support academic staff • Insufficient faculty staff to meet the demand • Staff Resources not co-ordinated

  10. Human Resources (Toronto) • Director of Multimedia Labs • Webmasters for course websites • Support from CHASS technicians • Students paid to digitise/assist in preparation of courseware • Robarts Library provides suite of web publishing facilities and staff training

  11. Human Resources (Ulster) • No dedicated staff to prepare course material • Limited number of graduate students involved in developing material • Staff from Institute of Lifelong Learning to assist staff with transfer of lecture notes etc to Campus One (University’s on-line learning environment) • Limited Web publishing rights restrict ability to post material on Web

  12. Communication (Cambridge) • Staff and students spread across the city in colleges: e-mail used for staff-student communication • Many students have access to e-mail in the college bedrooms • Students advised to consult their e-mail at least twice a day

  13. Communication (Toronto) • Students and staff spread over a wide area: course websites used for bulk of staff-student communication • Students tend not to live in college, but have good access to Internet at home/term-time accommodation • Limited use of e-mail

  14. Communication (Ulster) • Significant number of students commute from home each day; others off-campus in private accommodation • Internet access problematic in most term-time accommodation • E-mail is not used systematically for communication • FirstClass is used for communication

  15. Pedagogical Approaches (Cambridge) • CALL Facility underused for class work. • 38% of staff teach in it (N=42). • Used sporadically e.g. some classes take place there once or twice a year. Limited weekly bookings for lab • Emphasis on use for self-study e.g. listening comprehensions/CALL software for exam revision • Spanish video comprehension activities now on Web, replacing need to do them in class • Web notes and material used to support Spanish and Russian classes.

  16. Pedagogical Approaches (Toronto) • Multimedia labs used regularly for teaching • Used by 77% of staff (N=13) • Labs are overbooked each week. Led to creation of two new labs on St George campus • Students required to use labs for self-study. Coursework marks awarded for this • Web-based modules in French require use of Web to complete assignments. Have replaced class contact time in some of these classes • Course websites provide support material for classes e.g. notes and articles to be read

  17. Pedagogical Approaches (Ulster) • CALL used by small number of staff for teaching • Use of FirstClass to support class activity e.g. notes, grammar tips and assessment feedback • 90% of staff (N=10) used it to send lecture notes to students • Students encouraged to use Web to research essays e.g. provision of URLs in module reading lists • WebCT grammar exercises for self-study

  18. Interaction (Cambridge) • Faculty resources available through Network Facility, giving flexibility of access • Resources not as easy to access as Language Centre material (available on a Web interface) • Staff-student communication separate to access to resources • Little sign of an infrastructure in which all aspects can be linked together

  19. Interaction (Toronto) • Provision of Web-based material, increases flexibility of access • Course websites used for staff-student communication and linking electronic resources • In two programmes of study, students can submit coursework from course website • Web is there used to link together above components

  20. Interaction (Ulster) • Use of FirstClass to facilitate staff-student communication and access some resources • Used in some French/Spanish classes to submit coursework • Establishment of Campus One (using WebCT) to link these components in a more secure environment than openly available on Web (like at U of T)

  21. EVALUATION Key Issues in Creating Language Learning Environments

  22. What’s So Special About Languages and Computers? • Communication • Manipulation • Transformation • Multiple modes of activity - different skills • Multimedia • Internationalisation (Web; Video; E-mail;TV/Radio)

  23. VAT: Value Added Teaching • Learning Environments are complex • Computer-Based Language-Learning Environments are particularly complex • The rewards and potential far outweigh the challenges of establishing them

  24. VAT: Enhancement • Reactions of staff • Reactions of students • Enhanced performance in project work • Diagnostic tests

  25. Getting It All Together • The key to the environment is integration with all teaching and learning activities • The whole University environment should be computer-based • It requires top-level management support • The environment requires critical mass of both student/staff participation • It should be a self-transforming system

  26. Obstacles • Incomplete or inadequate equipment • Untrained, uninvolved or uninformed staff • Lack of pedagogical understanding and culture • Lack of human resources - support and technical staff • Time required for preparation of new materials • Lack of management co-ordination • Lack of overall vision

  27. Prospects for the Future: We Shall Overcome • Technical capacity is there • Software resources are adequate • Students are supportive • Staff do not oppose it • Senior Managements are keen

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