Module 13 COMPUTER-ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING (CALL)

Transcription

1 Module 13 COMPUTER-ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING (CALL) This module is a web-based introduction to a range of language-learning activities which use communication and information technology. You can find the module at the following address: Outline of the module During this session, participants will gain hands-on experience of using communications and information technology in language learning. The experience gained here will inform a discussion on a range of techniques for integrating computer-based methods into language learning. A set of scenarios is distributed to participants and their various merits are debated. There are three parts to the module, each lasting 40 minutes. 1. Hands-on experience of language learning activity (Time: approx. 40 mins). Part 1 has to take place in a computer teaching lab and participants are encouraged to share work stations in order to facilitate debate. The exact content of the session will vary depending on what is available locally in each institution. Participants are assisted in logging into the available software and provided with a task. Contextual information for the task is provided. Some possible variations are provided below: Discussion group - all participants respond to a question or an assertion that has been seeded in the discussion group in the DOPLA learning environment, e.g. What experience have you had of computer-based learning? or Computers have no role to play in language learning. Drill and practice - participants undertake tests involving multiple-choice and multiple response questions, gap-filling and sentence ordering, using CALL packages such as GramEx, Text Jumbler, etc. or activities linked through the DOPLA learning environment. Discovery learning of grammar - participants conduct a brief text analysis using a tool such as Astcovea or a concordance programme. 2. Discussion on the range of technology available (Time: approx. 40 mins). Participants move away from the computer desks for a discussion of what they have DOPLA Module 13 - Computer-Assisted Language Learning 251

2 just experienced. Other kinds of language learning technology are fed into the discussion. A distinction is made between: course materials for guided instruction or practice - such as the drill and practice type, e.g. gap-filling, sentence ordering, possibly focused around themes the students will be covering elsewhere in their course tools to explore language - which are extremely flexible in use, for instance: Word, , discussion groups, concordances, terminology banks, machine translation resources - such as information centres for language learning and the application of computers in teaching, dictionaries, thesaurus, encyclopaedias, newspapers and magazines (CD ROM or WWW). 3. Scenarios for integrating CALL into language learning (Time: approx. 40 mins). Three possible scenarios for integrating CALL into general language teaching are distributed to the participants and the merits and suitability of each for the local setting are discussed. These scenarios are: CALL as a resource available to supplement face-to-face teaching sessions CALL as a requirement for students to bring their results or findings into a face-toface teaching session CALL as an activity that takes place during a face-to-face teaching session, enabling the lecturer to devote more attention to other students in the group who are involved in other tasks. 252 DOPLA Module 13 - Computer-Assisted Language Learning

3 Tutor guidelines The web address for the DOPLA CALL Module is: Some user accounts and passwords have been set up for you to use yourself and to distribute amongst course participants. Please note that both username and password are case sensitive. The Name is the identity that is associated with the particular username/password combination. Name B Participant C Participant D Participant Username: Guest1 Password: guest1 Username: Guest2 Password: guest2 Username: Guest3 Password: guest3 E Participant F Participant G Participant H Participant I Participant J Participant K Participant Username: Guest4 Password: guest4 Username: Guest5 Password: guest5 Username: Guest6 Password: guest6 Username: Guest7 Password: guest7 Username: Guest8 Password: guest8 Username: Guest9 Password: guest9 Username: Guest10 Password: guest10 These accounts can be re-used over and over by different cohorts, but messages sent by and to the previous users of these accounts will be visible to the later users if they click on the Show All link in the Discussion Forum and the Module Mail. DOPLA Module 13 - Computer-Assisted Language Learning 253

4 Student accounts and general maintenance Adding student accounts It is advisable to set up individual accounts for the participants currently on the DOPLA scheme at any one institution. In order to do this, the tutor needs to go into the module as a facilitator (grader in WebCT terminology) and add new student accounts. See the instructions below for details of how to add accounts. If you are unable to do this beforehand, the participants can use the existing generic accounts (Guest1/guest1 to Guest10/guest10). 1. Go to 2. Click on the [Login] button at the bottom of the screen. 3. Enter the user name facilitator and the password facilitator and click [OK]. N.B. Ensure you type the user name and password in lower case. 4. From the homepage of the DOPLA CALL module, click on Grader Student Management below the main icons. 5. Click on the button labelled [Students ] at the bottom of the screen. 6. Click on [Add Student]. 7. Fill in the details: First Name, Last Name and choose a login ID and password for the student. Make sure that the password is at least four characters. 8. Click on [Add] and the student information is added to the table of students registered on the DOPLA CALL module. General maintenance by the WebCT instructor There are a few maintenance tasks required to support the DOPLA CALL module on a continuing basis. These include: Clearing old messages from the Discussion Forum This can be done only with the instructor access to the web. It is necessary to clear out old messages, but leave the initial three items intact so that new participants can engage in a fresh discussion of the issues already seeded in the forum. Student management and student tracking Periodically, there needs to be a review of access to the web to chart its use and to clear defunct participant accounts. Both the instructor and the facilitator account provide access to these functions. Module evaluation The participant feedback provided here is accessible only to the instructor of the web. 254 DOPLA Module 13 - Computer-Assisted Language Learning

5 The feedback needs to be collected on a periodic basis in order to gauge the effectiveness of the CALL module and to note suggestions for improvement from participants and facilitators. Guest account maintenance Use of the guest accounts (Guest, Guest1-Guest10) needs to be monitored from time to time. For instance, each guest can only submit the module evaluation once and it may be that future users of that account will want also to provide feedback on the module. Therefore the instructor needs to reset the account as if the guest has not yet submitted an evaluation form. For further instructions and guidance on how to use the web, please contact Frances Deepwell at Coventry University (f.deepwell@coventry.ac.uk) DOPLA Module 13 - Computer-Assisted Language Learning 255

6 HANDOUT 13.1 Getting Started with the CALL Module The DOPLA Computer Assisted Language Learning Module is a web-based introduction to a range of language learning activities available using communications and information technology. The module gives you the opportunity to explore not only the different types of language learning resources available on the WWW, but also ways in which these resources can be integrated into your language classes. As well as working online, you will normally also participate in some face-to-face discussions with a tutor and other participants on the DOPLA programme. How to access the DOPLA module online NB: You must have an Internet connection for the duration of the session and use a web browser such as Netscape Navigator (version 3.1 or higher) or Internet Explorer (version 4 or higher). 1. Find out your username and password from the tutor 2. In a web browser, go to 3. Click on the Login button at the bottom of the screen 4. At the prompt, enter your username and password and click OK 5. You are now into the DOPLA learning environment (see Handout 13.2 for further details) 256 DOPLA Module 13 - Computer-Assisted Language Learning

7 DOPLA Module 13 - Computer-Assisted Language Learning Click here to go directly to the DOPLA project web site. Click on Notes for Participants for instructions on how to proceed with the online activities. Click on Module Evaluation to fill in a short feedback form where you can voice your opinions about this module. The CALL Module Homepage Click on Discussion Forum to take part in online discussions relating to computer-assisted language learning, as directed by your tutor. Click on Language Activities to see a choice of Webbased activities for French, German, Spanish, Italian and multilingual to show how CALL can be applied as a tool, resource or course. HANDOUT 13.2 Click on CALL Resources to see a list of Web references to further language learning aids and archives on the Web. Click on On-line Help for detailed instructions on how to use the tools provided within this Web-based workshop. 257

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