Synergies FLE

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1 Digiclass - Linking the Foreign Language Student to a World of Information URSULA ATKINSON As Program Coordinator at the Rutgers University Language Institute, Ursula Atkinson develops, administers and implements methodology and instructional technology workshops for Teaching Assistants and Part Time Lecturers. Additionally, she oversees the Digiclass project web sites and provides coordination and training for instructors on their use. She received a Mag. Phil. degree in English and German from the Paris Lodron Universität in Salzburg, Austria and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Rutgers University. In 2000, she published Befreiung aus den Fesseln der Vergangenheit: Ausgewählte Romane von Anja Lundholm. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft. Since the fall of 2000, the Rutgers University Language Institute in conjunction with nine Foreign Language Departments and the Teaching Excellence Center has refined and expanded Digiclass, a web-based application, which had been used experimentally in multi-sectioned 100-level French courses. The pilot program was very well received by instructors and students alike and monies from a grant allowed for the further development of the site and integration of all foreign languages offered at Rutgers. The expanded Digiclass now provides students taking courses in 20 different languages with more effective out-of-class communication, grammar practice, and authentic cultural contact and assists instructors in course management. The departments/languages involved are: 1. Africana Studies (Arabic, Swahili, Yoruba, Zulu), 2. Armenian, 3. Asian Languages and Cultures (Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Japanese), 4. Department of French, 5. Department of German, Russian and East European Languages (German, Hungarian, Polish, Russian), 6. Modern Greek, 7. Jewish Studies (Hebrew, Yiddish), 8. Department of Italian, 9. Department of Spanish and Portuguese. Digiclass can offer so much more than a single instructor s web page could. It is a portal, which facilitates access to a wealth of information regarding not only one language but 20 languages, allowing not only one instructor but over a hundred to utilize the same platform without having to create web pages of their own by simply plugging their content into already existing templates. In addition, multi-sectioned language courses may be coordinated and streamlined quite economically, which has proven to be especially advantageous. Instructors may log on to the system with a password to create special assignments or write announcements in their individual Instructor Page. Departmental Coordinators sign on to create, upload and/or delete files, add links, and create quizzes. Students and instructors have access to Digiclass ( 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Once on the Digiclass homepage, they select the language of their choice by clicking on the link listed under Topics. I would like to describe some of the features in detail, using the French and Spanish sites as examples.

2 Each Topic (language) has its own homepage and enables students to access a Practice and a Reference section. In the Reference section, students can link to Course Information, Culture, Grammar, Instructor Information ( address), an Instructors Notes and Assignments Page, Instructor Web pages, Links, Special Characters, Syllabi, and Vocabulary. In the Practice section, students have the opportunity to access Exercises, Special Assignments, Sample Quizzes and Exams, and a Discussion Forum/Chat Room feature. Example: French homepage Within the Practice section students may choose level specific exercises, which are geared to those taking the first semester of an accelerated beginner course. The following exercise requires students to go to a website, find a particular recipe and then answer a number of questions based on the Internet text.

3 Exercice internet: les recettes ( Once the students have filled in the individual text boxes with appropriate answers, they submit the exercise to their instructor electronically by clicking on the Submit button on the bottom of the page. Additionally, they have the option to Preview their answers before submitting the exercise in order to make any adjustments if that should be necessary (see below). The students also have the option to print these completed exercises and submit them to their instructor in class. The Vocabulary link in the Reference section enables students to become familiar with specific words and phrases that are part of an assigned exercise. For example, the file Les meubles et les objets de la maison for example is useful preparation for an assignment in which students

4 are asked to complete a letter to a friend, using vocabulary in reference to furniture. Les meubles ( Les meubles et les objets de la maison ( The Grammar link in the Reference section offers explanations on a multitude of grammatical concepts. These grammar explanations are in English followed by French examples and can be used on all levels of instruction. Many files have links to related exercises so that students may get immediate practice and feedback. See the two examples below.

5 L imparfait ( L imparfait ou le passé composé Another Reference category, Culture, lends itself beautifully to share cultural material with students in multi-sectioned courses. It is very convenient, and above all less time consuming for instructors to be able to select from an already existing pool of content files rather than having to prepare completely new lesson plans.

6 The exercise Les Oeuvres d'art dans les musées de Paris ( was specifically designed to incorporate the information given in the file shown above. In addition to reference material for students, the Instructor Resources link provides useful suggestions, lesson plans, guidelines for class management, and links to second language acquisition sites so that instructors may access these for their own professional development. These files and links are not visible to students. Only instructors who are registered in the Digiclass database may retrieve them. Example: Several departments have developed exercises, in which students can listen to an audio file, very often popular music, and then answer questions based on the text. The example below is

7 taken from the Chinese language section and shows that it is possible to develop content material on Digiclass using non western fonts for languages such as Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Russian, to name just a few. The exercise also displays one of the two multiple choice question formats, the pop-up menu. By clicking on the arrow, a box opens up revealing the choices from which students have to select the one they believe to be the correct answer. Spring Festival An excellent way of integrating culture is by utilizing PowerPoint presentations as the basis for multiple choice assignments. Students first consult PowerPoint slides to gather the information they need to answer the questions in the assignment. The slides are integrated in the exercise and easy to get to by clicking on the link. Once back on the assignment page, they select the appropriate choice, which in this case is the radio button format. While doing so, they may listen to an audio file that corresponds to the theme of the cultural topic. The example below is taken from the Spanish section, exercises that incorporate audio and video are presently being developed for French as well.

8 Machu Picchu Instructors who want to improve their students reading comprehension may want to select exercises from a category entitled Visual exercises. Similar to exercises that integrate audio, video, or PowerPoint slides, this variety uses a text, which challenges students to an in-depth reading so that they have a thorough understanding of the content before choosing their responses. La educación en Chile All exercises and assignments can be set up for self testing so that students receive instant feedback by providing an answer key and score. These exercises are not submitted

9 electronically but may be printed out for questions and a follow-up discussion in class. If instructors wish to utilize Digiclass as a mechanism for testing, quizzes and exams, it can be structured so that students receive their own answers on their individual answer page, while the instructor receives an with both the student answers, the correct answers, and the score. A particularly helpful feature for instructors is the Instructors Notes page, which is located below the Reference section. Here an instructor may list office hours and address, announce the schedule of special programs, such as conversation groups and tutoring, create links to his/her own course syllabus and course information or to web sites related to particular assignments. At the beginning of the semester instructors of first and second year French language courses require students to go to the Digiclass site and print out their own syllabi. Consequently, students are made aware of Digiclass form the start, they become familiar with the site, and are encouraged to use it as often as possible. In the example below, students in their first semester of second year French are asked to visit several web sites to view a variety of rooms (e.g. : une chambre à coucher, une salle à manger, un grand salon, un boudoir, un cabinet de toilette, des appartements privés) in several CHATEAUX DE LA LOIRE. The instructor developed this particular lesson for one of her bi-weekly class meetings held in the language lab. After examining some of the photos, students discuss the differences between their own housing accommodations and the living quarters in these French palaces.

10 While Digiclass has successfully been in operation for the last five years, it is nevertheless still a work in progress. New content material is continually being developed and as technology changes so will the format of the content delivery. Each semester instructors are being encouraged to familiarize themselves with Digiclass, to become trained in the usage of it, and to make it part of their daily lesson plans. In the 2005 spring semester the Spanish Department has made Digiclass a required part of students class participation and I am hopeful that other departments will follow suit.