New genera)on learning: is there a future for the English Language Teaching coursebook? Caroline Moore Online Educa Berlin 3 December 2010
Overview Research carried out between January and July 2010 including academic literature review, desk research, interviews, analysis of online teacher survey (Nik Peachey) English Language Teaching: overview of the sector and challenges of language learning Lessons from the past Impact of mobile learning Pedagogy & Design Business Models OpportuniGes for content and plahorm developers
English Language Teaching: overview of the sector Publishers treat learners as passive consumers of state curricula. 750m speakers, 1 billion learners, 11 million teachers Growth in emerging markets UK ELT publishing sector worth approx 2bn (split 3:2 consumer/insgtugonal Wide range of stakeholders including learners, teachers, small private language schools, educagonal bodies
Challenges of learning and teaching a language There is no standard-setting: nobody is asking what kind of things people should be able to to do and then looking up which CEF level descriptors adequately describe those requirements. Prof John de Jong Many greatly underesgmate Gme and effort required ExperienGal/discovery combined with analygcal approaches work best Student engagement Many false starts Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) PracGce, pracgce, pracgce
Technology: lessons from the past Publishers have been staggeringly bad at technology. Interviewee Language labs Video CALL MulGmedia Internet InteracGve Whiteboards Second Life Web 2 ImplicaGons for mobile
Impact of mobile learning And on the ipod [Touch] you can just click on something and just use it, instead of searching though the whole textbook. Pupil Aged 8 Changing user behaviour New sales plahorm & Apps ecosystem Mobile internet access problemagc Smartphone wars ipad changing the rules Laptops and netbooks Gaming consoles & ereaders? MulGple mobile plahorms
ImplicaGons for Pedagogy & we should all worry about the gap that has opened between the institutions, teachers and learners who have embraced and are busy astonishing us with this complex mix of technologies. Professor Stephen Heppell Design Regularly updated granular content, pick and mix programmes of study. Clearer sense of learner progression: tesgng, tracking, and e- porholios Exploit authengc content on the Internet Easy access and storage Hybrid, mixed media Self- study components for mobile Content that really interests and excites learners Wider repertoire of interacgve rougnes
Angry Birds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmltvlqem54 Vesterbacka also added that the role of the publisher has diminished in modern game development; You don t need publishers. www.techcrunch.com October 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnnzryd1xz0
Business Models What you want to do is create the most frictionless mechanism for getting consumers and customers to give you their money. Richard Titus
What OpportuniGes Mobile Apps: vocab, listening and reading acgviges, self- study add- on Apps for courseware Virtual Learning Environments linked to social media plahorms & mobile Tests How Sell through App store Sell/offer to course providers direct Partnership with publishers, course providers, exam boards, plahorm developers There were no Mobile Apps entered in the ESU President s Award for either 2009 or 2010
Is there a future for coursebooks? Books = learning for many Students." Easy to refer to, flick through, a security blanket for Students and Teachers. Doesn't break down or need electricity. We're becoming more technologically advanced and students expect materials in a more flexible and portable format. It helps teachers by giving structure and organisation to lessons. We will always need an established basis for a course, even if we then diversify. Students need a basis to "hang onto" and to revise from, whether it be online or hard copy or limited to other resources. The coursebooks will all be digital, conducted on ipads/tablets, but I think the format of coursebooks will be the same. This will save an immense amount of paper and hence trees - a good thing!