Transcript Að vera í `rafbandi`

ICT and Language learning –
Can an e-learning environment
promote learner autonomy?
Samuel C Lefever
Assistant Professor
Iceland University of Education
UNTELE 2004
UNTELE 2004
Overview
 Distance-learning
at the university level
 ICT use in a language teaching program
 An e-learning environment based on:
 Communication
 Cooperative
learning
 Autonomous learning
UNTELE 2004
Iceland University of Education
 A leader
of distance education in the
country
 1990s - ICT use steadily increased
 E-mail,
WWWeb, Internet, e-learning tools
– online distance learning at all
levels of instruction
 2001
UNTELE 2004
IUE – Language teaching program
 Objectives
– that students gain:
 an
understanding of the nature, structure and
use of the English language
 knowledge about language teaching theory
and language learning and their practical
applications
 proficiency in English language skills sufficient
for teaching at the primary school level
 insight into the daily life, culture, and literature
of English language countries
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Learning environment
UNTELE 2004
Communication
 Campus
sessions
 Course website
 E-mail and web conferencing
 Telephone conferencing
UNTELE 2004
Course website
 Course
description and objectives
 Course plan
 Reading materials
 Study guidelines
 Hyperlinks
http://enska.khi.is/menning1_h03/
UNTELE 2004
Web conferencing
WebBoard
FrontPage
– Sharepoint
WebCT
UNTELE 2004
Communication technology
 Closed
postlists
 E-mail
 Telephone
conferencing
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Cooperative learning
 Campus
 Group
 Web
sessions
‘belongingness’
discussions
 Shared
assignments
 Reading circles
 Media issues
 Peer feedback and interaction
http://starfsfolk.khi.is/samuel/disc1_frm.htm
UNTELE 2004
DISCUSSION CONTENTS
A written report about terrorism Helga 11/5/2001
Educational issues report. Sigríður H. Aðalsteinsdóttir. 11/4/2001
Ameica on the edge. Ursula Ásgrímsdóttir 11/4/2001
Gun control and crime report Þórey Einarsdóttir 11/3/2001
Re: Gun control and crime report Sylvía Hilmarsdóttir 12/12/2001
Re: Gun control and crime report Sylvía Hilmarsdóttir 12/12/2001
More about educational issues Sigga Helga 10/30/2001
Re: More about educational issues Ursula Ásgrímsdóttir 11/4/2001
Re: More about educational issues Þórey Einarsdóttir 11/3/2001
Re: More about educational issues Helga 10/31/2001
More about guns Þórey Einarsdóttir 10/29/2001
Re: More about guns Ursula Ásgrímsdóttir 11/4/2001
Re: More about guns Helga 10/30/2001
Re: More about guns Sigga Helga 10/29/2001
60 minutes Samuel 10/26/2001
Re: 60 minutes Þórey Einarsdóttir 10/30/2001
Re: 60 minutes Helga 10/30/2001
Re: 60 minutes Sigríður H. Aðalsteinsdóttir 10/29/2001
UNTELE 2004
Autonomous learning –
with support

Reading materials



Study guidelines




Course books and articles
Web sources and e-journals
Provide direction
Facilitate discussion and reflection
Provide time framework
Language skills practice and self-study


Listening materials
Interactive activities
UNTELE 2004
Student responses
“I like to be able to know in advance when to turn in my work. It was
excellent to get the course schedule ahead of time and also the way
you would be grading us because then I quickly knew what was
expected of me.”
“I liked the web discussions – the communication with the fellow
students and the teacher. I found the way of giving feedback very
useful and clear.”
UNTELE 2004
“It was interesting to do the assignments and work in
small groups. We were ‘forced’ to communicate.
…there were a lot of issues in the book worth
discussion.”
“It was good to look for information, e.g. on the internet,
about British culture.”
“The course provided support and promoted learner
autonomy. …encouraged students to do their own
information searches and work independently.”
UNTELE 2004
Other research
 Iceland
University of Education - 2001
 75%
students said that distance learning
program met their expectations
 92% students liked using the the internet
for communication in distance learning
 65% participated in web discussions once
a week or more often
UNTELE 2004
Communication
 Iceland
University of Education – 2002
 89%
students reported that communication
with fellow students helped them in distance
learning
 86% students reported that communication
with teachers helped them in their learning
 65% felt that web discussions were a
beneficial part of their studies
UNTELE 2004
E-learning tools – WebCT,
WebBoard
 Iceland
University of Education – 2002
 Students
commented on the value of being
able to read each other’s work
 The
tools provided them with an ‘invaluable
source of information and basis for
discussion’
UNTELE 2004
Learner autonomy and
distance learning
 Iceland
University of Education – 2002
 students
commented on:
gaining self-discipline
 taking the initiative
 developing independent work habits

 Upper-secondary
school level -2002
 89%
students responded that they were more
responsible for their own learning in distance
learning than in conventional classroom
UNTELE 2004
ICT and distance-learning
UNTELE 2004