Transcript Animated Top Scrolling Paint Strokes – Very Pretty!

Technology
and
Task Design
Discussion
• Do you currently use webpages in your
language class, or require students to
refer to webpages outside of class?
• What purpose do these websites
serve?
• Are you satisfied with the outcomes?
Are the students?
What is a task?
• “an activity or action which is carried
out as the result of processing or
understanding language”
– Richards, J., Platt, J., & Weber, H. (1985). Longman
dictionary of applied linguistics. New York: Longman, p.289
• Tasks provide a purpose to learners,
encourage interaction, and promote
target language use as a means to an
end.
What is a task?
• Tasks generally share common
characteristics:
– purposeful and goal-oriented
– leading to an attainable objective
– require comprehension, manipulation, and
production of the target language
– focus on a meaningful exchange of information
– engage learners in activity in order to carry out
operations
– can be problem-solving or consensus-building
What is a FL task?
• How does this information about tasks
relate to us as foreign language
teachers?
– Discuss with a partner how you conceive
of “tasks” in your classes.
– What materials or equipment do you
generally incorporate to carry out these
tasks?
Tasks and “communication”
• Communication extends beyond a questionand-answer exchange between a student
and teacher or a student and a computer
• The notion of communication encompasses
“expression, interpretation, and negotiation
of meaning”
– Lee, J. F. (2000). Tasks and communicating in language
classrooms. New York: McGraw-Hill., p. 1
• Tasks require communication, and
communication in any medium requires an
exchange to take place.
Tasks and technology
• Therefore, technology in and of itself…
– does not lead to an attainable objective.
– does not require students to focus on the
meaningful exchange of information.
– does not require comprehension, manipulation
and production of the TL.
– does NOT encompass expression, interpretation
and negotiation of meaning.
– does not promote meaningful communication.
• “Technology” is not a task!
Tasks and technology
• Technology is a tool through which we
can create meaningful, innovative,
useful and exciting tasks for our
students.
• HOW? By keeping in mind a few simple
guidelines as we prepare our
technology-based tasks...
Technology-based tasks
• 1. Identify task goals; make them clear and
keep them in mind throughout the activity.
• “When we choose authentic materials, there should
be a purpose–not simply to decorate the page or to
fill (or kill) time but to introduce learners to a
specific cultural concept, to illustrate something that
has just been taught (or that is going to be taught),
to serve as a stimulus for an activity”
– Terry, R. M. (1998). Authentic tasks and materials for testing in the
foreign language classroom. In J. Harper, M. Lively, & M. Williams (Eds.),
The coming of age of the profession: Issues and emerging ideas for the
teaching of foreign languages (pp. 277-290). Boston: Heinle & Heinle, , p.
282
Technology-based tasks
• 2. Prepare learners for the task.
–Relate the activity to previously
studied linguistic and/or cultural
concepts.
–Activate appropriate background
knowledge at the beginning of the
activity.
Technology-based tasks
• 3. Provide navigational aids.
– Learners should be given explicit information
regarding the technical nature of the task (how
to run a program, how to log on, etc.) so that
they may proceed quickly to the task itself rather
than lose time trying to set it up.
– On WWW, give learners navigational instructions
to direct them quickly and efficiently to the
necessary information on a website.
– Monitoring may be necessary to ensure that
students remain on-task, avoiding the temptation
to surf irrelevant websites.
Technology-based tasks
• 4. Have learners do something with
the information.
– Engage learners in verbal exchange of the
information gathered (peer survey, partner
interview).
– Draw generalizations, see what trends exist in
the class, compare their responses with their
partner, etc.
– Target language is the means of achieving some
ultimate purpose
The ABCs of task design...
•A is for analysis.
•B is for back-up.
•C is for the 5 Cs.
•D is for diversity.
•E is for evaluation.
Sample activity
• Critique this “task” based on the
above.
Go to: www apartments.com
Find an apartment that fits your lifestyle
(real or imagined).
In your own words, write a brief description
(10-15 sentences) of the apartment you found.
Explain why you chose this apartment and
why you like it.
Check spelling and grammar in MSWord.
Send the instructor a copy of your work via email.
Now what?
• Over the course of the next week, we
will learn how to:
– search for appropriate and useful
webpages
– evaluate webpages based on criteria for
your specific needs
– design activities around these websites
– create a webpage
– create a webquest