Technology in the Classroom Alexander Ganz University of Arizona / Universität Leipzig

Technology in the ClassroomAlexander GanzUniversity of Arizona / Universität Leipzig

What have you seen? Online Discussions Online Group Work Peer Editing Online Assessments Games, Virtual Realities Online Research Polls, Slideshows, Webinars

How active was your learning process?

Digital NativesPrensky (2001) – “Digital Natives”

To receive information at twitch speed To be able to multi-task To have hands-on activities To have graphics before text To have random access to information To be networked socially To play games rather than do serious work To have frequent rewards

What is good learning?“ …students collaborating and discussing ideas, possible solutions…”

“…project-based learning, designed around real world contexts…”

“…connecting with other students around the world, on topics of study…”

“…immersing students in a learning experience that allows them to grapple with a problem, gaining higher-order thinking skills from pursuing the solution”

WHAT DOES EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH TELL US ABOUT HOW TO USE TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE STUDENT LEARNING?

What kind of teaching and learning initiatives are likely to lead to great results (Learning Outcomes)

How can we take advantage of ‘technology’ to make such activities more interactive, richer, accessible?

Trends * Initiatives * Needs continuous need for eLearning for a

variety of reasons (economic needs, geographical needs, cultural needs)

continuous need for new developments w/ fast-paced and interconnected global world

in the past five years we have seen an incredible amount of research, proofing the use, advantages and problem areas of technology in the classroom (Belz, 2002, 2003; Furstenberg, et al., 2001; O’Dowd, 2003; Throne, 2003; Warschauer & Kern, 2000)

better connections between CALT and pedagogical goals

Some Critical Factors of CALL

assessment cost effectiveness instruction preparation quality satisfaction solutions

The Battles open source vs. paid solutions

contact courses vs. hybrid courses vs. online courses

self-controlled vs. instructor-lead

tools vs. platforms vs. gimmicks

Current ResearchTayade, A. V. (2010). Developing a social networking portal for language learning, communicative competence and cultural awareness. (Doctoral dissertation).

Bikowski, D. (2008). The discourse of relationship building in an intercultural virtual learning community. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Database. (AAT 3302714).

Liaw, Meei-Ling. (2006). E-Learning and the Development of Intercultural Competence. Language Learning & Technology, 10.3: 49-64.

ResourcesOnline Language Learning Environments (OLLE)

OLLE – Online Language Learning

Environments

[Online Language Learning Environments] “are quickly emerging, empirical research in this area is scarce, leaving open questions about many aspects, such as the proportion of users who have actually completed courses, the length of time required for an online language learning community to mature, the development and uptake of user-generated materials, and the relationship between language learning and cultural learning in an online […] context.

In short, although [OLLE] seem promising, much is yet to be learned about the dynamics being generated within the online learning community and how such experiences might lead toward or detract from satisfactory, efficient, useful, or culturally sensitive language learning experiences” (Liaw, 2011)

OLLE D2L Moodle Blackboard Angel Sakai Epsilen

Online Course Management tools / LMS alone do not create good classes or great results!

ResourcesTools (Social Media Tools, Paid Services, LRCs, )

Storytelling / Curation Scoop.It / Storify (Curating

anything social; tweets, photos, videos; drag and drop)

LiveBinders.com

http://storify.com

http://www.webadvantage.net/webadblog/30-plus-cool-content-curation-tools-for-personal-professional-use-3922

Voice & Video Voki.com (Speaking Avatars,

Lesson Plans, Learning Resources)

MSU’s CLEAR (Audio & Video Dropbox, Mashable)

Skype / Google+ Fifty ways of using Skype in your

classroom (Conferences, Guest Lecturers, Interviews, Games, Collaboration …)

Elluminate Adobe ConnectNow Now that Google+ is free why

not have group project hangouts

http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/06/30/50-awesome-ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/

Examples CLEAR’s Rich Internet Applications for

Language Learning (http://clear.msu.edu/teaching/online/ria/)

http://clear.msu.edu/mashups/10956

Things we just briefly mention Immersive Environments (SecondLife,

Gaia …) Wiki’s, Blogging, Podcasting, etc Basic tools like YouTube and Social

Networking and their integration in the classroom but check out this site for ideas

http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2010/05/100-inspiring-ways-to-use-social-media-in-the-classroom/

ResourcesTools for Projects

Cool Tools for Cool Teachers Dipity; create interactive timelines that

include any form of web media Vuvox; create linear multimedia collages ManyEyes; statistical visualizations Popplet; gestural & visual compilations Gliffy; create any type of chart (flow charts

etc online)

http://www.dipity.com/wiwo1/wiwo-de-Chronik-der-Finanzkrise/

http://www.vuvox.com/my_vox/show/0138eb08b6?presentation=0113aee81chttp://www-958.ibm.com/software/data/cognos/manyeyes/

How in the world do I keep up with all that stuff and become a cool great teacher; a teacher, that uses technology smart and

effectively?

Daily/Weekly/Monthly Resources CALICO Website / Listserv / Journal

Computer-Assisted Language Instruction Consortium

DigitalerWandel.de Journals like Open Learning, Language Learning &

Technology OIA Workshops and 1on1s TechCrunch, Gizmodo, Mashable! CampusTechnology, CLEAR Websites Technology Clusters in National Conferences (ACTFL,

MLA, …) Browse around … http://www.go2web20.net/

Language Resource Centers CALPER CARLA CASLS LARC CERCLL ….

http://cercll.arizona.edu/doku.php/resources/lrc

Find the perfect resource: http://nflrc.msu.edu/

ICC in OLLE’s