The MoVEme project: reflecting on xMOOC and cMOOC structure …movemeproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/mooc_conference... · 2016-10-31 · The MoVEme project: reflecting on xMOOC and

The MoVEme project: reflecting on xMOOC and cMOOC structure and pedagogical implementation

Dr. Laura McLoughlin and Dr. Francesca Magnoni National University of Ireland, Galway

20 – 21st October 2016

Milton Keynes

Dr. Laura McLoughlin & Dr. Francesca Magnoni

Our presentation:

Rationale for design and creation of: MOOC for English for Academic Purposes / MOOC for Italian for Academic Purposes;

Main learning objectives;

Structure of the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) MOOC;

Relevance of Metacognitive Skills & Strategies for our learning outcomes;

Expected future developments;

Conclusion.


The MoVEme project: an outline

MOVEME project: financed by the European Commission (Erasmus+, Key Activity 2 strand);

Leaders: Università per Stranieri di Siena (Italy);

Partners: National University of Ireland, Galway(IRL), Open University (UK), Computer Technology Institute -(GR), Federazione Nazionale Insegnanti, Napoli (IT), Institutul de Stiinte Ale Educatiei, Bucuresti (RO);

Acronym: for MOOcs for uniVErsity students on the MovE in Europe;

Objective: negotiation of academic discourse in L2 (English or Italian);

Creation of 2 MOOCs, a website and a set of resources for students on the Erasmus Programme or other mobility programmes.


Moveme Moocs

compromise between xMOOCs and a cMOOCs - leaning more towards the x-type, feeling that this is the most appropriate when participants are approaching material in a foreign or second language.

well-defined structure, symmetrical weekly development, “controlled” textual environment in the sense that most texts were sourced and provided by us.

The two MOVEME MOOCs deal with specific-purpose language in academic environments but they are not LMOOCs.


MACRO learning objectives

Develop an understanding of academic discourse;

Raise and develop awareness of the strategies involved in approaching academic discourse;

Raise and develop awareness of the metacognitive processes activated while working with and through the target language;

Utilize the social-connectivist approach to define and discuss the concept of academic text, arrive at an analysis, practice and peer-evaluation of academic texts, integrate and compare knowledge among peers.


MICRO learning objectives in each core week Recognize YOUR READING/LISTENING/WRITING/SPEAKING

SKILLS

Improve YOUR READING/LISTENING/WRITING/SPEAKING SKILLS focusing on academic discourse specific to several study subjects

Become aware of the most common READING/LISTENING/WRITING/SPEAKING skills and of the more specific ones

Developing metacognitive skills to refine READING/LISTENING/WRITING/SPEAKING strategies

Reflect and re-apply (inputs such as: “What did you learn in this unit and how would you apply it to your studies? Write one sentence of what you learnt and how you are going to take it further” will be given).


English MOOC: MACRO-STRUCTURE

Six weeks in total: Week 1 and 6 are the introductory and the conclusive units of the course;

Week 2: READING skills

Week 3: LISTENING skills

Week 4: WRITING skills

Week 5: SPEAKING skills.

Weeks 2- 5: focus on one main ability, but always connected to the other abilities and strategies, as well as intercultural references.


Interconnection of strategies…

Global and selective reading strategies (skimming and scanning) can be related to some Bottom-up/Top-down listening strategies:

Reading and Listening: inferring and predicting - happen in both cognitive processes;

Writing and Speaking: organisation and sequencing of ideas, pre-writing and pre-speaking activities such as brainstorming, organisation of thoughts in schemes, conceptual maps, analysing and synthesizing information, making lists;

Writing and Reading are also connected by a visual impact on learners: writing or reading words or sentences might facilitate memorization of words that, consequently, can be reused when speaking


Week 1 and week 6

Week 1 explains the aims of our MOOC, its structure and expected outcomes;

Week 6 contains wrap-up activities and opportunities for participants to evaluate their own learning path.


English MOOC: MICRO-STRUCTURE

designed following Perifanou and Economides’ list of 6 core course elements for the evaluation of a Massive Open Online Interactive Language Learning Environment (MOILLE).


English MOOC: MiCRO-STRUCTURE -1

http://www.academia.edu/7070053/MOOCS_FOR_FOREIGN_LANGUAGE_LEARNING_AN_EFFORT_TO_EXPLORE_AND_EVALUATE_THE_FIRST_PRACTICES

designed following Perifanou and Economides’ list of 6 core course elements for the evaluation of a Massive Open Online Interactive Language Learning Environment (MOILLE).



English MOOC: MiCRO-STRUCTURE -2




EXAMPLE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF OBJECTIVES


Activities in WeekS 2 – 5:

focus on metacognitive skills & strategies

They encourage significant and highly contextualised interaction among learners mainly based on their own reflections on their approach to the study of the chosen subject in the target FL.

Each Week (or unit) contains links or cross-references to the other Weeks especially on inputs connected to metacognitive strategies that can be used when working on the different abilities.

Intertextuality through the MOOC aims to enhance learners’ awareness of the learning strategies they activate in specific learning contexts.


DEVELOPING awarness of own learning strategies

What did you learn today? How will you use what we are learning outside the class?

When you are about to try something new, how do you feel? When you are doing something and you get stuck, what do you do?

Do you carry on normal daily activities (e.g. study, cook, relax, drive) the same way in every situation? Why do you think we shift how we do things?

And more targeted questions to our purpose:

Why are we practicing the four main abilities?

Which is the most important ability for you? Why?

Can we consider the four main abilities linked or separated one from the other?

How will they help you in your year abroad studying in a foreign university?


More in details: entries in the forum & learners

learning journals INPUTS to help learners to understand and develop listening or reading skills:

1) READING: When you read a paper, according to the definitions given, do you use global or selective reading? Do you use a Scanning or a skimming strategy? In which situations do you use one and when the other?

2) LISTENING: in a given situation, which strategies do you use more? Bottom-up or Top-down? Why the strategy you use more is good for you…

Learners are provided with specific terminology relating to metacognitive skills & strategies each Week in order to facilitate the reflection on their learning styles and strategies.


Feedback and self-assessment

Feedback through self-assessed quizzes and tests (e.g.: answers given once the quiz/test is completed or in “Reveal Comments – Feedback” links or short Talking Heads.

Task-based approach activities devised: our aims are not purely linguistic. Learners use (and work on) the target Foreign Language (FL) when reflecting on their own learning strategies and skills.


Visual & AURAL inputs and background knowledge

Each Week contains brief extracts from videos:

The topic is deliberately never too specific;

Importance of background knowledge: ability to predict and infer meaning even when not 100% familiar with the topic;

Background knowledge activates expectations to facilitate comprehension of what is heard or what will come next.


Theoretical framework for sequencing of activities


CONCLUSION: FUTURE OUTCOMES of the

MOVEME MOOCs

Guidelines for designing further MOOCs on academic discourse and foreign language acquisition strategies

Template for future MOOCs in other Languages for Academic Purposes

Resources available on the website independently of the MOOCs


Thank you

for

your attention

Documents

The MoVEme project: reflecting on xMOOC and cMOOC structure …movemeproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/mooc_conference... · 2016-10-31 · The MoVEme project: reflecting on xMOOC and