Using the Internet for ESL Beginners

Diamond, J. (2000). Using the internet for ESL beginners. Retrieved August 11, 2007, from ERIC Database:
http://www.eric.ed.gov.ezproxy.library.wwu.edu/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/16/c0/bc.pdf

Summary: Diamond focuses on the use of the Internet with ESL beginners. It is often stated that the Internet is too difficult for ESL students unless they are advanced. The author disagrees with that statement. All students share the need to explore and interact online and ESL teachers need the Internet for pictures, videos etc. Diamond lists various websites and other uses of the Internet in relation to ESL classes.

A great website for everyone involved with English Language learning is Dave’s ESL Café: www.eslcafe.com. It has resources for students and teachers and job-seekers. There are also other websites that offer sound clips and more. Diamond also suggests doing a google search with the term “ESL beginner links” to find a plethora of ESL materials.

Diamond also explains how to search for and download pictures, while reminding readers to check the copyright information. She also suggests looking for shareware or freeware that may have been created for ESL specifically. An ESL teacher may want to use Chatterbots, Ecards, Java games, flight schedules, and weather as ways to allow their students to study and practice English online, even at home if they have a computer.

The article then goes on to provide examples of lesson plans that other teachers have created with using the Internet. The lesson plans use pictures from the Internet or use scenes on a projector and have students discuss it. They also use listening skills.

The article ends with three pages of ESL websites and a short description of each one.

Response: I thought this was a great article because it’s very useful and provides hands-on ideas and links that I can use. Some of the websites I have already heard about, but Diamond lists other websites and ideas that I haven’t heard of. I didn’t know what a chatterbot was, but after the article suggested it I looked it up. It’s an imaginary person that you can have conversations with in order to practice English.

As an instructor, I use the internet for a lot of different tasks. Usually the tasks are for me however, such as finding pictures or ideas. I have yet to use the internet in one of my classes as an activity that the students are interacting with as well. I really would like to do that someday soon and this article helped to give me ideas of how to incorporate the Internet for all levels of ESL students.

E-Learning, E-Teaching, E-Assessment...

Canning-Wilson, C. (2000). E-Learning, E-Teaching, E-Assessment: Aspects of Course Design for On-Line Web Based Courses Used with EFL/ESL Learners. Retrieved August 12, 2007, from ERIC database: http://www.eric.ed.gov.ezproxy.library.wwu.edu/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/16/d4/d3.pdf

Summary: The overall focus of this paper is that “as educational technology moves closer towards eliminating the practices of traditional classroom teaching, on-line teaching and learning will become a more practical and viable solution to meeting learner’ education needs” (1). The author discusses the use of online learning for ESL as compared to traditional classroom learning. She quotes a fact that the classroom teacher is predicted to be one of the jobs eliminated within the next century and that over 50% of students will be in online classes.

When teaching an online class, it is very important to consider several different things. For example: assessing the needs of the learners and the institution. It is also important to consider cost, time needed, materials, content, assessment methods, classroom management strategies, and more. The teacher must also find a way to share their own personality with the students in order to allow the students to feel more comfortable.

The article goes on to describe how to evaluate an online course. Start with the course layout: content, graphics, etc. Also, the length, presentation of content, material etc. For a language course, one must also evaluate the way the lessons are being taught and the theoretical founding behind it. Is the e-classroom culturally sensitive? There must be ways to ensure that tests are taken by the student and not someone else.

When designing an online course, organization is essential. Tasks must be sequential and related to the content and materials. There are a lot of areas to consider: will the class be taught in real-time or on the students own time? Do you have the technology to accommodate this class? How do you test listening skills? And so on…

Response: I thought that this article was going to offer more ideas and suggestions about how to teach an online ESL course. It really didn’t focus only on language courses, but rather online courses in general. It’s a little scary to think that the classroom teacher will soon be extinct, so the article does appeal to me as a teacher. I have never designed an online course and it’s interesting to read about how much work goes into it. When planning an online course, we still have all of the same aspects of planning any class plus so much more. If the class it wholly online, then how will we get to know the students and create a relationship with them?

Teaching an ESL course online seems like a difficult task. However, if careful consideration and planning is used, it could turn out to be a very effective class. A language teacher must think about how to teach reading, writing, listening and even speaking over the internet.

I like that this article offers ways to evaluate online courses by looking at overall layout, sequence of lessons and so on. All of these factors are important to facilitate learning.

The Internet and Higher Education

Van Patten, J.J., & Chen, G. (2002). The Internet Culture, Student Learning and Student Retention. Retrieved August 12, 2007, from ERIC database: http://www.eric.ed.gov.ezproxy.library.wwu.edu/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/1a/4a/f6.pdf

Summary: This article discusses various aspects of the internet, including pros and cons, as related to higher education and student retention. At the University of Texas, students can access various types of student support and counseling help over the internet. Email is often used to keep in touch with college students who may be having difficulty with their new environment. On the other hand, the internet has some downsides such as offering the ability for students to purchase papers to turn in. Educators must be aware of this issue and think of ways to hold the students accountable, such as having them later summarize the main points of their paper. Also, student retention as related to distance learning can also be difficult to work with. If a distance learning class experiences a lot of technical difficulties, it can be frustrating for the students and deter them from those types of classes in the future.

The article also goes on to briefly discuss spam, filtering, and blocking information.

The quality of internet information is also important. As instructors, it is useful to teach students effective searching techniques to save time and to help find useful information.

Response: This article was more like a summary of different types of internet uses. I didn’t really learn anything new and I actually felt as if the article was jumping all over the place without any kind of focus.

I do agree that the internet can be a great resource for students if used properly. It’s very easy to get sidetracked when surfing the web. I have taught a short lesson to international students about effective searching methods and how to know if the information found is credible and reliable. Anyone can post information on the internet, so it is very important to determine if what we are reading is fact or fiction.

Online Discussion Boards

Levine, S. J. (2007, Mar 30). The online discussion board [Electronic Version]. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. 2007(113), 67-74.

Summary: The focus of this article is on the use of the online discussion board. The author starts off by addressing the growing popularity of the online discussion board and the importance of using it effectively. The discussion board is often viewed as a replacement for the face-to-face interaction of a traditional classroom. Levine suggests that it does more than that; it also “supports… constructivist learning and the development of a learning community” (2007 p. 2). He then offers ten conditions to follow when using online discussion boards as part of the class.

1) Create an environment conducive to learning. The students need to be comfortable in their environment. An online discussion board can begin with the students getting to know each other and practicing their technological skills before diving right into academic discussion.

2) Establish rules, and provide introductory instruction. Although teachers may be familiar with the technology, the students may not be. The educator must provide instructions and clear rules. The rules can involve what type of interaction is expected, how often, different options etc. It is easy to get confused on discussion boards, so clear directions can help avoid that.

3) Guide the threaded discussion. The instructor should begin with discussion topics and make sure to bring the topics back to focus if they seem to be getting off track.

4) Pose meaningful questions and problems. The instructor should not only ask specific questions, but pose problems for the students to discuss.

5) Focus on the highest three levels of the cognitive domain (analysis, synthesis, and evaluation). In the online discussion board, the dialogue can allow for each person’s ideas to be important and students can challenge each other and gain new knowledge.

6) Allow individualization with isolation. It can be easy to feel isolated when participating in an online class. The instructor must take every opportunity to make the students feel like members of the group by allowing them to get to know each other, using names whenever possible and providing feedback.

7) Be sensitive to nonparticipation. Just because someone isn’t posting often doesn’t mean that they aren’t learning. Oftentimes they may have a few meaningful posts rather than several short posts. If a student doesn’t appear to be participating, a two-way email discussion may work better.

8) Stimulate participation. The authors gives an example from Gilly Salmon and her five-stage model of participation. The model begins with access and motivation and gradually increases involvement through networking, posting messages, interaction, and knowledge building.

9) Encourage reflection. The instructor should pose questions that ask the students to explore their learning experiences and share their knowledge.

10) Summarize key ideas. The author suggests using “what,” “why,” and “now what.” What is reflection on what was introduced and discussed. Why is analyzing its importance and meaning. The now what takes the learner away from the context of the discussion board and asks them to apply it to their life.

Response: I really like this article. Throughout my M.Ed. program, I have been involved in numerous online discussion boards. As I was reading through this article I came across points that I noticed my professors had done during our discussions. For example, one of my professors always has us post an introduction about ourselves at the beginning of the quarter. This helps to create a conducive learning environment and give students a chance to work with the posting if they are not familiar with it.

One thing I noticed that is missing from the list in this article might be to limit the number or lengths of postings. Although this might sound too limiting, I think it can be beneficial overall. I have been in a few classes where the posts became overwhelming and most people didn’t have a chance to read all of them. It can be daunting to log on and see that there are 45 new posts! I think in that case, the class should be split into discussion groups or be limited with the number of postings they are allowed. I also like the fact that he recommends guiding the conversations because it's easy for them to get off task or too focused on an argument.

I think both face-to-face classes and online classes have their pros and cons. It’s nice to have the personal interaction and ability to respond directly to someone in a conversation, but it’s also nice to have the convenience to respond when anytime and make thoughtful posts.

Adult learning theory and technology

Fidishun, D. (2000). Andragogy and technology: integrating adult learning theory as we teach with technology. Retrieved August 7, 2007, from http://markmcmanus.ca/Resources/Adult-Learners-Integrating-Adult-Learning-Theory-with-Technology.pdf

Summary: This article starts off by addressing the issue of technology in the classroom in higher education. The author states that while instructors plan to use technology, they must consider adult learning theory in their planning. This is important in order to gain the full effect. The author then goes on to explain andragogy, or adult learning theory. This article focuses on six aspects of the adult learning theory and relates each aspect with the use of technology in the classroom.

1) The Learner’s Need to Know: Adult learners need to know why they need to learn what they are learning. They need to know how it will benefit them in the future. The author suggests using technology to allow the students to have an ongoing discussion about what they anticipate learning and reflect upon what they are learning.

2) The Learner’s Self-Concept: Most adult learners were taught to be dependent on the teacher, but adult educators try to help them more independent and self-directed. Technology can help with this by allowing students to work at their own pace and even skip sections that they may already know. The author mentions that there may be students who resist being more self-directed. She suggests giving the students “short, directed, concrete online tasks” to help them become more independent (2000 p. 3).

3) The Role of the Learner’s Experience: Classes for adult learners must allow the students to share their own knowledge and experience. A major part of this is reflective learning, which can be done in an online environment.

4) A Student’s Readiness to Learn: It is important for technology to be used in a way that is related to the students’ needs and life. It must be used in context and be relevant to the class.

5) The Student’s Orientation to Learning: This is similar to #4 in that a student wants to learn tasks that they can apply to their life outside of the classroom.

6) Student’s Motivation to Learn: Most adults respond to internal motivation. They are most likely in school to improve their job status, self-esteem etc. Allowing students to give input into the use of technology in the classroom can help make them more responsible for their learning.

If these areas are all taken into consideration, the use of technology in the classroom will be effective.

Response: I thought this was a short, but informational article. It is true that many teachers can get caught up with the excitement of using technology in the classroom but forget the purpose of using it. This is similar to another article I reviewed that focused on learning styles, but the focus is different. The main idea is that as instructors, we must choose carefully and have a reason for the choices we make. We can’t just use the internet every day because it’s fun; it has to serve the learners’ needs. It must be relevant to their lives and allow for them to be self-directed and involved in their own learning process.

Integrating Technology Into Adult Learning

Ginsburg, L. (1998). Integrating technology into adult learning. Retrieved August 6, 2007, from http://www.cete.org/acve/docs/hopey/hopey_04.pdf

Summary: This article explains ways to utilize technology in Adult Basic Education classes, including four areas: technology as curriculum, delivery mechanism, complement to instruction, and instructional tool. Each area includes benefits and limitations.

• Technology as curriculum includes learning how to use a computer, ie: keyboarding, searching skills, how to use a database etc.

• Benefits of teaching a class with technology as curriculum are that the objectives and goals are very clear and easy to identify.
• Limitations: In the case of Adult Basic Education, there may be students who do not have strong math or writing skills, which may make it difficult to teach word processing or spreadsheet formulas.
• Technology as delivery mechanism refers to Individualized Learning Systems, or using software programs to help students learn. Each student can pretest in order to determine where they start; therefore, students will all be working at different levels. The programs track and save their progress and the students must master a specific skill before moving on to the next level.
• Benefits: Students are able to work at their own pace and on their own time and can move ahead without waiting for others who may be struggling. Also, grading is objective.
• Limitations: Oftentimes, the skills taught through this type of program are isolated skills. This can make it difficult for the learner to apply the skills in various contexts. It may also be less motivating to learn because it may not appeal to them. Also, learning in such a way does not promote team-work which is important in most jobs. Finally, it can be costly because each student needs his or her own computer.
• Technology as a complement to instruction involves the teacher as the primary source of information with computer programs as supplemental information or practice. The teacher may use a program allow students to drill and practice math etc.
• Benefits: If the teacher can find appropriate software, it can save them the time of creating materials. Using software can also add variety to the learning environment. The programs also provide immediate feedback.
• Limitations: It can be difficult and costly to find software that is appropriate for the class’ needs. If the software is used often, the teacher may need to adjust his or her lesson plans / teaching style to accommodate the style of the software.
• Technology as an instructional tool involves using generic forms of computer software (word processing, spreadsheets etc) hand-in-hand with content. The students will not be taught how to use them, but will use them to complete their coursework. For example, the students may use word processing to peer-edit each other’s essays etc.
• Benefits: This allows students to use technology much as they would outside of the classroom: as a means to complete necessary tasks. Also, the teacher can use the internet to bring a wide variety of information and pictures into the classroom.
• Limitations: This requires more creativity on the teacher’s part when developing the lesson plans and can take more work. Also, access to technology is necessary.

Each area will require specific technology skills and the learners may have to try to learn them quickly. Using technology in these ways can create a more student-centered environment and require the students to be more independent and responsible for their learning.

Response: When I first found this article, I was pleased because it reminds me of the way this IT 544 class is split up into the different categories of teaching with computers, learning from computers, learning about computers, and learning with computers. I feel that these categories are very similar to the four listed in the article. Before taking this class I never really realized the range of ways to use technology in the classroom both as a student and a teacher. I would have to say that I think the most influential is using technology as an instructional tool because there seems to be so much variety and flexibility involved. As an ESL teacher, I can even use the computer to help with pronunciation and listening activities as well as visual aids. The categories that require the students to complete tasks on the computers can be beneficial, but one must be careful when planning to use these. If the students have never interacted with computers before, a short lesson on the computer can turn into a long lesson on how to use the computer in the first place. I think it is very important for a teacher to keep that in mind. Overall, I think all teachers should take advantage of the vast opportunities that technology holds.

Self-directed ability and IT competency

Shinkareva, O., & Benson, A. (2006, Feb). Learning instructional technology for an online course: an analysis of the relationship between adult students’ self-directed ability and instructional technology competency. Retrieved July 25, 2007, from http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED492787&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_accno&accno=ED492787

Summary: This article begins by describing online learning and its benefits and possible drawbacks. For example, online learning can allow adults to further their education without requiring them to give up their current career. On the other hand, the technology used may be new and unfamiliar to many adults, thus requiring additional learning on top of the course materials. If adults are required to learn how to take an online class but aren’t familiar with the technology being utilized, what should they do? How will this affect their learning of the course content? The authors explain that online learning has two sides: 1) The course content and formal instruction and 2) the use of instructional technology. When adult students need to learn about IT, it requires independence and self-directed learning. The purpose of this study is to investigate part two: “the relationships between the students’ IT competency and their SDL ability, as well as motivation and learning strategies the students use to learn the technology for an online course” (Shinkareva & Benson, 2006, p. 2). The study addresses self-directed learning (SDL) as well as motivation among adult students participating in online master degree courses.

The researchers collected their data three different times throughout the semester by using various validated questionnaires. The study was conducted at a Midwestern university that ranks high among distance education or online classes. The participants were adults who worked and were taking an online class for the first time. 73.6% of 199 people responded, but this report is only based on 28.6% of those participants because data collection is still continuing among the others. Among the completed results (57 people), the study found no positive relationship between the SDL ability and their IT competency. The students with high SDL abilities show a positive correlation with IT competency, while those with low SDL ability show no correlation. Therefore, those with a high motivation and SDL ability benefited more and were able to learn IT better.

Response: My initial reaction to this research is that the results are seemingly obvious. It seems to be apparent that adult learners with high self-directed learning abilities will benefit more when required to learn IT independently than those with low SDL abilities. If some adults are more motivated and have always been self-directed, then they will take the initiative and learn how to use the instructional technology to help them with the online class. I think the next step to consider is how we as adult educators can help those adult learners who do not have high SDL abilities. What can an adult educator do in this type of situation?

If an adult educator has time to help students learn IT skills in addition to the normal course load, that would be ideal. But in “real life” extra time is not usually a common commodity. So, what are some other options? Perhaps the educator can form some type of IT support group and ask those who are more advanced or self-directed to offer tips to the other students. Often in an online environment, posts can be anonymous so students can ask questions and others can answer without anyone knowing who’s who. It may even be feasible for the IT department of the school(s) to offer some sort of community education or one-credit course to familiarize people with common technology.

I also want to add that it seems odd to me that this paper was posted before all of the data was collected. I didn’t really find an explanation for that and it seems to take away some of the credibility of the research in that sense.

Learning Styles and Technology

Ross, C.M., & Lukow, J.E. (2004). Are learning styles a good predictor for integrating instructional technology into a curriculum? Journal of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 4:1. Retreived July 21, 2007, from Education Resources Information Center database.

Summary: This purpose of this research was to study the relationship between learning styles and attitudes towards technology in the classroom. Technology is increasingly being used in the classroom to expand the curriculum, but with this increase of use comes the concern of whether or not this is effective for the students’ learning. The authors state three areas of concern: “(a) the knowledge and skill level of students and instructors regarding the technologies, (b) students’ attitudes toward these technologies, and (c) how these technologies influence individual learning styles. Another issue mentioned is whether or not the technology being used is chosen for educational reasons or more so for aesthetic reasons. Will it truly help the students learn or is it just appealing to the eye?

The study was conducted among 422 students of undergraduate leisure studies at a large Midwestern University in 2001-2002. They completed the Kolb Learning Style Inventory and the computer attitudes survey. The computer attitudes survey was developed by the researchers and included questions about personal information, use of computers and attitudes regarding technology. Over half of the students were female and 50% were 20-21 years old.

The results were surprising to the researchers; there was no apparent relationship between learning styles and attitudes toward technology in the classroom. The researchers suggest that perhaps the students have become familiar with technology in the classroom even before entering higher education, therefore they are comfortable with it and used to seeing it in a learning environment.

Response: I think this was a very interesting study and I am surprised with the results as well. When I started reading the article I assumed that there would be a relationship between learning styles and attitudes towards technology. After reading that there was no strong correlation between the two, I thought about the different types of learning styles and how they might relate to the use of technology. Technology can appeals to all types of learning styles and preferences: visual, aural, musical, reading/writing and even kinesthetic. The article mentioned that they did not find a strong correlation between age and attitudes towards technology either. I find this strange as well, but they did say that over 50% of their respondents were 20-21 years old. I have to wonder what percentage of the remaining were under 30; the article doesn’t mention that. It seems to me that students over 30 or 35 would not be as comfortable with the use of technology in the classroom. This is important for me to keep in mind because I plan to work with all ages of adults. If I intend to do an exercise on the computer, I need to keep in mind that I might need to allot time for explaining basic computer use for some of my older students. Additionally, many of my students are from other countries and have never used a computer before.

I think the use of technology can be a great tool for the classroom and can appeal to all learning styles. The important thing is that as a teacher, we choose the DVD’s, software programs, websites etc. for the appropriate reason: because it helps learners learn. We must also be careful not to overuse technology because sometimes the “old” ways of writing on a board or talking can work too. I feel that I have seen one too many PowerPoint presentations because they are often overused. It’s a great example of a teacher using technology because it’s more appealing to the eye and perhaps easier to prepare. We must plan carefully just as we would with any type of lesson with or without technology involved.

Promoting Language Acquisitions: Technology and English Language Learners

• Lacina, J. (2005). Promoting Language Acquisitions: Technology and English Language Learners. Childhood Education, 81(2), 113-115.
  

Summary: As an ESL certified elementary school teacher, Jan Lacina was having trouble deciding how to integrate technology in ways to help her English language learners. She teaches in a mainstream classroom, but often has ESL students in the class as well. She feels that all teachers should be aware of effective programs and strategies to use with ESL students. Lacina interviewed an ESL Coordinator and an ESL/bilingual teacher from another school in order to learn more about effective computer software. They use programs for all areas of language acquisition: for example a program that corrects mispronunciation when the students speak into a microphone. Technology allows students to control the pace of their learning and offers various avenues for learning. Lacina also gives a brief history of computer-assisted instruction within the realm of ESL, with the conclusion that interactive content-based programs are the most effective for language acquisition. The article also lists several different ways to utilize technology such as internet chat sessions, discussion boards, and web quests.

Reaction: This article was very interesting. The thing I liked the most about it is that Lacina provides detailed descriptions of various ways to use the technology with ESL students. Although I mostly work with adult ESL students, this article is still relevant to me. She gives specific websites and explains the benefits of using the websites in the classroom. Working with ESL students can be a challenge because of the diverse backgrounds and cultures, but utilizing technology in the right ways can really work well with all students because it allows them to express themselves in multiple ways. I think it’s amazing that there are programs that can correct pronunciation and so on. I volunteered at WCC and the students often worked on computers to practice vocabulary and pronunciation. It was nice for them because they could have a word repeated or slowed down as many times as they needed to hear it correctly. Lacina also mentioned that computers are useful because they provide instant feedback. I never really thought about it that way, but that does make sense. I had never really heard of Web Quests before, but they sound like a great idea. The teacher can create a scenario, task, and specific requirements that the students must then complete through visiting different websites etc. I would definitely use a Web Quest as an ESL teacher because it can be created in a way that is relevant to the student, thus increasing their interest and learning.