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Collaborative Language Learning Communities

2˚ Seminario del Centro Linguistico di AteneoE-Learning 2008

Nuovi percorsi: Sperimentazione e sviluppoNew learning paths: experimentation and development

Linda Mesh

Università degli Studi di Siena

Centro Linguistico di AteneoUniversità degli Studi di Siena 2

Collaboration between the CLA Sienaand the Ufficio Formazione del Personale

Corsi di lingua inglese Formazione del personale

a flexible and accessible means for lifelong learning for university technical and administrative personnel;

• courses are offered in easily digestible, eight-week modules from zero beginner to CEFR B1*;

the program offers more than simply filling short-term skills gaps;

instead adults are actively engaged in learning to learn a language in innovative ways aimed at more active learning.* Common European Framework of Reference for Languages


The role of the CLA

What is a learning organisation? One where training and personal development are an integral part of the organisation

where learning is a continuous process, rather than being an added-on activity at various points in an individual’s career.

where there is a coherent strategy which centres on exploring and facilitating a link between the development of the organisation and the personal development of the staff.


As new technologies for

instant messaging, blogs, wikis,

conferencing, podcasts, and m-learning

develop,

have we really reflected on

what works and what doesn’t work

for learning?


The nature of adult learners

What affects their success?

While children trust the teacher to define course content, adults need to define it for themselves, or at least to be persuaded that it is relevant to their needs. While children accept a dependent relationship with a teacher, adults have a sense of self-direction and personal responsibility. Adults have a wide range of personal experiences to draw on, which they appreciate being used as a learning resource, and resent being ignored in favour of other peoples’ experiences. For adults the future is now; they have a basis of information and see learning as necessary for solving problems in the present. Children may need external motivation to make them learn; adults volunteer to learn because of their intrinsic motivation.

Knowles theory of andragogy, 1978


Modulo A1 - principianti


Learner attitudes and learner support

Adults experience anxiety about learning, about the ability to meet expectations, both external and self-expectations. Otherwise known as the fear of failure.Inexperienced learners may have a high degree of anxiety when using new technologies, which may become apparent when they have to turn in the first written assignment or forum message.

Support strategies:Risk-taking should be approvedThe workload and goals of the course should be realistic

Adults who learn enjoy learning; adults who enjoy learning learn.

Enjoyment is a sign of high motivation.


Flexible learning: to meet a variety of learning styles and needs

WebLingu@

Lezioni F2F

Aula virtualeTutorFeedback

Materiale stampato


Language learning support: learning to learn

A blended course should provide:information that is up-to-date and well organised clear learning objectives for each element of the ‘blend’ with advice on how to be successfulcourses that are flexible and accommodate different learning styles guidance on time management and study skills opportunities to do something with what they learn (e.g., assignments, projects) feedback on their work and progress support for resolving administrative or technical problems


Course OrganisationLevel A blended 96 ore

Modulo A-zero (40 ore, lezioni in aula + 4 forum online)esame scritto del modulo A0

Modulo A1 blended (32 ore = 16 ore f2f + 16 ore online)esame scritto del modulo A1

Modulo A2 blended (32 ore, 8 settimane) CEFR* A2esame scritto ed orale del Livello A: (A0 + A1 + A2)

Level B blended 64 oreModulo B1 (32 ore, 8 settimane)

esame scritto del modulo B1Modulo B2 (32 ore, 8 settimane)

esame scritto ed orale del Livello B: (B1 + B2)

Level C blended 64 oreModulo C1 (32 ore, 8 settimane)

esame scritto del modulo C1Modulo C2 (32 ore, 8 settimane) CEFR B1

esame scritto ed orale del Livello C: (C1 + C2)

Level D – Intermedio blended 40 oreModulo D, 12 settimane

esame orale, electronic portfolio (e-portfolio)* Common European Framework of Reference for Languages



Beginner to level CEFR A2

Livello A

Modulo A zero40 ore f2f

Modulo A1blended

Modulo A2blended

Aula 40 ore20 lezioni di 2 ore

4 forum

Aula - 16 ore8 lezioni di 2 ore

Online - 16 ore8 lezioni

2 ore per settimana

Aula - 16 ore8 lezioni di 2 ore

Online - 16 ore8 lezioni

2 ore per settimana

8° lezioneesame scrittodel modulo A1

Reading, Writing, Listening

8° lezioneesame scritto ed oraledel livello A (A0. A1 e A2)Reading, Writing, Listening

Speaking

8° lezioneesame scritto

del modulo A zeroReading, Writing, Listening

Orientamento1° accesso

Orientamento1° accesso


Livello B2 moduli = 64 ore

Orientamento aula informatica

1o accesso

Modulo B132 ore

Modulo B232 ore

aula16 ore

online16 ore

aula16 ore online

16 ore

8 lezioni di 2 ore

8 lezioni online

2 ore per settimana

8 lezioni di 2 ore

8 lezioni online

2 ore per settimana

Modules B1 and B2, C1 and C2

8o lezioneesame scritto ed oraledel livello B (B1 e B2)

Reading, Writing, ListeningSpeaking

8o lezioneesame scrittodel modulo B1

Reading, Writing, Listening


Learning ExpectationsMany students have misconceptions about online

learning that should be adjusted. For example …‘Online courses are easier than conventional classes and require less work.’ When they discover that this is not the case and that the opposite is true, they may become discouraged.‘An online course will be of lesser quality than a classroom offering.’Students frequently do not understand that they must take more responsibility for their learning in a blended course and not wait for the instructor or tutor to take the lead.

For these reasons it is very useful to include an orientation workshop at the beginning of a blended course.


Beginners: Module A0 - f2f, Modules - A1, A2 blended


Pre-intermediate: Modules B1 & B2




Willingness to communicate

The concept of ‘willingness to communicate was developed from research on individual differences in SLA. Social, psychological and situational factors seem to enter into willingness to communicate. Situation specific anxiety and lack of self-confidence diminishes opportunities for participating in beneficial interaction. Asynchronous forum discussion activities may provide opportunities for discourse development in L2 and also increase willingness to communicate in normally timid students, due to the relatively anonymous feeling of online identity and the extended time available for expressing ideas.


Journal: My first week online


Module C2 forum discussion activity


Course Overview

CLA blended English courses offered from January 2006 to March 2008 for university personnel

age group: 25 to 55 years, average age: 35-45

a total of 32 modules have been completed for approximately 600 total participants

CLA certificate for successful course completion


End of course feedback Through a questionnaire we have collected a variety of responses

from Modules A2, B2 and C2 which are finishing lessons in June.

Cosa ti ha aiutato di piu’ nell’apprendimento? Sforzarmi di scrivere ed esprimermi in inglese scrivere nel forum conversazione in classe e Londra! il confronto con gli altri e l’essere costretta a ‘osare’ senza vergogna organizzazione degli argomenti trattati lavoro di gruppo la costanza il mio tutor la varietà sia le lezioni frontali che quelle online

Quali difficoltà comportava il blended learning? mancanza di tempo l’ascolto e la comprensione non sempre sono riuscita a fare gli esercizi online tenere il passo con gli altri no pc at work or home nulla in particolare


Creating a professional learning community

See you online!


References

Compton, L. (2004) ‘From Chatting to Oral Fluency: Using chat to improve self-confidence and increase willingness to communicate’, IATEFL Poland, Teaching English with Technology, ISSN 1642-1027, Vol. 4, Issue 1, January, 2004. Available from: http://www.iatefl.org.pl/call/j_soft16.htm#compton

Hughes, J., (2000) ‘The Learning Organisation, Part 1’, CLMS Working Paper 29, University of Leicester. December. Available from: http://www.clms.le.ac.uk/publications/workingpapers/working_paper29.pdf Knowles, M., (1978) The Adult Learner, Gulf Publishing, Houston, TX, 1978.MacIntyre, P. D., Clément, R., Dörnyei, Z., & Noels, K. A. (1998). ‘Conceptualizing willingness to communicate in a L2: a situational model of L2 confidence and affiliation’, Modern Language Journal, 82, pp. 545-562.Mesh, L., Zanca, C., (2005) ‘WebLingu@: blended English language learning’, Journal of e-Learning and Knowledge Society, Edizioni Erickson, Vol. 1, n.2, July, pp.259-270. Pica, T., (1996) ‘Second language learning through interaction: Multiple perspectives’. Working Papers in Educational Linguistics, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 1-22.

Links» CLA Siena Online: http://moodle.lett.unisi.it/ » Moodle: http://moodle.org/ » e-mail: [email protected]

http://www.iatefl.org.pl/call/j_soft16.htm

http://www.clms.le.ac.uk/publications/workingpapers/working_paper29.pdf

http://moodle.lett.unisi.it/

http://moodle.org/

mailto:[email protected]

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