Università degli Studi di FirenzeUniversità degli Studi di FirenzeFacoltà di Scienze della FormazioneFacoltà di Scienze della Formazione
Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Educazione e dei Processi Culturali e Formativi
Master “Internet costruzione della conoscenza ambienti di apprendimento in rete”
Learning Objects: Digital Methods ForLearning Objects: Digital Methods For
Language AcquisitionLanguage Acquisition
Relatore: Mario Rotta
candidato: Susan Burg
Matri
colo: 4320989
Anno accademico: 2005/2006
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Collaborative Work
II. Individual Work
1. Introduction
2. List of Figures
3. List of Acronyms
4. Introduction
5. Motivations
6. Historical reference
7. The function of a learning object in CALL
8. Building a learning object
9. Choosing an authoring tool
10.Artefacts: examples of learning objects
11.The advantages and disadvantages of an LO
12.Socio-constructivism
13.Beyond web semantics: flash films and podcasting
14.Example of LOs
15.The future of CALL
16.Conclusion
17.Acknowledgements
18.Bibliography
I. Collaborative Work
Riflessioni sulle dinamiche del gruppo B, “LOLIFE: learning object life”
Iniziamo questa introduzione con una breve riflessione sulle dinamiche del
nostro gruppo, inteso come un nuovo soggetto, nato per esigenze di studio e
di ricerca nell’ottica collaborazionista.
Durante il primo periodo di lavoro individuale, abbiamo privilegiato la
ricerca personale per condividere e confrontare, in un secondo momento, le
nostre diverse esperienze e competenze; in questa prima fase ogni
partecipante ha osservato e letto i messaggi del Forum con maggiore
attenzione, per scrutare gli altri, al fine di individuare gli interessi dei singoli
membri della comunità in via di costituzione e lavorare alla creazione di uno
spazio di lavoro definito, che è successivamente diventato uno spazio di intesa
comune.
L’osservazione non è stata ristretta al nostro gruppo, anzi abbiamo stabilito
numerose relazioni umane “esterne”, scambiando opinioni e informazioni
con i partecipanti delle altre classi virtuali e ricevendo perfino alcune offerte
di aiuto da maschi esterni al gruppo B, che è un insieme tutto al femminile …
(anche nel cyberspazio gli uomini vorrebbero avere la supremazia
imponendo il loro modo di pensare, ma fortunatamente le donne che
navigano online stanno aumentando e quindi gli stereotipi di genere sono
destinati a scomparire).
In concomitanza con i riti di adattamento iniziali, abbiamo sentito la
necessità di fissare un setting per il lavoro in comune, intendo con ciò
l’opportunità di stabilire una serie di regole di socioquette a cui attenersi,
oltre alla stesura di una scaletta del progetto e la definizione dei ruoli, che
sono stati rispettati pur con un margine di tolleranza.
Naturalmente la motivazione di partenza non è stata la stessa per tutte noi,
ma possiamo affermare con certezza che si è creata una rete sufficientemente
solida tra alcune di noi anche a livello affettivo, che ha portato a organizzare
alcuni appuntamenti nel mondo reale, fuori dagli ambienti di apprendimento
istituzionali.
Spesso, nei gruppi nascenti si fatica a trovare un linguaggio comune, anzi si
deve imparare a costruirlo e in tale ottica sono sorte alcune affinità
spontanee, che hanno dato luogo a un tipo di comunicazione alternativa
attraverso numerosi SMS e colloqui telefonici.
Comunque dopo gli incontri in presenza del Master, è stato notato un
maggiore coinvolgimento emotivo da parte di tutte le componenti del gruppo
che ha prodotto un rafforzamento di tutte le attività, pur con un grado di
dispersione, causato da molteplici fattori: distanza fisica, diversa expertise e
talvolta il mancato rispetto dei tempi.
Al di là del risultato prodotto, il valore aggiunto del Master è costituito
dall’accrescimento personale e professionale, che attraverso la dimensione
collaborativa, ha reso possibile la realizzare di un nuovo stile di vita e di
ricerca, basato su una nuova e stimolante modalità progettuale, sostenuta da
tecnologie sempre più innovative.
Riflessioni sul lavoro svolto
Il nostro progetto si proponeva di elaborare alcune “Linee guida sull’uso, il
riutilizzo, la ricerca, l’applicazione e la catalogazione di learning object (LO)
in una cornice pedagogica di tipo costruttivista”.
Siamo partite dalla constatazione che l’uso, il riuso e lo scambio di materiale
didattico non e’ certo una novità nel mondo della scuola: se pensiamo,
infatti, alle schede preparate a mano dal docente o ai modelli contenuti
nelle vecchie guide dell'insegnante, ne intravediamo le radici, che
ben evidenziando la costante necessità degli educatori di predisporre
materiale adatto alle esigenze di una determinata classe e gruppo di allievi.
La nascita e lo sviluppo dell’e-learning ha fornito nuove opportunità di
apprendimento, creando supporti multimediali più o meno adeguati alla
modalità FAD, il riuso e lo scambio di tale materiale ha costituito, da molti
anni, argomento di dibattito teorico, infatti i LO rappresentano i sussidi
pedagogici più diffusi ma meno riutilizzati praticamente.
Quando parliamo di LO ci riferiamo di solito ai contenuti digitali, non
digitali e didattici, al software e agli strumenti software che in genere si
utilizzano per l’apprendimento online e in senso più generale, includono tutti
gli attori coinvolti in questo processo.
Analizzando ciclo di vita di un LO abbiamo quasi la sensazione di discutere
di un "organismo vivente" che ha un inizio e una fine; in realtà un LO ha
una sua nascita, che a volte e’ un vero e proprio assemblaggio, ma potrebbe
non avere mai una fine, per cui e’ forse più corretto parlare di cicli di vita e
ri-cicli, perché grazie ad alcune caratteristiche possedute, specie la
granularità e la riusabilità un LO (o qualche parte di esso) potrebbe, in
teoria, durare per sempre.
Secondo le considerazioni emerse in una importante ricerca di Collis e
Strijker dell’ Universita' di Twente in Olanda, stiamo vivendo un momento
di notevole cambiamento, in cui i LO vengono creati al di fuori del contesto
scolastico e gli autori citano specificatamente tre specifici ambiti applicativi:
universitario
militare
aziendale o industriale.
Nel primo campo, la libertà di utilizzo dei LO è abbastanza ampia, in quanto
sono gli insegnanti a possedere la proprietà intellettuale e sono proprio loro
che, in base alle loro ricerche e ai loro progetti, stabiliscono anche
l'organizzazione dei corsi di studio e l'utilizzo di supporti didattici come
power point, documenti word, appunti, fotocopie, riviste...
Invece l'ambito militare è abbastanza rigido e la formazione non può
prescindere da una corretta interpretazione dei comandi; conseguentemente i
corsi sono specialistici e differenziati a seconda della loro localizzazione in
uno dei corpi militari interessati. Il materiale didattico utilizzato consiste in
libri di testo, manuali e supporti multimediali (video e immagini).
Analizzando la formazione svolta nel settore aziendale o industriale, emerge
che i corsi si attivano sia su specifiche richieste del personale che in seguito a
sopravvenuti cambiamenti organizzativi, desiderano rivedere la loro
preparazione personale. Per acquisire nuove informazioni di natura
generale, l'azienda preferisce servirsi di LO creati da agenzie esterne, mentre
per esigenze relative allo sviluppo e potenziamento di abilità specialistiche, i
LO vengono preparati appositamente e sono proprietà dell'azienda. Esiste,
tuttavia, una tipologia di informal learning che avviene per scambi diretti di
informazione e conoscenza.
Le differenze sostanziali tra i ruoli, la natura e il riutilizzo di LO nei tre
settori appena descritti, emergeranno al momento della scelta dei metadati e
degli standard di catalogazione più adatti alle singole esigenze, anche se
l' integrazione di energie e risorse ci pongono nelle condizioni migliori per
comunicare, implementando le potenzialità intellettive sia individuali
che collettive.
Attualmente internet si sta dimostrando un ambiente in cui è possibile
insegnare e imparare in forme innovative, più aperte e flessibili, con
implicazioni positive sul piano organizzativo ed economico e i LO
rappresentano gli strumenti che, meglio di altri mezzi, soddisfano l’esigenza
e la volontà di imparare che ci accompagna lungo l'arco della nostra
esistenza e che si applica praticamente negli ambiti legati all’occupabilità
professionale, all’inclusione sociale e all’autorealizzazione.
Per entrare nel merito dei nostri lavori individuali, riportiamo il commento
alla poesia di John G. Saxe che ha rivisitato una metafora presente in
molteplici letterature e religioni “I ciechi e l’elefante”, in cui si narra di sei
uomini ciechi che a causa della loro sete di conoscenza, volevano “vedere” un
elefante, nonostante la loro carenza visiva. Quando furono condotti vicino
all’animale, ognuno di loro toccò una parte diversa del poderoso corpo del
pachiderma e elaborò una propria convinzione sulle caratteristiche
dell’animale.
The blind men and the elephant
Noi abbiamo vissuto un’analoga esperienza e paragonando l’elefante
all’universo dei LO, possiamo dire che ogni componente del gruppo B si è
avvicinata ad un aspetto (o più aspetti) di questo variegato mondo, senza
però perdere mai il contatto con la realtà frutto dell’esperienza collaborativa.
A riprova del nostro vivo interesse, segnaliamo anche che la nostra
produzione individuale è stata molto ricca: diversi power point, documenti
word, pagine web, mappe concettuali, oltre a numerose segnalazioni di link o
riferimenti bibliografici tradizionali, sono stati inseriti in piattaforma e sono
stai riutilizzati individualmente come supporti alla didattica.
Inoltre Susan ha preparato un LO sui Beatles
(http://mastercasting.pbwiki.com/), che è stato presentato il 3 novembre, alla
Convention annuale del TESOL ITALY a Napoli ed alcune di noi hanno
partecipato a questo evento.
Per riassumere il lavoro svolto sul wiki, riportiamo di seguito uno schema,
elaborato da Ester, sui punti di forza e sulle criticità dei LO:
Schema pro e contro
Vantaggi Svantaggi
Costi di
Produzione
Suddividendo il contenuto dei
learning object, le parti
possono essere conservate ed
aggiornate separamente. Si
puo’ trovare un learning
object adatto,senza crearne
uno nuovo.Cio’ riduce I costi.
Cambiando un “sistema auto-
contenuto” con un approccio
con learning object coinvolge
ristrutturazione dei contenuti
e dei costi.
Flessibilita’ Se vi sono più learning object
basati su specifici standard l’
aumento della scelta si
tradurrà in più flessibilità
per i progettisti.
Usando learning object basati
su standard si restringe il
campo di informazioni dello
studente, nonostante
l’interoperabilità dei LO
Pedagogia I learning object si
inseriscono perfettamente in
molte teorie di ISD. I modelli
didattici possono essere
generati con aperture per
tipi specifici di learning
object e incoraggiando i
progettisti a operare in modo
più disciplinato con un effetto
positivo.
Le restrizioni su informazioni
disponibili sugli studenti
potrebbero restringere gli
approcci pedagogici.
Gli approcci che usano
materiale discorsivo di una
certa lunghezza potrebbero non
ottenere benefici dall’uso di
learning object.
Costi finali L’ approccio con learning
object impedisce ai
consumatori di essere
bloccati in sistemi specifici.
Il costo di trasformazione di
contenuto esistente in un LO
puo’ essere significativo.
Poiche’ gli standard vengono
mantenuti, il mercato per
accontentare I consumatori
terra’ conto di piu’
proprieta’ abbassando i costi
e aumentando la scelta.
Sostegno
dell’industri
a
Tutti i fornitori principali di
sistema e produttori
soddisfatti stanno sostenendo
SCORM ed altri
standard che sono basati o
che completano un
approccio con learning object
Realisticamente, passano dai 12
ai 18 mesi tra il tempo in cui
la comunità del fornitore adotta
un approccio
ed il tempo in cui si
implementano I prodotti e sono
disponibili.
Tra il numeroso materiale che abbiamo consultato, abbiamo incontrato
questo Learning Object Planning Workbook, che abbiamo adottato come linee
guida e che riportiamo quasi integralmente:
Learning Object Planning Workbook
| Find the originals and any updates at www.nmc.org/guidelines/companion/
1
© 2004,2005 Rachel S. Smith ([email protected]). Permission granted to copy,
distribute, use, and repurpose for any noncommercial use.
Planning Your Learning Object
Working Title
Educational Objective
Purpose: Why do this project?
Learners: Who will use this learning object?
Outcomes: What are the specific learning outcomes?
How Will This Learning Object Be Used? List specific activities that
learners might do
Common Uses
Unusual, Innovative Uses
Resource Tracking Worksheet
List people, equipment, and software that you have or need for
each phase of the project:
Cost Estimate
(money and/or time) Have This - Need This
Project Planning: Describing the learning object
Design: Interface design, graphic design, software architecture
Content Development: Creating or gathering the digital assets
Software Development: Creating the actual learning object
Assessment: Developing related learner assessment activities
Hosting/Delivery: Making your learning object available to learners
Other:
Potential Contacts & Resources. List people or other resources,
potential collaborators, etc.
Asset Planning Worksheet
Project Name
Educational Objective: State your educational objective here.
Activity List
Using your lists from “Planning Your Learning Object” (page 1) as a
starting point, describe the activities you would like to
build into your learning object. Note any special features or
characteristics of the activities and briefly list the resources
you will need to create each activity (content/assets, authoring tool
functions, specialized developers, etc.).
Usability Checklist
Project Name
Educational Objective State your educational objective here.
Usability Guidelines
Check your design against these guidelines as you work on it.
Be consistent in the use of design elements, language, formatting,
appearance, and functionality.
Allow learners to control their interactions; give them the freedom to
choose how to complete tasks.
Follow established standards of design and use conventions that are
familiar to learners.
Simplify the design wherever possible, and stick to basic principles of
aesthetics.
Questo lavoro ben rappresenta e sintetizza al meglio la complessità
dell’universo LO, ma nonostante gli studi e le ricerche effettuate molte sono
le risposte ancora da dare, potremmo quindi concludere con un open
riflessivo sulla dimensione sociale dei LO:
quanti repository ci dovrebbero essere: è da privilegiare un macro
portale oppure repository locali collegati insieme in qualche modo?
quanti LO possono essere gestiti da un portale educational?
la comunità dei LO come esiste oggi, è sostenibile?
forse i virtual reference desk (VRD) e i cataloghi delle offerte formative
online possono divenire i nuovi luoghi della conoscenza?
Abbiamo concluso che:
ricercare continuamente innovazioni, anche a livello di tecnologie,
favorendo livelli di integrazione tra risorse che possono e devono
essere vari
facilitare scambio, dialogo e disseminazione dei saperi
non perdere mai di vista la selezione, valutazione e personalizzazione
dei vari LO e dei percorsi didattici in cui vengono inseriti
costruire repository che riflettano nuove idee (es.oltre ai repositiry
tematici, pensiamo a una suddivisione di genere…)
occorre sperimentare e ancora sperimentare per imparare… e noi
continueremo a farlo…
II. Individual Work
1. Introduction
How can we stimulate students to acquire a second language? Although
traditionally, learning takes place in the classroom, the advantages of a
virtual class are numerous: course material is easily accessible, costs are
lower and high quality material can be catologued and shared in a web-based
environment. Perhaps the greatest challenge of teaching a second language
such as English in a computer assisted environment is simply practical:
considering the fact that we initially learn language through intuitive
assimilation in natural surroundings, one may ask how is it possible to learn
in a virtual ambient? Such common elements as conversation, gestures and
vocal imitation (Gaussier P., Moga S. , Quoy M., Banquet J.P., 1998) are
missing in computer assisted language learning (CALL). Hence, what
solutions are there in the creation of stimulating and rewarding digital course
material? What kinds of strategies are available and most advantageous?
Finally, which kinds of software are best at enhancing and promoting the
learning experience?
The objective of my Masters thesis is to explore and evaluate a variety of
authoring tools for CALL in an attempt to determine which ones are most
functional for use in language learning. In some cases I have actually
implemented them by building learning objects. My intent is to examine and
distinguish the best tools presently available for this purpose and determine
if for language acquisition such tools are valuable. Throughout my research
I have found documentation to support my personal experience as a teacher:
learning objects and other electronic resources are useful for second
language learning, thanks to the implementation of text, audio and animated
video which stimulate the learner. These resources can enhance learning.
The research addressed in this paper deals with a demonstration of software
and authoring tools used to create learning objects and other resources such
as flash video and podcasting.
2. List of Figures
1. Downes illustration of an HTML file
2. A screen shot of the .rlo illustrating the icons which “contain contents”
3. Preview of interface, text and image on page two of my LO called “Behind
the Beatles”
4. Resulting page after having saved the.rlo
5. Scene 5: Edgar makes an announcement – choosing a character
6. Details from the D.Film – selecting a background and a sky
7. Some thumbnail photos of podcast videos
8. We can all be radio stations, a Gliffy diagram for podcasting
9. Edison Gold Moulded Cylinder made from black wax, ca. 1904
10. RCA logo with Nipper the RCA/HMV dog
11. Labiophone by ICP Grenoble
3. List of Acronyms
CALL - Computer Assisted Language Learning
CMC – Computer Mediated –Communication
ESL – English as a Second Language
HTML - Hypertext Markup Language
ICT - Information and Communication Technology
LMS - Learning Management System
LO - Learning Object
RLO – Reusable Learning Objects
VLE - Virtual Learning Environments
XML – Extensible Markup Language-
XSL - Extensible Stylesheet Language
4. Motivations
My experience as a teacher of English as a second language has always been
centered on traditional classroom methods. From 1978 to 2002 I taught face-
to-face lessons using the Direct Method, a monolingual teaching method
which became populare at the end of the 19th century. Through this
approach, intuitive assimulation of new structures and meanings of the target
language are significant for improving language skills in the classroom.
(Koller T., 2006)
Language is always evolving as humanity does: if we examine the progression
from Old English to Modern, and Latin to Modern Italian we see clear
evidence of how they have devoloped through the years. Manuals exist for
learning skills such as how to drive a car, but certainly a manual for
acquiring a language, at least to date, does not exist. Therefore, how can we
acquire language skills without having the benefits of situated learning such
as that obtained in natural settings?
Situated learning signifies teaching “knowledge and skills in contexts that
reflect the way the knowledge will be useful in real life. Based on a somewhat
radical model of human cognition, cognitive apprenticeships ground
knowledge in authentic contexts. This is because knowledge and context are
inseparable, they say. We know things through experience in concrete
situations […]”. (Wilson B. G., Jonassen D. H., & Cole, P. 1993).
In 2002, I was asked to teach an online course at the University of Florence
for Progetto Campus One. (http://www.campusone.it/ict/) This first venture
into the virtual classroom was challenging. I had to learn how to guide my
students and my first attempts were merely transfering the standard
techniques used in traditional classes.
CALL can be very effective, however, technical know-how is neccessary to
successfully carry it out. New skills and tools must be learned for this
purpose. In this paper I will present some of the accessible methods such as
learning objects, podcasts and flash film that can aid both teacher and
student, thus proving that CALL has a definite and positive role in acquiring
a second language.
5. Historical reference
In the 1960’s, methodology in language teaching was largely derived from the
work of Skinner in his book Verbal Behavior (1957). He believed that speech
and other forms of communication were behavior per se. (wikipedia, 2006).
Such elements of behaviorism, as response and reinforcement, took on a
significant role in language teaching. Learning came about through
imitation, practise and repition of dialogue and vocabulary (Micheal Levy
1997). Programmed instruction, also introduced by Skinner, was influencial
in providing a set of frames and active responses to guide learners. This kind
of programmed learning was important in early CALL, being that drill and
practice could easily be programmed on computers.
In the past ten to fifteen years a great amount of material for CALL has been
produced. One of the early projects was PLATO (Programmed Logic for
Automatic Teaching Operations) which began at the Univerity of Illinois,
U.S.A. in 1960, offering, after much research, interactive, self-paced
intruction for large groups and supporting an innovative e-mail system.
Student’s records could also be maintained for research and information
exchange. By 1979, according to Hart (1995) PLATO was able to function
like micro-computer networks.
In the 1980’s microcomputers became more accessible and CALICO
(Computer-Assisted Language Instruction Corsortium) was introduced as a
professional organization for CALL. Other courses followed such as those
sponsored by the British Council at Lancaster University and EuroCALL
which began in 1986. In the 1990’s, as internet became more sophisticated
and popular, CALL made language teaching and learning materials very
accessible, and both synchronous and asychronous computer-mediated
communication were made more available. Today, web-based technologies
have much potential: it is an eternally open-ended and innovative medium as
new technology grows. According to Thomas Koller, from the University of
Nottingham, it is useful for global communication and authentic language
material.
The term “learning object” is commonly believed to have been coined in 1990
by Wayne Hodgins, a learning and informant futurist at AutoDesk.
6. The function of a learning object in CALL
Designing adaptable course materiale for CALL requires new technical
knowledge. Interesting, valid material employs both audio and video
alongside text, a multimedia blend that however fascinating and stimulating
it may be for the learner, the author must be skilled enough to build it.
Learning objects present a feasible option, enabling the developers of
learning materials to create reusable ones that can be shared across
institutions, thus saving the cost of many hours of individual development
(Downes 2001). Just as books and films are shared, Downes proposes
designing online course material that is multimedia, using “video clips, audio
clips, commentary from selected sources and pop-up glossaries.” Although
creating such quality resources is expensive, once made, they can be used
again and again thus reducing future costs for school institutions. Having
reusable and easily accessible learning objects are essential for successful e-
learning.
CALL has been widely criticised by language teachers since its first
introduction in the 1960’s (Levy, 1997) however it can be highy effective for
use in CMC. What are the advantages for the participant?
Reading comprehension proficiency
Writing proficiency practice
Opportunity for language exchange through participation in forums,
email, video conferencing with international participants
Opportunity for language exchange through particpation in
communities of practice/learners
Online diagnostic testing and rapid feedback managed by the learners
Interactive quizzes using tools such as Hot Potatoes, Quia or Quizstar,
offering instant feedback on results
Opportunity to practise languages in an environment, free from
embarrassment, working at ones own pace
Downloading and listening to music/ reading lyrics
Dynamic visuals and animation which reinforce learning
Collaborative projects integrated into courseware in the form of
problem-solving
Digital writing and role play in the tradition of MUD
Utilization of LOs, small units of learning content
Utilization of webquests, learning content set in the form of research
What are learning objects? According to Eduworks, an independent
research and development company which organizes and promotes
workshops throughout the world:
“Learning objects are the core concept in an approach to learning content in
which content is broken down into "bite size" chunks. These chunks can be
reused, independently created and maintained, and pulled apart and stuck
together like so many legos.”(Eduworks, 2006)
What constitutes a learning object? Eduworks discussed how “different
vendors have different ways of instantiating the notion of a learning object
and different ways of enabling learning objects to communicate information
about the learner. Online learning content typically contains: Text,
graphics, and movies, a navigation scheme (easily a table of contents and/or
buttons) and assessments.”
Interoperability enables content from multiple sources to work well together
with different systems. Reusablity enables content to be transferable to other
contexts allowing for chunks of information to communicate with learning
systems using a standardized method. These chunks or LOs must have a
description allowing designers to search for and find content as needed.
7. Building a learning object
There are various opinions and standards of learning objects and software.
For example, Phillip Hubbard, professor of Linguistics at Stanford
University in California states pedagogical aspects specific to language
learning that traditional instructional design approaches may overlook”
(Hubbard, P.,1988). He adds that “Courseware development refers to the
process of going from the idea of creating a piece of tutorial software through
the final product. It should be informed by general principles of
instructional design.”
Stephen Downes, an expert in e-learning resources at the Institute for
Information Technology's e-Learning Research Group in Canada discusses
the medium for LO content in his online article about Learning Objects. He
claims that authoring an LO is similar to authoring a puzzle.
“We might think of authoring learning objects as akin to authoring pieces of
a puzzle, in which case the content is the image or picture on the surface of
the piece, while the metadata is the shape of the piece itself which allows it to
fit snugly with the other pieces.”
He verifies that HTML, the most common medium for content, is not suitable
for course material such as LOs. Although it is useful, particularly in
working with Microsoft´s FrontPage or Macromedia´s Dreamweaver, tools
that enable the creation of quite sophisticated pages, it is not adaptable for
LOs. He confirms that “the problem with these […] pages is that they´re not
portable, especially not FrontPage generated files, which must interact with a
Microsoft server. A web page designed for one course at one university will
contain course and university specific information: the name of the course,
the name of the university, and even a colour scheme. To be used or adapted
by another course, the pages need to be redesigned.” (Downes, 2001)
XML is a means of representing documents according to their internal
structure. Thus, a part of the lyrics to the song “Revolution” by the Beatles is
represented in XML as follows:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
- <transcript>
- <chunk>
<begin>15515</begin>
<end>20160</end>
<speaker>-</speaker>
<text>You say you want a revolution</text>
</chunk>
- <chunk>
<begin>20160</begin>
<end>23880</end>
<speaker>-</speaker>
<text>Well, you know</text>
</chunk>
- <chunk>
<begin>23880</begin>
<end>29734</end>
<speaker>-</speaker>
<text>We all want to change the world</text>
</chunk>
- <chunk>
<begin>29734</begin>
<end>37212</end>
<speaker>-</speaker>
<text>You tell me that it's evolution</text>
</chunk>
- <chunk>
<begin>37212</begin>
Downes confirms that an LO must be “portable” hence, “first, structured,
and second, separated from presentation information.” XML is most
suitable for authoring LOs in that it “uses tags to structure information and
refer presentation information to a separate document entirely.” XSL is a
family of recommendations for defining XML document transformation and
presentation. An XML file and an XSL file merge to create an HTML file.
Downes has provided an interesting illustration:
1. Downes’ illustration of an HTML file
In order to have sytems that are distributed and interoperable they must be
able to communicate, not only about the same things but also in a common
language such as XML. It is this language that has been adopted by database
programmers, librarians and designers around the world and developed by
the World Wide Web Consortium. Courseware, a book or a song can all be
represented in XML (Downes 2002).
<course>
<block id="B1">
<identification>
<title>Maritime Navigation</title>
<labels>
<curricular>UNIT</curricular>
</labels>
</identification>
<block id="B2">
<identification>
<title>Inland Rules of the Road</title>
<labels>
<curricular>MODULE</curricular>
</labels>
</identification>
<au id="A1">
<identification>
<title>References</title>
</identification>
<launch>
<location>/Courses/Course01/Lesson01/au01.html</location>
</launch>
</au>
<block id="B3">
<identification>
<title>Steering & Sailing Rules</title>
<labels>
<curricular>MODULE</curricular>
</labels>
</identification>
“XML is to structured information what HTML is to structured documents”
which permits learning material to be integrated into a course, as long as the
sematics are the same (Downes, 2001).
An authoring tool ideally should retrieve “lessons” from a local database or
from a central schema resource online. The schema defines a hierarchy of
data elements for the metadata “package”. For example, a film or interactive
display may be presented and the author simply selects the kind of material
to be inserted (Downes, 2001)
8. Choosing an authoring tool
The choice of software and authoring tools is a most important step in
creating content for LOs. Cyberspace offers a vast source of information
that can be overwhelming at first. A common method of reference is a search
engine such as the renowned Google. Another source is web forums of which
there is a multitude. ExtremeTechnoELT is one such learning community
forum (http://www.extremetechnoelt.com/moodle/index.php), which has
posted discussions about ajax, internet conferencing and technology, java
script, markup languages, podcast technology and RSS feeds, just to name a
few of the growing variety. Through this forum I was introduced to Dott.
Thomas Koller, one of the community members and a software programmer
for e-learning at the University of Nottingham in England. He responded to
my query by inviting me to use a learning object editor that is in the process
of being established. I gratefully accepted his invitation and began what was
for me an extremely interesting learning experience which I shall describe.
Learning Objects Editor – Nottingham found at
(http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~cczjrt/Editor/): the Flash-based learning
object editor is called XERTE, “an xml editor and run time engine that
makes it easy to create and deploy interactive learning objects that are highly
accessible and SCORM compliant….helps you focus on interactive design by
providing tools that are fit for purpose and easy to use.”
The editor is presently being developed by a team of programmers at the
University of Nottingham of which Thomas Koller is a member. Their
project has been interesting because I have taken part in its development by
working with them in the initial stages. Through my first experiments of
building an LO, I gave the group feedback on the working efficiency of the
tools and in so doing I learned the beginning steps of creating flash in the
editor.
2. A screen shot of the .rlo illustrating the icons which “contain contents”
The “XML-based file format (.rlo) can describe complex interactive content,
a Flash-based runtime engine that consumes this XML and an intuitive,
visual editor for creating and mainaining the XML files quickly and easily.
These three elements allow the application logic to be completely separated
from the data, and for that data to be created quickly and accurately through
intuitive tools. Content developers can create standards-compliant interactive
content with minimum scripting, and code is easily re-used.”
The engine is flash-based and has a consistant code base “removing the need
to duplicate code with each new project.” Chunks of knowledge can be
shared between projects or developers thanks to the application of XML.
Templates are wizard-driven “allowing developers to create data-driven
Learning Objects that are easily changed and re-purposed through a friendly
wizard. SCORM standards allow content to be reused across different
platforms, and positioned in different contexts.” The editor permits for high
quality interactive material. The impletmented features are: visual icon-
based development, support for popular media formats, customisable
interface and controls, simple deployment, scripting, accessibility, re-
usability, SCORM support, data driven components and extensibility.
Flash is ideal for creating dynamice pages. It is easily downloaded, and
available for a variety of browsers and platforms. It can create frame-based
cartoons, it interacts well with other with a variety of applications and is
resourceful in creating LOs. (Koller T., 2006)
9. Artefacts: examples of learning objects
My project in EXERTE utilizes the song "Revolution" written in 1968 by the
Beatles. My emphasis in the LO was the development of language through
music. The public familiarity of music by the Beatles convinced me to use
their material for my work. I wished to make use not only of the images, text
and video but also, for the benefit of discussion, of the meaning of the song
which deals with, as the title reveals, hope for world peace and revolution. I
have used four digital components in my LO:
1. "Revolution", the Beatles (White Album), 1968, audio format “mp3”
2. "Revolution-live in concert", video format “mpeg”, converted to Flash
format Riva FLV
3. lyrics to the song by EvilLyrics
4. “JPEG” image of the Beatles: www.dcnvc.com
I downloaded my choice of audio, video and images from the web and
dragged and dropped these files - previously saved in documents - into the
proper icons that are set up in the editor. The various contents for LO
building are explained in the help page as seen below. These icons are the
“nuts and bolts” of the LOs.
Communciation between Koller and I took place on a daily basis from 18
July to 23 August 2006 in the form of email. An example of some of our
dialogue is written below. The first one refers to my question about setting
up the editor and loading the icons with content. The second one refers to
Koller’s “survey” in which he requests information and my opinions about
the clarity and usefulness of the Nottingham .rlo. The final email refers to
new features in the editor such as visual editing and visual edit preview
mode.
Dear Thomas,
I am creating a page in the LO editor, have uploaded a musical file to begin and
have a problem: when I click on
PREVIEW there is no song, nothing appears!! Can you help me
with this? I can't seem to find the right answer in the HELP
menu.
Grazie di tutto, Thomas!!!
Susan
**********
Hi Susan,
that's quite easy:
1. open the rlo file
2. select the page you want to add a sound to (sound file must be a mp3 file!) or
create a new page
3. create a sound icon on this page (for example by double-clicking the note in
the icon selector - the vertical thingy which contains all the icons)
4. select the newly created sound icon
5. just drag a mp3 file onto the LO editor
6. do the F5 -> sound file should play
to enhance this:
1. add property 'controls' from the Properties dragdown list (select it and click
'Add')
2. give 'controls' the value 100, 200, 500 (x, y, bar width)
3. change the value of Play from 1 to 0 (do not play automatically)
now you've got full button control over the sound file and see the progress
have a look at the attached file
let me know if this doesn't work
Thomas
**********
Hello Thomas!
>what do you find easy/difficult so far with the LO editor?
What is difficult....let's say what can be improved. Nothing is
difficult - it is rather challanging but I am enjoying the process
especially because I am learning bits of more technical information as I
proceed. What is easy? Hard to say because when I first looked at it I
didn't know which steps to take first.
>is the Help useful for you, what other information would you like to see
>in there?
the HELP pages are very useful but need to be expanded for people who
have not worked previously with similar editors. So in my case I
suggest including
1. how to get started ie. open a new page, add content...
2. the correct format of the sound and video files stated clearly
3. how to add interaction...perhaps an example of a dynamic interactive
page linked to the corresponding HELP ones.
4. a statememt to the user expressing some of the tools necessary in
using the editor...as in a recipe: ingredients + procedure = results.
For example I have ITunes aleady, but someone less experienced may not
know where to get their sound and video, so a little suggestion may not
hurt.
5. more examples of a variety of finished LOs created by the editor so
that the user can have an idea of what kind of result can be produced.
>do you think that the LO editor will be useful for the kind of LOs you'd
>like to create?
Definitely, yes. I am very pleased with the pages I have made
*********
Hi Susan,
there's an updated version of the LO editor online:
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~cczjrt/Editor/setup.exe
You don't have to uninstall the old version. Just install the new
version in the same place.
The new version has a very useful new feature: visual editing
For example create a text icon on a page and add some text to it.
Before, if you wanted to change some properties like x, y, width or
height, you had to enter those values manually in the Properties panel.
Now: just select the text icon in the tree on the left-hand side and
press CTRL + SHIFT + F5. You will see in the preview mode that the text
has now a yellow rectangle round it. You can drag the content element
around or change its size by dragging the rectangle in the bottom right
corner (where you can see the small filled square). While being in this
"visual edit preview mode", you can also directly select another content
element and move/resize that element (i.e. you don't have to go back to
authoring mode, select the other element in the tree and press CTRL +
SHIFT + F5 again).
The new edit mode should work fine with all visual elements. You can't
only resize VIDEOS like this (but you can move 'em around). To "resize"
a video, you have to convert it again by selecting a different size
before converting it from mpeg to flv. Then import it again to the LO
editor.
Another new feature:
If you are in the "visual edit preview mode", usually you can move the
content element in any direction. If, however, you hold pressed the
SHIFT key and then start dragging the object, it will only move
horizontally or vertically, depending on the start direction of this
move (if you started to move vertically, the content element will be
dragged vertically ...).
Hope that's useful!
Cheers,
Thomas
The editor functions through choosing and loading contents into the various
icons. The Learning Object Icon has properties that define a number of
styles used throughout the Learning Object. Here is a description of the
icons taken from editor’s help page.
“Script Icons allow you to write code that creates complex
interactivity and extends the power of the icons in many ways
Page Icons contain content. Pages are the main unit of construction,
and are added to the Interface, Framework Icons and Decision Icons.
Interaction responses are also a type of Page Icon
Decision Icons allow you to create sequences of content that might
flow in a random order, or limit the user to a number of interactions
from a larger bank.
Framework Icons allow you to create complex structures of nested
content. Pages are added to framework icons to create sequences of
content that the user can page through, or that can be controlled
through scripting. Frameworks can have an
Entry Frame - a special type of page that does not turn
Interaction Responses allow you to configure the interactive elements
of your learning object.
Interaction Icons are used to set up interactivity. Interaction icons can
have a range of 'Interaction Responses' added to them so you an
easily create complex interactivity
Sound Icons have properties that define the url of sound files to play,
whether to loop the sound, and whether to play the sound immediately
or not
Graphic Icons have properties that define the position on the screen of
visual media, such as graphics, flash animations and videos. Graphic
icons can automatically present the user with a set of controls for
controlling the playback of animations and videos. Text can be
entered into the text panel and used in the transcript of movies
Text Icons have properties that define the size and position of blocks
of text. Text can be entered into the text panel, or set through
scripting.The
Interface Icon has properties that define the type of interface used,
and its size and position.”
3. Preview of
interface, text
and image on
page two of my
LO called
“Behind the
Beatles”
4. Resulting
page after
having saved the
.rlo
10.The advantages and disadvantages of an LO
We have observed the LO from different perspectives, but how useful is such
an object for language acquisition? What problems for both teacher and
student may arise in its implementation? What are the advantages?
Susan Smith Nash, in her article about LO use in the military, maintains that
due to the varying classification schemes and neccessary cataloging
procedures, individuals and organizations have difficulty in archiving and
thus finding them. Conflict between html, flash, java, java-script can be an
obstacle for possible web reusabilty. The standards for LOs also vary from
place to place. (Smith Nash S., 2005)
On the other hand, the use of an LO in a virtual language class has the
advantage of being easily retrieved once it has been put in a VLE. Students
can easily find it, do their research and leave their written solutions in the
VLE when they want, as they would with a book. If the course has a time
period of five months then the resources can be viewed by students anytime
during that period.
One disadvantage to an LO is the lack of collaborative work in a social
setting. Teamwork, knowledge-sharing and thus scaffolding (Burton, R. R.,
Brown, J. S., & Fischer, G. 1984) do not take part in the learning process.
An LO deals with the participant and the resources alone.
11.Socio-constructivism
E-learning, when designed in a knowledge-sharing context, is unique because
the particpant becomes both learner and teacher through scaffolding. Many
studies have been made about the inherent socio-constructive process which
is found in a collaborative scenario (Burton, R. R., Brown, J. S., & Fischer,
G. (1984). Vygotskij was one of the first to discuss how social interaction is
the basis for cognitive development, arguing that social rather than biological
factors, as disclosed by Piaget, are significant in the development of the
learning process.
Piaget spoke of four developmental stages:
the sensormotor (birth to 2 years)
the preoperational stage (from ages 2 to 7)
the concrete operational stage (from 7 to 11)
the final operational stage (eleven and up).
These chronological stages depend on one’s domain of knowledge. A socio-
constructivist point of view differs from Piaget’s beliefs in that it claims that
knowledge is not learned from the external world but is also constructed
from within.
Learning is further enhanced in an atmosphere in which the teacher’s
informal conversation style, prevalent in CMC, nurtures a higher level of
student participation, thus permitting a spontaneous spirit in the virtual
classroom (Ranieri M. (2005). As a result, student willingness to learn and
share knowledge collaborately becomes evident.
However, the effect of peer-to-peer interaction is not inherent in an LO.
Perhaps the best strategy is to combine LOs with other sources such as
interaction in forums or group projects. For example, through blended
learning, participants might work at first individually to later bring results
and newly acquired knowledge into the group for a class demonstration and
discussion. In this way the entire group would receive feedback on their
individual LO projects.
12.Beyond web semantics: flash films and podcasting
Virtual tools are continually being published and keeping abreast to new
ones can become a great challenge in itself. Perhaps we can observe a few of
them which are more stimulating and innovative for CALL.
FILMS IN FLASH
Two sites that create, visual communicative software for the young market
permit the user to easily make small cartoons by choosing characters and
music from the pre-designed templates. They require no knowledge of Flash,
Action script, Authorware, programming languages such as PHP, Perl, Java,
XML, HTML, JavaScript or multimedia production in audi/video. The
screenshot below illustrates the interface of the Zimmertwins. The small
screens on the right display the possible scenes to choose from. There are
images of the twins, Edgar, his twin sister and their cat. Background scenes
can be also be changed from alley, garden, house or party. Characters can
appear alone or in varying groups. There is little audio outside of crashing
sounds or guitar music which are incorporated into some of the scenes. Once
all the scenes, background and various images have been chosen and written,
the film is ready to be saved and published for viewing and sharing.
Comments can also be left.
5. Scene 5: Edgar makes an announcement - choosing a character
http://www.zimmertwins.com
http://www.dfilm.com/index_moviemaker.html
D.Film is very similar to the Zimmertwins. Audio can be activated through a
choice of background music. Characters can be chosen from the templates
and backgrounds are limited to combing two at a time. D.Film is more
limited than the Zimmertwins because there are fewer templates to choose
from.
6. Details from D.Film – selecting a background and a sky
Click to see an example of one of my films made in D.Film
http://mm.dfilm.com/mm2s/mm_route.php?id=2992099
PODCASTING
This new media permits anyone with a webcam and microphone to create
mutlimedia files such as music videos or audio programs for playback on
mobile devices and personal computers. The possibilities for web-based
lessons of this kind are vast. Some examples of excellent home-produced
video podcasts are those created by Sarah in her blog, The Daily English
Show EFL video podcast, Sarah, an English teacher working in Japan has
posted a series of interesting and well-made films which she makes on almost
a daily basis. The educational value of such work is clear: one could provide
a quiz, glossaries and follow-up reading on the topic for students to use as
courseware alongside the videos.
http://thedailyenglishshow.blogspot.com,
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=thedailyenglishshow
http://grouper.com/globalmedia/search.aspx?s=0&q=304436
Below I have illustrated a few thumbnail images and details that are part of
Sarah’s collection of videos. (grouper.com)
Tell Your Friends
Show 214 Sunday 3 DecemberSunday Kitchen #26 So Yu Mon Penne This was filmed in the apartment we stayed in for two nights in Hirafu. Nice
kitchen aye... looks kind of like a studio kitchen.
Shared by thedailyenglishshow five days ago
Views: 15
Channels: Instructional and Hobbies, Blogs Podcasts and Reviews
Duration: 3:24
Tell Your Friends
Show 213 Saturday 2 DecemberHow to have a bath. I made a mistake. The cover is on the wrong way around. Who would have thought having a
bath could be so complicated...
Shared by thedailyenglishshow five days ago
Views: 559
Channels: Blogs Podcasts and Reviews,
Duration: 1:37
Tags: around bath complicated cover December having made mistake Saturday show THOUGHT wrong
Tell Your Friends
Show 212 Friday 1 DecemberToday the mountain opened and so did tdes studio! Someone even came in to say hello : ) He was posting a letter at
the post office across the street and wondered what we were doing.
Shared by thedailyenglishshow five days ago
Views: 4
Channels: Instructional and Hobbies, Blogs Podcasts and Reviews
Duration: 5:10
Tags: across December doing even friday hello Hirafu letter mountain niseko office opened post posting say show
Snowboarding someone street Studio tdes today wondered
Tell Your Friends
Show 211 Thursday 30 NovemberWe have the internet!!
Shared by thedailyenglishshow five days ago
Views: 3
Channels: Instructional and Hobbies, Blogs Podcasts and Reviews
Duration: 5:56
7. Some thumbnail photos of podcast videos
The Podcast Directory (http://www.podcastdirectory.org.uk/) lists many
kinds of education podcasts. The database is maintained by David Noble.
Some of the categories listed concern art, computers, English, French,
Italian, healthcare, philosophy, learning difficlties and maths.
In August, 2006 Alan Levine, director of technology resources and member
services of the New Media Consortium, wrote in his blog, “there are free/low
cost software programs you can install on a computer that allow you to
“broadcast” audio from your computer out to the net.” He explains, “What
we are doing involves connecting audio sources (teleconference calls, Skype
conference calls, pre-recorded audio, spoken word) into a computer, using
said software to send one stream to a content delivery network (someone we
pay that provides the connectivity to many connected listeners).” Here is his
Gliffy diagram to illustrate how it works:
8. We Can All Be Radio Stations, a Gliffy diagram for podcasting
http://cogdogblog.com/2006/08/20/we-can-all-be-radio-stations/
13.Example of LOs
Here is a list of a few suggested LOs for English language:
Journey to a New Land
http://www.sfu.museum/journey/
The Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology and the Media Production
Group, Simon Fraser University created a web site on the first
peopling of the New World . This multi level educational resource was
designed as a series of reusable learning objects. The site targets
multiple learning styles as well as cognitive, affective and other
domains to present complex current research in a public forum
http://www.thewclc.ca/edge/issue1/index.html video and quiz in an
interesting combination
http://www.eduweb.com/portfolio/gradesCollege.php Educational
Web Adventures present LOs for children in subjects such as science
and biology
14.The future of CALL
When we consider the innovation in computer technology we may ask: what
is the future of textbooks, and materials distributed through CD-ROM and
floppy disks? Will they become obsolete? Let’s not forget Thomas Edison’s
invention of the first working phonograph in 1878. Intially created as a
tinfoil cylinder machine, the grammophone was used to play, first cylinders,
then lateral-cut disc records which later evolved into modern disc records,
lasting until the 1980’s. For one hundred and twenty-eight years we were
listening to records and yet now our favorite LPs and 45s have almost
become antique relics of the past. (Millard A., 2005)
9. Edison Gold Moulded Cylinder made from black wax, ca. 1904 (wikipedia)
10. RCA logo with Nipper the RCA/HMV dog (wikipedia)
One of my dearest books, the dictionary has now become of secondary use
because http://www.wordreference.com/ and http://thesaurus.reference.com/
have become so much easier to use that an actual, heavy book.
What is the future of education? How will future courses be structured and
shared? Downes poses the question: “authors will simply access a form into
which they enter the appropriate metadata information. The form –
generated either by a web page or by a specific piece of application software
– will send field information to a metadata page editor.” He forsees the
foundation of Applications Service Providers (ASP) which will overtake the
distribution of software via CD-ROM and floppy disk. ASP provides online
services that automatically deliver and install software as needed to
computers. (Downes, 2001)
Keri Facer and Martin Owen, directors of learning at Futurlab discuss the
future of education (Facer K., Owen M., 2006). “Within the next five years,
it is possible that broadband connectivity will enable the sharing and use of
rich media resources via the internet, which again should enable teachers to
develop banks of resources that can be manipulated and personalised to meet
the needs of particular classrooms and children.” There will likely be “play-
based resources that enable children to input through voice as well as
through written text, and which will document children's progress providing
adaptive responses to their progress.” The authors maintain that once robust
technology is globally made available, video-conferencing in schools will
become routine activities.
In Wlodzimierz Sobkowiak’s online article, PRONUNCIATION IN EFL
CALL (2005), the future of CALL is discussed at length with reference to
digital tools for pronounciation. The author makes some interesting
observations: “Grammar-translation supporters may use (computers) to
expedite translation practice from L2 to L1, for example, with machine-
translation software. Audio-lingualists will be able to control their students'
structure drilling with the computer in much more sophisticated ways than
they could in the traditional language laboratory. Cognitivists will sit their
learners in front of adventure games, where they will have to navigate an
unknown territory using their linguistic competence.” CALL’s full-colour
video and good quality sound appeals to young learners. The author has
commented on a series of tools which are the following:
Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) - Pronounciation training using
a variety of tools and activities. For example, connected speech, text
to speech. An example: Pronunciation Power
(www.englishelearning.com)
Multimodal man-machine communication - automatic recognition of
audiovisual speech, it is able to recognize and act upon the facial
expressions of the computer user.
Machine Translation (MT) - Ectaco's web pages
(http://www.ectaco.com/) translates speech to speech in real time. The
author ponders as to “whether people will be bothered to learn
foreign language at all”.
Sobkowiak predicts that phonetics will be learned using CALL software and
tasks such as language drilling will be all computer-based work. The
authors’s glimpse into the future is revealing. (Sobkowiak S., 2006)
11. Labiophone by ICP
Grenoble (sobkow/Szczecin, 2005)
15.Conclusion
English is the most widely taught foreign language in the world and it has
been successfully carried out in CALL since the 1960’s when computers
began to be used in schools. In my thesis I have researched some of the
electronic resources available to date that are advantageous for second
language acquistion. In the last decade, due to the rapid development of ICT,
language teaching has greatly profitted.
Learning objects and learning activities such as locating and using
educational content, tracking learner progress, reporting performance, and
exchanging student records are all advantageous for acquiring a second
language. The future of CALL may open the doors to automatic translating
machines useful for telephone conversations. Other tools such as multimodal
man-machine communications can read one’s facial expressions and might
further aid in virtual dialogue.
Observing the invention of the gramophone we can see how our world has
technologically progressed; as a result, records and phonographs are
obsolete. Will the future be a world without books? In my research I have
explored fascinating ideas in a field that is rapidly changing. CMC is due to
grow and continue to present innovative resources in the field of language
acquisition.
16. Acknowledgements
I wish to thank the professors at the University of Florence who have
inspired and motivated me throughout the years of my work there: Antonio
Calvani, Mario Rotta, Maria Ranieri and Giovanni Bonaiuti.
Thanks to everyone in my collaborative group, Ester La Torre, Patrizia
Luperi, Maria Celauro and Rosa Iosue who have all been supportive, helpful
and united as a group. Working with them has been a very positive
experience for me.
Special thanks to the community of practice, the Webheads, a group of
international ESL teachers which has inspired me since 2002 when I became
one of its members. In particular, thanks to Vance Stevens, Dafne Gonzales
and Teresa Almeida d'Eca who have been truly generous and knowledgeable
in the community. The members of this group have inspired me to continue
my education and explore new technological tools in CALL.
Finally, I would like to thank my son, Daniel Zanchi for his great technical
ability. His help in making and converting video and audio files, creating
dynamic pages and slideshows has been invaluable in setting up my LO.
Thanks to Vanessa Zanchi, my daughter, who is my technical aid in Italian.
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