””Moodling in Japanese”:Moodling in Japanese”: A report on a Moodle-based “Hybrid” First-year A report on a Moodle-based “Hybrid” First-year

Japanese course"Japanese course"

Kaoru OhtaKaoru Ohta

University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington

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Hybrid?Hybrid?

One~three hours of classroom instruction is One~three hours of classroom instruction is replaced by web-based materialsreplaced by web-based materials

Why?Why? For college, it saves $$For college, it saves $$ For language program, …For language program, …

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GoalsGoals

1) Eliminates time/place constraints 1) Eliminates time/place constraints (anywhere at anytime),(anywhere at anytime),

2) ”Repeatable" format,2) ”Repeatable" format,

3) Learn independently of instructors.3) Learn independently of instructors.

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Independently of Independently of instructor???instructor???

Classroom activities that can be done Classroom activities that can be done outside of classroom???outside of classroom??? Vocabulary QuizVocabulary Quiz Kanji Recognition Quiz, etc.Kanji Recognition Quiz, etc.

Learning activities that students prefer Learning activities that students prefer individualized exercises???individualized exercises??? Reading comprehensionReading comprehension Listening comprehensionListening comprehension

Activities that technology can expand Activities that technology can expand students involvement??? students involvement??? Audio recording > submission via “collection Audio recording > submission via “collection

box”box” 4

Moodle???Moodle???

Modular (or Martin) Object-Oriented Modular (or Martin) Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning EnvironmentDynamic Learning Environmenthttp://moodle.org/http://moodle.org/

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First-year Japanese: First-year Japanese: What’s on Moodle?What’s on Moodle?

Web-based grammar lecturesWeb-based grammar lectures

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First-year Japanese: First-year Japanese: What’s on Moodle?What’s on Moodle?

Interactive non-credit exercises (hot potato, Interactive non-credit exercises (hot potato, course builder)course builder)

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First-year Japanese: First-year Japanese: What’s on Moodle?What’s on Moodle?

Online Quizzes/Lessons (Moodle Module)Online Quizzes/Lessons (Moodle Module)

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Japanese Program at Japanese Program at UWUW

1st year: 1st year: 111 (First-quarter)111 (First-quarter) 160+160+ 112 (Second-quarter)112 (Second-quarter) 170+170+ ←← 113 (Third-quarter)113 (Third-quarter) 200+200+←←

2nd year: 160~1302nd year: 160~130

3rd year: 100~703rd year: 100~70

4th year and higher: 80~604th year and higher: 80~60

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Moodle in ActionMoodle in Action

Limited Experimental Installment (AY Limited Experimental Installment (AY 2005~6) : 2~3 days (out of 5 days) per 2005~6) : 2~3 days (out of 5 days) per week replaced by web materialsweek replaced by web materials

Instructed and administered by the Instructed and administered by the developer of the coursedeveloper of the course

19~26 students19~26 students

112 and 113 levels112 and 113 levels

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Moodle in Action Moodle in Action (Large class)(Large class)

Full Installment (AY 2006~7) : 1 day (out of Full Installment (AY 2006~7) : 1 day (out of 5 days) per week replaced by web materials5 days) per week replaced by web materials

Instruction: 2 days lecture/2 days quiz Instruction: 2 days lecture/2 days quiz sectionsection

Administered by the developer of the courseAdministered by the developer of the course

170 students: 60 per lecture, 20 per quiz 170 students: 60 per lecture, 20 per quiz sectionsection

22ndnd quarter of 1 quarter of 1stst year Japanese year Japanese

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Moodle in Action (Large Moodle in Action (Large class Phase 2)class Phase 2)

Full Installment (AY 2006~7) : as supplement Full Installment (AY 2006~7) : as supplement for the course (no reduction of class meeting 5 for the course (no reduction of class meeting 5 hours/week)hours/week)

Instruction: 2 days lecture/3 days quiz sectionInstruction: 2 days lecture/3 days quiz section

Administered by the developer of the courseAdministered by the developer of the course

190 students: 60+ per lecture, ca. 20 per quiz 190 students: 60+ per lecture, ca. 20 per quiz sectionsection

33rdrd quarter of 1 quarter of 1stst year Japanese year Japanese

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Moodle in Action (small Moodle in Action (small class Phase 2)class Phase 2)

Full Installment (AY 2006~7) : one Full Installment (AY 2006~7) : one hour out of 5 hours/weekhour out of 5 hours/week

Instruction: 4 hours/weekInstruction: 4 hours/week

Administered by the developer of the Administered by the developer of the coursecourse

20 students20 students

33rdrd quarter of 1 quarter of 1stst year Japanese year Japanese

Combination of Moodle and CatalystCombination of Moodle and Catalyst 14

Students’ Students’ PerformancePerformance

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Initial development of a Initial development of a Hybrid CourseHybrid Course

Application of Grant (Winter 2004)Application of Grant (Winter 2004)

Selection of Moodle as the base software Selection of Moodle as the base software (Spring 2004)(Spring 2004)

Moodle installed on a server at Language Moodle installed on a server at Language Learning Center (Autumn 2004)Learning Center (Autumn 2004)

The version of Moodle was NOT uni-code The version of Moodle was NOT uni-code basedbased

No expertise in “two-bytes” charactersNo expertise in “two-bytes” characters

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$B$3$l$O(JJIS$B$NJ8$G$$B$3$l$O(JJIS$B$NJ8$G$9!#(J9!#(J

‚‚±‚̃y±‚̃y ��[ƒW‚ʼnð“Ç‚µ‚½“à—e‚ª‚Ç‚±[ƒW‚ʼnð“Ç‚µ‚½“à—e‚ª‚Ç‚±‚©‚É•Û‘¶‚³‚ꂽ‚葼‚Ì–Ú“I‚ÉŽg‚í‚ê‚邱‚©‚É•Û‘¶‚³‚ꂽ‚葼‚Ì–Ú“I‚ÉŽg‚í‚ê‚邱‚Ƃ͈ê‚Ƃ͈ê ��Ø‚ ‚è‚Ü‚¹‚ñØ‚ ‚è‚Ü‚¹‚ñ ��BB

ƒcƒc ��[ƒ‹‚ʼnð“Ç‚Å‚«‚È‚¢•¶Žš[ƒ‹‚ʼnð“Ç‚Å‚«‚È‚¢•¶Žš‰»‚¯‚à‚ ‚é‚ÆŽv‚¢‚Ü‚·‚ª‰»‚¯‚à‚ ‚é‚ÆŽv‚¢‚Ü‚·‚ª ��AA‰ð“ÇŒ‹‰Ê‚É‚æ‚Á‚Ă̓vƒ‰ð“ÇŒ‹‰Ê‚É‚æ‚Á‚Ă̓vƒ‰ƒCƒoƒV‰ƒCƒoƒV ��[‚É‚àŠÖ‚í‚é‚Ì‚Å[‚É‚àŠÖ‚í‚é‚Ì‚Å ��AŒÂ•ÊAŒÂ•Ê‰ð“Ç‚Ì‚²ˆË—Š‚ðŽó‚¯‚邱‚Æ‚Í‚Å‚«‚Ü‚¹‚ñ‰ð“Ç‚Ì‚²ˆË—Š‚ðŽó‚¯‚邱‚Æ‚Í‚Å‚«‚Ü‚¹‚ñ ��BB

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Problems

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Other ProblemsOther Problems

OrganizationalOrganizational One administrator (tripled workload: instructor, One administrator (tripled workload: instructor,

administrator, and “customer” service rep.)administrator, and “customer” service rep.)

Server-relatedServer-related ““timed quizzes”: interruption of the connection timed quizzes”: interruption of the connection

to the serverto the server Audio files (streaming files) blocked by the Audio files (streaming files) blocked by the

security softwaresecurity software Slow connection: one server serves for 8 Slow connection: one server serves for 8

language programs (over 50 programs)language programs (over 50 programs) ““grades” are mis-calculated, etc., etc…grades” are mis-calculated, etc., etc…

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Students’ view of Moodle Students’ view of Moodle (large class(large class))

On average 3.5 hours/week on MoodleOn average 3.5 hours/week on Moodle

7.5 hours/week for the course7.5 hours/week for the course

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Students’ view of Moodle Students’ view of Moodle (small class)(small class)

On average 2.7 hours/week on MoodleOn average 2.7 hours/week on Moodle

9.2 hours/week for the course9.2 hours/week for the course

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How would rate your How would rate your learning experience in learning experience in Moodle-only part of the Moodle-only part of the

course? (small class)course? (small class)

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How would rate your How would rate your learning experience in learning experience in Moodle-only part of the Moodle-only part of the

course? (small class)course? (small class)

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How would you rate your How would you rate your learning experience in learning experience in

the course overall? the course overall? (Large class)(Large class)

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How would you rate your How would you rate your learning experience in learning experience in

the course overall? the course overall? (small class)(small class)

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How would you rate your How would you rate your learning experience in in learning experience in in class part of the course? class part of the course?

(Large class)(Large class)

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How would you rate your How would you rate your learning experience in in learning experience in in class part of the course? class part of the course?

(small class)(small class)

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Small Group Small Group DiscussionDiscussion

Additional Practice (out of classroom Additional Practice (out of classroom experience, repetitive, additional exposure to experience, repetitive, additional exposure to language)language)

Listening practice (at own pace, something Listening practice (at own pace, something beyond textbook materials, more opportunities)beyond textbook materials, more opportunities)

Learn to type in Japanese (and learn the correct Learn to type in Japanese (and learn the correct pronunciation: pronunciation: 金曜日金曜日 (ki-N(nn)-yo-o-bi) ended (ki-N(nn)-yo-o-bi) ended up with up with 来尿日来尿日 (ki-n-yo-o-bi)(ki-n-yo-o-bi) ））

Helpful for reviewHelpful for review

Self-studySelf-study

Freedom to work at our own pace and according Freedom to work at our own pace and according to our own scheduleto our own schedule

More specific feedback from the main instructor More specific feedback from the main instructor than you get from TAs (depending on TAs)than you get from TAs (depending on TAs)

Redundancy (repetition) helps reinforcementRedundancy (repetition) helps reinforcement29

What are students views What are students views of Moodle?of Moodle?

The only problem i had with Moodle was that for longer answeThe only problem i had with Moodle was that for longer answers what was desired was often not explained well enough to prs what was desired was often not explained well enough to pass the activity the first attempt. Other then that i really liked it ass the activity the first attempt. Other then that i really liked it

especially senseespecially sense [sic. [sic.]] i knew right away when i mai knew right away when i made a mistake, rather then having to look latede a mistake, rather then having to look later.r.

I am not a huge fan of moodle. I don't like waiting for it to lI am not a huge fan of moodle. I don't like waiting for it to load because sometimes it is extremely slow. It is also a haoad because sometimes it is extremely slow. It is also a hasslessle because it only takes one specific answer because it only takes one specific answer on some questions when there could be more ton some questions when there could be more than one correct answerhan one correct answer. . I have spent many nights trI have spent many nights trying to understand and beat moodle and I am so glad my rying to understand and beat moodle and I am so glad my relationship with it is almost over.elationship with it is almost over.

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What are students’ views What are students’ views of Moodle?of Moodle?

ss I liked the Moodle component part of the class. It really help me learn voI liked the Moodle component part of the class. It really help me learn vo

cabulary by doing the quizzes. The quizzes on Moodle also helped me cabulary by doing the quizzes. The quizzes on Moodle also helped me

with understanding the sturcture of the grammar learned in class. with understanding the sturcture of the grammar learned in class. It wIt was another way to practice what we learn in clasas another way to practice what we learn in class, which made the material in class easier to unds, which made the material in class easier to understand and I was able to do the quizzes in class erstand and I was able to do the quizzes in class because I had practice.because I had practice.

It would have been helpful if the feedback responsIt would have been helpful if the feedback response was on because sometimes I was stuck on a que was on because sometimes I was stuck on a question and I didn't know how to answerestion and I didn't know how to answer. . I just kept tying I just kept tying what I know and hope it was right. I liked that we had speech to do becawhat I know and hope it was right. I liked that we had speech to do because that really helped prepare for the oral interview.use that really helped prepare for the oral interview.

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What are students’ views of What are students’ views of Moodle?Moodle?

I think that it should give like tips or hints after I think that it should give like tips or hints after a while. a while. Sometimes I would be stuck for a long time unable to fiSometimes I would be stuck for a long time unable to figure out gure out what it was either asking, or what the answer was.what it was either asking, or what the answer was.

I feel that the online quizzes and reading comprehension and listeniI feel that the online quizzes and reading comprehension and listening comprehension components of Moodle were very helpful. I got a ng comprehension components of Moodle were very helpful. I got a lot of practice reading, writing, and listening Japanese, and it allowelot of practice reading, writing, and listening Japanese, and it allowed me to see if I really did understand what I was reading or listening d me to see if I really did understand what I was reading or listening

toto. . It also provided very good resources for exIt also provided very good resources for extra examples of the different sentence structutra examples of the different sentence structures and vocabulary words.res and vocabulary words. It benefited me a lot in this It benefited me a lot in this course.course.

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So, what did I learn from So, what did I learn from this??this??

1.1. the answers for online activities are the answers for online activities are easily guessable (multiple choice, easily guessable (multiple choice, true/false over fill-in-the-blanks)true/false over fill-in-the-blanks)

2.2. students feel that online activities give students feel that online activities give something that traditional in-class something that traditional in-class activities cannot provide easilyactivities cannot provide easily

3.3. online activities aim at reviewing the online activities aim at reviewing the course contents, rather than testing skills course contents, rather than testing skills and knowledge just learned, and and knowledge just learned, and

4.4. hybrid online courses can be effectively hybrid online courses can be effectively done in a small group settingdone in a small group setting

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