The document discusses the need for second language research in distance education. It presents an agenda for a seminar that includes an introduction, case study, examples, and overview of existing research. Examples shown include using synchronous and asynchronous tools for distance learning, and mobile education in Pakistan combining multimedia, audio, and text. The research suggests frameworks from prominent theorists could be combined but are not widely known. Problems in traditional classrooms also exist for distance learning, so scaffolding, feedback, and preparation are important.
49. Mobile Education
Problem in Pakistan
- 6th largest population in the world
- At the current population growth rate, Pakistan needs to build a school every hour
- Distance Education may be the only solution
- But, only 10% of population have PC’s and Internet
- Almost every household has a cell phone
Possible Solution
-A combination of
-MMS lectures (multimedia)
-Interactive phone calls (audio)
-SMS assessment
UmarSaif
Saif Center for Innovation
50. Agenda
(1) (2)
✓ ✓
Case Study
Introduction
(3) (4)
✓
Examples
Research
51. Research
Distance Second
Education Language
Synchronous Teaching &
and/or
Asynchronous Learning
52. *Davis suggests to use the intersection of two prominent theorists – Perraton and Krashen
53. *Davis suggests to use the intersection of two prominent theorists – Perraton and Krashen
Perraton – Distance EducationKrashen – Foreign Lang acquisition
Not crucial – type of media used Comprehensible Input
Crucial – relevance of content Lower affective filter
Crucial – amount & immediacy of dialogue Decrease anxiety
Crucial – interest Increase interest
54.
55. 4 main types of video-conferencing
1. Provider-classroom videoconferencing
2. Collaborative classroom videoconferencing
3. Multi-point videoconferencing
4. Electronic field trip videoconferencing
56. My attempt to unfairly summarize the research onto one slide
• Problems faced in a normal classroom are still present in the distance
classroom, and sometimes exacerbated
57. My attempt to unfairly summarize the research onto one slide
• Problems faced in a normal classroom are still present in the distance
classroom, and sometimes exacerbated
“Instructional methods that result in poor learning in a
paper-based environment tend to also result in poor
learning in a computer based environment.”
- Dr. Richard Mayer, UCSB
58. My attempt to unfairly summarize the research onto one slide
• Problems faced in a normal classroom are still present in the distance
classroom, and sometimes exacerbated
• Scaffolding is key
• Frameworks exist
• But they’re not widely known and/or recognized
• And with the mixing of meaning in terminology, no one really knows
what to make of it
59. My attempt to unfairly summarize the research onto one slide
• Problems faced in a normal classroom are still present in the distance
classroom, and sometimes exacerbated
• Scaffolding is key
• Frameworks exist
• But they’re not widely known and/or recognized
• And with the mixing of meaning in terminology, no one really knows
what to make of it
• Teacher to teacher preparation and communication is incredibly important
• Constant feedback
• Stay within your comfort zone*
60. What is the role of 2nd language teaching within this context?
Task Diversity Distance
Cognitive
Cultural Learning
Linguistic
Tools
Editor's Notes
This is a quote by the late Andy Rooney. I’m putting this up here for two reasons…It’s a typicalAndy Rooney quote…. Which always make me think/ponder. It also highlights the influence of “perspectives”Ellen Galinsky… in her new book, Mind in the Making, Harvard professor, Ellen Galinsky, embarked on an 11 year research study to interview and film hundreds of academic researchers all over the world. She recently came to NYU where I got the chance to listen to her talk about the 7 essential skills children should develop to be successful… one of which was “perspective taking”. Understanding that other people have different likes, dislikes, intentions, thoughts, and feelings than you do.
When my prayers to god are not answered… there’s only one other person in the universe that I can turn to…….. My wife.
My wife is famous for asking me questions that I cannot predict, so I know she’ll either tell me the answer or at least ask me something that I’ve never thought about.
This situation with my wife, who can now claim to be better than me at this game, reminded me of an article I read in the New Yorker a couple months ago.
Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USAThe harvard professors (check my notes) said that the group only does well when it wants to do well (or something like that).
Distance learning is a way to bring together diverse perspectives… and having diverse perspectives matters most when there is a task to be done. Or, you could see it as the other way – I need to do this task, but to help me accomplish it I need a diversity of perspectives, and to acquire diverse perspectives, I use distance learning tools.
Using distance learning tools is a way to bring together diverse perspectives… and having diverse perspectives matters most when there is a task to be done. Or, you could see it as the other way – I need to do this task, but to help me accomplish it I need a diversity of perspectives, and to acquire diverse perspectives, I use distance learning tools.
Turn to the person next to you and discuss two or three pros and cons of the intersection of distance education and language learning. Get ready to call Jami.
I wanted to skype with someone who works in distance education for a living. Her name is Jami Lebowitz and she is a professor at ECU. Her expertise, PhD, is in Anthropology, but her more recent work focuses on bringing students together from different cultures.
TBLT characteristics…It believes the communicative interaction characteristic of task-based work provides sufficient comprehensible input to “trigger” acquisitional processesIt is an offshoot from the strong version of communicative language teaching (CLT), ‘asserting that language learning depends on learners being involved in real communication in which they use language in a meaningful way’.However, ‘unlike the strong version of CLT, it crucially insists that acquisition needs to be supported by instruction that ensures a certain attention to linguistic form, that initial fluency work should lead gradually to accuracy-focused activities. Tasks are seen as meaning-based activities closely related to learners’ actual communicative needs and with some real-world relationship, in which learners have to achieve a genuine outcome (solve a problem, reach a consensus, complete a puzzle, play a game, etc.) and in which effective completion of the task is accorded priority.
Point number 1: Richard Mayer, professor of psychology at UCSB, whose main research interest is in determining how people learn and how to help people learn. He says that you always have to take a learner-centered approach, then try to employ technology in ways that assist human learning.“Instructional methods that result in poor learning in a paper-based environment tend to also result in poor learning in a computer based environment.”
Point number 1: Richard Mayer, professor of psychology at UCSB, whose main research interest is in determining how people learn and how to help people learn. He says that you always have to take a learner-centered approach, then try to employ technology in ways that assist human learning.“Instructional methods that result in poor learning in a paper-based environment tend to also result in poor learning in a computer based environment.”
Point number 1: Richard Mayer, professor of psychology at UCSB, whose main research interest is in determining how people learn and how to help people learn. He says that you always have to take a learner-centered approach, then try to employ technology in ways that assist human learning.“Instructional methods that result in poor learning in a paper-based environment tend to also result in poor learning in a computer based environment.”
Point number 1: Richard Mayer, professor of psychology at UCSB, whose main research interest is in determining how people learn and how to help people learn. He says that you always have to take a learner-centered approach, then try to employ technology in ways that assist human learning.“Instructional methods that result in poor learning in a paper-based environment tend to also result in poor learning in a computer based environment.”
Point number 1: Richard Mayer, professor of psychology at UCSB, whose main research interest is in determining how people learn and how to help people learn. He says that you always have to take a learner-centered approach, then try to employ technology in ways that assist human learning.“Instructional methods that result in poor learning in a paper-based environment tend to also result in poor learning in a computer based environment.”
Point number 1: Richard Mayer, professor of psychology at UCSB, whose main research interest is in determining how people learn and how to help people learn. He says that you always have to take a learner-centered approach, then try to employ technology in ways that assist human learning.“Instructional methods that result in poor learning in a paper-based environment tend to also result in poor learning in a computer based environment.”For the last point – I mean a few things… don’t make the course something it’s not. But also, in terms of diversity – Robin Ely and David Thomas of Harvard University have proven that diversity brings benefits when people believe that it will. Team members are more likely to be tolerant and validate the opinions of others if they believe diversity generates benefits.
Distance learning is a way to bring together diverse perspectives… and having diverse perspectives matters most when there is a task to be done. Or, you could see it as the other way – I need to do this task, but to help me accomplish it I need a diversity of perspectives, and to acquire diverse perspectives, I use distance learning tools.
