Comment about Blended Learning

https://www.middleburyinteractive.com/curriculum-courses/blended-learning

The blended classroom is designed to meet the individual needs of student by allowing teachers to personalize instruction.  This strategy can be used for any subject and any grade level.  Blended learning combines face-to-face and online instruction. It allows students to work with teachers in school and have online resources at home. It is similar to the flipped classroom, but with more emphasis on in-class work with the teacher over video/home content. Project Based Learning is a type of blended classroom. Students work on projects at home, and in class. In class, they can ask the teacher for help, and continue on the project at home, with online materials for help. By having online materials available, students have access to support when out of the classroom. Students access some material at home and complete some work at home, while leaving more time during class to get into deeper context with the teachers.

For example, Mr. Rudi applies blended learning in his ICT classes. He gives the materials through his blog and his students directly visit his blog and follow his instruction.

Here are six blended learning techniques: e-Learning, webinars, classroom, role play, coaching, and OTJ.

In short, blended learning should be viewed as a pedagogical approach that combines the effectiveness and socialisation opportunities of the classroom with the technologically enhanced active learning possibilities of the online environment, rather than a ratio of delivery modalities. In other words, blended learning should be approached not merely as a temporal construct but rather as a fundamental redesign of the instructional model.

Sources:

https://www.middleburyinteractive.com/curriculum-courses/blended-learning

http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2015/02/blended-learning-what-is-it-proscons.html

http://moodle.unitec.ac.nz/mod/page/view.php?id=214273

http://elearninginfographics.com/6-blended-learning-techniques-infographic/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L75oPzauAlw

http://www.christenseninstitute.org/blended-learning-definitions-and-models/

http://kevincorbett.com/2013/07/4-blended-learning-models/

The Concept, Application and Potency, Benefits and Threatsof E-learning, and E-learning Opportunities in Indonesia.

E-learning

http://www.optimussourcing.com/learninghintsandtips/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-elearning

1.      What is E-learning?

E-learning (also called electronic learning) is any type of learning that takes place through or with a computer. E-learning is primarily facilitated through the Internet but can also be accomplished with CD-ROMs and DVDs, streaming audio or video and other media. Source: http://www.ehow.com/about_4788168_what-purpose-elearning.html

2.      The Purpose of E-learning

The purpose of e-learning is to allow people to learn for personal accomplishment or to earn a professional degree, without physically attending a traditional university or academic setting. E-learning can be applied for all levels of schooling from grade school to graduate degrees, and is versatile enough to accommodate all learning styles. Source: http://www.ehow.com/about_4788168_what-purpose-elearning.html

3.      The History of E-learning

The term "E-learning" has only been in existence since 1999, when the word was first utilized at a CBT systems seminar. Other words also began to spring up in search of an accurate description such as “online learning” and “virtual learning”. However, the principles behind e-learning have been well documented throughout history, and there is even evidence which suggests that early forms of E-learning existed as far back as the 19^th century. Source: http://www.talentlms.com/elearning/history_of_elearning

4.      The Advantages and Disadvantages of E-learning:

a.       The Advantages of E-learning:

·         More flexible à E-learning can be done in short chunks of time that can fit around your daily schedule.

·         Mobile à As E-learning can be done on laptops, tablets and phones – it is a very mobile method.

·         No travel à As just mentioned, eLearning can be done wherever you have a device capable of doing so.

·         Lower cost à As you aren’t using a trainer’s time or any room or equipment, eLearning tends to be the much cheaper option.

·         Tailor it to you à E-learning courses aren’t confined to be fixed to try and suit the needs of the majority.

·         Technological possibilities à E-learning is fast becoming a more and more popular method and with it, so has the investment into how to improve it further.

·         Global à With very few restrictions companies can be confident that their staff can receive the same content regardless of their location, and in many cases, their nationality. 

b.      The Disadvantages of E-learning

·         Lack of control à Learners with low motivation tend to fall behind when using E-learning as there are no set times to be doing it and they are responsible for the organisation themselves.

·         Learning approach à It doesn’t appeal to all learning styles so some learners will not enjoy the experience – especially strong activists and pragmatists. 

·         Isolated à A lot of questions are a lot easily answered when face to face with someone when you can guarantee an instant answer.

·         Technology issues à With heavy reliance on computers that E-learning brings, comes the potential risks that comes with it.

·         Computer competency à Some employees might not be too comfortable using computers, especially if their jobs don’t require them to.

Source: http://www.optimussourcing.com/learninghintsandtips/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-elearning

http://www.optimussourcing.com/learninghintsandtips/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-elearning

5.      E-learning – Online Tools and Application

·         Collba is exclusively designed for teams. Chat with your team mates in private rooms, share files, links, code snippets in real time. With an advanced search you will never lose important information.

·         Sympoz offers a truly great educational experience online. Courses cover a wide range of topics including: Wine, Cooking, Personal Finance, Parenting.

·         MuchEnough is an online marketplace and meeting place for online instruction in any topic.

·         Voxy is an innovative language-learning platform that seeks to solve the most vexing and pervasive problem for language students.

·         Sweetsearch searches only the 35,000 Web sites that its staff of research experts and librarians and teachers have evaluated and approved.

·         CapAlly has created a way for individuals, corporations, and educational institutions to invest in a student's future through a peer-to-peer micro-finance investment opportunity.

Source: http://www.go2web20.net/#tag:e-learning

6.      Indonesia Higher Education E-learning Management Strategy

E-learning or electronic learning is now increasingly recognized as one way to overcome the problem of education, both in the developed countries and in developing countries. The main vehicle in the development of human resources is education and training. But when watching the situation geography, socio-economic and cultural diversity of Indonesia, it is clear that it was not adequate anymore when only relying on the ways of traditional solutions alone. Therefore, various alternative strategies related to issues explored, studied and applied. In the global era, willingly or unwillingly, educations have to do with technology, especially information technology. Many research results indicate that the late master whom the information, it is too late also the gain opportunities to get ahead. Speed accompanied by demands could potentially contribute to the education and training sector. Positive potential that technology has not only increased efficiency and effectiveness and flexibility of the learning process, but also resulted in the development of materials, shifting the role of teachers/trainers and the development of learner autonomy. Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140715064821-11282346-indonesia-higher-education-e-learning-management-strategy

quiz score

Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL)

COMPUTER ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING (CALL)

       A. What is CALL?

Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) may be defined as the search for and study of applications of the computer in language teaching and learning (Levy, 1997, p.1). (Source: http://www2.nkfust.edu.tw/~emchen/CALL/unit1.htm)

http://constructivisminelt.wikispaces.com/Constructivism+and+CALL

         B. History of CALL Development

This section gives a brief history of CALL development. The review aims at showing, chronologically, the development of CALL over the last 30 years by linking to important technological developments, theories of learning and language teaching approaches. Some key examples of CALL programs and projects developed in this period are also shown. Warschauer (1996) divides CALL into phases of development as follows: Behavioristic CALL, Communicative CALL, Integrative CALL (Multimedia CD-ROM), and Integrative CALL (Internet). The beginning of a new phase does not necessary mean the end of programs and methods of the previous phase, rather the old is included within the new (Warschauer, 1996).

(Source: http://web.warwick.ac.uk/CELTE/tr/ovCALL/booklet1.htm)

C. Types of CALL Programs

(Source: http://www2.nkfust.edu.tw/~emchen/CALL/unit1.htm)

1.      CALL-specific software: applications designed to develop and facilitate language learning, such as CD-ROMs, web-based interactive language learning exercises/quizzes.

2.      Generic software: applications designed for general purposes, such as word-processors (Word),  presentation software (PowerPoint), and spreadsheet (Excel), that can be used to support language learning.

3.      Web-based learning programs: online dictionaries, online encyclopedias, online concordancers, news/magazine sites, e-texts, web-quests, web publishing, blog, wiki, etc.

4.      Computer-mediated communication (CMC) programs: synchronous-online chat; asynchronous-email, discussion forum, message board.

D. Traditional CALL

Traditional CALL programs presented a stimulus to which the learner had to provide a response. In early CALL programs the stimulus was in the form of text presented on screen, and the only way in which the learner could respond was by entering an answer at the keyboard. Some programs were very imaginative in the way text was presented, making use of colour to highlight grammatical features (e.g. gender in French and case endings in German) and movement to illustrate points of syntax (e.g. position of adjectives in French and subordinate clause word order in German).

(Source: https://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg/61)

E. Explorative CALL

More recent approaches to CALL have favoured a learner-centred, explorative approach rather than a teacher-centred, drill-based approach to CALL. The explorative approach is characterised by the use of concordance programs in the languages classroom-an approach described as Data-Driven Learning (DLL) by Tim Johns (Johns & King 1991).

(Source: https://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg/61)

F. Multimedia CALL

Early personal computers were incapable of presenting authentic recordings of the human voice and easily recognizable images, but this limitation was overcome by combining a personal computer and a 12-inch videodisc player, which made it possible to combine sound, photographic-quality still images and video recordings in imaginative presentations - in essence the earliest manifestation of multimedia CALL.

(Source: https://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg/61)

G.  Web-based CALL

In 1992 the World Wide Web was launched, reaching the general public in 1993. The Web offers enormous potential in language learning and teaching, but it has some way to go before it catches up with the interactivity and speed of access offered by CD-ROMs or DVDs, especially when accessing sound and video files.

(Source: https://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg/61)

H. Why Would We Need to Use CALL in our EFL Classrooms?
As technology becomes increasingly ubiquitous, it is expected from the teachers to integrate it into the language classes. This means not only bringing technology into the classroom, but offering learners technology–enhanced options outside the class time.
(Source: http://constructivisminelt.wikispaces.com/Constructivism+and+CALL)

I.  How is it connected to contructivisim?

The design of CALL materials generally takes into consideration principles of language pedagogy and methodology, which may be derived from different second language learning theories (e.g. behaviourist, cognitive, constructivist). Constructivist-based instruction often includes providing the learner with skills or support (e.g. modelling, coaching, scaffolding) and encouraging the learner to actively construct his or her own personal learning experience. The teacher’s role is to aid the learner in this construction rather than simply providing that information to her or him (Bowers et al., 2010).

(Source: http://constructivisminelt.wikispaces.com/Constructivism+and+CALL)

(Source: http://constructivisminelt.wikispaces.com/Constructivism+and+CALL)

            J.  How to start using constructivist CALL in our classrooms?

http://constructivisminelt.wikispaces.com/Constructivism+and+CALL)

In a proper CALL-aided course we would like to create an online Constructivist Learning Environment were the task instructions would be kept, students’ work could be sent to and their opinions shared. If we are ready to start with implementing CALL into the classroom, there are plenty of tools to choose from.

(Source: http://constructivisminelt.wikispaces.com/Constructivism+and+CALL)

Constructivist CALL in the classroom:

·         Group e-mail

·         Electronic noticeboards (e.g. Wallwisher)

·         Interactive Whiteboard

·         Web 2.0 technologies (e.g. class blogs, wikis, podcasts, social networking)

·         Virtual learning environments (e.g. Moodle)

·         Virtual world language learning (e.g. WebQuest )

·         **Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG)**

·         Multimedia projects

Reflection

On week 4, I studied Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL). Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) may be defined as the search for and study of applications of the computer in language teaching and learning. There are four types of CALL programs; CALL-specific software, Generic software, Web-based learning programs, and Computer-mediated communication (CMC) programs. Why we need to use CALL in our EFL classrooms because technology becomes increasingly ubiquitous, it is expected from the teachers to integrate it into the language classes. This means not only bringing technology into the classroom, but offering learners technology–enhanced options outside the class time.

ICT in Education

ICT in Education

A.    What is ICT in Education?

ICT is the Information and Communication Technologies. ICT in education means teaching and learning with ICT.

Educational ICT tools can be divided into three categories: Input Source, Output Source, and Others.

http://www.elmoglobal.com/en/html/ict/01.aspx

Three main advantages of ICT tools for education:

1.      Through ICT, images can easily be used in teaching and improving the retentive memory of students.

2.      Through ICT, teachers can easily explain complex instructions and ensure students’ comprehension.

3.      Through ICT, teachers are able to create interactive classes and make the lessons more enjoyable, which could improve student attendance and concentration.

Three main disadvantages of ICT tools for education:

1.      Setting up the devices can be very troublesome.

2.      Too expensive to afford

3.      Hard for teachers to use with a lack of experience using ICT tools

Source: http://www.elmoglobal.com/en/html/ict/01.aspx

B.     Role of ICT is Multi Faceted in Education

http://ictpost.com/role-of-ict-is-multi-faceted-in-education/

In the twelfth plan, The Planning Commission has stressed that ICT tools must be used for significantly improving the educational services and for streamlining the admission process. ICT is vital for dissemination of knowledge, for evaluation and for keeping data and records. The role of ICT is multi faceted and it has to be exploited to the maximum potential.

The draft of 12th five year plan document states, “Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) should be harnessed to enrich teaching-learning experience, to extend and diversify delivery, improve research quality and collaboration by making knowledge and information widely available, and ensure effective governance both at the institutional and systemic level.”

Source: http://ictpost.com/role-of-ict-is-multi-faceted-in-education/

C.     ICT as a Mode of Classroom Delivery

Students encounter ICT in many areas of their lives and it is essential that we provide them with opportunities to explore the technology and encourage them to use it as a learning tool. However it is important that teachers avoid the trap of using technology for the sake of it, or in order to check the technology box on their faculty registration sheet, or as an add-on to a lesson.

To implement ICT successfully in their classrooms teachers also need to:

• identify how ICT can be used to meet specific objectives within the English curriculum to improve pupils attainment (Moseley et al,1999)
• understand that successful use of ICT depends on other factors such as pupils’ work in the classroom away from the computer, discussions between pupils and between pupils and their teacher, and the ways in which pupils interact with each other at the computer (Mc Cormick and Scrimshaw,2001 cited in Becta, 2005)

D.    ICTs and the English Classroom

The use of ICT in the English classroom extends beyond its motivational value to address key outcomes of the syllabus, and allow students to become competent users as well as consumers in English.

Research suggests that incorporating ICT into the English curriculum can:

• improve writing and reading skills
• develop speaking and listening skills
• support collaboration, creativity, independent learning and reflection (Becta,2003a, Becta,2003b, VTC,2003) (cited in Becta 2005)

As an interactive and collaborative medium, ICT allows responding, composing, and publication to be easily shared and offers students the opportunity to explore the language of texts more creatively and develop as speakers, writers and readers for an ever widening range of purposes and audiences. ICT can enable students to:

• access information and respond to a widening range of texts
• organise and present information in a variety of forms
• broaden the range of audiences for their work
• compose a widening range of texts for a broad range of purposes
• compose for real audiences. ICT can support them in their choice of genre for audience and purpose.
• identify key characteristics and features of text
• develop understanding of language and critical literacy (Becta,2006,ICT in the Curriculum)

Source: http://www.englishteacher.com.au/AboutUs/OfficialStatements/ICTsinEnglish.aspx