Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference
Teaching, Learning, & Technology
The Challenge Continues
March 30-April 1, 2003
The Use of Online Courseware in Foreign Country Instruction and Its Implication for Classroom Pedagogy
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By: Jun Da |
Abstract
In foreign language instruction, classroom activities are typically organized to facilitate the acquisition of both receptive and productive skills. However, with the increasing use of interactive online learning materials delivered through course management systems, we need to adapt our instructional pedagogy accordingly. In this presentation, we analyze learners' online learning behavior based on statistics collected from an ESL learning system and demonstrate the need and feasibility of focusing our classroom instruction more on productive skills such as speaking that cannot be handled satisfactorily by current technologies.
Description
In foreign language instruction, classroom activities are typically organized to facilitate the acquisition of both receptive (reading and listening) and productive skills (speaking and writing). However, classroom instruction time is always limited. Because of time constraint, it is not unusual for us to find that less classroom time is spent on the productive skills that are both time consuming and require one-on-one interaction between the instructor and the learner.
However, the increasingly use of online courseware, especially interactive learning materials delivered through course management systems, makes it possible for us to focus classroom instruction more on productive skills that cannot be handled properly by current technologies. In this presentation, we present an analysis of foreign language learners' online behavior based on statistics collected from an online ESL (English as a Second Language) learning system. Our statistics show that when students get online, they are more likely engaged in two kinds of activities: 1) Use interactive materials such as online exercises that provide instant feedback through server-side processing; 2) Participate in group activities such as web-based discussion board and group email. An examination of the online ESL learning system itself suggests that the majority of the available learning materials are on the acquisition of receptive skills such as reading and listening. This is hardly surprising because it is easier to develop online interactive materials that focus on receptive skills (such as reading) and provide instant feedback. Given the availability of interactive materials of this nature and accompanying online learner behavior, we suggest that an optimal model of foreign language classroom instruction (that makes use of technology) is the one that reduces classroom time on reading and listening training and pays more attention on speaking and writing skills. Such focusing of classroom instruction on productive skills is both necessary and feasible. It is necessary because current technologies (such as speech processing) cannot handle properly the acquisition of productive skills. It is feasible to adopt such an approach because: 1) Students can learn on their own to acquire the receptive skills with the help of interactive technology. Spending less time on receptive skills in classroom will not adversely affect students' acquisition of those skills; and 2) Students' online learning and acquisition of those skills can be constantly monitored by the instructor with the assistance of course management systems.
Proceeding