Group items tagged

Personalization.

Autonomy. 

tudents must assume greater responsibility and organization for their learning journey than in the face-to-face classroom.

. Automation. 

ongoing guidance and supervision from instructors, with regards to logistical and pedagogical issues.

increase student collaboration,

Monday: I

teacher-centered

forum

ourse content and logistics

Online grammar and vocabulary activities. Students work on their own with input, explanations, and activities from an online textbook.  

istening activities. We created interactive “video lessons” using Adobe Captivate: 5 minutes interviews, accompanied by comprehension questions, vocabulary, grammar exercises, and short writing assignments. For these activities, we interviewed various professionals around Davis

Speaking asynchronous activities. In Canvas, students record a video message related to a specific communicative task. For example, they compare Davis to a city in the Hispanic world. Also, they have to comment on at least one video from a classmate

ynchronous speaking activities. They consist of a video chat with the instructor and 2-3 students, working on communicative activities related to the lesson. It is student-centered day and learners tend to receive more feedback than in the traditional face-to-face classroom

riting activities.

Student preparation: Students need more preparation for the online learning experience. The creation of a mandatory workshop

mphasizing the pedagogical particularities of online learning, could help with student attrition, which is usually higher in online courses than in traditional courses.

e

Transition from a focus on activities to a focus on projects: dynamic assessment, portfolios, self-evaluations, tandems, etc.

advanced features, such as group video calls, require users to pay a fee and upgrade to a premium account to get the service. Calling fees vary depending on the countries the user calls and the amount of time spent on calls. Subscribing to a premium account, which will allow users to use services such as group video chats, currently costs US$59.88 for 12 months. US$4.99 per month is not very expensive.

Limitations Although Skype and Skype in the classroom provide an intriguing option for language teaching and learning, there are some limitations as well. First, there are minimum download/upload speeds required for using Skype. For example, video calling and screen sharing require 128kbps/128kbps as the minimum download/upload speed; group video calling requires 4Mbps/128kbps as the minimum download/upload speed. Therefore, Skype users need to check whether their Internet connection meets such requirements to avoid video and audio lag during Skype lessons.

Second, Skype and Skype in the classroom promote authentic learning. According to Lombardi (2007), authentic learning emphasizes “real-world, complex problems and their solutions, using role-playing exercises, problem-based activities, case studies, and participation in a virtual community of practice” (p.2). Thus, authentic learning happens as learners participate in real-world relevant tasks that require their judgment to distinguish information, patience to participate, ability to adapt themselves to unfamiliar contexts, and flexibility to work with people from different cultures. In this view, Skype and Skype in the classroom allow language teachers and learners to participate in a context of authentic learning.

The ACTIONS model, proposed by Bates (1995), is a practical guide for educators and policymakers to select and evaluate the use of technologies for teaching and learning. The ACTIONS model involves the following criteria: Access: How accessible is a particular technology for learners? Costs: What is the cost structure of a particular technology? Teaching and learning: How does a particular technology support teaching and learning? Interactivity and user-friendliness: How does a particular technology facilitate interaction among learners? How easy is a particular technology to use? Organizational issues: Are any class organizational changes needed? Novelty: How new is this particular technology? Speed: How quickly can courses be taught and learned via this particular technology?