Online English Language Studies for International Students
Prepared by Kathy Becker, Assistant to the Associate Dean Teaching
Description of Proposal
The Faculty of Engineering’s Associate Dean, Teaching is seeking support for the establishment of an online English language program for undergraduate international students. The proposed program would offer ongoing English language instruction, resources, and support to international students in the Faculty of Engineering. The proposed online program of study would provide international students access to resources and support prior to their arrival, during their academic terms, and during their co-op work terms. In Engineering, where all undergraduate degree programs include near equal parts academic and work terms, this is especially critical.
Learning management system (LMS) selection is central to this proposal. Although the campus recently moved online course resources to the LEARN (Desire2Learn) platform, this proposal includes detailed rationale supporting the implementation of Moodle.
Proposal Benefits
A full 10% of the 29,000 undergraduate students attending uWaterloo are international students (Waterloo Facts). Main campus services, such as the International Student Office, offer only face-to-face English language programs (Programs), and the university’s Centre for Extended Learning offers limited options for English language courses (Find a Course). The availability of an online English language program would provide continuous support to international students in Engineering during both their academic terms and their work terms. The courses could easily be integrated with available face-to-face programs, thereby supporting a blended approach when students are on campus.
Implementation Schedule
Course development can begin immediately and course components uploaded to the Moodle server following setup, which can be completed in as little as 15 minutes (Perkins & Pfaffman, 2006). It is anticipated that the first two modules of the ten-module course could be prepared by one part-time instructor over the course of an eight-week period. Following usability testing and revisions, development of the remaining modules would begin, with a planned first course launch in Fall 2013. Remaining courses would be launched at a rate of one per term until a full complement of courses is available.
Rationale
The primary assertion of Chickering and Gamson’s first principle forms the basis for this proposal: “frequent student-faculty contact in and out of classes is the most important factor in student motivation and involvement” (1987, Section 1, ¶1). The implementation of an online English language course is a bridge to increased and sustained communication between our campus and our traveling international students. This approach is further supported by Chickering and Ehrmann, who assert that the use of communication technologies has seen the “participation and contribution from diverse students become more equitable and widespread” (1996, Section 1, ¶ 5. 1996). The use of communication technologies to support the development of English language skills is well suited to the unique needs of Waterloo Engineering’s international students.
The work of Bates and Poole (2003) was used to identify the technology best suited to this course; an overview of Moodle based on the SECTIONS framework for selecting learning technology is outlined below.
Students
Students at our United Arab Emirates campus could readily access an online English language resource using on-campus computing resources. Students in other international locations, where internet-connected workstations or laptops may not be as accessible, could easily access Moodle-based courses using any web browser or mobile device (Moodle FAQ, 2012). When students are on campus, the course would integrate with a face-to-face English language group, thereby serving as a blended application.
Ease of Use
Moodle is straightforward to use, and many learning and support communities exist online to serve administrators, instructional staff and students (Aydin, 2010).
Costs
Because Moodle is open source, there is no licensing cost. This means that as the program grows, there are no additional licensing fees. This is important since the English language courses will not be tuition based; they will be provided as a tool for student success available to all international students.
Teaching and Learning
Moodle is well suited to accommodate the diverse time zones and schedules of our international students, as it offers a rich asynchronous experience that also supports options for synchronous interaction. In addition, Moodle offers students the option of working in English or one of 77 supported languages, more than other popular open-source LMS options (Aydin, 2010, p. 182).
Interactivity
Moodle supports interaction between students and instructors through discussion forums, messaging, groups, live chat, and conferencing with whiteboard functionality (Aydin, 2010).
Organizational Issues
The main organizational issue to overcome will be in implementing an LMS separate from the campus LEARN platform; however, the rationale provided in this proposal emphasizes the benefits of this open-source alternative for the target students.
Novelty
Moodle has been available since 2002 (Releases, 2012) and has over 73,000 registered users, more than triple that of the nearest open-source LMS competitor (Aydin, 2010). It is a well-established open-source LMS.
Speed
Courses within Moodle can easily be updated or revised with minimal delay; there are no special programming skills required to mount a new course or make revisions to an existing one.
Conclusion
In order to provide our international students with access to English language support during both on-campus and off-campus terms, online technologies must be considered. Using an open-source LMS such as Moodle limits expenses without sacrificing the level of quality (Cavus, 2011, p.4). The proposed courses are especially timely given the emphasis placed on increased international student enrolment in the final report from the Advisory Panel on Canada’s International Education Strategy. This report recommends a goal of doubling the number of international students in Canada by 2022 (Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, 2012). Providing comprehensive English language support and improved connection to campus when off-site will support our current international student population while improving our appeal to prospective international students.
References
Aydin, C. C., & Tirkes, G. (2010). Open source learning management systems in distance learning. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology. 9(2), 175-184.
Bates A. W., & Poole, G. (2003). A framework for selecting and using technology. In A.W. Bates & G. Poole, Effective teaching with technology in higher education (pp. 75-108). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Cavus, N. (2011). Selecting a learning management system (LMS) in developing countries: Instructor’s evaluation. Interactive Learning Environments, 0(0), 1-19. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10494820.2011.584321
Chickering, A.W. & Ehrmann, S.C. (1996). Implementing the seven principles: Technology as lever. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 49(2), 3-6. Retrieved October 2, 2012 from http://www.aahea.org/articles/sevenprinciples.htm
Chickering, A.W. & Gamson, Z.F. (1987). Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 39(7), 3-7. Retrieved October 3, 2012 from http://www.aahea.org/articles/sevenprinciples1987.htm
Find a course. Retrieved October 3, 2012 from http://de.uwaterloo.ca/courses/
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. (2012). International education: A key driver of Canada’s future prosperity. Advisory panel on Canada’s international education strategy final report. Retrieved from http://www.international.gc.ca/education/assets/pdfs/ies_report_rapport_sei-eng.pdf
Mobile Moodle faq. (2012, July 19). Retrieved October 3, 2012 from http://docs.moodle.org/22/en/Mobile_Moodle_FAQ
Programs. Retrieved October 3, 2012 from https://uwaterloo.ca/international-students/about-international-student-office/programs
Releases. (4 September, 2012). Retrieved October 3, 2012 from http://docs.moodle.org/dev/Releases
Waterloo facts. Retrieved October 3, 2012 from https://uwaterloo.ca/about/who-we-are/waterloo-facts