ED. Tech from an EAL Instructor's Perspective

I feel that my journey through the universe of ETEC 565 has been one full of self-discovery and adventure.  Although I had difficulty at first adjusting to online learning and graduate studies, (as this was my first online and graduate level course) I feel I have come out of this experience with a whole new set of skills and tools.  The elearning toolkit, readings, assignments, and class discussions have opened my eyes to new forms of technologies including learning management systems, social media, assessment, and a variety of multimedia.  Prior to beginning this journey, I, like many other instructors, was using new technologies in class, but had not changed how I teach (Perkins and Pfaffman; 2006).  I felt overwhelmed by the plethora of new technologies available and did not know how to use them successfully in the classroom.  Good instruction relies on effectively combining technology, reflection, activities, assessment, and feedback activities (Anderson; 2008).  The methods employed in this course involved combining technology with critical thinking, reflection, interaction, communication and collaboration, decision-making and problem solving.  Through this process I developed the knowledge and skills to become an innovative professional in the world of digital education (ISTE; 2008).

Flight Path Summary

At the beginning of this journey, I expected to learn about different technologies and how they could be used in EAL (English as an Additional Language) and/or adult education.  Specifically, I wished to learn how to use Moodle, WebCT, wikis, Google Docs, Wimba, Audioblog and a variety of multimedia tools.  I also wished to learn how to create an online course that would supplement classroom studies, and how to use social media tools like blogs and eportfolios to inspire greater critical thinking and problem solving skills.  Aside from learning how to use all of these technologies, I hoped to learn how they impact adult learning.  Additionally, I hoped to learn about different technologies that could be used for project-based assessment and how to develop criteria to assess the suitability of different technologies for the classroom.  I expressed my concerns about exploring multimedia programs.  I thought that they were time consuming for teachers to learn and use, as well as involved instructional strategies that would be more suitable for a younger class than the ones I teach.  In short, I was open to learning new technologies, as this was my first foray into this world, as long as they could be used to support real-world experiences that immigrant adult EAL students would face.

Elearning Toolkit

When going on any journey it is important to have a good guidebook.  My guidebook for this journey was the elearning toolkit.  This guide provided instructions on how to use many Web 2.0 technologies effectively.  The reflective and kinaesthetic approach, employed in this toolkit provided opportunities for real world, relevant learning.  In every section, I had the opportunity to try new technologies and reflect on their impact on adult learning.  The hands-on- teaching approach was a good model of applying NETS standards in on-line learning (ISTE; 2008).

The first task in the toolkit was to compare different Learning Management Systems (LMSs) through answering a list of questions.  While the questions were useful in analyzing LMSs, I found they could also be used to analyze other Web 2.0 tools.  The questions helped me realize that most LMSs were very similar in terms of features.  LMSs differed in cost, ease of use, and/or the variety of options.  For example, Moodle has more question types than those found in Claroline (Moodle.org; 2010) (Claroline.net; 2010), while WebCT’s frontpage user interface has the simplest format.  When I applied the toolkit questions to my industry, I decided Moodle and Claroline were the only two viable options in immigrant EAL learning because they were open-sourced.  And of those two, Moodle was the best option, because it had more features.  This decision helped focus my learning objectives for this journey.

The synchronous communication and multimedia tools described in the toolkit were easy to install and use.  I wish to start using some of these tools, like chat rooms in my classes.  If it were not for problems with access to technology in EAL classrooms and their cost, programs like Audacity, would be useful for pronunciation and communication classes.  This lack of technological access is the primary reason why I did not find these sections useful, since I cannot apply them to my current professional practice.

Of particular surprise were the sections on wikis, social media, and accessibility.  The section on wikis clearly explained a form of social media that I had never understood.  I knew wikis could be used for collaboration, but did not understand how they worked.  The videos in the toolkit were very clear in explaining this (Commoncraft ; 2010)  Nothing teaches better than examples, and UBC’s Spanish 321 class wiki on Latin American literature, clearly illustrated how wikis can be utilized to promote learning.  The way students needed to research, revise and edit information, really demonstrated how valuable wikis are as tools to encourage problem-solving, writing and critical thinking skills.  J.B. Murray’s reflection on how creating the Wikipedia entries promoted the development of those skills, and provided a real-world experience (Murray; 2008) got the wheels in my brain turning on how I could create a similar assignment for my advanced EAL class.

The research required in the section on social media terms of service revealed that programs like Facebook, Secondlife and Linkedin should be used very limitedly.  My suspicions about these programs’ fallibilities in terms of copyright, and ability to protect privacy, were confirmed, but what was shocking was that these websites owned all the content uploaded and created on the site (Facebook; 2010) (Linkedin; 2010) (Secondlife; 2010).  This will impact my teaching, as I do not think I will ever use these sites for more than teaching how to network in the digital age, and I will never use them in class without informing students about the hidden aspects of the terms of service.

The section on accessibility did not teach me any new technical tools.  Rather, it made me think about course design and my responsibility as an instructor to accommodate students with different abilities.  In the face-to face EAL classroom, working with individuals who have physical and mental disabilities is challenging.  Most EAL instructors have little, if any, training in working with these challenges, and are lucky if there is any support.  So while trying to be mindful of these difficulties is important, most instructors, including myself, just work lessons as usual.  The information on the quick tips websites provided techniques – such as using simple tables and charts, and clear fonts, that will help with not only website design and accessibility, but to better accommodate special needs students in the face-to-face classroom.

There were some sections in the toolkit that I chose not to do or reflect upon in my weblog, such as blogging, and DVD authoring, as I have used them in the past and felt quite comfortable with these tools.  I currently manage a class blog for one of my advanced EAL classes, and after reading through the toolkit, wished I had had access to it when I was first learning how to use blogs.  I have also created DVDs for personal use and gifts, and was comfortable enough with this technology, that I did not feel the need to do the activities proscribed in the toolkit.

As a whole, the toolkit is a valuable instructional tool.  Aside from its hands-on-approach, I felt its most valuable feature were the questions posed in every section which provided opportunities for reflection on how these tools would impact my teaching.  Already, I have begun using some of the technologies, like wikis and chat rooms in a couple of my classes.

Achievement of Goals

As stated in the Flight path summary, my learning objectives regarding technology fell into four areas – learning management systems, assessments, social software and multimedia tools.  While I have gained technical knowledge in these areas, I feel that the reflective and analytical strategies I have learned are just as valuable.

Learning Management Systems

My goal regarding Learning Management Systems was to build basic familiarity with both WebCT and Moodle.  Learning in WebCT furthered an understanding of Learning Management System functionality from a student perspective, while designing a course in Moodle has provided me with knowledge in course design.  When I put these two experiences together, I gained a well-rounded approach to the benefits and problems presented by Learning Management Systems.  For example, as a student, I wondered why the instructor could not have used a linking system where if I click on a student’s name, I would be able to email that student, without going to my inbox.  Having developed a course in Moodle, I know that this is not one of the features of the Learning Management System, and should I wish to use this feature, I would need a computer science technician to create an add-on for me.  From an instructional perspective, I learned how when building a course, attention to detail is important.  Several times, in the WebCT course, links to external websites and resources did not work, or were non-existent.  Therefore, when designing the Moodle course, I paid special attention to all of the links, ensuring that they worked.  However, I also learned that what works one day, may not work the next, and while achieving perfection may be a goal, it may not always be doable.  I also learned that creating html pages for the Moodle course was far more difficult than I had previously thought.  I frequently had problems getting the pages and the Moodle site to work properly.  I had to compromise my some of my educational requirements for system functionality.  This has led me to reflect about my standards and expectations of website and Learning Management System design and to accept the fact that they may not always be achievable.  As Anderson says in Towards a Theory of Online Learning, Web 2.0 technology is not yet at a point where it can replace the full interactive experience of a classroom.  Also, no single program addresses the needs of all learners, or that of instructors.  (Anderson; 2008)  Therefore, I need to lower expectations regarding course design- at least for now.

Assessment

Prior to this class, I had difficulty selecting technologies for educational purposes.  I was assessing programs based on ease of use and how they fit into teaching goals, but I often felt I was grasping at straws.  A group project provided me with the knowledge and tools to address this problem, as well as introduced me to some new social media tools.  The group used tools like Google Docs and Wimba chat room (which were new to me), to create a rubric based on the SECTIONS model by Bates and Poole.  The purpose of the rubric was to help instructors assess the suitability of any technology for instruction.  Through this experience, I was able to see how the SECTIONS model worked as a technological assessment framework.  Criteria like student access, ease of use, cost, teaching and learning objectives, interactivity, novelty and speed, were used to assess the suitability of technologies instruction (Bates and Poole; 2003).  Most notably, I determined that for any technology to be successful in EAL environments, it must be free, very easy for students with little computer knowledge to use, and can used in a way to meet learning objectives set by Canadian Language Benchmarks.  Although the SECTIONS model is effective, it is not the only criteria by which I now judge the suitability of technology.

The media forms and technology that are chosen for classroom use need to be the ones that best present the subject matter and achieve the instructors’ learning objectives, while encouraging students to participate in their own learning and in critical thinking (Siemens; 2003).  So when I assess a technology, I need to consider the positive and negative impacts that it has on student learning and not just rely on the SECTIONS model.  For example, a website to help students learn a new concept would meet SECTIONS standards.  It is easy to access and using it only requires reading a website, and it is free.  Using websites for information would be a novel concept to many EAL students.  However, according to Siemens in Evaluating Media Characteristics: Using Multimedia to Achieve Learning Outcomes, websites are an overused media and a passive form of communication, and ineffective as an educational tool (Siemens; 2003).  So while websites would meet the SECTIONS criteria, it would fail as an instructional tool.  Consequently, I now have a set of criteria that encompasses the SECTIONS model and effectiveness of technology by its design.

When I began this course, I was already debating the effectiveness of summative assessments in the form of tests in the EAL classroom.  Many organizations in the EAL industry are moving towards task-based assessments.  Despite this movement, there still seems to be an emphasis on testing, so although the world has changed, the way students are assessed has not.  In the past when I designed curriculum, I always began with a summative assessment to test students’ knowledge.  This assessment guided my teaching and learning objectives for the course.  I have learned that this methodology is a good way to begin to plan lessons, but that assessments need to be much more than summative.  Assessments should be designed to provide learning opportunities application of critical thinking, problem solving and reflection skills (Gibbs and Simpson; 2005) (Jenkins; 2004).

While I mostly use task-based forms of assessment, I still rely on tests to assess grammar and vocabulary acquisition.  The task-based assessments focus on task accomplishment, not students’ learning accomplishments.  I rarely use peer review and self-reflection as assessment tools.  I now feel that this approach was erroneous as studies have shown that coursework and task-based assignments have greater long-term effects on student learning than tests (Gibbs and Simpson; 2005) (Jenkins; 2004) (Wesch; 2007).  The World Simulation project at Kansas State University is a good example of task-based assessment improving student learning.  Before the implementation of the project, the instructors noticed students were highly disengaged and only focused on what they needed to pass the tests.  Michael Wesch created the world simulation project where students must create their own society in groups and then in a class simulation move through over 500 years of world development.  Wesch reports that this strategy got students thinking critically about cultural development, built awareness of cultural concepts and most importantly got them to stop thinking about tests.  Following Wesch’s example, I am moving away from using tests altogether, and incorporating more team-based learning, peer review and reflection activities that assess task accomplishment and learning achieved (Wesch; 2007).

That being said I still feel there is a place for exams, mostly as feedback tools.  For feedback to be effective, it must be immediate, relevant to the task, and help students identify what they do not know.  (Gibbs and Simpson; 2005)  Formative assessment tasks are great tools to provide this type of feedback.  Throughout this course, I have been exposed to several different types of technologies that can be used to provide formative feedback.  Learning Management Systems have lesson and quiz features which allow instructors to create questions that test students’ knowledge.  Students are provided with instant feedback, and if instructors choose – advice on how to correct their errors.  They are repetitive, allowing students time to master concepts, and if instructors create a large question bank, then questions can be shuffled and rotated, thus really testing online learning.  Through this form of assessment, students receive appropriate feedback about their learning, much as they would when social media tools are used for instruction.

Social Media

My goal in this course was to learn how to use social media to enhance student-student and teacher student interaction.  The variety of social media covered in this course has opened my eyes to the multitude of learning opportunities they offer.  I previously mentioned how wikis, Google Docs and chat rooms were great tools for collaborating, problem-solving and creating activities with real-world applications.  Another form of social media covered in this course was blogs.  Before this course began, I was using blogs in my teaching, but not effectively.  Through this course, blogs became more than a means of self-reflection.  They became a means through which classmates could share ideas, provide feedback, discuss concepts and offer advice.  The Fischbowl experiment demonstrated how blogs could be where students “met”, discussed theories, exchanged ideas and helped each other (Fisch; 2007).  Blogs also became a way I could help students improve their writing skills.  My classmates provided anecdotal evidence of how using blogs in their classes, improved students’ writing skills.  Aside from better understanding how blogs could be used in the classroom, I also changed my approach to blogs after reading Downes’ article.  He discussed the fact that when teachers provide prompts it is not really blogging, only student led topics are true blogging.  This  motivated me to change how I was getting students involved my class blog, and I decided to put the students in charge of discussions, instead of prompting all topics (Downes; 2004).  I also saw how blogs can be successfully used as a collection of topic relevant links, a place to summarize classes and class topics and make announcements.  I learned how blogs can become centrepieces of interaction and communication, more than just a place for reflection and are far more interactive than a website.  While blogging may not be for everyone, (Downes; 2004), the advantages far outweigh the negatives.

Another great social media tool I learned to use effectively was threaded discussions.  Before this course, I thought that these were primarily used for discussions such as “who were people’s favourite actors”, but I was surprised by the easy to follow, in-depth analytical conversations that challenged as well as supported ideas in the threaded class discussions.  For example, the last unit about the Kwikwetlem project produced great debate over the choice of technology to teach students about the history of the Kwikwetlem First Nation.  My classmates introduced teaching ideas I had never considered before (such as letting students create their own materials), and I was reassured that many of my classmates thought about the issues in the same way I did.  The way the debate and ideas evolved over the course of the unit showed me how truly valuable threaded discussions are for communicative discourse.

Threaded discussions and blogs are also successful tools in encouraging reflection and feedback from peers.  During the digital story assignment, I found that the discussions and comments from my classmates provided encouragement and helped improve my storytelling capabilities, as well as build greater awareness about how different tools can be used as instructional tools.  This feedback demonstrated the effectiveness of social media as a peer evaluation and reflection tool.

Exposure to audio social media was limited.  But when programs like Wimba and Audacity were used in conjunction with reflective activities, it became obvious that they can be used for collaboration, reflection and problem solving activities.  The activity wherein we recorded greetings at the beginning of the course, and then reflected on whether students sound the same as they write, demonstrated how these programs can be used in a way to inspire critical thinking and real-world application.  I can already see how to use these to help students learn proper telephone skills and etiquette.  Also of benefit was the Wimba classroom session social media tool as it replicated a classroom environment.  One of its best features is that visual and oral interaction between students and teachers is possible, and allows instructors to use a shared screen as a whiteboard or projector.  From this experience, I hope to learn how to create similar experiences, in future online classes that I develop.  One of the only drawbacks of this activity is that when compared to other forms of social media, the student-content interaction is minimal, which can negate some of the benefits of using this medium (Anderson; 2008).

Multimedia

At the outset of this journey, I had little desire to explore this area of digital technology.  My preconceptions were that forms of multimedia were juvenile, a passive means of learning, of little interest to adult audiences, time consuming for instructors and students to master, and of limited instructional value.  After exploring the vast number of media available on Alan Levine’s cogdogroo.wikispaces.com, my preconceptions were reversed.  Many of these programs were suitable for adult audiences (with the exception of programs like Kerpoof).  They were also simple to use.  Programs like Bubbleply and Vuvox, allow for the addition of audio to slides, making them great tools to use for online presentations.  Some programs like Voicethreadz allow for interaction as people can leave audio and written comments thereby adding interactivity, negating the passive learning aspect of many forms of social media.  All multimedia can be used for active learning and collaboration as students can work in groups to create their own projects.  Programs like Tar Heel Reader would help literacy EAL students develop their reading and writing skills, as students could read and write stories about real-world topics.  They would be able to apply their own experiences and knowledge to creative projects and develop writing and collaborative skills.  Other programs such as Flickr, and Flicktion could be used to develop digital citizenship skills, through having students select photos based on copyright laws.  Additionally, the issues of digital citizenship and copyright can be explored through students creating “mash-ups” of different pictures, texts and recordings.  Mash-ups require consideration of the kinds of information that can be shared or protected, while it allows ordinary individuals to become creative innovators (Lamb; 2007).  In this way, social media can be used to create lesson plans according to NETS standards through the development of  collaborative, critical thinking, problem-solving, digital citizenship and creative skills, and I look forward to using it in the future (ISTE; 2008).

Going Forward

As this journey ends, I feel as if my journey into the field of educational technology has only just begun.  The knowledge I gained through this course will be utilized in instructional practice and professional development.  I have already discussed how I use blogs, and plan to use wikis in my advanced EAL class.  I am in the process of taking blogs to the next level by building scaffolding into my blogs so students will eventually be able to create and lead relevant discussions, making it a real blogging experience (Downes; 2004).  I plan to use wikis in my next unit.  Groups of students will have to create a technical manual in a wiki.  I also plan to use more of a blended teaching approach, especially in terms of using assessments.  I would like to create formative assessments using websites, to test grammar and vocabulary acquisition.  I have learned how to design formative assessments using html code to create multiple choice and short answer questions on websites.  In this way, students will be able to practice the skills learned in class as many times as they want on a website and get instant feedback.  I am also thinking about downloading Moodle onto my computer and use it as a server to build classroom activities, such as threaded discussions, online lessons, and chats.  This will add digital literacy elements to EAL instruction to help students become more employable in this changing world.  I also plan to start experimenting with the Moodle workshop feature, to learn how to create workshops that teach business communication skills.  Now that I know how easy social media programs are to use, I plan to start incorporating their use in the classroom.  As I have previously mentioned, I can use programs like Tar Heel Reader and Pixton to improve students’ language and critical thinking skills.  Aside from improving my teaching skills, I believe that when I use these technologies, I will be furthering my professional development.

Regarding professional development, my journey has just begun.  I will continue taking educational technology courses as well as continue to explore several forms of digital technology on my own.  I would like to learn to set up and use programs like Wimba Classroom and Elluminate, so that I can teach workshops online.  I also wish to explore more of the multimedia tools on Alan Levine’s site, as I did not have time in the course to explore all 50 tools on the site.  Additionally, I wish to learn how to use the programs Audioblogs and Etherpad, as I indicated in my flightpath that I wished to learn about them, and did not have the opportunity in this course.  In learning to create a course on Moodle, I had to use html code and CSS.  I had a hard time making my websites compatible with different browsers, so I really need to continue developing website programming knowledge.  I also wish to keep reading and learning about educational technology which I can now do as I was introduced to several professional journals (such as Educause and Innovate Journal of Online Education) in this course.  With this knowledge, I am well fortified to continue on this journey of professional development.

Conclusion

I feel that the learning objectives I set forth in my flight path have been achieved.  Aside from learning a lot about assessment tools and strategies, I have acquired my own toolkit of learning management systems, social media and multimedia.  I have learned that while technology is affecting how people learn, through increased interaction with content and people around the world; the use of technology in the classroom needs to be driven more by people than by technology.  I intend to push for increased use of technology in the classroom and to be an innovator in my field.  The projects covered in this course incorporate reflective and active learning techniques have inspired me to create new projects for my students, using the technologies I have learned about.  When I combine using these technologies with collaborative and reflective activities that promote critical thinking and problem solving skills, I will feel as if I am well on my journey to becoming an innovator in the EAL industry.

References

Articles

• Anderson, T. (2008). Teaching in an Online Learning Context.  I In: T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.), Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Edmonton AB: Athabasca University. Accessed online 3 March 2009 http://www.aupress.ca/books/120146/ebook/14_Anderson_2008_Anderson-DeliveryQualitySupport.pdf

• Anderson, T. (2008). Towards a Theory of Online Learning. In: T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.), Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Edmonton AB: Athabasca University. Accessed online 3 March 2009 http://www.aupress.ca/books/120146/ebook/02_Anderson_2008_Anderson-Online_Learning.pdf

• 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. Accessed online 11 Mar 2009 
http://www.aahea.org/bulletins/articles/sevenprinciples1987.htm

• 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. 4.

• Downes, S. (2004).  Educational Blogging.  Educause Review, 39(5, September/October), 14-26. Accessed online 25 March 2009.
• Fisch, K. (2007) Blogging: In Their Own Words. The Fischbowl.  Accessed online 26 March 2009.  http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2007/06/blogging-in-their-own-words.htm

• Gibbs, G. & Simpson, C. (2005).  Conditions under which assessment supports students’ learning. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 1(1), 3-31.  Accessed online 11 March 2009. http://www.open.ac.uk/fast/pdfsGibbs%20and%20Simpson%202004-05.pdf

• Jenkins, M. (2004).  “Unfulfilled Promise: formative assessment using computer-aided assessment.” Learning and Teaching in Higher Education , i, 67-80. Accessed online 17 March 2009 http://www.glos.ac.uk/shareddatadms/2B72C8E5BCD42A03907A9E170D68CE25.pdf.
• Lamb, B. (2007). Dr. Mashup; or, Why Educators Should Learn to Stop Worrying and Love the Remix. EDUCAUSE Review, 42(4, July/August), 12–25.  Accessed online March 9 2009 http://www.educause.edu/ER/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolume42/DrMashuporWhyEducatorsShouldLe/161747

• National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2008.htm

• Perkins, M. & Pfaffman, J. (2006). Using a Course Management System to Improve Classroom Communication. Science Teacher, 73(7), 33-37.

• Wesch, M. (2007) A Vision of Students Today (& What Teachers Must Do). Accessed online 25 March 2009. http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2008/10/a-vision-of-students-today-what-teachers-must-do/

• Siemens, G. (2003). Evaluating Media Characteristics: Using multimedia to achieve learning outcomes. Elearnspace. Accessed online 11 October 2005. http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/mediacharacteristics.htm

Website References

• “Claroline . NET – Home.” http://www.claroline.net/ (Accessed December 6, 2010).
• Commoncraft. “YouTube – Wikis in Plain English.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY (Accessed November 27, 2010).
• “Facebook Copyright Policy | Facebook.” http://www.facebook.com/legal/copyright.php?howto_report (Accessed November 27, 2010).
• JB Murray. “User:jbmurray – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jbmurray (Accessed November 27, 2010).
• “Moodle.org: open-source community-based tools for learning.” http://moodle.org/ (Accessed December 6, 2010).
• “Privacy Policy | Facebook.” http://www.facebook.com/policy.php (Accessed November 27, 2010).
• “Statement of Rights and Responsibilities | Facebook.” http://www.facebook.com/terms.php?ref=pf (Accessed November 27, 2010).
• “Terms of Service | Second Life.” http://secondlife.com/corporate/tos.php (Accessed November 27, 2010).
• “User Agreement | LinkedIn.” http://www.linkedin.com/static?key=user_agreement (Accessed November 27, 2010).
• “Web Accessibility: WCAG 2.0 at a Glance.” http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/glance/ (Accessed November 27, 2010).
• Wesch, Michael. 2006. “mediatedcultures.net @ kansas state university.” http://mediatedcultures.net/worldsim.htm (Accessed November 29, 2010).
• “Where Did I Put … My Memory? – Doc Zone | CBC-TV.” http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/doczone/2010/memory/ (Accessed November 21, 2010).
• “Wikipedia:WikiProject Murder Madness and Mayhem – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Murder_Madness_and_Mayhem (Accessed November 27, 2010).