14th January 2016
Web 2.0 Resources and Issues
Post to your blog the ways you are considering using Web 2.0 or social media in your lesson plans. If you are not planning to, how could you utilise its potential in the future if you were teaching your assignment topic?
How are you going to take advantage of the affordances of the participatory nature of Web 2.0 applications and address any potential difficulties?
In the past some teachers in my section have set up class wikis for individual courses. About 2 years ago the Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE (where I work) contracted to use the SAKAI learning management system and instructs teachers to use that platform to upload course information and lessons notes etc. to collaborate with students. It works in very much the same way as a moodle or wiki but is not as user-friendly so unfortunately a lot of teachers are not using it. We also have a section sharepoint which students can be given access to, however ours is not being utilised for interaction between teachers and students, it is primarily used by teachers to share course information with each other, teaching and learning plans, assessment tasks, course evaluations etc. So there is a real gap in integrating Web 2.0 technology in my teaching area.
Some individual teachers are using their own choice of Web 2.0 technologies in the classroom such as Youtube, Facebook and wikis, but a lot are not. After reading Chapter 10 "Developing & Using Web-based Activities" in Roblyer & Doering (2014) and Hew & Cheung's (2012) report on studies into the effects of Web 2.0 technologies on student learning, I think there is sufficient evidence to support integrating certain Web 2.0 technologies into English language learning. For example, Hew & Cheung's analysis of a study by Arslan & Shahin-Kizil (2010) who examined the effect of blog-integrated writing instruction on a group of TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) students' writing performance showed that the use of blogs to support writing "improved their writing significantly" (p. 55). The students in the experimental group's draft writing and revisions were done on a blog which was viewed and commented on by a large audience including family members and peers from other universities - in addition to their own peers and tutor (p. 55) and this additional feedback and collaboration was seen to have a significant positive effect (p. 55).
Web 2.0 technologies are the ideal way for students to collaborate with their teacher, each other and also peers in other intitutions and other countries. Roblyer and Doering (2014) give some wonderful examples of successful Web 2.0 technology integration in schools on p. 264 and pp. 268-269 and I think there is a lot of potential for successful integration of similar technologies into the adult ESL classroom. One particular Web 2.0 technology where I see real potential is to implement blogs into reading and writing lessons, particularly in the higher level classes. My experience using blogs (e.g. this one!) in this course has been extrememly beneficial, it formalises and structures my learning in a way I've never experienced before, so why can't the same be applied in my classroom with my adult learners?
There will always be the issue of "digital divide" as described by Roblyer and Doering (2014) pp 234-236 and digital equity when integrating any technology into the classroom so teachers always need to be aware of all those issues and devise ways to overcome them when planning to integrate technology. However I think it is important to persist with integrating Web 2.0 technology and in the future Web 3.0 technology so we and our students can truly participate in the 21st century teaching and learning environment.
References:
Hew, K.F., Cheung, W.S. Use of Web 2.0 Technologies in K-12 and Higher Education: The Search for Evidence-based Practice, Educational Research Review (2012) doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/edurev.2012.08.001
Roblyer, M.D., Doering, A.H. (2014) Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. Sixth Edition. Pearson Education Lt.
Web 2.0 as a role and vehicle for student publication is of enormous benefit to learning. There is an increasing body of research, many that you have listed above, and certainly clearly supported by Robyler and Doering (2014), to support the integration of these constructivist and connectivism modes of learning. Carole, de Laat, Dillon & Darby (2098) note that students have the capability and tendency to select appropriate technologies for their individual needs. It would be interesting to assess this ability in a primary context- set the goal and offer some Web 2.0 tool suggestions but leave the mode open for students to learn/present through.
ReplyDeleteThe SAKAI platform that you mentioned sounds very interesting- how do you find it works for you? Does it allow student- student interaction?
I agree that there is great potential for blogs in education, I am quite impressed with blogstpot as opposed to wikispaces - I like the linear form. Have you tried embedding video such as void or straight video? As a comprehension activity with a wikispace, I had students video a scene, and then create an audio track and then upload some compression questions and a summary close passage as a packet of lessons for their younger buddy class. It took a while, but was very engaging, and great for parents to see it all evolving through the blog.
Hi Beth, thanks for all your comments. The Sakai platform is very much like a moodle, students can interact with each other on it, however feedback from teachers is that a Wiki is easier to manage. I'd like to read the Carole et al article, what's it called?
ReplyDeleteHi Alison,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. It is interesting and stimulating to read your posts. The article Beth mentioned is called:
‘Disruptive technologies’, ‘pedagogical innovation’: What’s new? Findings from an in-depth study of students’ use and perception of technology
and the link is http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S036013150700111X
See if you can download from your library. If not, simply let me know,I send you the article in pdf.
Thanks!
Steven