MASTER IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING -AUTONOMOUS LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES TO FOSTER SELF-DIRECTED LANGUAGE LEARNING IN COLOMBIA -DIAGNOSING THE CURRENT STATUS IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS-

SETTING AND OPTIMIZING LANGUAGE RESOURCE CENTRES II Tutor Patricia Alvarez June, 2017

Evaluating the effectiveness of a VLRC SESSION AGENDA Evaluating the effectiveness of a VLRC What we are learning from on line education ? Your VLRCs in the international context Important dates and oncoming activities. SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES TO FOSTER SELF-DIRECTED LANGUAGE LEARNING IN COLOMBIA -DIAGNOSING THE CURRENT STATUS IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS-

Evaluating the effectiveness of a VLRC

What does evaluation mean to you? Analysis Critique Judgment Feedback Audit Reflection Improvement Satisfaction

What does evaluation mean to you? You are to create an instrument to evaluate the effectiveness of the VLRC. Make sure you apply it to students

Evaluation Is the Key to Effective Successful Online Learning Initiatives

A major evaluation challenge is determining what your school/ university authorities will regard as credible evidence for sponsorship purposes, future developments, etc.

Evaluation Paradigms People have hold different evaluation paradigms. We should recognize ours and others. Try to avoid paradigm wars.

Experimental (Quantitative) Paradigm There are facts with an objective reality that exist regardless of our beliefs. The goal of evaluation is to detect the causes of changes in phenomena through measurement and quantitative analysis. Experimental designs are best because they reduce “error” which hides the truth. Detachment is the ideal state.

Interpretive (Qualitative) Paradigm Reality is socially constructed through collective definitions of phenomena. The goal of evaluation is to interpret phenomena from multiple perspectives. Ethnographic methods such as observation and interviews are best because they provide the basis for sharing interpretations. Immersion is the ideal state.

Pragmatic (Eclectic) Paradigm Reality is complex, and many phenomena are chaotic and unpredictable. The goal of evaluation is to provide decision-makers with the information they need to make better decisions. Methods and tools should be selected on the basis of their potential for enhancing the quality of decision-making. Wonder and skepticism are the ideal states.

So what are some better ideas about evaluating online learning environments?

Decision-Making and Evaluation We must make decisions about how we go about designing and using e-learning. Continuation of the centre Involvement of other communities Expansion to other communicative abilities

Conducting Evaluations - Step 2 Clarify questions that must be addressed to guide decisions. Who is enrolled in the VLRC and why How the centre can be improved What would the impact of this performance be

Conducting Evaluations - Step 3 Select methods. Observations Interviews Focus Groups Questionnaires Data log analysis Expert Review Usability Studies

Selective Criteria for Evaluation Consistency Learning Economy Safety Flexibility Efficiency

Bad News Oh...no! There is no single, easy way to administer, inexpensive, reliable, and valid approach to evaluating an online learning environment.

Good News The instrument we are to design is just the first step in the process! Its results can be later on corroborated with other observation paradigms… Thank goodness!

Development Activities Evaluation Function Development Activities Review Conceptualization Needs Assessment Design Formative Evaluation Development Effectiveness Evaluation Implementation Impact Evaluation Institutionalization Maintenance Evaluation Re-conceptualization

Reflecting about the VLRC outcomes The virtual language resource centres you are currently developing target different segments of the Colombian educational community: children, teenagers, adults, private school students, public school students, and university students.  These privileged groups will be advocated to the learning and practice of the foreign language by means of e-learning resources.   In contrast, according to a report issued by The World Bank (2010) “more than 60% of students who qualify for university or tertiary education in developing countries can't attend.   E-Learning via low-cost ICT devices can work for students, teachers, and the communities they live in”.   Many of you may have thought about the new challenge this implies from the point of view of educators: Apart from providing our students with extra opportunities for learning and practicing the foreign language, e- learning means providing access to  low-cost education to some of those who cannot afford face-to face instruction due to geographical and or economic  constraints.  

Reflecting about the VLRC outcomes To what extent do you consider that online education and in this case your VLRC can contribute to the education of populations who are geographically and or economically deprived from face- to- face instruction? What in your opinion should be the social and educational responsibilities of educational institutions in this regard?

Reflecting about the VLRC outcomes Do your colleagues at school know about the centre? Do any other members of the community know about it? How do you think you can share your creation to other teachers?

Your VLRCs in the international context Yes, that’s a great option!!

Image retrieved from: http://tomjsteel. files. wordpress

Your VLRCs in the national context http://www.asocopi.org/

Your VLRCs in the international context

Your VLRCs in the international context http://www.eurocall-languages.org/conferences/current SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES TO FOSTER SELF-DIRECTED LANGUAGE LEARNING IN COLOMBIA -DIAGNOSING THE CURRENT STATUS IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS-

Your VLRCs in the international context http://www.worldcall.org/ SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES TO FOSTER SELF-DIRECTED LANGUAGE LEARNING IN COLOMBIA -DIAGNOSING THE CURRENT STATUS IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS-

Your VLRCs in the national & international context http://www.tesol.org/attend-and-learn/calendar-of-events SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES TO FOSTER SELF-DIRECTED LANGUAGE LEARNING IN COLOMBIA -DIAGNOSING THE CURRENT STATUS IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS-

Final suggestions Do not include any elements that may distract the user. Gliterring signs, picture slideshow, etc. Make sure the language used is error free Do not forget to include the links to the centres created by your peers in the resources section of your own centre. Make sure pictures do not overlap text and viceversa. Try the centre using different navigators. At times the interface can be better visualized by means of a particular one. Let users know which of them will allow better visualization and access. In regards to copyright. Some of you designed a credits section. List there the webpages/ sites from which you directly downloaded the resources.

Important info & dates Submit final version of your VLRC Monday, June 13, 8:00 a.m. Language resource centre: 60% Online activity development 40%  You will get extra Credits… when you obtain sponsorship from your school/university authorities to carry on doing the project (upon presentation of an official letter) : 0.5 extra points when you get an external international reader whose field of action/expertise is related with the creation of online learning environments to give you feedback and ideas for the improvement of your project and actually does it: (upon presentation of evidence) 0.3 when you write and publish an article related to your VLRC: 1.0

Credits Some slides of this presentation were adapted from: Reeves, T. (n.d.) “Evaluating Online and Blended Learning Environments”. The University of Georgia Instructional Technology