Critical analysis of six technologies 1) Podcasts 2) Interactive whiteboards 3) Blogs 4) Wikis 5) Virtual Learning Environments 6) M-learning
Podcasts
Podcasts Upside Downside portability – mp3 player learner control DIY ‘wrong kind of podcast’ authoring – not for every teacher
Interactive whiteboards
Four approaches Approach one Power Point Word CD-ROM Internet “Always-on Internet” ‘Just-in-time’ teaching
Approach two
Approach four - DIY
Learner response devices Text to board Voting
memorable presentations ‘savability’ review ‘heads-up’ precise answer Benefits memorable presentations ‘savability’ review ‘heads-up’ precise answer
can encourage teacher-centred classroom Drawbacks cost issues need to calibrate ‘learning curve’ can encourage teacher-centred classroom
Web log (log = journal/ship’s diary) (1) What is a blog? Web log (log = journal/ship’s diary) Hosted separately or on your own site Linear Can be commented on or written by those you allow to do so Visibility Anything else?
Blogs (Web + log) Student Teacher Class
Wikis Upside Downside collaborative process writing ‘history’ to see changes not intuitive not everyone wishes for peer correction
Focus on appropriacy Synchronous Asynchronous Same time same place Same time different place Different time different place Same place different time Synchronous Asynchronous
Virtual Learning Environments Upside Downside information on demand appropriacy e.g. Critical thinking pre /post course tasks time-consuming to learn ‘blended courses’ pleasing no-one Features: Assignments / Chatrooms / Questionnaire /Quizzes / Forum / Glossary / Handouts
M-learning - definition “Different meanings in different communities..” “learning that happens when the learner takes advantage of the learning opportunities offered by mobile technologies”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_learning
Hardware Mobile-phone / Smart-phone iPod / iPod touch / mp3 player PDA (personal digital assistant) Laptop / Notebook - Netbook Tablet PC / iPad / Samsung Galaxy E-book readers Learner response devices Electronic translator
Software plus Dictionaries Grammar practice Services ELT material Apps
Dictionaries - MED
Range of interpretations Range of hardware Range of software Issues – 1. Range Range of interpretations Range of hardware Range of software
Design - screen-size ‘Bite-size’ tasks 3. In-class or on the move? Issues – 2. Design Design - screen-size ‘Bite-size’ tasks 3. In-class or on the move? 4. Informal or formal?
Issues: electronic translators Upside Downside ubiquitous / helpful listening to lectures cross- check bilingual / mono-lingual review – ‘favourites’ / games stop students guess from context restrict fluency mis-used for ‘production’ - writing
M-learning Upside Downside buzz value Over-reference to ‘apps’ Split – ELT or authentic?