Using Conference and WeChat for Online Courses Tech Expo May 31, 2018 Yulan Liu

Why: promote peer interaction Importance of learner to learner interaction Lack of adequate interaction negatively impacts learning Language courses: High success rates are closely related to the rich peer learner activities provided by the instructional team. Conference and WeChat facilitate peer learning.

Online Learning As reliance on distance learning methods and enrollment in online courses have grown, there has been continued research into student persistence using online platforms. Students withdraw due to a lack of engagement, isolation, or other struggles. Distance learning is expected to occupy a major place in higher education.

Conference Feature Using the Conference is one of the best ways to conduct learner-instructor and learner-learner interactions. Give students choice since the beginning Once a week conference 60 min per session Conference should be required for online courses Record the session

Students who attended weekly Conference achieve better Instructors should provide brief training Help students to locate platform guides at the beginning of their courses. Provide support or contact technical staff for maintaining students’ online learning experience. Promote Conference since the beginning

WeChat In the past several years, many teachers and educators have used WeChat, a social media app downloadable on cell phones, for teaching and learning. Learning outcomes assessment Scoring methods

The all-in-one communication app Send text messages, audio and video files, Make live broadcasts; Provides an entertainment portal; Visualize concepts that are difficult to understand; Make videos as group which can be uploaded to a class WeChat account. Learners can share videos and resources.

The remote method of communication makes the platform conducive to learning anywhere and anytime. In 2016, 50% of users spent at least 90 minutes a day on the WeChat app.

WeChat WeChat is now becoming popular in the United States and the United Kingdom. According to reports, teenagers prefer using applications such as WeChat over traditional media and have become the largest segment of users.

A space for peer interaction/learning WeChat learning allows teachers to take education where students are present and ready to learn; It creates organic ways for people to communicate and collaborate; Upload and share videos and lectures on WeChat. Students can watch lecture videos or listen to audio recordings and conduct discussions on the forums.

The staple of all online communication Instructor use syllabus to identify topics and learning objectives and basic competencies. Create a learning task in the subject of their choice requiring the use of WeChat. Allow group chat and individual chat. Many people have multiple groups.

What HCC students tell us Online learning survey; Different levels online Chinese courses; Spring 2018 semester: “When you need help or when you have a question, to whom do you go first?” All but one mentioned: the WeChat or the Peer Learning Group.

Strategies need to be explored: Disproportionate use of WeChat among teachers. Teacher-learner boundary. Monitoring and facilitating: costly in terms of time. Learners play an active role, the teacher cannot be absent from the group. Set rules in the beginning. Check with eLearning.

What we’ve learned Empirical research literature review and the case study support the importance of peer learning. There is a strong correlation between the level of peer-to-peer interaction and students’ persistence. Research findings suggest that courses with high levels of interactivity lead to higher levels of student completion. Conference and WeChat are effective tools to promote the 3 way interactions. Students who participate in Conference and WeChat achieve higher scores.

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