Gabi Witthaus and Alejandro Armellini IATEFL Conference Harrogate, 10 April 2010

JISC-funded project Dec 2008 to Oct 2010 Work-based distance learners in: Online MA in TESOL & Applied Linguistics MSc in Occupational Psychology MSc in Psychology of Work DUCKLING - Delivering University Curricula: Knowledge, Learning & Innovation Gains

Three technologies: Podcasting E-book readers Second Life

The challenges Limited interaction with tutors and peers Materials seen as ‘dry’ Limited variety in teaching approaches Students travel a lot - need for mobility Diverse student body - need for flexibility Application of theory (employers’ request)

Action Research Data gathered via: Survey on student use of podcasts/e-readers/SL Cognitive mapping interviews – staff, students Blackboard discussion forums Data analysis Descriptive statistics – closed questions (survey) Thematic analysis – open-ended questions (survey) Cognitive mapping analysis – interviews

Podcasting – the study World Englishes podcasts Phonology and Phonetics podcasts Wimba Voice Board pilot – about to start. Aim is to make discussion forum more interactive. Analysis of speech styles in tutor feedback to students on assignments (Psychology)

Podcasting – findings so far Students (TESOL & Psychology) appreciate: Increased flexibility and mobility – using iPhones, MP3 players and e-readers Autobiographical podcasts illustrating attitudes to languages – bring course to life Tutors appreciate: ‘Design once, deliver many times’ with minimum adaptation (online and campus)

Second Life

Second Life clips on YouTube Buying and selling a car in Second Life (Languagelab.com) Buying and selling a car in Second Life Evacuating an oil rig in Second Life (Beyond Distance Research Alliance, University of Leicester) Evacuating an oil rig in Second Life Second Life party (Beyond Distance Research Alliance, University of Leicester) Second Life party

Second Life – the study A pilot for the CALL option Preparation: discussion in Blackboard (2 weeks) Training in SL (2 weeks) Class observations at languagelab.com (3 weeks) Ongoing discussion in Blackboard (7 weeks) Total time = 7 weeks Number of participants: 18 expressed interest 6 attended training 5 observed classes

Partnership with languagelab.com

The 5-stage e-tivity model

Increasing flexibility for learners: Learn English at almost any time of their choice (due to affordances of SL and languagelab business model) and... At any place where they have the correct set-up Opportunities for learners to talk to native speakers and people around the world Social opportunities Perceived advantages to using SL for EFL

Findings Small number of volunteers but all engaged enthusiastically All felt that SL experience was useful to have on CV for future employment Participants who signed up but did not complete the project had technical problems or busy schedules

Findings (2) Structured support and discussion on discussion board helped keep momentum up SL ‘drop-in’ training sessions are a solution to time zone problems when working with small numbers Partnership with languagelag.com enabled students to experience SL in their own time but still benefit from the social aspects of it

E-readers – the study Trialling Sony Reader PRS 505 – now discontinued Two groups of distance students: Eight students (from Oct 2009) – survey data Nine students (from Mar 2010) – discussion forum data All module materials from VLE uploaded, including podcasts Students can upload journal articles as PDFs One textbook made available (Routledge)

E-readers – findings so far Many students still prefer to read on paper. However: Cost of e-reader: +-£150 Cost of ordering printouts of materials: £250 The e-reader has changed study habits -> ->

Changes to study habits ‘I find that the reader has become an integral part of my day...The reader has given me more study time... It's nice to have the … material … loaded onto a single device… I've also gotten into the habit of carrying my reader with my everywhere, and if I'm in a situation where I'm waiting… I will automatically open the reader. How I kill time has been transformed by this device, as previously I would have just spent the 20 minutes playing games on my iPhone!’

Changes to study habits (2) 'I commute to (work)… it takes an hour and half one way, and to get to there… I need to take a bus, a train, then another bus. I've been using the e-reader... The ‘continue reading’ function … helps me to continue from the last place that I left off. I can start reading on a bus, turn it off and when I get on a train, begin again. It's so much easier to take the e-reader rather than taking around a lot of papers and getting papers for each unit out of my bag.'

Changes to study habits (3) ‘I now study more in my workdays using the e-reader. I've been putting it in my bag every day and taking it to work and after lunch reading a few pages. I’ve found that way it keeps the content fresh in my mind. Before with the paper version, I’d allocate my weekends for study.'

E-readers: challenges Many students want to underline, highlight and make notes Flickering and delays while turning pages Formatting documents for e-readers is time- consuming and fiddly Publishers give blanket refusals to pre-loading copyrighted materials onto the e-readers. Lessons from the music industry applicable?

What students like about e-readers Portability: e-readers are used at home, on commute, in public places, while travelling Bookmarking and ‘continue reading’ function Accessing VLE materials offline No eye strain (‘e-ink’) Long battery life

The big debate – which gadget? Benefits of e-reader vs print/ Netbooks/ iPhones – not an either/or situation: ‘When I want to read and write notes, I use my laptop. When trying to read to concentrate solely on reading coursework to digest it alone, I find the Sony [e-reader] a great device. As an avid reader in bed, I find the iPhone to be hugely advantageous to my marital well being, having the backlit screen.’

And let’s not forget…

Summary Interaction with peers Materials ‘dry’ Variety in teaching approach MobilityFlexibility Application to workplace Podcasting Second Life E-readers

Reference Salmon, G. K. (2004). E-moderating: the key to teaching and learning online. London and New York: Routledge Falmer.