(2) A critical analysis of six key technologies Blended learning and new pedagogies
Critical analysis 1) Interactive whiteboards 2) Virtual Learning Environments 3) Podcasts 4) Wikis 5) Interactive practice materials 6) M-learning: electronic translators
1. Interactive whiteboards
Saving annotations to server Power Point Word Excel
Materials banks Flip-charts
‘Just – in-time’ / ‘Always-on’
Audio in one place Highlight text to play
Tools - screen reveal
Spotlight tool
Learner response devices Text to board Voting
Interactive whiteboards Upside Downside saving flipcharts ‘always-on’ Internet generic software available audio in one place features e.g. screen reveal learner response devices need to calibrate time to learn! cost business English software? can encourage Teacher- centred classroom technology not yet ‘invisible’
(2)Virtual Learning Environments
Focus on appropriacy 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 pre/post course tasks time-consuming to learn ‘blended courses’ pleasing no-one cost issues (Blackboard to Moodle) robustness issues (Nicenet) narrow-use Features: Assignments / Chatrooms / Questionnaire /Quizzes / Forum / Glossary / Handouts
(3) Podcasts Upside Downside portability – mp3 player learner control authentic materials – ESP DIY ‘wrong kind of podcast’ authoring – not for every teacher
(4) Wikis Upside Downside collaborative process writing ‘history’ to see changes not intuitive not everyone wishes for peer correction
(5) Interactive practice materials Upside Downside analytical learners anytime practice instant feedback good for ‘crisp’ areas tracking tools ‘skewer’ language over-emphasise one area stimulus-response qualitative vs quantative
(5) M-learning: 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
Task Consider in which ways your own teaching is different today from 5 years ago. ThenNow