Distance Learning & MOOCs for Supplemental Language Learning Minsk State Linguistic University Katie Subra, elfbelarus.wordpress.com

Distance Learning Timeline The first modern distance learning course was taught by Sir Isaac Pitman, who in 1840 conducted shorthand lessons via writings on postcards. University correspondence courses followed shortly from The University of London, The University of Chicago, Open University, and others. In the mid-20 th century, radio broadcasting became a popular means of distance education E-learning began in the 90s and is so wide-spread today that more than 1/3 of US College students complete at least one distance learning course (Lederman, D. (8 January 2013). "Growth for Online Learning". InsideHigherEd.)

Sample: MOOCs  MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Course,  MOOCs are offered in a variety of subjects and at different levels,  People from all around the world participate in MOOCs (Over 40,000 participants registered for one course that I taught),  Prestigious Universities, such as UCBerkeley, MIT, Harvard, Open University, etc…

Reasons to Use Distance Learning: It helps to foster independent language learning strategies in your students You can augment your classroom instruction by using this as a flipped-classroom environment The topics of online courses (MOOCs) are varied and most reflect the latest trends in those fields Online courses are taught to a global audience so interaction with global peers is likely Many are free, some are verified, and some provide certificates

The Structure of Supplementing with MOOCs: You can… Integrate them into your course Promote them as an add-on to your course Encourage students to complete them for self- study credit

Applying Course Materials Sample Lesson: Writing good thesis statements 1) Summarize the video 2) Show examples/context 3) Ask students to apply the lesson Your turn: A vocabulary lesson. As a teacher using this MOOC, how would you write your classroom lesson plan?

Bumps Along the Road Major Bumps: Unclear information from MOOC: due dates essay topics peer evaluation/grading unclear objectives teacher tries to do too much not everyone is equally challenged

Navigation Strategies Run your own peer review Match the content and delivery with your group’s needs (do a needs analysis) Make more organized groups that are responsible for each other Take a MOOC yourself before using it in your classroom Make the course your own and add relevant projects (Ex: writing newsletter, student book)

Start Searching for Virtual Classes: TESOL Online Courses & virtual seminars: courses-seminars American English Shaping the Way We Teach webinars & courses:

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