Modern Languages and WebCT

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Modern Languages and WebCT

• Roger Hewitt
• Faculty of Arts
• University of Manchester
• 19 February 2003

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Case Studies

• TANDEM
• Reciprocal language learning for British and
  European undergraduates
• ITALRETE
• Web based communications for students of Italian
  preparing for and undertaking a period of study
  in Italy

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Pedagogical Themes

• TANDEM
• Foreign language development and cross-cultural
  learning through computer mediated communication
• ITALRETE
• Peer support

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VLEs at Manchester

• ELEN (1999 2001)
• Extended Learning Environment Network
• TLTP3 funded project
• Teknical Virtual campus
• WebCT (2001 date)
• Version 3.1
• Updating Summer 2003 to 3.8 Campus Edition

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TANDEM

• British students studying French, Spanish,
  Italian, German
• European students at Manchester as part of
  Erasmus exchange programme
• Wide range of departments
• 18 this semester Physics, Engineering, Medicine,
  History, linguistics
• 20 credit elective module

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Reciprocal learning

• Students partner adopts role of knower as well
  as mentor
• Meetings at beginning and end of each semester
• Some optional workshops
• Little face to face contact between staff and
  students

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Uses of WebCT

• To enhance the sense of course cohesion and
  develop a sense of course community
• Photographs
• Biographies written by partner
• To provide a central meeting point and
• To provide a space for administrative information
  and notices
• Calendar

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Photos and biographies
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Uses of WebCT

• To provide a space where students can discuss
  issues and share experiences of cultural
  adjustment
• Virtual seminar

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Virtual Seminar
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Virtual Seminar

• I think that this is a really realistic incident
  and I fully understand what he felt at that
  moment. I wouldnt say that I felt loneley now,
  but the arrival in Manchester was nothing easy
• the most difficult thing was to understand
  people and when you dont you feel so lost
  especially when you ask them to repeat 300 times
  the same thing and they dont make any efforts to
  repeat slower or in a more understandable way for
  a foreigner
• my flatmates did care started speaking more
  slowly, using words I could understand
• I know what it is to feel uncomfortable in a pub
  you do not understand because of the music or
  whatever

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Uses of WebCT

• To provide a space where students can discuss
  aspects of the target cultures (systems and
  behaviours) with members of those cultures

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Some themes

• US war on terror
• Turkey in the EU
• Role of religion in society
• Firefighters strike
• Use of offensive language
• Exploring national stereotypes
• Top up fees
• Earthquakes
• Cultural adjustment

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British students and alcohol

• Why do English students drink so much? Maybe the
  reason is the liberty to do it. Especially
  students, who are in their first year, tend to
  drink a lot. This behaviour remains me of summer
  camp. Most English students are away from home
  and from their parents for the first time in
  their life. Another point is, that English
  students are not able to entertain themselves. I
  have the feeling they do not know, what to do
  with their time. Every kind of entertainment is
  artificial in Manchester and the students live in
  their one little world thats why they become
  bored. And I hear very often I am so bored,
  lets drink!. Thats is very pity, when people
  do not know what to do with their time and their
  life.

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British students and alcohol

• I completely agree with Peggy. Last year I was in
  hall and it was on very few occasions that I
  found myself saying "Let's have a quite drink to
  relax" it was more like "I've finished an essay,
  let's get hammered!". The only times that I
  didn't drink last year was when I was recovering
  from the night before. But it's not because we
  need alcohol. Our bodies are not born more needy
  for a drink purely because we are British! No,
  it's definitely because we rely on it for
  entertainment and I think this is really sad!

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Uses of WebCT

• To provide a space where students can discuss
  aspects of their target languages (systems and
  strategies for learning) with native speakers of
  those languages and with other learners

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Discussion boards
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Strategies for learning

• Hy guys!! I agree with all of you!!I have been in
  Canada for 4 months and there I found a strategy
  to improve my english.When I am in a foreign
  country I use to have a pocket dictionary,a pen
  and a TELEPHONE BOOK in my bag!!The telephone
  book is divided in alphabetical order,thus either
  when I find or I hear a new word I can
  immediately check how to write it,which is its
  meaning and copy it in my telephone book.It could
  seem inconvenient and boring but it works!!!

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Uses of WebCT

• To offer students opportunities for further
  learning and language reference through links to
  external sites
• British National Corpus
• BBC, Newspapers etc
• To hold course documents
• Exam question
• Key codes

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Student comments

• Less confident students have an opportunity to
  participate which might be inhibited in a class
  full of people
• More time to prepare and reflect on contributions

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Student comments

• Lack of pressure/anxiety
• Learners are under neither time pressure to
  respond nor the pressure of making a mistake or
  looking foolish
• Length and breadth of entries are not restricted
• Individual styles are allowed to flourish

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Student comments

• Democratic
• No teacher intervention in the seminar
• All contributions from the students
• I felt encouraged to contribute and pose
  questions that I would not have done in a
  conventional seminar
• The interaction is more personal and evokes more
  interest than in typical language learning
  situations

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Future Developments

• Revamping the site
• Changing appearance
• Evaluation form
• Extent of moderation

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ITALRETE

• Support for year abroad students involving three
  cohorts
• 2nd year preparing for year abroad
• 3rd year in Italy
• 4th year returned to Manchester

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Italrete Front Page
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Information

• Learning objectives
• Links to
• Italian Universities
• Language Schools
• Italian search engines
• Newspapers, Cyber Cafe locations

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Peer support

• Advice from students to students about all
  aspects of the year abroad, collated and
  published as a document
• Exchange of information between students through
  discussion groups and chat rooms

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Advice from students
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Advice from students
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Advice from students
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Advice from students
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Italrete News
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Planning ahead

• I'm in Sicily at the moment, just thought i'd say
  that that's probably one of the best things about
  Messina is that accommodation is really easy and
  living in halls is one of the easiest ways to
  make friends, it's kind of like being in Owen's
  park but on a much smaller scale, it also means
  that you don't have to worry about bills or the
  hot water or gas running out which tends to
  happen a lot here and you don't have problems
  with italian landlords either. Anyway any
  questions, and i'll be happy to answer, good luck
  
• Life's much quieter here than in Manchester, but
  it's up to you to change the way you think and
  adapt yourself to a different lifestyle, the
  first few weeks I absolutely hated it, but now I
  don't want to come home for Christmas, wherever
  you go you'll have a brilliant time, but do think
  about it carefully before you go, try to find out
  as much as possible about each place.

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Planning ahead

• Can anyone tell me which unis to go to to be near
  mountains? Of course this is not how I will
  choose where to go, I do have some comon sense in
  me, but it would be nice to have something to do
  on weekends. I've also promised my family they
  can come skiing while I'm there.
• Bergamo is definitely the best place to go for
  cheap skiing and boarding- the nearest good
  slopes are at Foppolo, only an hour and s half's
  bus ride away
• I do know there are some resorts near Rome and
  near Genova, but you'll get the best snow and
  longest seasons up North. here are some websites
  you might find useful http//www.foppolo.com
  http//www.cervinia.it http//www.val-gardena.com

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Accommodation

• Thanx to the wonderful people at Ryanair.com, I
  have managed to get a return flight to Bologna
  (Forli - the only draw back!) for just 2p, and so
  will be visiting the city Jan 15-18, to have a
  look at the uni and check out the city
• A standard second class train ticket from Forli
  to Bologna will cost you about 4 quid. There
  isn't a better way unless you have transport of
  your own lined up. As for accommodation, try the
  tourist office in piazza maggiore, they haven't
  failed to find accommodation of a suitable level
  and price yet
• oh, and for restaurants, try the osteria
  dell'orso on (or just off) via mascarella, two
  pasta dishes to choose from and loads of wierd
  and wonderful starters...i reccommend the cheese
  and honey and nuts on toast

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Chat Room

• Chat room has not been used.
• Reasons?
• Difficult to find a time when more than a small
  group can and might want to get online
• e-mail, mobile phones and text messaging mean
  students do not see real time communication over
  the web as being especially useful.
• However, I do not plan yet to give up on the chat
  room.

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Future Developments

• First year with 3 cohorts using the same system
• Previously ELEN or ELEN/WebCT
• Full evaluation
• If successful, introduction into other European
  language departments

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Contacts

• TANDEM
• John.Morley_at_man.ac.uk
• Sandra.Truscott_at_man.ac.uk
• ITALRETE
• Clive.Griffiths_at_man.ac.uk
• roger.hewitt_at_man.ac.uk