Virtual learning spaces_elt_content_bc_india-secondpolicy-presentation-jasonwest

Virtual Learning Spaces British Council, Kolkata: English for progress dialogue - 2 Jason West November 2008

Who am I? Jason West 'CV' 42 years old Co-founded and marketed ‘different’ English school in 1992 - British Council accredited within 2.5 years Consultant to British Council 1999 Created English Out There 2001 Likes: Beer Dislikes: Bigotry

Introduction
Question
Definitions
Me and my experiences
The VLS ‘land grab’
Thinking ‘outside the box’ (literally)
Summary

Seminar
‘ Future Direction in Language Teaching and Learning’
http://www.alistair-smith.co.uk/readings/leading_learning/leading_learning6.htm
Role of technology
Best approach
20 delegates
Keri Facer, Head of Learning Research, NESTA Futurelab

Question… Summarise your best experiences as a language learner and think about the ideal form of technology that might support you as you learn? Write it down, fold it over, and give it to the person on your left. Now forget about it .

Virtual
Internet and communication technology fostered de-coupling of space where events happen , and storage technologies facilitate de-coupling of time between a message being sent and received. These technologies build the environment for virtual work in teams, with members who may never meet each other in person . Communicating by telephone and e-mail, with work products shared electronically , virtual teams produce results without being co-located . - wikipedia

Learning
Noun
S: (n) learning , acquisition (the cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge) "the child's acquisition of language"
S: (n) eruditeness , erudition , learnedness , learning , scholarship , encyclopedism , encyclopaedism (profound scholarly knowledge)
– Princeton Wordnet

Space
A space is just like a folder, but more: it can hold any type of content. wiki.alfresco.com/wiki/Terminology_Guide

In short
Virtual Learning Spaces…
Can contain or use any content
Events happen there
Remote teams who may never meet share things electronically there
Skill or knowledge is acquired

VoIP
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) enables broadband users to send voice calls via the Internet. There are now a number of these services in operation and calls can be made free of charge. www.broadband-expert.co.uk/broadband/broadband-glossary.php

Why me?
English Out There
Different dynamic
Active use of alternative learning space
i.e. real world
Re-thought conventional methodology
Psycholinguistics and constructivism
– i.e. brain friendly
VoIP
Skype – www.skype.com

My search for my own VoIP
Contacted Skype
Contacted large telecoms outsourcing companies
Googled for 10 months (Feb ’06 to Jan ’07)
Wrote four proposals
Signed 4 confidentiality agreements

Bingo!
Whitephone
“ A white label voice enabled browser with feature rich communications functionalities -- including voice mail, video mail, free PC to PC calls, and low cost calls to telephones globally”

It looks like this…

Issues
Client side application
Video (One to One or Group)
Electronic whiteboard
File sharing
Session recording

Gordon’s big announcement Jan ‘08
Teaching English to the world using VoIP
Scalability?
Type of teachers?
Technology?
Training?
Budget?
Other? (remember this)

More things to think about
Bandwidth available
Dial-up 56kbps
Mobile datacard – 350 kbps (wireless broadband)
ADSL – 500 kbps (broadband)
Broadband – 2 Mbps to 24 Mbps
Client or Cloud side
Firewalls
Ease of use
Cost
User numbers
Proprietary or white label
Language

What could he be talking about?
VoIP
Skype
Google Talk
Instant Messenger
Engage (Whitephone)
Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs)
Moodle
Blackboard
Web conferencing programmes
WebEx
Gotomeeting

So many to choose from
What about a combination of all of them?

What does one look like?

Wiziq.com
Free for individual users
Embeds in your website (in approx. 3 weeks time)
White label for $50 per annum
India

What about this one?

Remaining issues
Turn-taking
Visual communication cues
Non-visual communication cues
Processing power/bandwidth
Other (remember?)

Space and experience management
‘ Closed’ or finite spaces (why?)
Classroom + Virtual Learning Space
‘ Open’ or infinite spaces (why not?)
Real world + Cyber Space
Direction of technology
to recreate life-like spaces and experiences
Experiences
Interpersonal, emotional, meaningful
memorable (hopefully in the case of planned learning)
Focus on managing learner experiences not spaces

= Content
Investment
Technology
Publishers
Established educational systems
Conventional thought
Other =

Free online classroom
www.skype.com
docs.google.com
http://www.whiteboardmeeting.com/
Second Life
Or just go to
http://www.futureu.com/technology/index.html

That question…

They ALL answered…a “virtual advisor, providing authentic interaction, as well as feedback, support and advice for learners. It would be a softly spoken, reliable and very attractive friend, providing support and advice whenever needed, and encouraging self-confidence and independence.”
E.g…

An in-country personal robot… A Second Life avatar… Technology

… a good English Out There teacher or… Real world A native speaking and very patient friend with lots of time to kill…

Virtual classroom sessions that are:
Carefully structured
Based around real practice with fluent and
native speakers
‘ Happenings’, ‘events’ or
‘ tasks’ linked to the taught language
Designed to be brain friendly i.e. memorable
and therefore lead to ‘acquisition’ i.e. learning

Technology Materials

We have the technology and it will only improve.
We need to examine how we use unlimited space to learn.
We need to create managed real processes involving comprehensible input and real, meaningful verbal interaction.
We need to combine 2. and 3. inside teaching and learning materials.
Summary

www.languagesoutthere.com

Virtual learning spaces_elt_content_bc_india-secondpolicy-presentation-jasonwest

by Jason West on Jun 02, 2010

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