5. Key Problems for Language Students
Hard to Find
Appropriate Input
Appropriate Input
Hard to Find Limited Time
Appropriate Input
•• Level
Level & Access
•• Subject
Subject
•• Style
Style
Shortage of
Practice Motivation
Opportunities
16. Language Acquisition Event Tracking
Similar to Google Analytics various language acquisition
events can be tracked.
Sample Google Analytics Event Tracking Code:c
<a href=“x” onclick=“_gaq.push(*‘_trackEvent’, ‘Videos’, ‘Play’, ‘First Birthday’+);”>Play</a>
activity
category
action
label
value
17. Students Control Their ‘Backpack’
Displayers
Learning
API API (websites,
Platforms Backpack blogs,
(websites & Event Data Facebook,
mobile apps)
Event Data Event Data etc.)
18. The Challenge Move study activity
to a network-
connected device.
19. Schools
The Students Publishers
OpenLanguage
Ecosystem
38. Offline Mode
The “Offline Mode” of the Tablet Textbook allows students
to study previously downloaded materials in places where
there is no Internet access (e.g. on an airplane).
Green dots indicate if
content is available
offline for:
• Course data
• Lesson data
• Media files
• Term audio
39. Old & New Compared
Traditional Textbook Tablet Textbook
Lesson Input √ √
Multimedia With tape, CDROM or √
language lab
Review Activities (dialogue, vocabulary, expansion, √ √
grammar, exercises)
Re-mixable Courses √
Sentence Review Features √
(translate, breakdown, native speaker audio, audio
recording, audio playback, speaking validation)
Ability to Save Vocabulary & Integrated Flashcards √
‘Intelligent Features’
(cloud vocabulary, SRS flashcards, smart lesson
recommendation engine)
√
40. A Convenient Student Experience
1. Listen to a lecture on the morning commute. 2. Study the lesson for a few minutes at work.
3. Practice in class or over Skype (OPTIONAL). 4. Review vocabulary on the way home.
InputLevelSubjectStyleLimited Time & AccessCompeting demands for timeGeographic-accessMotivationDull materialsLong-term processLittle measureable progress
Lot’s of learning gets no credit.
Tests - Static Snapshot, Pervert Motivations
SRS flashcardsSmart-lesson recommendation
The ‘Language Graph’ is Mozilla Open Badges meets Google Analytics for measuring language acquisition.
Just as with Open Badges students can login to their backpack, see what data has been recorded and control what they want shared.
CoursesReal-life dialogues presented in an engaging style by two teacher presenters.Lesson ReviewDialogue, vocabulary, expansion, grammar, exercises, culture, & lesson plans.Study ToolsTarget-language analysis with translation, breakdown, native speaker audio as well as voice recording, comparison & validation.
After students download and login to the App they will see the main menu on the springboard.Store: where students purchase subscriptionsLibrary: contains all the lessons availableSelf-Study: contains saved lessons from the LibraryCourses: a structured set of lessons saved from the Library or assigned by a teacherVocabulary: decks of target language terms that are saved from lessons
The Library contains all the lessons available to the student and is designed for self-study.Lessons can be searched by keyword, academic level, publish date, topic/function/grammar tag, or by structured course.Lessons can be saved for future review and will be available in Self-Study.
Courses are a structured set of lessons to help students always know what their ‘next’ lesson is.Courses can be added in the LibraryCourses can be assigned by teachers or learning consultants in the Open Academy.
The core of the lesson is a high-frequency dialogue that is introduced by two teacher presenters in an audio or video file.Students download and play the media fileAfter the file is downloaded it is available on the device for offline use, e.g. when on a plane
The Dialogue review tab allows the student to follow along with the media file.Students can ‘tap’ each target-language sentence to reveal additional options to translate the sentence, break down the sentence into individual component terms, play an audio file of a native speaker pronouncing the sentence, record themselves reading the sentence and play back their own recording.
The Sentence Breakdown option provides powerful features for the student.In the Sentence Breakdown window the student can browse all the component terms of the sentence.Each term can be translated, played or saved to the student’s personal vocabulary decks for future review.Each term can also be looked up in the glossary which contains sample sentences from every other time the term was used.Students can record their own voice and compare it to the native speakerThose sample sentences can also be broken down, and so on…
Just as in a textbook, Key & Supplementary Vocabulary are available for the student to review.Target-language terms can be translated, played or saved to the student’s personal vocabulary decks.
Expansion takes the Key Vocabulary and provides sample sentences to demonstrate other ways the terms can be used.Sentence Review features are available by ‘tapping’ on all target-language sentences
Key grammar points are explained and sample sentences provided.Again, Sentence Review features are available by ‘tapping’ on all target-language sentencesFuture Lesson Development:A “Lesson Plan” tab that will contain instructions for role plays and other in-class activitiesA “Cultural Insights” tab.
Students can save all target-language terms to their vocabulary decks.Decks can be created, edited or deleted. Students can organize the terms they are studying into the deck of their choice.
Flashcards help the student reinforce the vocabulary from their lessons.Students can ‘tap’ flashcards to reveal hidden informationStudents can determine what information they want to see before and after ‘tapping’ in the Settings section.Spaced repetition features will be added.There is no need for a written flashcard ever again!
OpenLanguage currently offers 6 curriculum channels for English speakers and 1 channel for Chinese speakers. We have also signed our first contract to help preserve an endangered language (Irish).