This document discusses the adoption of innovations in language teaching, focusing on three web tools: EnglishCentral, AudioBoom, and VoiceThread. It summarizes Markee's framework on qualitative changes perceived as new in education and the messy nature of innovation. The tools are then described, with EnglishCentral allowing online English courses with speech recognition, AudioBoom for recording and sharing sound files, and VoiceThread for recording over pictures and videos. Factors influencing adoption are reviewed, including the diffusion curve and roles of change agents, early adopters, and late adopters in implementing innovations.

1. The web tools
and apps we use
today
Elba Méndez García

2. Markee’s Theoretical
Framework (2001:120)
“Proposals for
qualitative change in
pedagogical materials,
approaches, and
values that are
perceived as new by
individuals who
comprise a formal
(language) education
system”

3. Three web tools and apps
• EnglishCentral
• AudioBoom
• VoiceThread
• It is a website and an application
for iOS and Android which allows
users to listen to, record and
share sound files.
• It is a tool that allows you to load
up pictures and videos and then
record yourself and others talking
about them.
• It allows you to take a course and
speak and learn English online
with a speech recognition system,
vocabulary and pronunciation
tools.

4. English Central
It allows you to
take a course and
speak and learn
English online
with a speech
recognition
system,
vocabulary and
pronunciation
tools.

5. Audio Boom
It is a website
and an
application for
iOS and Android
which allows
users to listen to,
record and share
sound files.

6. Voice Thread
It is a tool that
allows you to
load up pictures
and videos and
then record
yourself and
others talking
about them.

7. Share three!

8. Our web tools and apps
• Why using them?
• What area(s) of
language learning are
enhanced with each
tool/app?
• What can our language
learners do with it?
Implementation
of innovation

9. Implementation of innovation
(Markee, 1997)
• P5: Innovation is an inherently messy,
unpredictable business
• P6: It always takes longer to effect change
than originally anticipated

10. Implementation of innovation
(Markee, 2001)
Actors Change agents
Adopters
Resisters

11. Adoption of innovation process
(Markee, 1997)
Gaining knowledge
of innovation
Being persuaded of
its value
Making a
preliminary
decision to adopt it
Implementing
decision to adopt
innovation
Continuing decision
to continue using it

12. Psychological profiles
Early-adopters Laggards

13. S-shaped diffusion curve: adopters
who implement an innovation

14. Being persuaded of its value

15. Being persuaded of its value
• https://voicethread.com/myvoice/#u756032.b1283689.i12682446

16. Being persuaded of its value
• https://voicethread.com/myvoice/#u756032.b2134586.i11392758

17. Being persuaded of its value
• https://voicethread.com/myvoice/#u756032.b2092992.i11150162

18. Persuading others of its value

19. Being persuaded of its value
• https://audioboo.fm/boos/1918671-cinema-answer

20. Persuading others of its value

21. Being persuaded of its value
• www.englishcentral.com/

22. “Innovations
themselves
possess
attributes
which tend to
promote or
inhibit their
adoption”
(Markee, 2001)
Relative
advantage to
PA
Compativility
with previous
P
ComplexityTrialability
Observability

23. Adoption of innovation process
(Markee, 1997)
• Identify opinion leaders
• Articulate collaborative work with early
adopters
• Provide late adopters opportunities to use it
• Promote ownership of innovation
• Bear in mind the diffussion curve
• Smile: you are a change agent now

24. References
• Markee, N. (1997). Managing curricular
innovation. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge
University Press
• Markee, N. (2001). The diffusion of innovation
in language teaching. In Hall, A. and Hewings,
A. (eds.) (2001). Innovation in English
Language Teaching. Routledge: London, pp.
118 – 126.

25. Thank you
Download slides
at:
Elba Méndez García