"Uncovering the Possibilities of Virtual Schooling for EFL"
•
1 like•837 views
This document summarizes a presentation about virtual schooling for teaching English as a foreign language. It discusses the design of an online high school English course in Israel that aimed to promote active learning and collaboration. Research was conducted on the course to understand student engagement and preferences. Key findings were that the virtual learning environment benefited student interaction, focus, and self-paced learning when it incorporated clear structure, multimodality, relevance, and small group work with high-quality teaching. Challenges included student readiness, retention, and start-up costs. Successful students were self-regulated, motivated, and had strong digital skills.
Recommended
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (20)
Similar to "Uncovering the Possibilities of Virtual Schooling for EFL"
Similar to "Uncovering the Possibilities of Virtual Schooling for EFL" (20)
More from Susana Galante
More from Susana Galante (9)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
"Uncovering the Possibilities of Virtual Schooling for EFL"
- 1. Uncovering the Possibilities of Virtual Schooling for EFL Susana Galante MA in Educational Technologies Digital Pedagogy Lecturer & Advisor Online Learning & Teaching Forum, LTSig IATEFL Liverpool, 2019
- 2. Change is the only constant. “To survive and flourish in such a world, you will need a lot of mental flexibility and great reserves of emotional balance. You will have to repeatedly let go of some of what you know best, and learn to feel at home with the unknown. You cannot learn resilience by reading a book or listening to a lecture.”
- 3. 1. Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) - Design EFL Course at VHS from CET (Centre of Educational Technologies, Israel)
- 4. Distance Formal Education Cavanaugh & Clark (2007); Moore & Kearsley (2005) Industrialized countries a solution to educational problems 1. crowded schools 2. a shortage of remedial/accelerated courses 3. a lack of access to qualified teachers in local schools 4. accommodating Ss who need to learn a different pace/place Less industrialized countries a social & economic development strategy
- 5. The Virtual High School (VHS) from CET, Israel a solution to periphery schools from all sectors - advanced Matriculation classes - access to master teachers a flexible learning environment in formal studies - student choice
- 6. A routine week at CET’s VHS 2 synchronous online 90’ lessons in a virtual classroom 1 synchronous online practice session: 3-4 students w/ tutor interactive online learning material/activities
- 7. My class Diversity Teacher: at home in the North Students: 15-16 year old, female and...shy! 6 Democratic School home train/cafeteria in the centre of the country 4 an all girl religious boarding school computer room at school in the South 1 an all girl religious school her room in the South
- 8. Mission impossible? 1. How to promote active learning 2. How to foster collaboration 3. Teaching English as a language for communication *in a VLE which seemingly lacks flexibility and human touch!
- 9. Online learning challenges 1. No EFL models for inspiration 2. Not enough research 3. Lack of human touch/F2F contact 4. Getting weak/shy students to participate 5. Limited use of body language & eye contact
- 10. Action Plan continuous exploration, experimentation, reflection & fine-tuning Teaching Action Research Design (CSCL environment)
- 11. Design Platforms MOODLE: accompanying site ZOOM: video-conference Whatsapp group management accessibility to learning material: recorded sessions ppt’s/links/etc. mic, camera & Internet fast communication authentic learning in LC
- 12. Fostering Active Learning & Collaboration Screen sharing ZOOM FEATURES Annotate Chat box Participation checks Break- Out Rooms
- 13. A balanced and clear structure Relevance Collaboration Autonomous learning multimodality
- 14. Break-Out Rooms 1. collaborative research 2. synthesizing 3. sharing (orally) 4. reflection o student-led learning o peer-learning
- 15. Mind mapping in an LC Reading Comprehension 1. vocabulary & reading 2. collaboration in break-out rooms & Padlet: arguments for/against 3. class discussion
- 16. “What’s going on in the picture?” Writing tasks in ONE Google Doc 1. oral brainstorming/ vocabulary 2. writing & real time feedback Formative assessment & SRS New York Learning Network
- 18. Authentic Learning on Whatsapp Real-life situations illustrating Grammar structures relevance social presence “I stepped straight into a paddle just after I had cleaned my boots.”
- 19. A Global Classroom Israel (VHS) Netherlands- (Rijnlands Lyceum) Norway (Kongsbakken, Tromsø) USA (Avonsworth, Pittsburgh)
- 20. Learning with the World 1. Intros in collaborative presentation writing, vocabulary, comparing & contrasting Google Slides 2. Video conference student-led Q&A’s- speaking 2. “World Read Aloud Day” recorded videos - peer feedback
- 21. Learning with the World 3. World Read Aloud Day – Flipgrid
- 22. Active Listening Oral Work relevance ownership of learning peer learning
- 23. 2. Action Research Findings & Conclusions
- 24. Research Goals To understand/describe what happened to EFL HS students in a VLE designed to promote active learning and collaboration- measured as cultures of learning and teaching (Sagy et al., 2011) Focus on: Students’ engagement in active learning and collaboration in the VLE Students’ preferences in the VLE Active learning and collaboration Passive learning and individualism Internal Values External Values
- 25. Method & Data Sources Qualitative research (Straus & Corbin, 1990) Data Sources: surveys, video recordings of sessions, research journal, group summative reflective discussion, students’ letters to T at the end Participants: 4 from DS (fully), 4 from RBS and 1 from RS (partly) CLT Rubric (Sagy et al., 2011)
- 26. I No close supervision from school coordinator Absence of required equipment Inadequate physical conditions No support system through tutoring sessions II Difficulty to recruit/retain new students - Easy to drop out! * Drop-out rate: 60 % Threat to shut down program at once Observed Difficulties
- 27. Student readiness, retention issues and the high start-up costs are well-known major challenges for VHS’s in general, which makes the recruitment of suitable schools crucial. (Barbour and Reeves, 2009)
- 28. What helped learn best? easy access to information/help multiple modalities relevance personal class assignments breakout rooms oral work - questions a relaxed learning atmosphere a small group high quality of teaching
- 29. Conclusions The VLE was found beneficial for: Interaction - a larger exposure allows for active participation and growth Focus- visual stimulation & reduction of distractions Self-paced learning and promotion of SRS - accessibility to materials- flexibility (timing & possibility to iterate) Emerging outcomes: increased confidence, engagement, feeling supported and more connected to other students
- 30. Successful Students SRS, high motivation & LD “The virtual space itself helps me concentrate and learn better.” “It was hard and confusing, but I'm happy I didn't give up.” Students who had independent orientations towards learning, were intrinsically motivated, had strong time management, literacy, and technology skills. (Cavanaugh, 2007)
- 31. Conclusions Financing & sustainability need special attention with focus in: 1. Recruitment of suitable students 2. Recruitment of suitable schools- supervision for support & basic requirements 3. Support system in place at VHS- for absorption & retention 4. Social presence- more F2F meetings 5. Careful design of VLE- clear structure & multimodality 6. Small groups 7. High quality of teaching
- 32. “I was able to focus better, and it was an interesting experience. I remember the first lesson. We all sat in our school and we had brought candies. There were some technical problems and I was so stressed out. I was thinking: “How do I look?” “What if there will be noise around me?” “How the hell is this site supposed to work?” “Is this really my ID?” Now I have found the things that help me learn in the best way. I learnt a lot about myself and it was great to know that our lessons were helpful for my matriculation exam, but they were also helpful for life. You gave me the tools to express myself in another voice. In the middle of the year, Yam told me that I’m so me in our lessons. She was right. I think the four of us are acting like ourselves in the lessons; mainly because we feel comfortable and have fun.” (Norah) Students’ final thoughts:
- 33. “I joined the virtual program from pure curiosity. I wanted to observe and experience a different kind of learning than the one I am used to. Those lessons presented me with much more than “a different kind of learning”. The virtual lesson with you provided me with a safe and unique space where I can experiment freely and express myself within the lines of the English national program. I am generally a quiet shy person and does not usually participate in my normal classes. Somehow, you managed to keep the lessons interesting and encouraging and this allowed me to express myself, improve my English and break out of my shell.” (Sarit) Students’ final thoughts:
Editor's Notes
- A virtual school is "an educational organization that offers K-12 courses through Internet or Web-based methods” (Clark, 2001).
- to offer students as part of formal studies and virtual courses 2. , which are unable...due to lack of Ts or insufficient number of Ss, 3. , suited to the needs of each S...real-time feedback and ongoing personal and small groups support Around 1,000 Ss 47 classes 40 teachers 120 tutors
- , high quality, interactive and media-rich educational materials So is the teacher (K. Bialik)
- Diversity & Geographical Distance
- I was skeptical.
- -Picture of six students on the screen Impossible to have a less formal relationship with T- SOCIAL PRESENCE- /personal connection - only 6 Ss seen at the same time while sharing- screen/windows open - When searching for models that might provide solutions to these problems, I soon discovered there was not much to build on. For one thing, the experience gained in other courses did not help. The teaching of Mathematics and Physics greatly differed from what is expected in EFL. The lessons consisted mostly of lecturing and drilling. Cameras were not even used by the students. For another, the literature supplying evidence of the benefits of virtual schooling- expanding educational access, providing high-quality learning opportunities, improving student outcomes and skills, allowing for educational choice, and achieving administrative efficiency (Barbour and Reeves, 2009)- is scarce. Moreover, despite the promise of virtual high schooling to offer access and choice, it remains primarily a North American phenomenon and almost no research has been conducted elsewhere. Its implementation has been accomplished with a limited research base, often drawing from studies in adult distance education and policies adapted from traditional learning environments (Rice, 2006). Difficult to recruit tutors Coordinators may see this as a threat to the employment of their staff. as in the regular school system Too much exposure can be intimidating. VLE’s may not be suitable for Ss who prefer to hide in a crowd
- From the beginning, I found it important to add “researcher” to my basic functions of teacher and designer. This would enable me to take action, also possibly contributing to future iterations and the development of an alternative learning environment. My role of teacher provided me with the opportunity to try out various ways to foster active learning as a practitioner. All three identities were intertwined and combined through the action-based research described below. From the beginning, I found it important to add “researcher” to my basic functions of teacher and designer. This would enable me to take action, also possibly contributing to future iterations and the development of an alternative learning environment. My role of teacher provided me with the opportunity to try out various ways to foster active learning as a practitioner. All three identities were intertwined and combined through the action-based research described below.
- Video recordings, ppts: self-paced learning and autonomous learning announcements
- Screen sharing - available to all participants Chat box - for communication/Qs in writing Polling & participation checks Annotate - for interacting with texts (visible to everyone) Break-Out Rooms - for collaboration in separate rooms; teacher can join any time
- (choice)+ (creativity)“People that have made a difference”- Ss assigned randomly or manuallyT joins each session in turn. - T can join. - research & discussion - distributed expertise in collaborative presentation (in the general session) Insights in the LC
- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QCC9SqRpSJYgCpXotNFD3w_8tmeZhDtNVw_gFka6gdE/edit
- Learning with the world Collaborative presentation Video-conference Recording & sharing videos International Collaboration- Breaking down classroom walls
- Knowledge-building fostering reading speaking writing skills
- A virtual school is "an educational organization that offers K-12 courses through Internet or Web-based methods” (Clark, 2001).
- The CLT framework provided a lens through which the emerging themes could be described. What worked/ did not work?
- Goal orientation- Investment of effort- Attitude towards authority- Attitude towards uncertainty- Ownership of learning- Conception of learning
- The responses to the first survey confirmed the observations that the conditions they had, namely the extent to which the school supported the program and the students’ suitability, affected the learning process. Ss' at BS1, who sat in a crammed computer room with another group at the same time with no adult around, did not only disturb the lessons but were unable to benefit from the VLE themselves. Due to the failure to meet the CET management’s expectation to have groups of at least twenty-five students, it was decided to…The decision to interrupt the learning process of the class before the end of the school year was particularly astounding to those involved. Thanks to the unbreakable support of the principals of the VHS and the DS, we were allowed to complete the year. Neither the characteristics of virtual schooling for EFL nor the design-thinking process was understood by decision-makers. The analysis of the data, proving the effectiveness of studying in small groups, makes the aspiration to have large classes irrelevant. Besides, Unfortunately, mistakes made on this probably doomed the pilot program to failure from its start. Still, more fine-tuning of the VLE was done with the hope to help develop it for future use. Difficulty to recruit/retain tutors
- for those seeking to expand intellectual horizons or with LD- “I have Google to look things up if I don’t understand or want to know something more.”, “I can work with autocorrect to check my spelling mistakes, and this is a very important thing because of my dyslexia -“The small group, the focusing on the presentation helps me learn better.” “I feel that it helps me not to be afraid from English. We can consult each other and get to know each other better.” - an opportunity to socialize and learn effectively Shir’s reference to making connections characterizes deep learning in a CLTI. One way to foster this was having students upload photos from everyday life illustrating the use of tenses learnt in class on our WhatsApp group. Norah mentions the matriculation exam, which shows that characteristics of a CLTE (tests as an aim) are present. After all, the VHS is in line with the requirements of the Ministry of Education.
- In the face of adversity Familiarity: a clear structure w/ perceived helpful tools & activities A clear flow of activities; talk for personal connections/relevance; collaboration; self-guided activities; reflection Further pursuit of familiarity: w/ digital tools, features & activities found effective EXPERIMENTATION-w/ new tools/platforms- variety - to provide multimodality, variety and authentic learning, and to continue exploring possibilities
- Interaction: Still, a larger exposure may be threatening for shy students unless they are highly motivated and ready to take risks.
- probably due to scaffolding supplied through accessibility to all learning material (self-paced learning & multimodality) -. I never loved English lessons before, and I really don't want to go back to my school's English classes. I feel like I did a little step because I'm not sure If my riding and writing skills improved but I definitely feel more confident and less scared to ride and write. I wanted to not think too much before writing, for example. I wanted things to come more naturally. And here I am, writing to you at 7 am, and most of the words magically found there way out from the keyboard.
- - Interaction: Still, a larger exposure may be threatening for shy students unless they are highly motivated and ready to take risks. 1. School principals find solutions within their workforce or traditional ones. Coordinators and school staff may see this as a threat. Ss may also find the exposure intimidating and may not be able to cope with it. 2. Commitment of schools to monitor students’ performance and appoint suitable school coordinator. 3. for successful absorption and retention of Ss- Ss may not feel as committed - Easy to drop out in the face of difficulties 4. Social presence- for more personal contact with teacher & community-building 5. Small groups will allow for students’ participation, active learning and feeling a sense of belonging.
- Neta (maybe have her record this in a short video? a specific working environment, learning techniques, tools for exams I: It is clear you love your profession; it seems that you care a lot. Thank you for that.
- Neta (maybe have her record this in a short video? a specific working environment, learning techniques, tools for exams I: It is clear you love your profession; it seems that you care a lot. Thank you for that.
- A virtual school is "an educational organization that offers K-12 courses through Internet or Web-based methods” (Clark, 2001).