Transcript
Social interaction through video-webcommunication and virtual worlds:
An added value for education
Kristi Jauregi, Silvia Canto, Rick de Graaff, Utrecht University and partners
Online Educa Berlin 2010
Structure
• Background to NIFLAR • Experiences• Examples• Research results• Conclusions
NIFLAR (2009-2010)• Partners: Universities of
– Utrecht in the Netherlands– Granada and Valencia in Spain– Coimbra in Portugal – Palacky in Olomouc the Czech Republic,– Nevsky and Novosibirsk in Russia– Concepción in ChileTELL Consult (Netherlands)Secondary schools, in Spain and The NetherlandsCoordination: Utrecht University
• Target languages: Dutch, Portuguese, Russian & Spanish
NIFLAR objectives:
• Enrich• Innovate learning processes • Improve
Make them more rewarding!!
Where to start?
How?
Interaction Telecollaboration
Learner centeredness
ICC
Authenticity of learning
Blended learning, combinining • Face-to-face classroom teaching
• Telecollaboration:– To enhance oral interaction & ICC– Using synchronous tools that enable oral
distant interaction with expert peers– According to relevant and meaningful tasks
Second Life
Open Sim
Adobe connect
(Surfnet)
Telecollaboration in NIFLAR• Cross-cultural interaction among peers • Interaction formats:
1 native pre-service teacher & 1 or 2 foreign language learners
• Focus on social interaction according to specific tasks
• Integration in courses• Tutorials• 5 sessions, once a week IMPORTANT: to create a win-win situation
Task design criteria for:
Experiences
• Tasks for Dutch, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish have been developed.
• Several pilot experiences have been carried out in video-web and/or Second Life,
• Both with secondary and tertiary learners• Almost 400 students have participated
Example video-web communication
•Task: student life (The Netherlands – Czech Republic)•TL: Dutch (beginner/A2)•Student teacher + student Dutch
•Task: student life (The Netherlands – Czech Republic)•TL: Dutch (beginner/A2)•Student teacher + student Dutch
Example in Second Life:Task
Task 2People and adventures:
-TL; Spanish (B1)-pre-task & task
-NS & FLL
People and adventures:
-TL; Spanish (B1)-pre-task & task
-NS & FLL
Scenarios:-Participants meet at a restaurant and have
to decide where to go to on holidays: winter/summer holidays.
-Go to a hotel (reception/room) -- Depending on their choice go to the
summer or winter slurl
Scenarios:-Participants meet at a restaurant and have
to decide where to go to on holidays: winter/summer holidays.
-Go to a hotel (reception/room) -- Depending on their choice go to the
summer or winter slurl
Example Second Life
Research issues
Is there any added value in implementing virtual interaction in language teaching curricula?
1. Students’ perceptions (evaluation of experiences)
2. Meaningfulness of interactions3. Impact on motivation: Willingness to
communicate (MacIntyre et al. 2001) • Perceived competence• Communication anxiety
Results participants’evaluationVery positive:
• Interactions with pre-service native teachers highly contributing to enhance learning processes (gains in self-confidence, fluency, cultural awareness, vocabulary).
• The environments, in spite of technical problems, effective for enabling interaction & strong preference for VWC or SL above other SCMC tools (chat or audioconferencing).
• Interactions being relevant & fun. • Tasks motivating and useful.
Research issues
Is there any added value in implementing virtual interaction in language teaching curricula?
1. Students’ perceptions (evaluation of experiences)2. Meaningfulness of interactions3. Impact on motivation: Willingness to
communicate (MacIntyre et al. 2001)
• Perceived competence• Communication anxiety
Preliminary results interaction analysis• Learners exposed to very rich input.• Learners activate knowledge & strategies to
communicate in the TL.• Authenticity of interaction: spontaneous language
use with a convergent objective.• Varied rich & meaningful sequences of negotiation
of cultural and linguistic meaning emerge. • Building on empathy.• Reinforcing learner-centeredness• Differences according to tool: static versus
dynamic, unpredictable language use.
Research issues
Is there any added value in implementing virtual interaction in language teaching curricula?
1. Students’ perceptions (evaluation of experiences)2. Meaningfulness of interactions3. Impact on motivation: Willingness to
communicate (MacIntyre et al. 2001)
• Perceived competence• Communication anxiety
Results: Significant impact on motivation
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Week
2
3
4
5
Ave
rag
e A
nsw
er
VC VC VC
VC
VC
VC
VC
SL SL SL
SL
SL
SL
SL
C C C C C C C
Competence
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Week
2
3
4
5
Ave
rage
Ans
wer
V
V V V V V V
S
S SS
SS
S
C C C C C C C
Like speaking to native speakers
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Week
2
3
4
5
Ave
rage
Ans
wer
VV
VV
VV
V
SS
S
S
S
S
S
C C C C C C C
Perceived competence
Get nervous talking in the TL
5 point Lykard scale
ConclusionsChallenging and motivating learning environments:• Support authenticity of learning by favouring motivation
& learner centeredness. • Participants favour experiences of enjoyment and success. • Rich learning sequences emerge during interactions. • Learners improve their intercultural communicative
competence substantially • Intersubjectivity and social empathy are enhanced• Adequate environments also for introvert learners
(particularly Second Life)
Would you like to know more about NIFLAR?
Join us in niflar.ning.comwww.niflar.eu
Thank you for your attention!!
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