An 894 Creative Work Project Tradition Meets Innovation: Using Web 2.0 Technologies and Mind- Mapping Tools for a Face-To-Face College English Vocabulary Class SFSU ITEC 894 – Dr. Kim Foreman By Sylvia Y. Schoemaker Rippel December 2008
An 894 Creative Work Project
Tradition Meets Innovation: Using Web 2.0 Technologies and Mind-Mapping Tools for a Face-To-Face College English Vocabulary
Class
SFSU ITEC 894 – Dr. Kim ForemanBy Sylvia Y. Schoemaker RippelDecember 2008
Background
• Problem: The typical F2F college English classroom has limited time and place for student-centered instruction
• Explored Solution:New “any time/ any place” connectivity with Web 2.0 read/write technologies
Purpose
• For 21st Century Learners o Find more effective methods and materials
of college English vocabulary instruction to meet the diverse needs of the individual learners
• Prototype Development o Design and develop a prototype using
Web 2.0 technologies for more student-centered vocabulary instruction
Analysis – Process and Goal
• Classroom time is limited; learning needs and vocabulary requirements are extensive.
• How to best deal with classroom
limitations and vocabulary expansion for diverse learner needs
ANALYSIS – Subject and Students
• Vocabulary courses o Only recently emerged as a separate skill-
based course. Computer tools help in new collocations, frequency analysis.
• Diverse student needs o Students have varied needs in this area,
varying greatly according to background (both native and international students) and learning needs (basic to extensive, general to area-specific) among other variables.
New technology tools used to extend the traditional English vocabulary studies classroom:
•Email – Individual info tracking and contact lists•Blogs – Course blogs, student blogs•Wikis – Course wikis•Mind-mapping – Graphic encoding of learning content
Design Goals
• Develop a prototype for various units of instruction that can be extended through concurrent Web 2.0 resources, especially blogs, wikis, and mind-mapping graphic encoding tools such as the open source program, Freemind.
• Use the Web 2.0 technologies to enhance
learning through the four C’s of connectivity, communication, collaboration and community.
Vocabulary Studies Method
• Vocabulary objectives were addressed by developing a systematic approach expressed in the acronym “STAR”:o S: Structureso T: Themeso A: Actionso R: Review Introduced with an online at
http://starvocabwiki.wetpaint.com
STAR Wiki – Screenshot: Start Page
S. T. A. R. : STAR METHOD MIND-MAP
STRUCTURE
THEMEACTION
REVIEW
STAR Instructional Methods
• Structural Analysis of Words (STAR: Structure) • Conceptual framework for vocabulary study –
contexts and processes (STAR: Theme) • Computer and Internet resources ; blogs, wikis,
Freemind maps (STAR: Action)• Automated vocabulary study programs ;
Freemind flash methods, blog-sharing, wiki-sharing (STAR: Review)
Screenshot: STAR – Structure Introduction
Screenshot STAR – Structure Word Analysis Example
Screenshot: Theme Intro Map
Screenshot: World of Words Text Topics Map
Thematic areas include
1 People2 Places3 Actions4 Nature5 Time6 Quantities7 Qualities8 Objects9 Ideas10 Values
Screenshot: World of Words Course Text Strategies
Screenshot: STAR - Action
WHEN
WHAT
HOW:THINKWRITETALKFIND
WHO
WHERE
WHY
Activities and Review
• Blogging/Journaling:o Students keep a blog/journal of words for
personal study and review.
• Personal vocabulary targets:o Words taken from class conversations,
classroom materials, readings, texts, current events, popular media (newspapers, magazines, T.V., radio, film), and online sources.
• Projects, and exerciseso students select several semantic categories to
develop new vocabulary with content organized thematically.
Screenshot: STAR -Review
Assessment• Academic evaluations:
o Evaluation of instruction and assessment of the learning process within the university context (and education generally) is a core concern and has given rise to built-in measures of effectiveness.
• Placement practices:o Students are screened at various stages in the admission and
placement process. Instructors and courses are evaluated by students in each class each semester.
• Special personal reviews:o A local academic expert reviewed the project and was helpful in
guiding its development in the areas .• Standard classroom assessments provided initial feedback. • Midterm reviews and exams
o General observation: students who earned higher marks on traditional assessments also demonstrated by holistic observations higher levels of creative applications of Web 2.0 resources /
Potential Assessment Rubric Example from http://aseparatepeace.wikispaces.com/file/view/Wiki+Journaling+Rubric.cwk+(WP).pdf
Wiki Rubricfrom NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English
Summary
• Vocabulary is a component of college studies generally and English studies specifically
• Through the Web 2.0 environment and the STAR vocabulary context, students themselves are encouraged to contribute real-world, personally-meaningful, course-related content.
• Students in the prototype study were able to go beyond simply responding to text and other instructional guides; they themselves extended the learning resources well beyond the classroom setting through Web 2.0 connectivity and productive elaborations.
Conclusions
• The traditional English college classroom is changing, as is education generally.
• The expansion of the learning landscape has presented new options and obligations for both instructor and learners.
• The changes initiated by the digital revolution have made possible innovative strategies that benefit individual students as well as whole communities of learners.
Classroom Connectivity -- Toward a New Tradition in Learning• By all indications, students in the
vocabulary class have adapted well • They have achieved a higher level
personal involvement • They have extended learning for
themselves, their peers, and the educational community at large
• The new technologies for connectivity promise a new tradition in learning.