The Language Teacher
02 - 2002
That Depends On Where You Want To Go
Mark Zeid
Just then Alice noticed the Cheshire-Cat sitting in a tree nearby. It saw Alice and grinned.
"Cheshire-Cat," said Alice, "please could you tell me which way I should go?"
"That depends on where you want to go," the Cheshire-Cat answered.
"I don't really care," said Alice.
Well it doesn't matter then, does it?" the Cheshire-Cat said.
"As long as I get somewhere," said Alice quickly.
Recently, Microsoft's advertising campaign asked its clients, "Where do you want to go?" With online learning coming to the fore, this question is asked and answered by educators and trainers for varied reasons -- "it's the in thing"; "I want to be an innovator in my field." The impact of Internet technology on the educational sector has been tremendous, with demand for online learning continually on the increase.
Regardless of use or demand for Internet technology there is, however, a fundamental challenge faced by teachers, administrators, students, and schools. That is:
How do we integrate Internet technologies to create innovative learning opportunities for students?
To answer this question, careful examination is required. We need to know who are involved in delivering successful online learning opportunities, to examine the new learning environment -- the computer -- in which students find themselves, to define the roles and responsibilities teachers and students have in this new environment, and to look at who's responsible for creating this learning environment.
While there are many avenues to explore, this article will focus on the importance of instructional design for web-based courses as, with the help of teachers, they create the learning opportunities students encounter in front of the computer screen.
Patricia Smith (1999) defines instructional design as the process of converting principles of learning and instruction into blueprints for instructional materials, educational resources, and evaluation. This definition helps outline three questions asked by instructional designers and three activities done in the design process:
Where are we going?
(Determine goals.)
How will we get there?
(Develop instructional strategy to reach them.)
How will we know when we get there? (Develop and conduct evaluations to know when goals have been reached.)
Unlike Alice in Wonderland, instructional designers need to have a clear image of where they want to go, a well-defined map of how to get there, and a knowledge of when they have arrived. Longman's new suite of online products, Longman English Success (<www.EnglishSuccess.com>), is the product of a dedicated team of experienced instructional designers, educators, course developers, editors, production managers, and technicians. As the world's leading educational publisher, and with over 275 years of publishing excellence, Longman is able to work with educators and students to gain an understanding of their needs in order to succeed in learning English.
In an online learning environment, the roles and responsibilities of teachers have changed, with students having to be more accountable for their own learning and teachers moving from the "sage on the stage" to be the "guide on the side." Online students need to be more self-directed learners, and to help them succeed certain characteristics in the way information is transferred and instruction delivered need to be incorporated into the computer screen. Following is a table outlining some of these characteristics, how they're presented in Longman English Success products, and some of their benefits.
One benefit of instructional design is that it can provide clear learning pathways for students involved in online studies. Coupled with in-class sessions, students are likely to be successful learners of English.
If you would like to learn more about Longman English Success, please visit our website at <www.EnglishSuccess.com> for free trials. If you would like to see a demonstration of Longman English Success, please contact Pearson Education Japan (<www.longmanjapan.com>).
References
Smith, P. (1999). Instructional design. New York: John Wiley.
| Learning Environment Characteristics | Longman English Success Interface | Benefits |
| Structured, well organized chunks of information |
|
Presenting information in organized chunks help students master the language, skill, or task presented. Text density is an important consideration on a computer screen. |
| Clear opportunities to practice, self-check, revise, and try again. |
|
As self-directed learners, students need to be given the opportunity to practice and check their progress. |
| Student Support |
|
While online, students need to be provided with as much support as possible to enhance their learning experience. |
| Performance Assessment linked to precise objectives |
|
In addition to traditional tests. Longman has developed it's own LMS to help teachers track student progress and allow students access to these grades. |
| Community Building |
|
Studies have shown that online students need to feel a part of a class. These tools allow students to communicate with each other and develop a sense of "classroom." |
| Real Life Applicability |
|
When students see real life uses and value for what they are studying, they are motivated to continue. |
All materials on this site are copyright © by JALT and their respective authors.
For more information on JALT, visit the JALT National Website