NetLearning: beyond the WOW! factor

janaina.weissheimer@gmail.com

Talk outline:

• Netlearning and the WOW! factor

video games,

wiki technology,

voicethread,

mashups

• The learning factor

• The critical factor

• Conciliating pros and cons

Do you know the relationship between these two objects?

Warming up...

• Try to picture yourself in two different classrooms:

1980 2011

1980

• K7 tape - 1963

• VCR - 1971

• CD – 1982

• Slide projector

2011

CD - 1982

DVD - 1995

PC with software – 1997

Internet – 1998

E-board – 2005

Datashow projector

Changing is challenging!

(GIBSON, 2001)

People (learners and teachers included!) react to change in different ways

The enthusiastic

The reluctant

The critical

The learning factor

• U.S. Department of Education (BLAKE, 2011)

• > >

Hybrid or blended curriculum

Video Games

Are we having fun yet?

Teacher-centered class

The WOW! factor

• Interaction;

• Real context;

• Immersion;

• Multimodality ;

• Colaboration;

• Active learning;

• Risk taking environment;

• Intrinsic motivation.

The learning factor

• SOARES (2011) MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game)

• Tangential learning

0

20

40

60

80

100

Gamers Control

KET results

The critical factor

• Videogames may be addicting (?)

• The access issue;

• Some videogames are expensive;

Writing in the ESL class

Another essay?

Wiki technology

• Add wikipedia

Wiki technology

The WOW! factor

• A new face to writing

• Synchronous and asynchronous writing

• Free access to wikipedia or google docs

• ‘Produsers’ = produce + use

• Students write together, but whenever they feel inspired

• Colaboration and interaction;

• Track changes are great for teachers!

The learning factor • Flash Fiction writing on Google Docs at UFRN

(CESAR, 2011)

• Improvement in accuracy scores (number of errors in 100 words)

0

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

3

3,5

4

4,5

number of errors

Flash 1

Flash 2

Flash Winners 2011.2

Flash Writers 2011.2

The critical factor

• Not everyone wishes for peer correction

• Not all learners are keen on intuitive learning

Voicethread

The WOW! factor

• Planning and repetition

• Listening to your own voice

• Pronunciation practice

• Learner control

The learning factor

The learning factor of voice thread

• Fluency

• Accuracy

119,4

119,6

119,8

120

120,2

120,4

120,6

120,8

121

121,2

number of words/time

thread 1

thread 2

0

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

3

3,5

4

errors/words

Thread 1

Thread 2

CESAR (2011)

The critical factor

• Lack of extralinguistic features, such as gestures, facial expressions

• Wrong kind of podcast

• Asynchronous interaction

Mashups

The WOW! factor

• Re-signifying the copy and paste

• Boosting creativity

• Applying knowledge

Conciliating the pros and cons

• Rethinking time and space – Dead-end students to all-life learners

• Rethinking interaction

• Rethinking our roles as teachers and learners

• Rethinking the curriculum

References...

• GIBSON, I.W. Infusion, integration or transformation?: Moving towards a pedagogy of learning through educational technology. In: SELINGER, M.; WINN, J. (Eds.) Educational technology and the impact on teaching and learning. Oxon: RM, 2001. p. 47-52.

• WEISSHEIMER,J.; SOARES, W.C.S. A escrita colaborativa mediada pelo Google Docs na aprendizagem de inglês como LE. In: Silvano P. de Araújo, Marise A.M. Galvão e Orlando Vian Jr. (Org.) O ensino de inglês na universidade: mapeando caminhos, explorando novas trilhas (no prelo).

...and cool links! • docs.google.com

• voicethread.com

• secondlife.com

• explore.live.com/windows-live-movie-maker

• movieclips.com

• esltech.wordpress.com

• flashblast.blogspot.com

Thank you!

Where do I

click?