Web tools | Oxford University Press

7 May 2013
by Oxford University Press ELT 15 Comments

Why aren’t we using web-based tools with our students?

Sean Dowling, an Educational Technology Coordinator, looks at why the uptake of Web 2.0 tools in the classroom has been slow, and offers some solutions.

On a daily basis, many of us are using web-based tools. For example, we are using Facebook and Twitter, watching YouTube and accessing a variety of other web-based resources for news, shopping, and planning our lives. Some of us also keep blogs.

However, when it comes to using these resources in the classroom, we have been reluctant to do so. Why? I believe that there are three main reasons for this.

First, there is the problem of “digital dissonance” (Clarke et al, 2009, p. 57); despite using web-based tools in our daily lives, we still haven’t seen the potential of using the tools for learning.

Secondly, using web-based tools for learning is not compatible with current curricula that emphasize knowledge consumption and reproduction of this knowledge in assessments (Dowling, 2011).

Finally, even if we have the opportunity to use web-based tools for learning, as the learning focuses not just on the product but also the process, assessment presents more challenges (Ehlers, 2009; Gray et al, 2010). But these complications are not intractable.

First, select appropriate web-based material for your students. While the Web provides vast amounts of learning material, finding appropriate material can be problematic for learners, particularly those in the early stages of the learning cycle or whose English skills may be weak. I have found sites such as Learn English (British Council), Learning English (BBC World Service) and Elllo useful for this.

Second, develop appropriate online assessments for web-based learning. As this type of learning perhaps focuses more on the process and social interaction than on the product, use specific rubrics to take this into account. For example, if students need to use blogs, marks can be given for posting on time, title, content formatting, replying to comments, number and quality of comments made on other student blogs, etc.

Finally, track and support learner activity. A Twitter hashtag or Facebook page could be used to do this. Or use a blog, for example WordPress or Blogger, to not only give access to online resources but to also deliver your lessons online and give support (see my blog web2english as an example). If privacy is an issue, or you need more learning management functionality, web-based tools such as Edmodo and Claco allow you to set up secure online learning environments where you can track and support all the learner activity.

References

Clarke, W., Logan, K., Luckin, R., Mee, A., and Oliver, M. (2009). Beyond Web 2.0: Mapping the technology landscapes of young learners. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 25, pp. 56-69.

Dowling, S. (2011). Web-based learning – Moving from learning islands to learning environments. TESL-EJ, 15-2, September 2011.

Ehlers, U-D., (2009). Web 2.0 – E-Learning 2.0 – Quality 2.0? Quality for new learning cultures. Quality Assurance in Education, 17, 3, pp. 296-314.

Gray, K., Thompson, C., Sheard, J., Clerehan, R., and Hamilton, M. (2010). Students as Web 2.0 authors: Implications for assessment design and conduct. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology 26, 1, pp. 105-122.

18 December 2012
by Oxford University Press ELT 30 Comments

QR codes – using mobiles in the EFL classroom

Student scanning QR code Raquel Gonzaga is a blog writer in the field of technology resources for ELT classrooms. In this post, she considers how QR codes can be used to involve and motivate students in the EFL classroom.

Smartphones during EFL classes? How can that be productive?

In this post I intend to share my experience with QR (Quick Response) codes and how they can be used to engage students in simple activities in the classroom.

I often come across students and fellow teachers who have not heard about QR codes at all. So this is an opportunity to get to know a tech resource that has a variety of uses for many purposes, including learning English.

Here’s a video that illustrates how QR codes work:

As a way of checking how familiar your groups are with this resource, the video below could be shown as a way of attracting students’ attention to one of the possible uses and how that relates to their experience of using mobile devices.

Sharing my experience

When I first came across the concept of QR codes for classroom use, the main idea was to use them to link to websites and have students work in small groups. Ok, but the majority of my students haven`t got 3G access, they rely on wi-fi connection, which is not yet available where I work, limiting the number of devices that could be used.

Researching a bit more, I realized that there are ways of using QR codes offline; among them is the option of TEXT. There are several services that offer this functionality, including the one I use, Kaywa. You can type up to 160 characters, enough space for a full sentence, a question or even clues.

Possible offline usages:

The option TEXT, which can be accessed offline is the first one I tried. Here are some of the different approaches I have tested:

Vocabulary revision – you type some clues as to the words/collocations you want the students to remember. Students have to work out the words based on the clues you provide
Warm up questions – type questions or statements and have students exchange their ideas on the topic
Vocabulary riddles – you name it; the possibilities are endless!

You can even supply different groups of students with different codes. Afterwards, students report their findings to their classmates.

How about getting started? If you have a smartphone, go to your app store/market and download a QR code scanner.

Now, hands on practice:

The QR codes below have a quick description of a problem. As students scan the code they have to come up with suitable pieces of advice for each case and share their thoughts.

Try scanning these codes (if you can’t, I’ve added the message that appears):

The message that appears is: “A friend has been feeling extremely tired and sleepy. His/ Her concentration ability has been very low.”

The message that appears is: “Your cousin, who is 16 years old, has no idea what to study at college or what career to have. He/ She has been very confused.”

The uses suggested are starting points for student discussion, while engaging them by using their mobile phones in the classroom with a meaningful problem-solving purpose.

It goes without saying that this tech resource should be used as a way of adding variety in the classroom and promoting peer collaboration. One device can be shared by a group of students, or they can each use their own. The beauty of it is that no 3G or wi-fi connection is needed for students to participate.

Have in mind that regardless of the style of activity you choose, you should keep this part of the activity short in order to maintain focus on the language.

After their first experience in the classroom, students start noticing all the publicity and media which makes use of QR codes. Knowledge that goes from the classroom to their everyday lives.

Can you think of other possibilities for classroom use? Have you ever tried using QR codes with different age ranges?

15 November 2012
by Oxford University Press ELT 4 Comments

It’s a Digital World

Mother and son using digital tablet To celebrate the launch of Project fourth edition, teacher trainer, Gareth Davies looks at three ways to make the digital world work for you in your upper primary classroom.

Over the past few years, technology has gradually become a valuable part of my teaching armoury. My essential teaching tool kit used to be a good course book, a ball, some pictures and coloured pens but now it includes a computer and a Wi-Fi connection as well. Using digital tools in the classroom was a logical progression for me. I had used cassette players and then CD players, video and then DVD so as soon as I got a laptop computer I started to think how it could work for me in the classroom. Below I outline the three areas that technology has helped to enhance my teaching.

Digital Presentation Tools

The first area where I embraced digital in my teaching was using digital presentation tools. I started with a data projector and later started using an interactive whiteboard.

Using a data projector or an interactive whiteboard I can prepare some of my board work before the lesson, which is especially good for grammar or vocabulary presentations. My board work has became clearer and easier to follow, helping my students to make better notes. I can also save board work and revisit it later in the lesson or in a following lesson, this is really useful if the students haven’t understood a concept or need a reminder. On my computer I have all the listenings and videos I want to do in class as well as access to a range of pictures, this means I can appeal to a wide range of learning styles and bring variety to my lesson.

At first, I was worried that this pre-planning would make my lessons more structured, but I actually find having a computer and the internet in the classroom makes me more flexible. It means I can respond to students’ questions by looking things up on the internet or a dictionary CD-Rom as we go along. Also because part of my board work was ready prepared I find I have more time in my classes. This means I can be monitoring my students more and can help those in need. Also having the video on hand all the time means I can change the dynamic of the lesson quickly and easily if I feel the students need something different.

Getting students using technology

These presentation tools were really my toys but I soon found myself asking students to use technology for themselves in and out of the classroom.

I have found that my students are more than willing to look up definitions or translations using their smart phones. When doing pre-reading tasks they sometimes use their access to the Internet to find out information about the topic. This means students become more independent learners and realise that English is not just a school subject but it opens up the world of the web to them.

Computers also became tools for collaborative works such as projects. As well as doing paper projects, we use a range of web tools like blogs or fotobabble that students work on together. I think the fact that they can edit their work if they notice mistakes makes them more willing to take risks digitally and also more willing to comment on each other’s work.

Outside the class for homework or self-study I can use a range of digital tools. For example I ask students to find music videos or clips from English language films that they like and that we discuss in class. Or ask them to record themselves speaking and email it to me. Students also seem to enjoy doing things on computers that they don’t like to do on paper. For example downloading and reading a graded reader on their phone seems more appealing than turning real pages. Similarly doing controlled practice activities digitally, on the OUP website or the course book CD Rom was more enjoyable for students because it allows them to have more immediacy, they get instant feedback which means they don’t have to wait for the teacher to check their answers. The ‘try again’ function also means they can do the activities again and again.

Professional Development

Finally the new digital world makes professional development so much easier. As you are reading this, I can assume that you have already discovered the power of blogs. Blogs are fantastic ways to learn about teaching methods and the ideas of people who we would never get a chance to meet.

As well as reading blogs I often attend webinars which gives me a chance to listen to teachers talk about what they are passionate about and discuss those ideas with other participants. I am also a member of a Facebook group that is like a virtual classroom, a place where I can share ideas with other teachers.

Finally, I can access the OUP website to access teaching ideas and resources that help me to change the dynamics in the classroom and supplement the course book I am teaching from.

I’ve come a long way since my early attempts at using PowerPoint to present grammar and I still wouldn’t say I have fully integrated technology into my teaching. But I have found that digital tools help to engage and motivate students and have helped me to make the time I spend with my students much more profitable. How is technology affecting your teaching? What benefits has it brought to your classrooms?

28 August 2012
by Oxford University Press ELT Leave a comment

Free fun reading for the primary classroom

Originally posted on Erika Osváth’s blog, and re-posted here with her permission, this article explores free reading materials and activities for children.

By Erika Osváth.

It all started with my obsession of Oxfam second-hand bookshops, especially the one in Oxford, where I’ve been twice – I mean both to Oxford and to this bookshop – and both ventures had brought some great successes.

Oxford Oxfam shop

My first noteworthy acquisition was the book called Hey World, Here I Am! by Jean Little, OUP and this wonderful collection of poems has been a big hit with my (pre)-teen classes ever since. See here an example lesson plan I wrote around one of the poems.

This summer’s visit to the same bookshop led to further accomplishments. Books that may very well be in the “nothing special” or “so, what” category for my native-speaker colleagues, especially for those, who have kids, but new and exciting to me and my kids. These are books from the Oxford Reading Tree Series, stories that have everything a good story needs for this age-group, ie 4-10, offering:

value for the kids, they can relate to the content easily
fun
opportunities to interact with the story-line, the characters
repetition of some useful chunks
authentic language
visual support, enough to be able to work out meaning from visuals
avoidance of story-line led purely by language - ie built around certain grammatical structures or vocabulary
somewhat graded language for them to be able to analyse language and work out the meaning of some of the sentences, chunks or words
freedom to read and listen at the same time, doing this as many times they want (they control the pace of listening too)
plenty of opportunity to notice pronunciation features
great stories to read in general

and soooo really help kids in the process of appreciating reading in English, with this providing excellent opportunities for natural language acquisition.

Anyway, further proof for how great these stories are is the reaction of my kids, who keep reading the printed ones I had bought in Oxford again and again,

first just by going through the pictures and telling me all about it, how funny it was and some of the characters they thought could be drawn with a bit more care.
Then next day they picked them up again, read them silently on their own, looking at the pages more carefully, possibly trying to make sense of the sentences together with the pictures.
And then for the third time, they asked me if I wanted to listen to them read out-loud. Now that made me a proud parent-teacher.

Seeing their enthusiasm I went onto the website recommended at the end of these books to find an amazing collection of free eBooks for different age-groups. Oh my oh my! Not only there were zillions of great stories, but they also had interactive activities that accompanied them. True, with some of these I did need to turn into a teacher-mummy, but the thing is that they would not come off it. They just read and listened story after story and did the games, which they found a lot of fun.

So here’s how you can access them easily:

I really wish these books were explicitly made available for EFL teachers and learners too and we could make full use of them, not only if someone happens to stumble upon them.

Anyhow, I did become extremely excited about it and decided to share it with you. There are so many things you can do with these free eBooks in the primary EFL classroom! I should certainly do a workshop on it soon, though I’m pretty sure you would have loads of ideas too. Have fun using them!

17 July 2012
by Oxford University Press ELT 16 Comments

Making Your Digital Classroom More Interactive

Zuhal Aydin takes a look at some popular resources you can use in your classroom to make it more interactive for your students

In recent years ELT researchers have become increasingly interested in designing digital classrooms and an inter-connected web-centric world. There has been a spate of interest in cutting-edge technology. To ‘digitize’ a classroom means to implement technology into the classroom. The teaching techniques have to catch up to the new pace of learning.

There is a huge need to involve learners in communicative activities. Web technology is changing rapidly every day and the Internet has become an important part of life for people all over the world. The powers of technology are constantly improving. The implementation of technology integrated method language learning has brought some serious changes that can be benefited from. In this interactive environment we try to involve the students into the classroom and we incorporate blended learning. This is a combination of interactive digital learning. You can enhance reading, writing skills in an authentic real world context and provide opportunity for creativity. Learners can communicate easily and collaborate with other students. Unlike a teacher-led classroom, students can participate in an active way.

Teachers can use technology to enable students to meet people of different cultures, explore new worlds, do source research. In this case these materials appeals to students and motivate them. It opens up a new world for the students. It creates flexible learning paths in learners’ minds. Teachers as facilitators try to involve learners in the class by using Web 2.0 tools.

Here are some great tools which you can use to digitize your classroom:

FutureMe – This is a website about writing letters to your future self. The student registers and writes something about their life so that they’ll practice writing in English.
Penzu – Penzu is a simple online tool for creating a personal journal.
Storybird – This is about digital story telling. You as teachers can create digital stories and you can read these stories in your class. You can also create one account for your class as well. The students will enjoy it!
Animoto – Here you can create videos to share in your classroom. You can upload some photos for these videos and any kind of music to accompany it.
Staged Project – A digital tool for creating animated comics. You can make your stories easier to read and understand.
Voice Thread – Digital storytelling program that enables users to upload pictures or documents.
Domo Animate – Animations to bring students more fun in their learning.
Little Bird Tales – Capture your student’s voice with a creative story and share them with their family and friends.
Vocaroo – Voice recording service.
Soundcloud – Share your sounds!

How do you digitize your classroom? What resources do you use?

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QR codes – using mobiles in the EFL classroom