LMS vs. PLE

The topic of this week comes in two different frames to shed the light on the feasibility of moving educational programming from institutionally centered learning, LMS, Learning Management Systems, which is also known as content management systems (CMS), to syndicated tools often referred to as PLE, Personal Learning Environment.  A learning management system (LMS) provides some tools which are considered to be comprehensive tools for educators to manage learning resources, administrative functions, assessments, and even grading. On the other hand, PLE is referred to be a unique interface into the owners’ digital environment. It integrates their personal and professional interests. PLE could include both formal and informal learning. It includes the same system of the portfolio which allows the user to follow their progress and have a content storage which can be used as needed. Moreover, the PLE is a social as well as an information environment because it uses the network to connect the user cooperative communities and activities, such as the YouTube, flicker, or Google. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9zSd5Gs6Mw. However, in LMS your information does not travel with you, while in PLE you choose your data providers and manage your own data. AS an ESL/EFL teacher and MA TEFL profession, I think LMS and PLE are important systems or tools in teaching-learning process. These two may encourage the faculty and the students alike to see learning as circulative process where effective tools are emerging constantly to create lifelong learning environments. An example of PLE tool can be the personal blogs. Having the students to post their class reflection may engage them in a collaborative learning environment. It also serves as web document that will not disappear at the end of the semester. In addition, Moodle can be a good example for the LMS systems, where the students need to be enrolled in a certain course to be able to learn and cooperate. Finally, EDUCAUSE also provides good resources and activities to all its members. It is created to support those who lead, manage, and use IT in their higher education. www.educause.edu.

 

Online Language Courses

 

The idea of online learning courses is a new experience for the students. The learners can apply for professional, skills, or language courses. Distance language learning courses offer good opportunities for those who have limited time to develop their second or foreign language. These courses provide the learners new ways of learning with interactive methods. They can be short courses, long courses or even for specific purposes. http://www.rocketlanguages.com/free-language-resources Like any other invention, the online language courses have their own advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, some research frames these advantages in the many fundamental areas, referring to the learners, the learning environment and the tool itself. The online language course gives the learners the flexibility to study any time and in any place. It provides flexibility of access in terms of the learning settings. In addition, this flexibility requires more awareness and commitment on the part of the learners. They are more responsible of their own learning and progress. The students need to learn how to use the technology and implement it in their learning process. In this case, the teacher is less available to evaluate, monitor or manage the learning-teaching process. So the students should develop self-directing and self-managing skills to reflect on their learning. However, completing the students’ online readiness tool can be helpful for those who are not able to make their decision about starting an online study. One of the interesting questions in the tool was the amount of time learners need to devote to the course. I think 10-20 hours a week may crucial for a language course.  Students usually apply for online language courses because of its flexibility. Consequently a twenty-hour course may be overloading for some learners. Above all, these courses also address students who have computers with headset and access to the network. Finally, as MA TEFL professional, I think online language courses may deprive the learners from their main right to communicate face to face with each other and their teacher. While few learners may show commitment and continue learning, most of them may get de-motivated and quit the course.

 

Open Educational Resources

Throughout the history of education, the educators and scholars have been struggling to get rid of any censorship imposed over the flow of knowledge and information. The sharing and reuse of educational resources by academics is not new; however the practice has become much more popular and feasible now that these materials are shared online. Open educational resources (OER) are freely available online learning and teaching materials. For example; full courses, course modules, lectures, games, teaching materials and assignments. They can take the form of text, images, audio, or video. They can also create highly interactive and collaborative learning environment. Teachers, administration, and students used to access information primarily from their own institution. Moreover, now they have access to a multitude of sources. Consequently, it has become even more important for those who want to reuse educational resources. A need has arisen for creators of educational resources to develop a better understanding of how to share their work. When the first full Jorum service became available, the intention was to provide a safe environment for educators to share materials. They used the licenses to restrict the access rather than permitting it. The launch of Jorum Open established a new approach, where all resources were shared by using an open license system. Teachers, learners and everyone in the public can access and make use of open educational resources. Individuals and organizations can create or/and share their own OER. However, we should know that releasing open educational resources is not only sharing some materials, we should also make it available in a truly open way. It is about retaining copyright so that others can copy it and make some uses of it. Open educational resources are shared via the websites of education providers and through public services like i-Tunes U, SlideShare, YouTube and Jorum. These resources considered to be rich educational packages that facilitate the learning process. In 2002 The Hewlett Foundation funds two major Open Course Ware initiatives: 1) MIT OpenCourseWare, free web-based course materials from subjects taught at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The university would go on to publish materials from virtually its entire curriculum. 2) Carnegie Mellon University Open Learning Initiative, offering online courses for learners and teachers. In 2002-2006 Jisc eXchange for Learning (X4L) programme starts to share small units of teaching material created with a view to being repurposed and reused. Above all, the open resources may have some negative aspects. For example, we cannot use any shared material because not all the resources are good or highly qualified. Finally, I think OER are essential part in our education as learners and educators. Having the online libraries save the time of the students and provide necessary information from different sources. It enriches our knowledge and broadens our view by expanding our educational scope. Despite some disadvantages of open educational resources, I use OER in my education and teaching for different purposes. We can overcome the limitations by monitoring the work of our children or learners.

You can visit this site to get access to more sources http://edge-op.org/grouch/schools.html

 

MALL

 

Mobile phones and other portable devices are beginning to have an impact on language learning process. Nowadays, the interest of the scholars and educators in the Mobile assisted language learning is rapidly increasing. Some studies refer to the specific effects of MALL within the areas of second language acquisition. The findings of research show that mobile technology use in different aspects of language learning support the hypothesis that mobile technology can enhance learners’ second language acquisition. The technology is being integrated into teaching and learning, as many educators want to learn more about the effects of the new methods and materials provided through mobile devices. Ogata and Yano (2005) refer to the main characteristics of mobile learning, which can be summarized in permanency, accessibility, immediacy, interactivity, flexibility, low cost, small size and user-friendliness.

These technology devices that are used to assist in teaching-learning process include any kind of handheld mobile devices such as cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), smart phones, pads, and pods. Laptops are not considered to be mobile in this context. Some researchers state that “computer assisted mobile learning uses lightweight devices such as personal digital assistant (PDA), cellular mobile phones, and so on” However, there are also obvious disadvantages, that can be referred as small screen size, and dependence on networks that may not always provide very high transmission capacity and may be subject to disturbances of many kinds. Despite these limitations, technology devices continue to attract the interest of language learners and educators. Moreover, mobile phones have special options and capacity in integrating language skills, and creating collaborating activities. I have already used some of these options in my ESL/EFL classrooms, such as taking the picture of the text and then transmitting it to a text, using the voice recorder to record the speaking of the students inside or outside the classroom, using the text messaging for circular writing, using it for micro blogging on twitter, and using the mobile phones for listening activities. In addition, there are still many activities can be done by using the mobile phones or any other mobile devices. We can learn about it and get inspired through watching some videos such as, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5igaZe7gDLM. As MA TEFL professionals, we need to learn more about the advantages of the mobile devices and try to implement it our classrooms. Personally, I would like to try the free programs to make flashcards for mobile phones, www.flashmybrain.com. Reading may also be interesting if the screen is big enough to see the words clearly. Finally, using new devices in our teaching may increase the enthusiasm and the motivation of eth learners specially the teenagers.