TRANSFORMING ORAL PROFICIENCY WITH DIGITAL PEDAGOGY
ACTFL 2015, San Diego, November 21, 2 pm.
A big thank you to all of you (we counted 96+!) for coming to our presentation as well as for your interesting and stimulating questions and comments! As promised, below you will find all the materials and the complete presentation. Please use as you deem appropriate, but do give us credit if you use the materials in their entirety or a significant amount/part of them.
Presenters:
Gabriele Dillmann, German, Denison University
Hanada Al-Masri, Arabic, Denison University
Content and Purpose:
New digital technologies and innovative hybrid teaching models transform how we teach students communication skills both inside and outside the classroom. In particular, oral proficiency dramatically improves with digital pedagogies compared to the traditional FL classroom. Such tools as Google+ Hangouts and Zoom with their multifunctional interaction tools (screen sharing, chatting, etc.) and Blackboard Voice Board have made online hybrid learning uniquely interactive, intuitive, inexpensive, and inviting for both students and teachers. These tools provide the individual student with more speaking opportunities, in pairs or in small groups, and task-based follow-up exercises, which then allow for constructive and structured feedback from the teacher. This pedagogical approach is especially useful in a globally connected learning context, where students increase both their linguistic and intercultural competencies. Students also learn digital skills and dialogue etiquette in a global context.
Outcomes:
Participants were
– introduced to Google+ Hangouts, Zoom, and Blackboard Voice Board as interactive teaching and learning tools,
– learned how to use these tools to create interactive classroom activities,
– explored feedback strategies appropriate for these tools.
Methods:
Participants were introduced to Google+ Hangouts, Zoom, and Blackboard Voice Board via the appropriate technology, i.e. specially prepared modules (ppt/slides/video material) was projected to the screen from a laptop and discussed allowing for feedback along the way.
We discussed specific examples of the actual experience with these tools from both German and Arabic intermediate-level language courses inviting participants to reflect on their own experiences and pedagogies.
We provided supporting materials, such as handouts of a rubric for both guidelines and assessment/grading, a description of a variety of class activities, and websites for further learning.
View first PPT Presentation here: