thomas jochum-critchley school of modern languages and cultures university of leeds language futures...
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Thomas Jochum-CritchleySchool of Modern Languages and CulturesUniversity of Leeds
Language FuturesLanguages in Higher Education Conference
5 & 6 July 2012
• Autonomous learning• Reloaded: The portfolio• Student feedback• Future directions• Conclusions
Overview
Autonomous learning
• Autonomy (Holec 1980 & Benson 2011)• Autonomous learner-user (Little 2000)• Levels of autonomy (Nunan 1997)• “A disposition to learning” (Crome, Farar &
O’Connor)• Levels of reflective writing (Moon 2004)
• Module: German Core Language 2• 2nd year module: +/- 60 students• 1hr lecture (grammar & culture) and 2hrs seminar (skills)• Consolidation of language skills and preparation of
year/term abroad• Assessment: essays, presentation; written & oral exam
• 1st year:• Foundation: Post A-level German• Podcasts and reflective tasks (both assessed)
The context
The context
• Student feedback 2009/10• “Don't use the em neu books as much, apart from the
vocab lists I think they are pretty useless.”• “If the topics were more interesting, we might be
encouraged to talk more in class.”• “The homework set each week is very uninspiring. I don't
feel that I learn anything from it.”• Overall: very diverse feedback• Returning year/term abroad students• Evidence of informal language learning• Language skills partially developed
Inspiration
• LLAS workshop: Supporting students’ learning outside the classroom, Leeds 27 May, 2010• Portfolio in Spanish (Antonio Martínez-Arboleda)• Worksheets, rationale
for workload, reflectivetask, assessment grid
• More speaking tasksneeded
• 2010/11 introduction of
Autonomous
Blended
Language Learning
Portfolio
• Compulsory and assessed part of German Core Language 2• Teaching Enhancement and Student Success Fund project
Reloaded
• Self evaluation of language skills (questionnaire)• Workshops for autonomous learning (in class)• (Open) list of language learning tasks worksheets• Points and word count for each task/worksheet• Submission in instalments including reflective task• Feedback on content, language and reflection• Formative and summative assessment
Portfolio structure
• Blended language learning• Online, off line and face to face tasks:
Ex: Reading German speaking newspapers http://www.taz.de/Mobilitaet-in-Baden-Wuerttemberg/Kommentare/!c80821/
• Use of VLE• Repository of all relevant documents and forms• Online submission in VLE through turnitin (written) and/or
File exchange (oral)
• Online support• Weekly online chat for all portfolio questions
Blended learning
Blended learning
• Podcasts• Speaking practice outside the classroom• Possibility of rerecording spoken language• Limited technical knowledge required• Free software “Audacity”• Student work
• Tandem-exchange• “Speed dating” – event with ERASMUS students• Documentation of meetings task sheet
Speaking skills
• “Reflection is not just an ‘add-on-extra’ to academic learning, but it is an essential component of good quality learning and the representation of that learning.” (Jenny Moon)
• Reflective task• Description & evaluation of learning• Authentic communication in target language
• Assessed: 20% of the portfolio mark
Learner reflection
• First: Very detailed and precise description of learning including learning strategies with examples. Structured evaluation of student’s learning with convincing suggestions for improvement and/or future plans. Rationale for choice of tasks given with clear reference to self evaluation. All relevant language skills included and appropriately represented.
• 2.2.: Description of learning covers most relevant language skills but lacking details and precision and no examples given. Basic evaluation of learning but suggestions for improvement and/or future plans missing or superficial. No or only limited reference to self-evaluation and/or learning biography.
Assessment of reflective task
Student feedback
The portfolio helped me to become an independent language learner.
35.71%
42.86%
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
35.00%
40.00%
45.00% Strongly agree
Agree
Partly agree
Disagree
Stronglydisagree
Unanswered
Source: Module Evaluation Questionnaire 2011/12 (n=25)
Student feedback
The portfolio helped me to improve my German language skills.
Source: Module Evaluation Questionnaires 2011/12 (n=25)
“The portfolio, whilst daunting at the start of the year, has actually been great for improving my autonomous learning. As a result of it I am so much more confident in reading and writing in German and it also provided me with opportunities to improve listening and speaking too. The free choice of tasks meant I could hone in on what I thought were the skills I most needed to work on at any particular time. ”
“The portfolio was really useful because I was able to monitor my own progress, which was nice. Evaluating it was particularly useful, as I could be positive about my progress as well as finding areas to improve.”
Student feedback
Source: Module Evaluation Questionnaires 2011/12 (n=25)
Student feedback
• Interviews with 5 students1. General impression2. Most enjoyed task3. Benefits for language
learning
1
2
3
Student feedback – to consider
9.52%
38.10%
28.57%
19.05%
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
35.00%
40.00%
Strongly agree
Agree
Partly agree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Unanswered
Source: Module Evaluation Questionnaires 2011/12 (n=25)
The reflective task helped me to improve my independent learning skills.
• Reading suggestions from cultural modules• Collaboration of language and cultural teaching
• Tandem-project• Online tandem (written and/or oral)• Use of Adobe Connect / Skype for meetings
• Video tasks / Collaborative tasks• Short film (based on a play/comic/sketch/…)• Points allocated by students themselves?
• Corpus based language learning• http://smlc09.leeds.ac.uk/itweb/htdocs/Query.html#
Future directions – new tasks
Future directions – the next level
• 2011/12: German pilot project: Task sheet
• Winner: Creative writing task
• Competition across languages• Winners: Publication as OER• Students as producers• Employability
DOT.COM
• Provides opportunities for effective autonomous language learning
• Enhances student engagement and motivation• Enables full use of blended learning/Web 2.0
technologies• Is a flexible AND solid framework for effective
language learning & teaching in HE
“I loved the portfolio”
Conclusion
Materials for the German portfolio developed by Thomas Jochum-Critchley partly based on material developed by Antonio Martinez-Arboleda. Specific task sheets developed by Paul Cooke, Ingo Cornils, Helena Drawert, , Jenny McKay, Mandy Poetzsch, Stuart Taberner, Jane Wilkinson.
• Phil Benson: Teaching and Researching Autonomy. Pearson 2011 (2nd edition)• Keith Crome, Ruth Farrar and Patrick O'Connor: What is Autonomous Learning? in: Discourse Vol. 9/1, pp.111-126 in:
http://prs.heacademy.ac.uk/view.html/PrsDiscourseArticles/113 (accessed: 30/6/2012)• Henir Holec: Autonomy and foreign language learning. Council of Europe 1980• David Little: Learner Autonomy: drawing together the threads of self-assessment, goal setting and reflection. in:
http://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg/1409 (accessed: 30/6/2012)• David Little: Learner Autonomy and human Interdependence: some Theoretical and Practical Consequences of a Social
Interactive View of Cognition, Learning and Language. in: Barbara Sinclair, Ian McGrath and Terry Lamb (eds.): Learner Autonomy, Teacher Autonomy: Future Directions. Pearson 2000, pp.15-36
• Antonio Martinez-Arboleda: Regulating Learners' Freedom: Fostering Language Learning Autonomy through Culture. University of Leeds . 23 June 2011 in: http://humbox.ac.uk/2230/7/SUMMARY_OF_PORTFOLIO_TALK_AND_FINDINGS.pdf (accessed: 30/6/2012)
• Jenny Moon: Guide for Busy Academics No. 4: Learning through reflection in: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/resource_database/id69_guide_for_busy_academics_no4_moon (accessed: 2/7/2012)
• David Nunan: Designing and adapting materials to encourage learner autonomy. in Phil Benson & Peter Voller (eds.): Autonomy & Independence in Language Learning. Addison Wesley Longman 1997, pp. 192-203
Resources and acknowledgements
Thank you!
What are your questions?