Online Learning Tools and Techniques - Article Example

Number Week 9: Learning Online /LL In week 9, we discussed Roed, Horwitz and Worde articles and were able to learn that individuals behave differently when conversing online as compared to the situation of communicating face-to-face. Studies have indicated that people show fewer signs of inhibitions when they converse online. Besides, they show less social anxieties as well as limit their public self-awareness (Roed 201). Majority of individuals allege that they have mental block against learning foreign languages, even though they might be perfect in studying foreign languages in such environments. The main question that comes into people’s mind is what bars them from studying search languages. In most cases, anxiety plays a big role in creating the fear that they cannot learn in search environments. By definition, anxiety refers to the subjective feelings of nervousness, apprehension, tension as well as worries that are associated with the stimulation of the automatic nervous system (Worde 9). When anxiety is restricted to situation of language learning then it falls into the categories of precise anxiety reactions. According to psychologists, they use specific anxiety reactions to distinguish those individuals who are anxious in numerous situations from the ones who feel anxious only in precise circumstances. Therefore, the consequences and symptoms of foreign language anxiety need to become readily identifiable to individuals who are concerned with teaching and language learning. Impacts of anxiety on learning language Anxiety plays crucial roles in the learning of a foreign a language. As a result, these roles create some impacts on either the learner or the instructor. The following are some of the effects of anxiety on the learning of a language: i) Second language studies For several years, researchers have researched on the prospect of anxiety-provoking on the study of foreign language. Stevick and Curran discussed in detail about the defensive position that was posed on the student by many methods of language learning. They argued that learning a language in itself is an unsettling psychological situation since it threatens a person’s world view and self-concept directly. Many current studies try to find out the effects that anxiety has on learning a foreign language, nevertheless there has been some divided opinions on these efforts by researchers. Even though the pertinent researchers have been different in the techniques used, they can be characterized normally by the comparison of self-reports of student’s anxiety with the ratings on their foreign language proficiency. This is accomplished through international measure or discrete skills task such as the final course grade. ii) Clinical experience The psycho-physiological symptoms, behavioral responses, and subjective feelings of anxious foreign languages are generally the same compared to any other specific anxiety. They experience the uneasiness worry even the dread ones. They have difficulty in their concentration thus they sweat, have palpitations and become very forgetful. They normally show the behavior of avoidance for instance postponing homework and missing classes. The clinical experience with students studying foreign language in universities as well as Learning Skill Centers also recommends numerous discrete problems that results from anxiety and shows poignantly on how the problems can also interfere with the process of language learning. Basically, counselors establish that the anxiety centers base their ideologies on the two primary roles needed students learning foreign languages. These requirements include speaking and listening. The complexity involved in speaking language is perhaps the most cited concern of students learning foreign language. How anxiety is manifested in children Anxiety is manifested in children in the following ways: i) Physical: this is one technique in which anxiety is manifested in children. Some of the common physical symptoms consist of headaches, sweating, cold fingers and pounding heart. Therefore hiding from teachers in one way or the other is a common sign of anxiety. ii) Functional and internal: this is a sign that is symbolized by the nervousness days prior to the class hence affecting the performance of the children in classroom. This creates some body functional reactions such as anger which makes the learners have negative attitude towards other language teachers. As a result of the anger, the students have negative feelings about their teachers thus they cannot easily study effectively (Horwitz 315). iii) Avoidance: another relatively common sign that manifested anxiety was the avoidance. This was demonstrated by the avoidance of class by students. there are other students who also practice some kinds of avoidance thus makes them adopt those signs which as a result leads to negative thoughts about learning foreign language. Week 10: Social Web By going through McLoughlin, Lai, Popa, Moskaliuk and Moskaliuk articles in week 10, we were able to realize that he traditional techniques to learning and teaching are generally based on the prepackaged education equipment, fixed deadlines and criteria and assessment tasks defined by the teachers. Such kinds of characteristics usually continue to inform the course designs even if the instructors utilize online technologies, for instance education management system (McLoughlin 231). How users are empowered by social software tools The web inventor, Tim Berners-Lee, anticipated the development of active suite software tools that would permit more than inactive consumption of the information downloaded. The contribution of content and ideas has been made easier with the social software tools. It places the power of media distribution and creation into the hands of those who are known as the audience. This prospect of connectivity and generativity prompts people to think carefully about the way people conceptualize the student’s learning dynamics and about the type of learning results that are appropriate in the perspective of a wider societal changes that constitute the backdrop of the revolution of the Web 2.0. The social software tools can be integrated effectively into both online and face-to-face environments. For pedagogy, the most promising settings that take the advantage of the abilities of these software tools are completely blended or online so that the students can engage with the community, instructors, and peers in sharing and creating ideas. Trends of web 2.0 towards a self-directed learning environment The worldwide learning environment of the 21st century is being changed and shaped by the development of the digital tools and omnipresent network applications together with the changing demands, needs and characteristics of the students. The current studies also shows that the rising development of a desire to persuade and support a learner control over the entire process of learning (McLoughlin 164). As the development of the web-based multimedia distribution and production tools incorporates audio, text, video and photo, the abilities to continue growing, the tertiary education are normally faced with an opening the opportunities to integrate technologies and social media into assessment, learning and teaching. Impacts of new technologies in foreign language learning experience The main impacts of studying English for specific reasons with the Web 2.0 social networking tools include the following: i) Reliable in vivo interactions, for instance there is an opportunity to work together with the peers however also there are also expertise outside the walls of the class; ii) It encounters distinct accents useful for developing the understanding or listening skills; iii) It permits reediting, revision and task breaking; iv) Immediate feedback and response while exercising the reflective thinking skills; v) There are the more independent approaches which work towards N autonomous lifelong sustainability and learning. vi) It also has an impact of face-saving-this is where the students can donate asynchronously with sufficient rehearsal and prior preparation. vii) It results in memorability experiences; viii) Familiarity with the software communication tool that the students will carry into the future expertise life after their graduation. The renovation of the learning experience through the multiplication of the techniques of interactions, the patterns of interactions that involves real people tasks and tasks, and also accessibility and attractivity makes the Web 2.0-based language more superior learning tool to the classical communicative one-on-one learning and it contributes to the student gratification (Lai 654). Even though the poor awareness about the employment technologies as a lever for maximizing the quality standards amongst the ESP teachers, the empirical data certifies that the exploitation of the Web tools is anticipated to increase the extent of student satisfaction under the variables of attractivity and material. Wiki’s supported knowledge and learning building Wikis refers to the website compilations on the intranet or internet. Not only can the complications be read by the users but also they can be edited online. There is no any special software that Wikis need since they are very simple and easy to use. Generally, wikis are normally used for revising and writing texts. The users can generate contents, hyperlink the contents with the other contents and delete, change or add any section of a text as they feel satisfied. Through this, a group of users can also create a single digital artifact contents and this will enhance the mutual growth of knowledge. These features makes wikis an essential technology for several purposes an in particular in the educational contents (Popa 231). Other researchers have also drawn some attention to the prospect of wikis in collaborative studies ability to enhance the debate based learning system (Moskaliuk 134). Week 11: Virtual Worlds In week 10, we concentrated on articles by Taylor, Yee, Rama, Vasalou, Peterson, Warburton and Milton and we were able to learn that the virtual worlds have been in existence in some forms since the start of the early 1980s; however there has been an argument about its definition. This focuses the general nature of the term that creates on several writings of the virtual as well as the difficulties in their attempts to fix the descriptions in a specific area that is going through continuously technological development. Virtual environments permit people to change their self-representation dramatically. More essential, researches have proven that individuals infer their anticipated attitudes and behaviors from observing the appearance of their avatar which is a phenomenon referred to as the Proteus effect. For instance, the users who were provided with taller avatars negotiated aggressively than those who were provided with shorter avatars. According to the two researches which were conducted on this ideology established that both attractiveness and height of the avatars in any online game could easily help in predicting the performances of the players. Besides, it established that the behavioral changes that stems from the virtual worlds transferred to the subsequent one-on-one interactions. Virtual environments, for instance the Second Life provide students of foreign languages the likelihood of widespread language use which was only possible previously by the visits to any foreign nation. These sites are usually patronized widely by the non-native speakers however the language gains that occurs, if any, has not been discovered. Therefore, this entry pays a definite attention about the current project whose main aim is to examine the language gains which emerged from the dedicated Second Life language study environments (Taylor 321). It is a maxim of studying foreign languages that an optimal technique to undertake this is to spend sometimes working and residing in the nation in which the language is communicated. A comprehensive immersion in foreign states permits optimal exposure to any foreign language and open opportunities for a communicative use of foreign languages as the students undertake their everyday duties. Nevertheless, this is not a choice for most foreign language students, especially the young children who study at school (Yee 123). a) Game like environments Specifically, virtual environments give the opportunity for the real-time verbal interactions in a range of comparatively normal-looking settings while using the foreign language of the learner. This need not to be a surprise in case the virtual travel in the 3-D environment stimulates the interest of both the learner and the teacher similarly (Rama 365). Majority of children will know the possibility of a 3-D environment through the use of computer games. According to these computer games, the environment is always confined quietly and the users move the avatars or characters around this environment to resolve the battle or puzzle aliens. However, the other 3-D worlds are much broader in capacity. They run online and also provide adults with the opportunity to move around the virtual world meeting the other avatars and conversing with them in actual time (Vasalou 308). The present multi-user virtual environment (MUV) shares certain common features that replicate their origins in the gaming environment of a multi-user dungeon as well as a multi-player online game (MMO). These have been made famous recently through the titles, for instance the World of Warcraft and Never Winter Nights. Both of these are based on the Dragons and Dungeons genre of a role-playing game (Peterson 342). b) The role of avatars Based on the context of virtual environments, the avatars play essential roles in the online computer games. These roles are unique with each one of them based on the attributes of the avatar. Some of the roles of avatars include the following: i) Avatars enhance immersion. ii) They also supposed to role-play and take any potential risks. This is where they play some essential roles in the virtual world games. They are also the ones that take risks that may occur during the playing of the games (Warburton 412). iii) Besides, they also minimize inhibition as well as any social context cue. This is an important role that avatars play as it helps them reduce any shyness during the online gaming play. iv) The avatars also form one of the main points in which the users do intersect with the technological objects and personify themselves. This makes the varieties of phenomenon and then virtual environments that it represents real. v) At times, they play the role of fighting, intimacy or friendship. This is usually portrayed when the bodies of the avatars touch indefinitely; however they only touch each other when there is a friendship that the user feels or even more than simply a casual connection that is between the other individual. vi) They are also used in digital bodies to illustrate an act of engaging in sexual acts. The creativity to play this role is astonishing since there are other basic restrictions in the virtual world. vii) Avatars are at times used to act as a method of personal expression which is worked over consistently. This action plays a key role in making the body of the avatar real and becoming an individual (Milton 300). Conclusion As I began the module in the first, the main focus was to learn how to use the various technological platforms to manage the learning process. Actually, during the 11 weeks that I was studying, I learnt several things. I gained both learning and personal experience that will indeed help me in my endeavor to adventure into the world. During the 11 week s I learnt that it is not easy to learn a foreign language. It has several challenges that need focus and determination in order to achieve your objective at the end of the period of study. In the first week, the entire learning process practice as well as the use of different handles for instance Moodle. The introduction to the use of Moodle was very fun and created an interactive and positive model. Actually, the use of this technique ensured that we understood one another in the process of learning the language. The instructor was able to connect everybody to the platform easily. The learning process gave me adequate experience that allowed me to outline the program for the 11 weeks and utilized the weeks effectively. The first week was basically an indication week; however I was able to learn about the Moodle which is a beauty of online platform. This is an essential platform in creating the courses and concentrated on collaborative and interaction development contents. Actually, the program that I created in the first week helped me in my study during the 11th week module. Some of the topics that I studied from first week to eleventh week include the following Moodle, Educational Technology, SLA & Technology, The Digital Natives Debate, CALL applications, PLEs & VLEs, Learning Online, Learning Online /LL, Social Web and Virtual Worlds. All these topics were studied in accordance to their order and I was able to benefit greatly (Warburton 404). As a result, I gained both learning and personal experience. On personal experience, I learnt how to associate with people from different tribal or cultural background. This is because through learning of a foreign language I was able to associate with other foreign language speakers. The 11 weeks helped me come out of the institution as a full grown individual through the use personal and learning experiences gained in class. Finally, I would like to state that it was not easy to learn a foreign language during the 11 weeks. However, if you are dedicated and determined to succeed, then you can easily language within the short period of time. Works Cited Warburton, Steven. "Second Life in higher education: Assessing the potential for and the barriers to deploying virtual worlds in learning and teaching." British Journal of Educational Technology 40.3 (2009): 414-426. Print. Yamada, Masanori. "The role of social presence in learner-centered communicative language learning using synchronous computer-mediated communication: Experimental study." Computers & Education 52 (2009): 820-833. Print. Horwitz, Elaine, Michael Horwitz, and Joann Cope. "Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety." The Modern Language Journal. Version 2. Blackwell Publishing on behalf of the National Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations, n.d. Web. 18 May 2010. . McLoughlin, Catherine , and Mark J. W. Lee. "Transforming Pedagogy through Social Software." Future Learning Landscapes. Version 539. Australian Educational Computing, n.d. Web. 31 May 2008. . Milton, James . "Second Life Official Site - Virtual Worlds, Avatars, Free 3D Chat." The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, n.d. Web. 18 May 2013. . Moskaliuk, J, J Kimmerle, and U Cressa€ . "Wiki-supported learning and knowledge building: effects of incongruity between knowledge and information." Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 25 (2009): 549-561. Print. Peterson, Mark . "Computer Assisted Language Learning." Taylor & Francis Online ::. Version 40. Routledge, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2013. . Popa, Anisoara . "ScienceDirect." .com. Version 2. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Jan. 2010. . Rama, Paul S. , Rebecca W. Black, Elizabeth van Es, and Mark Warschauer. "Affordances for second language learning in World of Warcraft." ReCALL 24.03 (2012): 322-338. Print. Roed, Jannie . "Computer Assisted Language Learning." Taylor & Francis Online ::. Version 16. Routledge, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2013. . Taylor, T.L. . "Living Digitally: Embodiment in Virtual Worlds." Living Digitally: Embodiment in Virtual Worlds 43.03 (2002): 436-449. Print. Vasalou, Asimina , and Adam N. Joinson. "Computers in Human Behavior." Me, myself and I: The role of interactional context on self-presentation through avatars. Version 25. University of Bath, BA2 7AA, United Kingdom, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2009. . Worde, von . "Studentsa€™ Perspectives on Foreign Language Anxiety." Virginia Community College System 8.1 (2003): 1-15. Print. Yee, Nick , and Jeremy N. Bailenson. "Implications of Transformed Digital Self-Representation on Online and Offline Behavior." The Proteus Effect 36.2 (2009): 285-312. Print. Read More