By Wen-shuenn Wu (By Wen-shuenn Wu ( 吳文舜吳文舜 ))

Chung Hua UniversityChung Hua University

wswu@chu.edu.twwswu@chu.edu.tw

http://www.chu.edu.tw/~wswuhttp://www.chu.edu.tw/~wswu

IntroductionIntroduction

• Hong Kong and South Korea have moved up four and five places, respectively, as the effects of state-of-the-art infrastructure and ambitious government plans come to fruition.• South Korea (16th) is making the largest

strides, spurred by an ambitious government and heavy infrastructure spending.

• C-learning• E-learning• C-learning + E-learning (Students sometimes do not have to come to class.)• C-learning + E-learning as a teaching supplement

asynchronous vs. synchronousasynchronous vs. synchronous

• facilities (distance delivery classrooms, reception classrooms, audio-visual equipments, networking, communications system)

• time stress; time-consuming

• MSN messenger + webcam + microphone & earphone = mini online virtual mini online virtual classroomclassroom

web-enhanced vs. web-basedweb-enhanced vs. web-based

• web-enhanced: Teachers still use traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms, but they also use Internet to enhance their students’ learning by presenting website materials to them.

• web-based: Teachers and students don’t have to go to classroom. Instead, they use Internet as an instruction platform. Interaction can be either synchronous or asynchronous.

five web-enhanced/web-based five web-enhanced/web-based learning environmentslearning environments

• traditional classroom with LCD projector and Internet access• computer lab• digital language lab• web-based asynchronous communication (online supplementary units)• computer-mediated synchronous

interaction (MSN online virtual class)

designate particular dates for students to post answers

download students’log records

Traditional classroom with LCD Traditional classroom with LCD projector and Internet accessprojector and Internet access

• Most students in the survey still agree that a traditional classroom is still essential to their learning.

• A traditional classroom is still the best place for students to have a real-time interaction with teachers.

Computer labComputer lab

• A teacher-controlled, hardware-based broadcasting system is absolutely necessary in a computer lab.

You have to control You have to control students’ monitor !!students’ monitor !!

Digital language labDigital language lab

• Even though a teacher has adequate computer literacy, it can not guarantee that he or she can perform all the main functions of a teacher’s console in a language lab equipped with advanced and sophisticated hardware and software.

Web-based asynchronous Web-based asynchronous communicationcommunication

• One of the difficulties most e-learning facilitators will face is how to motivate learners to actively use online materials. (Chen & Xu, 2004)

Computer-mediated synchronous Computer-mediated synchronous interactioninteraction

• Automatically keep a history of a user’s conversations as an XML chat log.

Some questions in the survey (1)Some questions in the survey (1)

• Do you think that you are an active learner or a passive learner in terms of English learning?

active

Passive

2626

77

Some questions in the survey (2)Some questions in the survey (2)

• Which one of the following class formats do you think is most interesting?

traditionalclassroom

computerlab

88

44digital

languagelab

77

web-basedasynchronous communication

11

computer-mediated

synchronousinteraction

1313

Some questions in the survey (3)Some questions in the survey (3)

• Do you agree that a traditional classroom with PowerPoint slides, LCD projector, and Internet access is an effective learning environment?

no opinion+

disagree

stronglyagree

+agree

27 (82%)27 (82%)

6 (18%)6 (18%)

Some questions in the survey (4)Some questions in the survey (4)

• Do you agree that a digital language lab is an effective learning environment?

no opinion+

disagree

stronglyagree

+agree

25 (76%)25 (76%)

8 (24%)8 (24%)

Some questions in the survey (5)Some questions in the survey (5)

• Do you agree that you can learn a lot from the online supplementary units?

no opinion+

disagree

stronglyagree

+agree

16 (48%)16 (48%)17 (52%)17 (52%)

Some questions in the survey (6)Some questions in the survey (6)

• Do you agree that you can learn a lot from the computer-mediated synchronous interaction?

no opinion+

disagree+

stronglydisagree

stronglyagree

+agree

15 (45%)15 (45%)

18 (55%)18 (55%)

Limitations & Problems (1)Limitations & Problems (1)

• Both online supplementary units (asynchronous) and MSN online virtual class (synchronous) need some technical support.

• Online supplementary units do not present enough interactive and real-time learning materials.

Limitations & Problems (2)Limitations & Problems (2)

• Distance learning needs more sophisticated facilities – distance delivery classrooms, reception classrooms, audio-visual equipments, networking, communications system

• MSN Messenger plus microphone, earphone, and webcam can be just used in a one-to-one but not one-to-many basis.

Limitations & Problems (3)Limitations & Problems (3)

• The speed of English typing

• Some human factors: oversleep

Conclusion (1)Conclusion (1)

• “…90 percent of four-year public schools and more than half of four-year private schools offer some form of online education.” (United States Distance Learning Association, reported by CNN website, August 13, 2004)

Distance learningDistance learningor e-learning is aor e-learning is agrowing trend in growing trend in

higher education field.higher education field.

Conclusion (2)Conclusion (2)

• The move from traditional lecture hall to the cyber-classroom has not only created grave anxiety for some English experts who do have adequate computer literacy but also raised controversial questions regarding instructional effectiveness and efficiency.

Conclusion (3)Conclusion (3)• An interesting and highly interactive

class is not necessarily equal to an effective one.

• A user-friendly website with adequately interactive exercises, feedback, and design may attract more loyal repeated learners. Nevertheless, passive learners who lack motivation may still ignore the websites that are designed for them.