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As a teacher, do you like to promote collaborative or individual learning? In my opinion,
I prefer the later to the former one. Collaborative learning is defined as two learners
and above working together toward a common goal (Dooly, 2008). Importantly,
students are required to work and study for themselves and their partners as well to
achieve the goal that they set before. According to Rahman, collaborative learning could
facilitate education, encourage social relationship, create self-esteem, and foster critical
thinking and group learning (Panitz, 1997, 1998, cited in Ralman, (2010)).
Furthermore, it might promote leadership, communication, and interpersonal.
Otherwise, technology is a good channel for collaborative learning. Buckley and William
also supported this view, specifically webpage 2.0. They claimed that By using Web 2.0
technologies, students are able to collaborate at distance, at a time that suits them.
Additionally, they believed that technology, i.e. Web2.0, may promote communication
among learners who are living far away each other, and help them participate in
communicative tasks and collaborative activities productively.
As I know, nowadays there is a wide range of technologies for teachers to apply
collaborative learning such as wiki (Buckley, William, 2010), Moodle, social network
(Facebook, Wordpress, blogpot, and so on). These technologies not only facilitate
students collaboration but also provide teacher a tool to observe the process. In my
assignment about Material design, I also tried to promote collaborative learning for my
students. I tried designing tasks that need real communication and get them to work
together to complete a task (co-writing). I hope that freer-practicing task provides
them opportunities to practice their and language and writing skills that they learnt in
class.
How about you? Do you usually promote collaborative or individual activities in your
class? Why? How can you use technology to make it? Please share with us!
References
1.
Clive N. Buckley, Angela M. William. (2010). Web 2.0 Technology for ProblemBased and Collaborative Learning: A Case Study. In J. K. Terry T. Kidd, Adult
Learning in the Digital Age: Perspectives on online technologies & Outcomes (pp.
118-124). New York: Hershey.
2.
3.
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Communicating with other people by typing is more and more popular nowadays
thanks to the growth of technology. We can chat with our friends via Facebook. We can
chat via Skype. We can chat via Google Hangouts. Or, more simply, we text other
people everyday. For a variety of reasons, we tend to type as quickly as we can,
resulting in the fact that most of us use abbreviations when typing. Some of which
are G9 (which stands for goodnight), c u l8r (which stands for see you later). And
that kind of language is called Textspeak. Undoubtedly, textspeak is convenient and
interesting in informal style of communication. However, once language students use it
in some formal writing types such as writing tests, or essays, then it is just problematic.
There are a lot of arguments about this issue. Some experts believe that textspeak
affects the standard of language while some others do not. In the former case, Yousaf
(2013), in her research, found that that two-third majority of students feel difficulty in
writing English and they often make spelling mistakes due to the SMS using habit. In
the latter case, on the other hand, According to Baron (2008, cited in Aziz, 2013), as
soon as children can distinguish between formal and informal language, SMS language
does not affect their literacy. For what has happened in my classes so far, I quite agree
with those experts in the latter case because when I chat with my students via
facebook, they use textspeak such as g9, c u, asap, but they never use such
abbreviations when they write their assignments. I also believe that although they use
textspeak when texting their friends, the teachers writing instruction still helps them
distinguish the two types and choose the appropriate, not the inappropriate, writing
style in class.
How about you, my dear friends? Do you seem to see eye to eye with experts in the
former case or those in the latter case?
References
Aziz, S et al (2013). The Impact of Texting/SMS Language on Academic Writing of
Students- What do we need to panic about? Elixir Ling. & Trans. 55 (2013) 1288412890.
Yousaf, Z(2013). Effects of Sms on Writing Skills of the University Students in Pakistan
(a Case Study of University of Gujrat). Asian Economic and Financial Review, 2013,
3(3):389-397.
E -learning has been increasingly popular nowadays and more and more students
students have been interested in online courses to gain more knowledge in the simplest
form or get BA degree at a higher level. The benefits of these programs are flexible
time, active learning anywhere at anytime just with a computer, an Iphone, or an Ipad.
It's notable that e - learning can help busy students save time because they don't have
to take time to sit in long and sometimes boring classes. Instead, they can choose to
meet their instructor synchronously or asynchronously. However, because of the limited
opportunities for face to face interaction, distance education or e- learning encounters
some challenges. For example, Wang and Newlin (2000) stated that teachers are
unable to know characteristics of students in e- learning courses, but what I really
concern about is students' isolation. Some studies have shown the sense of isolation
and low-motivation among distance education students (Boulos, Taylor, & Breton,
2005). In contrast, it is also believed that studying online doesn't have to mean being
isolated behind a computer screen, but there are numerous ways to connect with
coursemates and tutors such as email exchanges, Skype, online forum, Facebook...
From my point of view, being socially isolated or socially connected depends on the
extent of the learners' autonomy. If they just sit behind the computer screen and listen
to their tutor's lectures with little interaction with their mates or instructors, it may
cause isolation.
I used to join an online course on Moon.vn to prepare myself for the Universtity
Entrance Exam. Although the tuition was not much, and flexible time brought me more
chances to do other things, I myself felt isolated because my questions were delayed
and as a result, sometimes I lost my motivation.
What about you? Have you ever learnt online? Please share your opinions and
experience.
Thanks for reading.
Hong Dung.
References:
Boulos, M., Taylor, A., & Breton, A. (2005). A synchronous communication experiment
within an online distance learning program: A case study. Telemedicine Journal and Ehealth, 11(5), 583-593.
Wang,A. Y.,& Newlin,M. H. (2000). Characteristics of students who enroll and succeed in
psychology web-based courses.Journal of Educational Psychology, 92,137143.