Внедрение в учебный процесс стратегии автономности учащихся в рамках реализации инновационных технологий смешанного обучения

Предложения по повышению квалификации учителей в 2012 г. по профилю

"Внедрение в учебный процесс стратегии автономности учащихся в рамках реализации инновационных технологий смешанного обучения"

Аннотация

Предложенная программа повышения квалификации нацелена на учителей английского языка, которые заинтересованы в развитии учебной автономии учащихся через использование технологии смешанного обучения.

Программа построена на рефлективном подходе, где учителям предлагаются не готовые рецепты и определения, а анализ собственной учебной деятельности, на базе которого делаются выводы о необходимости введения изменений в учебный процесс и повышения эффективности через развитие самостоятельности учащихся. Учителям предлагаются практические задания, схемы, работая над которыми, они сами могут сформулировать основные дефиниции учебной автономии, стратегий её развития, особенности учебных стилей и потребностей разных групп учащихся и т. д.

Помимо работы над содержанием учебной автономии, участники вовлечены в обсуждении подхода смешанного обучения (Blended Learning) и его потенциала для развития самостоятельности учащихся за пределами класса. Практическое ознакомление с использованием подхода проходит на примере кембриджского курса “Touchstone” (авторов M.McCarthy, J.McCarten, H. Sandiford, CUP, 2009),и, на примере опыта, накопленного творческим коллективом по реализации этого курса.

Работа на семинарах предусматривает парную и групповую работу, в рамках которой участники могут обмениваться опытом, фиксировать проблемы и предлагать совместные решения и идеи.

В программе можно найти как вопросы-задания, которые предлагаются для обсуждения и составляют содержательное ядро, так и возможные ответы, чтобы тот, кто будет вести семинар, представлял ожидаемый вклад аудитории. Это также полезно для начального ознакомления с программой, так как сразу видно, что потенциальные участники программы должны усвоить.

Представленная программа рассчитана на 3 семинара, по 1ч 30 мин каждый. Последовательность заданий и структура позволяют вносить изменения в зависимости от потребностей той или иной аудитории.

Rationale

In most classrooms the drivers of activity are the examination and a centralized curriculum, and as a result textbooks and teaching often reflect this. Spoken language although it appears in the curriculum, very often does not get taught with the help of innovative technology. However, teachers need to be creative, if they want to give their learners a greater chance of being able to communicate.

Thus, some teachers are trying to use technology to supplement language classes, because they believe there is very little time for real language use in typical language classes. Teachers are also conscious that learners do not always see why they are expected to study languages and they try their best to make the learning meaningful and real, to encourage their learners to engage. Many younger learners fail to understand why they are learning a language that appears to have little relevance to their daily lives; it is simply a part of the curriculum; it is on the time-table. This is something that a teacher can address by trying to help the learners make connections to the outside world where the language is being used for real tasks.

The time when materials only came from organizations such as publishers and could only be used as they were created came to an end a while ago. Nowadays teachers like to adapt materials, they are happy to explore the freedom of different resources such as digital technology, for example. (Tomlinson 2011: 303)

Moreover, Internet as the medium offers ample instruments for language teaching. Thus, teachers can supplement what comes with the textbooks in a number of different ways to make the material more relevant to modern learners. Textbook materials go out of date very quickly, but references to aspects of culture and a supply of teaching tools can be quickly updated by adding more recent material from the Internet. If learners can access this material themselves it makes them more independent in their choice of language study tools and develops the ability to expand the learning environment.

Needless to say that new technology has expanded the boundaries not only for the teachers but also for the students. The latter are no longer limited by a course book or the classroom. The time when only the teacher could have determined the course of action has come to an end.

On the one hand students are much faster learners in terms of the exploration of the new medium. On the other hand they may find it difficult to make a proper judgment of i. e. fail to recognize the advantage of the Internet or other technology in language learning.

In this respect teachers should pay particular attention to the development of the study skills that enhance learning in the new environment by introducing such elements as learner autonomy, motivational schemes, self-assessment, learning strategies and learners’ needs analysis.

Since students have great opportunities to take charge of their own learning (Holec 1981) they should also be aware of strategies there are to apply in order to manage the blend: face-to-face interaction, online study time and new technology to their best advantage.

In this progamme we offer the teachers to get to know what learner autonomy means and how to develop students’ autonomy skills.

The programme contains 3 workshops, of an hour and a half each. In each workshop there are questions for trainers and possible answers for trainees. It offers the approximate design of each session and gives freedom to each trainer to make the structure of the seminar according to individual needs of trainees.

Aims:

By the end of the module the participants will be able to

make definition of learner autonomy outline learner autonomy strategies figure out the characteristics of Blended Learning environment

Content Areas

- Learning Needs

- Learners Types (Learning Styles)

- Motivation to Learn Autonomously

- Learning Strategies

- Blended Learning Environment

Session 1. Learning Needs

1.1. Look at the following statements and say if you agree or disagree with them.

Statements Agree Disagree

There can never be enough classroom time for learners to learn everything they need to.
Learners often have a better idea of what they want to study than teachers.
Learners usually already know how to use dictionaries and reference books effectively.
Learners need to be with a teacher to learn effectively.

Possible answer: Learner independence is sometimes referred to as learner autonomy. Most learners, and nearly all teachers, feel that language learning takes time, and often considerable amounts of it. No matter how hard the learners work in class time, they simply will not be able to make progress they would like without working outside of this. Homework has often been seen as a way of achieving this, and there is certainly a place for it in most teaching contexts.

1.2. Get teachers into groups of four to work out the definition of learners’ autonomy in language

learning.

By this stage participants should understand that the notion of learner independence goes beyond completing homework tasks set by the teacher. It is an area of learning that has no direct correlation with the common study plan and very little control on the part of the teacher.

Possible answer: Learners’ Autonomy is a set of learning activities, which take place without the immediate intervention of the teacher. Learners set their own objectives and follow strategies devised themselves to fulfill them.

1.3. Ask session members to assess the language groups they are currently teaching. Use the following prompts to make the group work more effective: What sort of language learners do you teach?

Questions	Usually	Sometimes	(Almost) Never
Do they get good results in grammar tests?
Do they have a good memory of new words?
Do they hate making mistakes?
Do some of them ask you to correct their mistakes?
How much time do they need before speaking?
Do your students read better or speak better?
Do they learn grammar rules by heart?
Is the classroom atmosphere enjoyable at all times?
How many students use English outside the classroom (e. g. holidays abroad)

The answers may possibly help teachers define the type of learners they are teaching. Thus participants get an idea what learning styles and needs their students may have.

Possible answer: Students may fall roughly into 2 categories. The ones who are ready to act responsibly and independently, and those who rely on classroom routines and teacher’s guidance more than their abilities.

Extension: a trainee may brainstorm the subject of common expectations students/teachers of English may have (boring classes, sad teachers, great lessons, lots of homework, wasted time, useful skills, etc.,). Should the lists be made then teachers can have a follow up on this activity. They may look at pros and cons of both lists, work out similarities and differences give out solutions on the ways of adopting expectations into long term, and short term goals in the frame of the language course.

1.4. Give out a list of learning needs that students may have when joining a language course. Let teachers choose those they find most urgent.

Learning Needs: to speak English fluently, to understand English humour, to crack jokes in English, to read scientific articles, newspapers, to give presentations, to speak on the phone, to follow a lecturer, note-taking, to understand signs at the airport, to get by on holidays, to meet new people, to watch films, to understand news blocks, to listen to music, to chat with foreigners online, to post comments, to become members of international communities etc.,

Possible answer: Although learners do have the needs that teachers should provide for, it may still not be evident to them that it is only with the certain skills and strategies that they can have successful learning. Therefore it is important that class time provides useful models of learning techniques, and in some cases provides explicit training for the learners, in order to help them become more efficient in getting where they want to get when they study independently. Once provided with certain skills of how to learn effectively, learners will be able to choose to focus on the things that they consider to be important for their linguistic development – in other words each individual in a class may have different reasons for learning and different priorities and these can be catered for in their autonomous study. For e. g. if a student would like to make his pronunciation better (and his concern is not shared by other group members) he could focus on improving in this area outside class time. Learners can also use material which they find intrinsically interesting. A learner who likes music could read about their favourite band, for example. (See Reference Section: Case Study Cards)

2. Motivation to Learn Autonomously

Before teachers move into talking about motivation schemes they dwell on the issue which may serve as an intro to the subject. Once they have given their initial feedback on the statement a trainer may ask a question: What are the ways to keep students’ motivation level high and help them become autonomous learners during language course and then continuing learning when such courses have finished?

2.1. Discussion Point The more enthusiastic learners are those who spend more time ‘on their own’, and feel positive about themselves and about learning both during and after classroom hours. The less enthusiastic learners however suffer from low self-esteem, ambivalent attitude to learner autonomy and spend less time in self study than their peers. It is unlikely that they will continue studying once the course has finished. Learners’ enthusiasm may also depend on the teacher’s ability to promote self-direct learning. The newly acquired skills may result in continuous learning and confidence built-up outside the classroom.

Possible answer: Teachers can promote autonomous learning in a number of ways:

- help students in the classroom to reflect on the way they learn;

- give students strategies for dealing with different kinds of activities and problems and offer them different learning-style alternatives to choose from;

Reflection helps students to think about their own strengths and weaknesses with a view to making a plan for future action. (

2.2. Discussion Point: Why is motivation important when talking about learner autonomy? Get teachers to share their opinions on the subject. At this stage it’s important that participants clearly see the difference between traditional restrains of an educational system

Possible answer: According to a large body of empirical research in social psychology, autonomy is a basic human need. It’s free and independent by nature. It boosts our intrinsic motivation (Should teachers be unaware of intrinsic and external motivational factors additional activity may be used.) This explains how learner autonomy solves the problem of learner motivation: autonomous learners draw on their intrinsic motivation when they accept responsibility for their own learning and commit themselves to develop skills of reflective self-management in learning; and success in learning strengthens their intrinsic motivation. Precisely because autonomous learners are motivated and reflective learners, their learning is efficient and effective (conversely, all learning is likely to succeed to the extent that the learner is autonomous). And the efficiency and effectiveness of the autonomous learner means that the knowledge and skills acquired in the classroom can be applied to situations that arise outside the classroom. (David Little 1991)

2.3. Ask teachers to reflect on the following questionnaire that they might ask students to complete. What do you think the data from the questionnaire may show?

How difficult do you think each of these language areas are?

Give a score from 0 (= very easy) to 5 (= very difficult). Say why you have given each score.

Language Area	Score (0-5)	Comment
Grammar
Words and phrases
Pronunciation
Listening
Reading
Writing
Speaking

Possible answer: Students profile their feelings about aspects of language which may be very effective in terms of developing motivation schemes. Eg. Should students be worried about the meaning every single word when they are reading, or being unable to perform well when doing listening comprehension tasks there has got to be a possible solutions given to them regarding the issue in question.

2.4.Give out the table on skills students may find hard to develop. Participants of this session have to fill it out with motivational schemes that may be provided to students when they face a challenge in a certain language area.

Language Area	Motivation Scheme (T)	Variation (Ss)
bad at employing grammar rules correctly
poor memory of new words
bad at understanding native speakers pronunciation
have problems with listening for details
no time for reading
can’t differentiate the formats and styles
don’t know what to say

Possible Table Content:

Language Area	Motivation Schemes (T) (remember that motivational schemes may either provide solutions or give food for thought. The person who has an issue with smth is the best man to find a solution.)	Variation (Ss)
bad at employing grammar rules correctly	Ask yourself a question: What do you need grammar rules for? - only 38% of information is passed on to the listener verbally; - to express yourself clearly; - to demonstrate high level of education; - to express full range of meanings; - find specific areas where correct grammar is really important: schedules; conversational starters, etc.,
poor memory of new words	How often do you travel? What are the usual places you visit? What do usually ask about? -make your own vocabulary notebook; -list the words alphabetically; -for each word write a sentence that shows your life experience or show how the word is used.
bad at understanding native speakers pronunciation	Do you ever pay attention to cultural differences between countries? What do you think they are determined by? - be practical: listen to songs more, radio stations, tv, movies;
have problems with listening for details	How do you differ between general and specific info? Think of situation when details become vital?
no time for reading	How often do you read in Russian? What articles do you find amusing or interesting to read?
can’t differentiate the formats and styles	Do you write emails for work? Have you ever written
don’t know what to say	Are talkative in your native language? Do you always have to say smth? When you meet someone new or have a date what do you do to make a positive impression?

Extension: Be careful about the way you motivate students. Rather than attempting to impose our own habits on students, we might instead offer several alternatives (relying on general language learning experience, expert language experience or a fellow language experience) as a stimulus for discussion and as prompts for their own decision.

Session 2. Learning Strategies

Use your trainees experience and brainstorm classroom learning strategies that maybe adapted to suit learner’s independent study.

Possible answer: Although independent learning is usually viewed as a process that happens outside the classroom walls, it has its routes in class routines. Thus teachers may share the opinion that there are certain activities that may promote learner autonomy and make it happen. The routines that are described below are the ones that are set off by the teachers as optional class activities:

Personal Plans: teachers may negotiate personal study plans for future use based on students’ individual needs. Teachers may ask students to complete ‘work cards’ (see the example below). It is given for a learner at intermediate level who enjoys reading magazines and sees himself working for one in the nearest future. This learner has her own learner dictionary and a copy of the vocabulary book (any vocabulary in use may do).

Work card: Boris Brown Aim: to improve my vocabulary Tasks: Read at least 2 magazine articles from ‘Science and Technology’ magazine every week. For each article note down at least 5 words I want to know the meaning of. Look the words up in my dictionary. Find the words’ gain in next week’s article and check (with the dictionary) that they mean the same in the new articles. Do one unit for the English Vocabulary in Use every week and check with the answer key and my dictionary.

2. Extension: If teachers don’t have time for this they can work on general work plans for anybody and everybody in which teachers list three good techniques for maintaining listening ability (and where to find listening material), or give details of Internet sites for language learners.

Sample Ideas

Staying in touch: we can encourage students to stay in touch with each other after their classes either by e-mail, signing up for forums or taking part in chat rooms. That way they can consult each other about problems, talk about the best magazines or books to read, meet new people, share the most enjoyable web sites, share concerns or to the suggestions below can be later defined and extended)

Design sample problems focused on the learning objective: students may have difficulty understanding grammar rules or remembering words, so case-studies on these study issue may be of great support to learners. (See Reference Section: SILL)

Talk over students life experience that may be of help when learning autonomously: it is important that teachers are aware of ways their students had chosen in the past to study the language. In this way you may help learners to avoid pitfalls they got into in the past or on the contrary follow their own footprints.

Use learning journals: encourage students to have a study diary where they can record the moments of success or challenges they should overcome. The diary may have different formats.

Build everyday glossary pages;

Create trivia games;

Have students develop self-classroom word wall;

Remind teachers that all those strategies that they come up with can be possible if there manage to establish a positive classroom climate, use supplement learning materials, adjust assignments to students’ needs.

Gradually a trainer should bring teachers to the idea that learner independence is only possible if targeted at continuous language development outside the classroom. Thus, learners should gradually take some responsibility for their own learning. Some learners maybe lulled into thinking that as long as they do what the teacher says “they are safe”. However, it is not within the teacher’s power to make all students proficient in language. Learner Autonomy demands learners’ involvement which eventually will lead to a deeper and ‘better’ learning.

Teachers are given articles to read on various strategies that ensure the development of learner independence. The idea is to exchange professional opinions of scholars on the subject and decide if they are applicable or not in the frame of language study at university. (See the Reference Section: articles).

3. Self-Assessment

3.1. Discussion Point: It is widely accepted that self-assessment is a key learning strategy for autonomous language learning, enabling students to monitor their progress and relate learning to individual needs. But what is the role of self-assessment in formal educational settings, where there is less room for self-directed learning? Paradoxically, it is perhaps in these settings that self-assessment is most needed to focus learners' perceptions of progress. Students are often passive in their approach to learning, and may become demotivated if they cannot see any clear progress. Self-assessment produces learners who are more active and focused, and better placed to assess their own progress in terms of communication. At this stage teachers will discuss these issues, and make some practical suggestions for carrying out self-assessment with university students.

This section includes several Worksheets. They are designed to help students to identify topics for investigating their abilities as independent learners and to help focus on the individual choice of ‘to do list’. It is important that right from the start students get a chance to examine their independent learning skills. Another aspect that the worksheets focus for is ‘self-esteem’ (Lawrence 1987:‘Self-esteem’ as the individual’s evaluation of the discrepancy between ‘self-image’ and ‘ideal self’. ‘Self-image’ refers to individuals’ awareness of their mental and physical characteristics, whereas ‘ideal self’ refers to the ideal characteristics, standards of behaviour and particular skills which an individual should possess. (See Reference Section: Self-Assessment Worksheet 1).

The focus now is on the students’ ability to undergo through a self-assessment. The Worksheets provided should teachers a chance to see who learners’ confidence in their own ability to make changes to their study maybe enhanced.

Extension: Should subject be a novelty to the teaching staff a trainer may start by getting initial feedback from the teachers as if the Worksheets were designed to identify ways of enhancing teachers’ self-esteem, providing topics for investigation. Avoid judgments and criticism.

(See Reference Section: Self-Assessment Worksheet 2)

Possible procedure: A trainer may start by telling the group about your own response to one or two of the sentences from Part 1 of the Worksheet 2. Then in a whole-group discussion, process teachers’ responses to Part 2 of the Worksheet 2 by focusing on the following question: In what practical ways can we enhance our learners’ self-esteem?

Elicit recommendations from the teachers and write a list on the whiteboard.

· The trainer is advised to refer to the articles on Self-Assessment in order to initiate some group work on development of self-assessment charts suitable for Level 1, Level 2, etc., (See the Reference Section: Self-Assessment articles)

Session 3. Monitoring Progress

Ask trainees about the usual ways they use to monitor students’ progress.

Possible Answer: Students’ progress is constantly monitored through the stream of homework assignments, quizzes, tests, projects and standardized tests. Some teachers may say that there are more tests than there should be. The others may claim that the procedures are not always fare.

What teachers need to understand is that standardized tests compare a student’s performance with other students’ or with state standard. It may gradually bring them to the idea that test results never help students to learn better.

Thus a trainer may turn teachers’ attention to the self-monitoring progress scheme that learners may employ to enhance language learning. Monitoring your own progress allows students learn faster and more effectively and make better decisions about the type of tasks that work best.

Lead-in questions: What skills can A self-monitoring questionnaire check? How should it

be related to the content of the course-book? Why should there be some Attitude monitoring questionnaire? (Give out Monitoring Progress Worksheet 1. Ask teachers to

develop a similar Worksheet based on the content so that it reflects the goals and objectives set by the course they teach)

Possible Answer: When you monitor the language learning process you are both learner and observer of your own learning. Paying attention to what you are doing enables you to see if your learning is effective and if you are progressing toward your goals. So they have to be designed in the most objective way which is determined by their individual language abilities. It’s important to see how the language learning techniques and activities in your program relate to your objectives. Trainees work in groups presenting their ideas in the form of Self-Monitoring Worksheet on language issues related to the course they work with. Remind teachers that they should consider their students’ general abilities in language acquisition.

3. Blended Learning

3.1. Ask trainees to split into groups to find solutions to the questions below. Point out that

studying the language today is also about sharing ideas, and trying new things to make English part of our every day lives. The more students see, hear, and surround themselves with the language, the more passive knowledge they gain, which can later be turned into active knowledge.

Why are students learning English?	What can they do outside the classroom to help themselves?	What are some things that you know students should do more, but they don’t?
What may be their aim?	How can they develop?	What can help you study more effectively?

Possible Answer: Listening to the radio, watching TV, reading ads, an English-English dictionary, watching movies, surfing the net – all these may be listed as ‘instruments’ students use to practice English. They may also have long-term goals such as entering a university, taking a Cambridge Exam, going to study abroad or short-term goals like improving grades at school, developing speaking skills etc., However they may have issues with time management, low IT skills or suffer from inability to organize and evaluate their own learning. As a result teachers may need to introduce all the instruments mentioned above in the classroom and monitor students’ progress through feedback sessions.

3.2. Participants get a list of sites to explore and play with (See Reference Section Blended Learning Worksheet 1). As they make themselves acquainted with the selected Internet resources, let them fill out the table:

Arrange the sites from the worksheet according to the skills and language units they provide additional practice on
Listening and Speaking	Vocabulary Practice	Reading	Writing

Possible answer: By studying the worksheet trainees may come to a conclusion that the Internet as a medium offers some effective tools to develop language skills and extend the boundaries of language learning.

3.3. Acquaint participants with the term Blended Learning

Possible answer: Various preparation academies give the following definition on Blended learning on their Internet portals: B. L., they say, integrates face-to-face classroom time with online learning (facilitated at all times by a classroom teacher), combining the effectiveness and socialization of the classroom with technology-enhanced online materials.

3.4. Decide whether the statements are True or False. (See Reference Section Blended Learning Worksheet 2)

3.5. Why use blended learning? Study Worksheet 3 (See Reference Section) to find out the benefits of project work in the frame of blended learning.

3.6.Trainees are asked to fill in the Venn diagram on Blended Learning with activities and elements suitable for face-to-face sessions and online learning. (See Reference Section Worksheet 4)

4. Overview

By now, trainees have become fully aware of the fact that studying a language autonomously creates an endless row of learning possibilities for language students.

Moreover, having blended learning as a principal increases the students chances to find their individual pace and way of learning a language. Teachers are the first to promote, engage, organize and monitor this fragile but most efficient way of making language acquisition a long lasting possibility. At some stage in any student’s learning life, they will find themselves studying on their own, either out of choice or because they cannot attend extra classes, etc., We need therefore to give them help and advice about how to continue with their learning when they have stopped attending lessons.

The final task aim is to find solutions to the following question: What can teachers do to help students get familiar with the ways of staying in touch with the language? How can students stay in contact with English without you being around, without relying on either a study plan or a course book or expecting a standardized testing procedure? The idea is to make the advice less general and more specific.

Possible Answer: See the options below:

Watch English language films with subtitles; listen to pop songs, read English language newspapers, magazines, and novels; reading and rereading as many books as their level of English allows; use the Internet for learner site, sign up for Internet-based course, get BBC ticker, join a language community to post comments on social events, places.

Some people may argue that the advice given about continued learning is not taken up. It is too general and though students know it is all sound counsel, they cannot follow the advice because the whole idea is too ‘big’. Specific guidance is needed to allow them to focus on exactly what suits them best.

One of the options teachers may suggest is to include ‘continuing learning’ as a topic in the syllabus. Students may get involved in awareness-raising activities; together we can list al available sources of English before discussing which are most appropriate for their individual needs and how and where to get hold of them.

Various skills maybe considered that the students might want to work on learn more about various styles of language study and language research which they can usefully carry out on their own.

To train students in ways of using resources at their disposal, we can organize ‘self-study’ projects in the frame of the blended learning scheme. We might direct them to online instruments that provide support on language skills development. Moreover, teachers may recommend watching an English language news channel (or video) and note down the main story headlines before following up those stories in newspapers or on the Internet under the teachers’ guidance first. At the beginning we can provide the material on CD, but later students can start accessing news material on their own, using the techniques we have practiced earlier.

We can get students to use classroom techniques on their own, encouraging them to predict the content of texts before they read in detail, and then decide on a maximum of ten unknown words to look up in their dictionaries after they have read. We can train them to be their own language (Russian, etc.,) researchers by looking for new words and patterns that they have come across in subsequent texts.

5. References

1) Watkins P. (2005). ‘Learning to Teach English – a practical introduction for new teachers’. Delta Publishing

2) Gail E. and Sinclair B. (1989). ‘Learning to Learn English’ – a course in learner-training. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

3) Thornbury S. and Watkins P. (2007). ‘The CELTA Course’. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

4) Scrivener J. (2005). ‘Learning Teaching’. Macmillan

5) Harmer J. (2001). ‘The Practice of English Language teaching’. Longman

6) James P. (2001). ‘Teachers in Action – Tasks for in-service language teacher education and development’. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

7) Tomlinson, B. (2011). ‘Materials Development in Language Teaching’. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

8) Dudeney G. 2007. ‘The Internet and the Language Classroom’. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

9) Woodward T. 2005. ‘Planning Lessons and Courses’. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

10) Lipman M. 2010. ‘Thinking in Education’. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

11) Tsui Amy B. M. 2009. ‘Understanding Expertise in Teaching: Case Studies of Second Language Teachers’. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.