The Impact Of Using YouTube In EFL Classroom On Enhancing EFL Students' Content Learning

Information technology has opened up prospects for rich and innovative approaches to tackle educational issues and provide solutions to the increasing demands for learning resources. YouTube, a video-sharing website that allows users to upload, view, and share video clips, offers access to new and dynamic opportunities for effective and non-traditional patterns of teaching and learning. In Saudi Arabia, this technology has not been exploited much for educational purposes. The present study aims at experimenting the impact of integrating YouTube technology into English as a foreign language (EFL) instruction on enhancing EFL college students’ learning of the content of the course: “Observation in Schools 2”. This course is one of five courses taught in the program “Elementary School Teacher of English” which aims at developing certain observation skills for effective teaching in elementary school. Such skills could include using particular frames or lenses to gain insight about the classroom and teaching and learning, and developing methods of observing and recording. For the purpose of the study, a quasi experimental design was adopted. Based on such design, two groups of second year college students at the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the Faculty of Education at Princess Noura University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, were randomly assigned to the experimental and the control groups of the study. There were forty- five students in the control group and fifty-one in the experimental group. A pre-posttest covering the theoretical background of the course "Observation in School 2" was developed to be administered to all subjects of the sample before and after the experiment.  Subjects of the experimental group were instructed the theoretical background of the course through the use of YouTube videos about observing the classroom, combined with discussion and power point presentation. Students of the control group were taught the same content through the usual lecture-based method. Instruction was provided to both groups by the researcher and took place throughout the second term of the academic year in 2011 for a period of 6 weeks, 2 hours per week. Statistical procedures were applied on the data obtained using a t-test, and major findings yielded results favourable to the use of the YouTube technology. The study shows positive gains for the experimental group students’ outcomes as a result of the integration of video technology in instruction. Thus, it was recommended that YouTube should be considered as an effective instructional tool for enhancing content learning of EFL college students and as an important teaching resource in classrooms

Educational Technology Integration Among Community College Instructors

Over the last two decades, educational technology (ET) integration has become an increasingly important aspect of higher education, particularly with the growth of online, distance and hybrid courses and degree programs. Furthermore, accrediting agencies such as the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) are paying close attention to online and hybrid courses and degree programs, making effective use of ET even more important to colleges and universities. Even in traditional, on-campus classrooms, some instructors are not using ET effectively to augment teaching and learning. The main purpose of this research study was to examine a holistic view of educational technology integration into teaching and learning among community college instructors. Additionally, the study aimed to identify some positive and negative factors of educational technology integration and the ways in which those factors affect technology integration among faculty. The study concentrated on identifying facilitative conditions that influence ET integration among instructors at five community colleges. Elyâs (1999) Conditions of Educational Technology Implementation (CETI) theory served as a theoretical framework for this research study. Ely\u27s (1999) CETI framework is based on the comprehensive perspective of ET integration and implementation. Elyâs (1999) theoretical framework includes eight conditions of educational technology implementation (CETI): Availability of time, Existence of knowledge and skills, Leadership, Participation, Availability of resources, Commitment, Rewards, Dissatisfaction with the status quo. The research study used and applied quantitative research methods of data collection. The data was collected from 307 instructors who were teaching at five Midwestern state community colleges at the time of survey completion. Data collection was accomplished through the use of an electronic survey. There were two sections in the survey questionnaires. The first was a personal demographic questionnaire to collect demographic information from participants of the study. The second was the educational technology integration questionnaire, which included 60 questions and used six-point Likert-like scale items (1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = slightly disagree, 4 = slightly agree, 5 = agree and 6 = strongly agree) for data collection purposes. An open-ended question was also included at the end of the survey to collect additional comments about instructorsâ self-perceptions of educational technology integration and facilitative factors that influence them to integrate educational technology. The research study specifically investigated the effects of these predictor variables (degree program, gender, academic rank, education level and facilitative conditions) by addressing the following research questions through null hypothesis: 1. Are there differences in instructorsâ beliefs about educational technology integration into teaching and learning based on discipline (degree program)? There was a statistically significant difference between English, Education, and Humanities disciplines and Engineering, Technology, and Energy disciplines. The ANOVA showed statistical significance with the following F (9,297) = 1.93, p =.047) values. Therefore, H-null:1 was rejected due to the differences in between disciplines. 2. Are there differences in the factors related to educational technology integration into teaching and learning between male and female instructors? There was no statistically significant difference in means and standard deviation scores between male and female instructors based, on the sample t-test analysis. The t-test examination revealed the following results: (t 305 =1.074; p=.284 \u3e0.05). Therefore, H-null: 2 was retained due to no statistical differences between male and female instructors in terms of educational technology integration. 3. Are there differences in competencies in educational technology integration among instructors based on academic ranks (professor, associate professor, assistant professor, instructor, lecturer, and other)? Overall, there were small differences in mean scores between instructor ranks in terms of educational technology (ET) integration. However, the ANOVA test showed no statistically significant differences between faculty ranks. The one-way ANOVA was equal to F (5,301) = .793, p =.555). Therefore, H-null: 3 was retained, due to no statistical differences between instructors based on faculty ranks. 4. Are there differences in technology integration into teaching and learning based on the facilitative conditions (time, skills, leadership, participation, resources, commitment, rewards, and dissatisfaction with the status quo)? Based on ANOVA results, there were statistically significant differences between community colleges in terms of facilitative factors. The one-way ANOVA had a F value of (4,302) = 3.817, p =.005). Therefore, H-null: 4 was rejected due to statistical difference between community colleges in terms of facilitative conditions. 5. Are there differences in educational technology training needs of instructors based on educational level (trade/technical/vocational training, associate degree, bachelorâs degree, masterâs degree, professional degree, or doctorate degree)? Based on the ANOVA result, there was a statistically significant difference between groups in terms of technology training needs. The ANOVA test had an F value of (2,304) = 5.929, p =.003). Therefore, H-null: 5 was rejected due to statistical differences between instructors based on the educational level

Trialing project-based learning in a new EAP ESP course: A collaborative reflective practice of three college English teachers

Currently in many Chinese universities, the traditional College English course is facing the risk of being ‘marginalized’, replaced or even removed, and many hours previously allocated to the course are now being taken by EAP or ESP. At X University in northern China, a curriculum reform as such is taking place, as a result of which a new course has been created called ‘xue ke’ English. Despite the fact that ‘xue ke’ means subject literally, the course designer has made it clear that subject content is not the target, nor is the course the same as EAP or ESP. This curriculum initiative, while possibly having been justified with a rationale of some kind (e.g. to meet with changing social and/or academic needs of students and/or institutions), this is posing a great challenge for, as well as considerable pressure on, a number of College English teachers who have taught this single course for almost their entire teaching career. In such a context, three teachers formed a peer support group in Semester One this year, to work collaboratively co-tackling the challenge, and they chose Project-Based Learning (PBL) for the new course. This presentation will report on the implementation of this project, including the overall designing, operational procedure, and the teachers’ reflections. Based on discussion, pre-agreement was reached on the purpose and manner of collaboration as offering peer support for more effective teaching and learning and fulfilling and pleasant professional development. A WeChat group was set up as the chief platform for messaging, idea-sharing, and resource-exchanging. Physical meetings were supplementary, with sound agenda but flexible time, and venues. Mosoteach cloud class (lan mo yun ban ke) was established as a tool for virtual learning, employed both in and after class. Discussions were held at the beginning of the semester which determined only brief outlines for PBL implementation and allowed space for everyone to autonomously explore in their own way. Constant further discussions followed, which generated a great deal of opportunities for peer learning and lesson plan modifications. A reflective journal, in a greater or lesser detailed manner, was also kept by each teacher to record the journey of the collaboration. At the end of the semester, it was commonly recognized that, although challenges existed, the collaboration was overall a success and they were all willing to continue with it and endeavor to refine it to be a more professional and productive approach

An analysis of traditional and integrated basic skills and the effect on student retention rates at MATC-Milwaukee

Includes bibliographical references

Defining Technology for Learning: Cognitive and Physical Tools of Inquiry

This essay explores definitions of technology and educational technology. The authors argue the following points: 1. Educational stakeholders, and the public at large, use the term technology as though it has a universally agreed upon definition. It does not, and how technology is defined matters. 2. For technology in schools to support student learning, it must to be defined in a way that describes technology as a tool for problem-solving. 3. Integration of technology, particularly when paired with teacher-centered practices, has the potential of reinforcing and heightening the negative consequences of a conception of learning that positions students as recipients of knowledge instead constructors of knowledge. Essay concludes with a call for leaders in the field of educational technology to provide guidance by adopting a definition that encapsulates the third point above

A New Era of Education Reform: Preparing All Students for Success in College, Career and Life

As society changes, the knowledge and skills required for citizens to navigate the complexities of life and work must also change. As a result, some argue that schools must provide students with a broader set of skills that will enable them to thrive in our increasingly diverse, rapidly evolving and globally-connected world. The intent is not to replace the traditional academic disciplines but to infuse them with knowledge and skills that will better prepare students for success in the 21st century -- often referred to as "21st century skills." While others maintain that as long as a portion of the student population is not mastering basic reading, writing and mathematics skills, schools must continue to focus exclusively on the traditional core academic disciplines. In order to inform the debate about the rationale for and relevance of 21st century skills in Massachusetts' public schools, the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy conducted a survey of superintendents, charter school leaders and principals statewide to gauge the extent to which school and district leaders support the integration of 21st century skills into public education. The goal of the survey was to provide a better understanding of Massachusetts' public school and district leaders' priorities for improving student learning, including their views on 21st century skills. The survey was followed by interviews with a small sample of administrators and educators in districts and schools where the integration of 21st century skills is a priority, in order to better understand district, school and teacher approaches for infusing 21st century skills into teaching and learning.The report describes the background and context for the study, the study methodology, and key findings from the statewide survey and interviews in a sample of schools and districts. The final section of the report puts forth considerations for policymakers and K-12 school and district leaders. Case studies of two public school districts, Reading Public Schools and Brockton Public Schools are included in Appendix B. The case studies offer two different approaches to integrating 21st century skills district-wide. The case study of Reading Public Schools illustrates a district-led approach. The case study of Brockton Public Schools is an example of how one school has spurred a district to focus on 21st century skills.The study gives voice to key education stakeholders who have not been part of the public debate about 21st century skills and provides clarity about what teaching and learning in classrooms that incorporate 21st century skills looks like. While opponents of 21st century skills argue that districts where most students have not yet mastered reading, writing and mathematics skills, should focus exclusively on core academic content, the study revealed that most school and district leaders believe all public schools in Massachusetts should be required to integrate 21st century skills into learning, including schools where students are lacking adequate basic skills. Interviews with superintendents who prioritize integration of 21st century skills revealed that input from a range of stakeholders led their district to expand their mission and vision for student learning to include 21st century skills and rather than adopt a pre-packaged set of skills, the focus in these districts is on particular skills and competencies that ?t the needs of their student body. While most schools and districts have not developed measurable goals for student mastery of 21st century skills, interviews with a small sample of administrators and educators revealed that 21st century skills are assessed at the classroom level, and most administrators view school- and district-wide assessment as a future step in the process of fully integrating 21st century skills. The endings also suggest that administrators believe that, to date, state policymakers have not adequately supported the teaching and learning of 21st century skills.This report was released at a public event on October 7th, 2010. View video clips from this event on our YouTube channel and read an EdWeek article featuring this report

Advanced marketing education curriculum in secondary schools in Wisconsin

Includes bibliographical references