Advances in Teaching & Learning Day Abstracts 2005

Proceedings of the Advances in Teaching & Learning Day Regional Conference held at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in 2005

The Use of a Mock Environment Summit to Support Learning about Global Climate Change

NOTE: This is a large file, 26.6 mb in size! This article advocates the use of a Learner-Centered Environment (LCE) to teach Earth System Science. In this instance, LCE takes the form of a mock environmental summit in which students play the roles of country representatives and participate in activities such as writings, class discussions, presentations and negotiations. Rubrics developed for each activity are used both to assess student learning and to communicate feedback to students about their work. The study suggests that the adoption of an LCE enhanced student learning of content and critical skills. The frequent student presentations were found to play a major role in student learning. The rubrics served as scaffolding for knowledge construction, helped students to self-assess and maintain their quality of work, and allowed instructors to provide quick and efficient feedback. The development of basic learner-centered tools and teaching practices will help Earth System Science instructors provide learning environments most suitable for their discipline. Educational levels: Graduate or professional

The Implementation of Emi (English Medium Instruction) in Indonesian Universities: Its Opportunities, Its Threats, Its Problems, and Its Possible Solutions

In this paper, I attempt to find out whether EMI (English Medium Instruction) can be an effective means of enhancing students\u27 and teachers\u27 language proficiency at university (bilingualism) and whether bilingualism necessarily leads to biliteracy. In addition, I would like to propose a model on which a smooth transition to a full EMI implementation can be achieved, should it be adopted. From literature reviews, I conclude that EMI (using English to teach content subjects) can be a better means of solving learners\u27 language problems than teaching English as a subject, because it allows learners more exposure to the language (comprehensible input) and more opportunity to use it (comprehensible output). However, due to its classroom-based nature, EMI is not likely to develop the four language skills (listening, reading, speaking, & writing) equally for both students and teachers. On the other hand, the assumption that EMI will automatically result in biliteracy is unsupported, because only bilinguals competent in both languages can take a full advantage of their bilingualism. Students or teachers who are not adequately developed in the language are likely to suffer academically, socially, and psychologically instead. Since research has found that total/full immersion is not the right method for language-incompetent students, the writer believes that both a bridging program and a partial EMI program are necessary at least at the initial stage of EMI implementation. The bridging program should be based on students\u27 and teachers\u27 academic and linguistic needs (EAP); the partial EMI program may be based on limitations on three factors: the participants, the scope of use, and the settings. Finally, in order for the program to run smoothly, mixed-mode teaching in the classroom should be discouraged and a conducive atmosphere for second language acquisition should be established both in the classroom and outside the classroo

Assessment Strategies in Online Learning Environments During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Oman

The shift to successful online learning requires online assessment strategies that could facilitate the learning and teaching process and determine the achievement of learning outcomes. This study examined how students’ achievement was assessed in an online learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic and how the College of Education (COE) responded to the shift to online assessment strategies. A mixed-method design using questionnaires and interviews was conducted to collect data from academic staff at COE at Sultan Qaboos University. The study sample consisted of (n=60) academic staff who agreed to answer the research questionnaire. Moreover, the researchers interviewed four academic staff who were experts in online assessment and teachers of practical courses. The interview data were analysed and corroborated with evidence from documents issued by the COE and SQU. The study’s findings showed that the academic staff applied various online assessment strategies to measure the learners’ achievement. The most applied online assessment strategies were individual projects, presentations, online discussions, and written assignments. The study also found that the COE took measures to enhance its online assessment procedures, including developing an online assessment policy, providing professional development programs, workshops and webinars, and encouraging its staff to conduct further studies to improve online learning practices. Based on the findings, the study suggested some educational implications and recommendations

Expectations eclipsed in foreign language education: learners and educators on an ongoing journey / edited by Hülya Görür-Atabaş, Sharon Turner.

Between June 2-4, 2011 Sabancı University School of Languages welcomed colleagues from 21 different countries to a collaborative exploration of the challenging and inspiring journey of learners and educators in the field of language education.\ud \ud The conference provided an opportunity for all stakeholders to share their views on language education. Colleagues met with world-renowned experts and authors in the fields of education and psychology, faculty and administrators from various universities and institutions, teachers from secondary educational backgrounds and higher education, as well as learners whose voices are often not directly shared but usually reported.\ud \ud The conference name, Eclipsing Expectations, was inspired by two natural phenomena, a solar eclipse directly before the conference, and a lunar eclipse, immediately after. Learners and educators were hereby invited to join a journey to observe, learn and exchange ideas in orde

PBLL, Learning and Writing Skills: Fostering Motivation, Creativity and Appreciation for Cultures in the 4th ESO English Classroom

In this final Dissertation I intend to present a learning unit framed within an active methodology, in which writing skills are developed within a PBLL approach which encapsulates the principles of CLT and SLA. Likewise, it is intended to analyse how the subject of this unit and its structure can foster creativity, motivation and the feeling of appreciation for other cultures in 4th ESO students in IES Pedro de Luna. In order to do so, the dissertation starts with an introduction followed by the main purpose, objectives and justification, and theoretical and curricula framework. Hence, the whole proposal is framed within the European, National and Regional Curriculums in order to generate a solid and reliable base which embraces new perspectives on learning and enhances key competences in order to provide a holistic learning. The theoretical framework particularly supports the implementation of a PBLL so as to stimulate learners through music into significant English learning and to ameliorate school performance. On the other hand, it also justifies the importance of the teaching of writing through song compositions in order to trigger imagination, and self-expression. Other aligned learner-cantered methodologies are analysed since they encapsulate cultural expressions, elaborate on different ways of approaching or resolving problems and explore self-reflection or cooperative work. Thus, these help learners exercise freedom of expression. These premises are further developed and studied in the fourth part, devoted to the methodological design, and the fifth section which examines the whole Unit plan. The last and final piece offers the conclusions which summarize the proposal, pointing out to the innovation stated and possible improvements. En este trabajo de fin de máster presento una unidad didáctica enmarcada dentro de una metodología activa, en la que se desarrollan habilidades para la escritura dentro de un enfoque PBLL y centrado en los principios de CLT y SLA. Asimismo, se pretende analizar cómo el tema de dicha unidad y su estructura pueden fomentar la creatividad, la motivación y el sentimiento de apreciación por otras culturas en alumnos de 4º de ESO del IES Pedro de Luna. Para ello, la disertación comienza con una introducción, propósito principal, objetivos, justificación y diseño del marco teórico y curricular. Así, toda la propuesta se enmarca dentro del currículo europeo, nacional y regional para generar una base sólida que encapsula nuevas perspectivas sobre el aprendizaje e incorpora las competencias clave para proporcionar un aprendizaje holístico. El marco teórico realza la implementación del aprendizaje por proyectos para estimular a los estudiantes a través de la música con la finalidad de proporcionar conocimientos significativos en inglés y mejorar los resultados académicos. Por otro lado, también justifica la importancia de la enseñanza de la escritura con la creación de canciones que activan la imaginación y expresión. Se analizan también otras metodologías centradas en el alumno alineadas con la expresión cultural, formas de abordar problemas, y la autorreflexión o el trabajo cooperativo. Así, todas estas actividades ayudan a los alumnos a ejercer su libertad de expresión. Estas premisas se desarrollan y estudian en la cuarta parte, dedicada al diseño metodológico, y en la quinta sección que examina el plan completo de la Unidad. La última sección ofrece las conclusiones que resumen la propuesta, señalando la propuesta de innovación y las posibles mejoras.<br /

Self made: a didactic proposal to improve oral competences and boost motivation in the EFL classroom

Despite the dominant communicative approach in the current educational context and the wide range of pedagogical resources available to teachers, the level of oral foreign language proficiency remains generally low among secondary school students. The lack of association between the subject matter and the real world outside the classroom, as well as passive and insufficiently meaningful activities often lead to student demotivation. In order to address these educational shortcomings, the following didactic proposal suggests the exploitation of a television series based on an autobiographical literary work. The project involves the use of authentic material and the inclusion of relevant social issues in order to design meaningful activities that enhance the students' oral skills and actively involve them in the learning process