Learning to teach online or learning to become an online teacher: an exploration of teachers’ experiences in a blended learning course

AbstractA key role in the successful implementation of any learning approach is played by teachers, so how well blended learning works will depend largely on how well teachers make the transition from their traditional face-to-face classroom roles to the wider more complex role that blended learning requires. The additional skills and the forging of a new professional identity might not come easily to all practitioners.This paper evaluates the impact that the introduction of blended learning in a distance language learning course has had on teachers. It presents and discusses findings from a small-scale evaluation study which compared quantitative and qualitative data gathered through a survey and a small number of interviews with participant observations from the researcher and the institutional end-of-course debriefing report.The paper argues that whilst technological challenges and the sheer amount of change that teachers were faced with were largely responsible for some of the negative attitudes reflected in teachers’ opinions about the course, a less obvious, broader explanation for the difficulties that teachers encountered might be found in the way that learning, teaching and training are conceptualised by both teachers and the institution.It is proposed that a transmission of knowledge approach to training fails to acknowledge and properly support the transformation of teachers’ identity that results from moving from traditional classroom-based teaching to online teaching. The shift goes beyond the acquisition of ICT skills and requires a pedagogical understanding of the affordances of the new medium and an acceptance by the teacher of his or her new role and identity.</jats:p

Performing languages: an example of integrating open practices in staff development for language teachers

In 2009 the Department of Languages at The Open University, UK, developed LORO (http://loro.open.ac.uk), a repository of Open Educational Resources for language teaching and learning aimed at language teaching professionals. Initially populated with over 300 hours of teaching resources for French, Spanish, German, Italian, Welsh, Chinese and English for Academic Purposes, LORO’s initial function was to provide an efficient and open way of accessing and sharing resources. Additionally, the integration of LORO into language teachers’ workflows is part of the department’s strategy for teachers’ professional development and a key enabler for increased transparency, collaboration, skills development, and pedagogical reflection and discussion, leading ultimately to the enhancement of the quality of teaching and learning. This case study describes how the vision of openness facilitated by LORO is being implemented at a practical level through the incorporation of open practices into teachers’ professional development activities. We look at the project Performing Languages (www.performinglanguages.eu), a Grundtvig Partnership project (part of the Lifelong Learning Programme) in which language teachers in the UK work with theatre associations in Spain, France and Italy. Besides the primary objective of exploring the role of drama in the language classroom as a tool for language and culture learning and intercultural communication, this project also intends to develop and publish most project resources (workshop activities, lesson plans, texts and video recordings, for example) as Open Educational Resources. The aim is to share the project experiences as widely as possible to maximise impact and ensure others can benefit from them. This case study looks at how the project has been designed so that collaborative writing, open sharing and peer review of the resources produced by participating language teachers are fully embedded in the project activities. We look at the strategies and tools that enable us to achieve these objectives in a distance context, and the resources that have been created and published by participants as a direct result of the project. Drawing on data from feedback questionnaires and a debriefing session with participants, we examine how teachers’ increased awareness of the benefits of sharing and collaboration has resulted in changes in practice, both in relation to openness and pedagogical approach

Col.laboratori (CIRAX) and LORO, collaborative networks for educational repositories and teaching communities

This study focuses on the connection between LORO (Language Open Resources Online), from Department of Language at the Open University, and the prototype CIRAX (Collaborative Interuniversity Learning Resources on the Net), from the Consortium of University Libraries of Catalonia (CBUC). LORO is a consolidated and successful languages teaching and learning repository that was developed with UKOER JISC funding and institutional support. In 2011 it was highly commended in OPAL awards for quality in innovation through Open Educational Practice. LORO was identified as an appropriate and effective experience to learn from and apply to the new CIRAX, which aims to be a radical step forward in creating a teaching community and a space for interuniversity collaboration The evaluation and effectiveness of LORO in changing educators’ practice and the valuable evidences showing that a repository is more accepted and used if those who are affected, educators, participate in the decision making and its implementation, clearly marks the way to be followed by CIRAX. These two projects share a common purpose in helping teachers to become a learning community that systematically uses learning materials stored in a shared repository, and both are also active in the creation, maintenance, and sharing of resources and methodologies for learning. In short, both projects strive to continuously improve the quality of teaching and the progress from the experience and reflective practice. LORO has become effectively embedded in institutional practice at the UK OU and in engaging with other disciplinary users nationally to activate a discipline-based community of educators. Whether this approach can be applied across different discipline areas is a question for its future

Col.laboratori (CIRAX) and LORO, collaborative networks for educational repositories and teaching communities

This study focuses on the connection between LORO (Language Open Resources Online), from Department of Language at the Open University, and the prototype CIRAX (Collaborative Interuniversity Learning Resources on the Net), from the Consortium of University Libraries of Catalonia (CBUC). LORO is a consolidated and successful languages teaching and learning repository that was developed with UKOER JISC funding and institutional support. In 2011 it was highly commended in OPAL awards for quality in innovation through Open Educational Practice. LORO was identified as an appropriate and effective experience to learn from and apply to the new CIRAX, which aims to be a radical step forward in creating a teaching community and a space for interuniversity collaboration The evaluation and effectiveness of LORO in changing educators’ practice and the valuable evidences showing that a repository is more accepted and used if those who are affected, educators, participate in the decision making and its implementation, clearly marks the way to be followed by CIRAX. These two projects share a common purpose in helping teachers to become a learning community that systematically uses learning materials stored in a shared repository, and both are also active in the creation, maintenance, and sharing of resources and methodologies for learning. In short, both projects strive to continuously improve the quality of teaching and the progress from the experience and reflective practice. LORO has become effectively embedded in institutional practice at the UK OU and in engaging with other disciplinary users nationally to activate a discipline-based community of educators. Whether this approach can be applied across different discipline areas is a question for its future

Teachers’ Use and Acceptance of Gamification and Social Networking Features of an Open Repository

Abstract The affordance of social interaction has been a part of open online repositories of teaching and learning resources for nearly two decades. Repositories are built not only to collect and disseminate materials, but enable users to collaborate and review, comment on and rate the content they access. However, research indicates that (a) most users do not participate in this type of generative use, and (b) the possibility of social interaction does not necessarily signal active participation in social interaction. In recent years the positive effects of gamification and social networking elements on user engagement have come to the fore in educational settings. From this stance, a quantitative study was conducted to assess users’ acceptance of the existing game mechanics of a large national repository of educational resources, their attitudes towards the inclusion of extra features, and teachers’ motivation to share openly. Our results indicate that teachers do not see open repositories as social networks, but as libraries of resources, and are likely to share if rewarded by intrinsic rather than extrinsic factors. Abstract in Spanish La posibilidad de interacción social viene formando parte de los repositorios abiertos de recursos para la enseñanza y el aprendizaje durante casi dos décadas. Los repositorios existen no sólo para recoger y diseminar materiales educativos, sino que también permiten a los usuarios colaborar, comentar y evaluar el contenido al que acceden. Sin embargo, estudios de investigación señalan que (a) la mayoría de usuarios no participan en este tipo de comportamiento generativo, y (b) la oportunidad de interacción social no conlleva necesariamente la activa participación en la interacción social. En los últimos años el impacto positivo de la ludificación y otros elementos característicos de las redes sociales sobre el compromiso del usuario han pasado a un primer plano en contextos educativos. Es por eso que se realiza este estudio cuantitativo para determinar cómo los usuarios de un repositorio nacional de recursos didácticos valoran las estrategias de juego del sistema, su actitud ante la inclusión de nuevas estrategias, y qué les motiva a compartir abiertamente. Los resultados indican que los profesores no consideran los repositorios abiertos como redes sociales sino como bibliotecas de recursos, y es más probable que compartan si se les premia con factores intrínsecos y no extrínsecos. Abstract in Dutch Sociale interactie heeft de voorbije twee decennia opportuniteiten geboden binnen open online repositories voor leermiddelen voor het onderwijs. Repositories zijn niet alleen gebouwd om materialen te verzamelen en te verspreiden, maar ook om gebruikers in staat te stellen om samen te werken aan inhouden en deze te becommentariëren en te beoordelen. Echter, uit onderzoek blijkt dat (a) de meeste gebruikers dergelijk generatief gedrag niet stellen, en (b) de mogelijkheid tot sociale interactie niet noodzakelijk leidt tot deelname aan sociale interactie. In de afgelopen jaren kwamen de positieve effecten van gamification en social networking elementen op betrokkenheid van gebruikers naar voren in educatieve contexten. Vanuit dit standpunt, werd een kwantitatief onderzoek uitgevoerd om aanvaarding te evalueren van bestaande ‘game mechanics’ bij gebruikers van een grote repository van educatieve leermiddelen, hun houding ten opzichte van het opnemen van extra mogelijkheden, en leraren hun motivatie om te delen. Onze resultaten geven aan dat leraren open repositories niet als sociale netwerken zien, maar als bibliotheken van middelen, en ze meer geneigd zijn te delen door intrinsieke in plaats dan extrinsieke factoren. Abstract in French L’accessibilité à l’interaction sociale est une composante clé des archives ouvertes en ligne de ressources d’enseignement et d’apprentissage depuis près de deux décennies. Ces archives sont conçues non seulement pour rassembler et diffuser du matériel, mais aussi afin de permettre aux utilisateurs de collaborer, réviser, commenter et évaluer le contenu auquel ils ont accès. Cependant, la recherche indique que (a) la plupart des utilisateurs ne participent pas à ce type de génération de contenu, et (b) la possibilité d’une interaction sociale ne signifie pas forcément une participation active à cette interaction sociale. Au cours des dernières années, les effets positifs de la ludification et du réseautage social sur la participation des utilisateurs ont été mis en évidence dans les milieux éducatifs. Par conséquent, une étude quantitative a été menée afin d’évaluer l’acceptation par les utilisateurs de la mécanique de jeu en évidence dans une archive nationale conséquente de ressources pédagogiques, leurs attitudes à l’égard de l’inclusion de fonctionnalités supplémentaires, et la motivation des enseignants à partager ouvertement. Nos résultats indiquent que les enseignants ne considèrent pas les archives ouvertes en tant que réseaux sociaux, mais comme des bibliothèques de ressources, et sont susceptibles de partager si la récompense est plutôt de nature intrinsèque qu’extrinsèque

The Open Translation MOOC: creating online communities to transcend linguistic barriers

One of the main barriers to the reuse of Open Educational Resources is language (OLNet, 2009). OER may be available but in another language so a preliminary step to reuse is translation or localisation (see as an example the UnisulVirtual courses translated from OpenLearn into Brasilian Portuguese). One of the obvious solutions to the vast effort required to translate OER is to crowdsource the translation, as exemplified by Wikipedia (Wikipedia Translation) or TED (Ted Open Translation Project). From October to December 2012 the Department of Languages at the Open University UK ran a MOOC on Open Translation Tools and Practices (OT12). Participants explored a range of online open translation tools (Amara, Transifex, Google Translator Toolkit) that enable and facilitate the crowdsourcing of translation, dubbing and subtitling. For this specific event, participants collaborated in the translation and subtitling of open educational resources mainly to and from English and Spanish, but also Portuguese, French, Greek, German and Catalan. Forum discussions, synchronous online sessions, recorded podcasts and the tasks themselves were designed to provide input, facilitate discussion and share views not only on the linguistic specificities of translating different languages, but also on issues such as quality assurance in open translation and the ethics and practicalities of openness in education and translation. Data for this paper is drawn from online surveys covering participants’ backgrounds and their prior experience as translators; their expectations and motivation for participating in the OT12 MOOC; and their evaluation of the outcomes of the MOOC. Metrics provided by Google Analytics and VLE logs of participants’ activities are used to inform the analysis of the survey data. We understand MOOCs as events (Cormier, 2010) or, following the principles of connectivism, catalysts for starting conversations within a network (Downes, 2011), and therefore feel that they might be a suitable way of engaging online communities of translators, language teachers and learners, and those interested in OER in the crowdsourcing of translations for OER. The OT12 MOOC content is released as an open educational resource (OER) under a Creative-Commons License so that it can be adapted and reused in other contexts. In this paper we would like to open up a debate on how the world of open education can harness existing open translation models to further the openness agenda

Mobile blogs in language learning: making the most of informal and situated learning opportunities

The application of mobile technologies to learning has the potential to facilitate the active participation of learners in the creation and delivery of content. They can also provide a powerful connection between a variety of formal and informal learning contexts and can help to build a community of learners. However these versatile tools present challenges to educators and learners alike. The paper discusses the pedagogical challenges that result from the introduction of mobile technologies in language learning in the context of an intensive week of study abroad. We describe and evaluate a pilot project that uses mobile blogging to promote a constructivist, situated and informal learning experience of the foreign language and culture based on theories of active learning. We aim to encourage interaction and a sense of community among learners outside formal educational environments and in different locations as we ask them to engage with the foreign culture by capturing, sharing and reflecting on their experiences for their peers

Experiences of Online Volunteer Translation and Implications for Translation Education

This study explores the boundary between online volunteer translation and translation education to gain insights into how pedagogy might respond to: a) changes in practice in the field of translation resulting from the increasing availability and use of digital tools and content; and b) the learning opportunities afforded to those who want to become professional translators by the growth of online, open volunteer translation initiatives. It considers the possibility of expanding the concept of practice-based learning within an authentic, situated learning model, to encompass online volunteer translation as a way of developing translation competence and being socialised into the practice of translation. The study focuses on participants in TED Translators (TEDT) from across the world who plan to work as professional translators. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of interview data and a qualitative online survey, it explores their experiences and perceptions of how their engagement with TEDT fits into their learning and career journeys. The findings identify the characteristics of the activity that make it attractive to aspiring translators as well as the difficulties they encounter; the professional and learning benefits that participants derive from engaging in TEDT; and the different paths and trajectories that link volunteering, education and profession. It concludes that online volunteer translation can offer a motivating, meaningful and situated learning opportunity through which learners can develop their translation competence and their identity as translators; and that informal learning using open tools, resources and communities can support learners’ access to and engagement with formal education. However, educators and participants must consider the challenges of learning within an online community and develop the relevant digital and participatory skills, as well as a good awareness of local cultures and customs, to successfully engage with this opportunity

Recursos educativos abiertos para la enseñanza de lenguas

Este artículo presenta el concepto de Recursos Educativos Abiertos (REA) y un ejemplo de su aplicación en el campo de la enseñanza de lenguas. Además de una introducción y breve historia del movimiento de REA, se apuntan las consideraciones principales a tener en cuenta para reusar y compartir recursos digitales en línea y las principales ventajas e inconvenientes según las percepciones de los docentes. El artículo también incluye un resumen del proyecto LORO del Departamento de Lenguas de la Open University del Reino Unido, y del impacto que la introducción de esta plataforma de REA ha tenido en la práctica docente de los profesores de lenguas en esta institución. This article presents the concept of Open Educational Resources (OER) and provides an example of their application to the field of language teaching. Besides an introduction and brief history of the OER movement, the main considerations when reusing and sharing online digital resources are highlighted, as well as the main advantages and disadvantages according to teachers’ perceptions. The article also includes a summary of the LORO project at the Department of Languages, The Open University, UK, and an account of the impact that the introduction of this OER platform has had on the professional practice of language teachers at this institution