Qualitative Research In Online Language Learning - What Can It Do?

In this article we explore the theoretical foundations of qualitative research in online language learning. We will look at the distinction between offline and online language learning and discuss whether different ways of knowledge generation are appropriate for those different learning environments. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies will be examined and their fit with various learning theories evaluated. Fundamental theoretical differences between epistemologies supporting a realist ontology and those favouring relativist ontologies will be presented and set in the context of online and technology enhanced language learning research. Finally, we argue that a sociocultural framework, which goes beyond quantitative research approaches, is necessary to adequately understand the experiences of language learners and teachers who share a common interest in the new digital environments

Towards a social learning space for open educational resources

This chapter examines the meaning of ‘open’ in terms of tools, resources and education, and goes on to explore the association between open approaches to education and the development of online social learning. It considers why this form of learning is emerging so strongly at this point, what its underlying principles are, and how it can be defined. Openness is identified as one of the motivating rationales for a social media space tuned for learning, called SocialLearn, which is currently being trialed at The Open University in the UK. SocialLearn has been designed to support online social learning by helping users to clarify their intention, ground their learning and engage in learning conversations. The emerging design concept and implementation are described here, with a focus on what personalization means in this context, and on how learning analytics could be used to provide different types of recommendation that support learning

Activating Assessment for Learning: Are We On the Way With WEB 2.0?

This chapter examines the role Web 2.0 tools can play in promoting the Assessment for Learning Agenda. It presents a number of cases of peer, self and computer assessments that display a range of characteristics proposed by Elliott (2008) for the next generation of assessment tasks. The discussion of the cases revealed a missing characteristic which is a form of feedback to the students that will take their learning forward which I have called 'Advice for Action'. In order for assessment tasks and tools to become more effective they need to be embedded within a pedagogical framework, which in turn, requires a supportive infrastructure as proposed by the 4Ts pyramid. The major components of the pyramid consist of (a) Tool Development, (b) Staff Training, (c) Rethinking the Assessment Tasks and (d) Learning from the Assessment Tasks