An E-learning Supplement to a Teacher Training Course: the Trainees' Perspective An E-learning Supplement to a Teacher Training Course: the Trainees' Perspective (original) (raw)

The rapid development of information and communication technology has created opportunities for didactic innovation in the foreign language classroom and assigned a new function to teacher education, which is currently supposed to prepare teachers to cope with the challenges of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL). Effective CALL training must be extensive and systematic; ideally, it should exceed the limits of an ICT course and be integrated with the teaching of content. The present paper investigates whether an e-learning supplement to a face-to-face course in Glottodidactics can facilitate the learning of content while also fostering student teachers' positive attitudes towards technology-enhanced education. It also presents teacher trainees' resulting perspectives on the benefits of e-learning and its impact on their declared future classroom practices. The paper outlines: the rationale for the implementation of e-learning in teacher education; in-training/post-training factors which affect teachers' use of technology; as well as possible modes of blended learning. It further accounts a research study which surveyed the participants of an e-learning supplement to a f-2-f course on: the work modes which they used while learning online; the problems that they faced while utilising technology and their attitudes towards CALL in the light of the course experience.