E-Learning: Situation and Perspectives (original) (raw)
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E-Course As a Means of Accommodating Learners’ Needs (In English For Specific Purposes)
The peculiarity of English for Specific Purposes courses lies in an attempt to reveal and consider the individual needs and aims of the learners when planning and conducting the teaching activity. E-learning can be a handy tool in fulfilling this challenging task in the context of university courses. E-learning can help to develop students’ responsibility for their own progress, teach to carry out self-evaluation of their subjective needs, improve their self-study skills, and ensure that their education is meaningful and beneficial.
E-learning next step — Learning materials for students
2014 37th International Convention on Information and Communication Technology, Electronics and Microelectronics (MIPRO), 2014
E-learning materials were first introduced at the university level education in last years of previous century in Slovenia. From the initial steps and pilot projects we learned the trade and participate in many e-learning material developments for primary and secondary schools. But in the recent years we regretful discovered that the university's e-learning materials are not in the same league as lower level education e-learning materials. It is true that students' population is different from kids but "digi-kids" have grown up and become students and they are familiar with the e-learning materials. It is the fundamental difference between lower level education and university level education. Lower levels education e-learning materials were funded by the government but university does not have funds for e-learning materials production. Up until now lecturers used LCMS for communication and documents sharing. But it is become evident that this is not enough and upgrade of e-learning material is required. It is evident that this process will take time and should be efficient from all perspective (didactically suitable, cheap, and fast). In the last year e-learning materials was prepared for students to test what suits them most. A lecture for a whole course was prepared with the different composition of text, sound and video. In forthcoming semester we are going to test our elearning materials and receive feedback from the students. Article presents the learning materials specification, expected didactical results, aesthetical considerations, individual preferences (visual, audio, kinaesthetic), and client's browser's limitations. It is still not clear if university level students require more elaborate learning materials than PDF which was their favourite type up to now.
The design and integration of ESP content in an upper-intermediate online course
Language instructors who adopt the role of materials writers in order to provide their students with more accurate tailor-made learning resources usually start by closely examining their learners' needs and demands, as well as the distinctive features of the teaching context or situation in which those materials are going to be implemented. This idea is especially relevant when the linguistic resources are developed to be used by future engineers who access them to practice and learn a language that will have a dominant presence in their future working environment. This is a fact that encouraged the authors to design an online upper-intermediate level English course which incorporates relevant language resources directly linked to the disciplines and content covered by their students' university undergraduate degrees. The course is known as the InGenio FCE Online Course & Tester (Universitat Politècnica de València, 2011). The article illustrates how language instructors try to explore and find new ways, methods, typologies of exercises, and techniques which might help them create, promote, and implement learning systems capable of fostering an integral communicative competence and make the entire learning process more dynamic and attractive. A specific case study dealing with students who seek to make the most of combining Computer-Assisted Language Learning and English for Specific Purposes is described and analysed here. The reader is presented with a description of the steps that were taken to design innovative and engaging online courseware to cater for the learners' specific needs and the conclusions that have arisen from conducting a survey to analyse student perceptions and expectations prior to and after completing the said online course.
Juraj, Datko; Jana, Puschenreiterová (szerk.) e-TEFL : Zborník príspevkov z medzinárodnej vedeckej konferencie : Proceedings from the International Scientific Conference, 2014
Higher educational institutions face new requirements in the competition for students. First, employees, especially professionals, should acquire new knowledge and train themselves to maintain up-to-date, to be able to meet new demands and challenges. On the other hand, people can spend less time (and sometimes less money) on studying: traditional classroom teaching does not often suit the needs of adult learners, including higher educational students. Moreover, generation Y, who study in higher education and work as young employees, prefer using digital technology to acquire new information to browsing heavy books. It is essential to them to download materials on their smart phones or tablets and read, listen and learn during journeys. Although traditional learning and teaching forms are still play significant role in overall education, non-traditional or atypical forms are becoming well-known, wide-spread and appreciated especially in higher and adult education. Second, speaking in English seems to be essential for employees in professional positions: employers expect employees to have and apply language knowledge and skills adequate to the particular job. To achieve suitable skills non-native English students should develop their knowledge of understanding and speaking English in specific context. Focusing on these requirements, universities should offer e-learning courses to save time for their students and ESP (English for Specific Purposes) courses to improve their students’ proficiency in specific disciplines so that they could be more successful in the labour market. Many higher educational institutes have recognised the requirements of the labour market: it wants employees who can speak not only general English but they also know specific vocabulary. If ESP courses are offered even online, it matches the expectation of the new generations and fits the timetable of busy professionals. The College of Dunaújváros, Hungary has recognised these double needs and started to develop ESP e-learning courses in the Social Renewal Operative Program 4.1.1.C. This study intends to present e-learning materials developed by the College of Dunaújváros from two points of view: on the one hand, focusing on the structure and the elements of the e-learning course, on the other hand, as an ESP course, i.e. how it helps students to improve their language skills in specific fields.
Using E-Learning in the English for Academic Purposes Course
Educational Alternatives, 2014
The submitted paper focuses on the English for Academic Purposes course, developed within a university e-learning project as an online course. The course, based on the needs of the English Major students (writing up a thesis in English and defending it orally), was expected to support developing academic skills, language, critical thinking and autonomy. The paper discusses the data gathered from the students´ responses to the questionnaires before and after the piloting phase of the project. The conclusions related to the effectiveness of such a course on the development of communicative skills in English required for study purposes in formal education systems will be analyzed and discussed in the end.
Teaching English for Special Purposes Aided by E - learning Platform
In today's fast moving world when students mention Internet more often than going to the library, colleges and universities have to adapt to Net Generation students who have grown up with information and communication technology and value experimental learning, working in teams and social networking. The paper presents the research performed with the students learning English for Special Purposes at the third semester of the study, at the Faculty of Geodesy, University of Zagreb. The main goal of the research was to find out whether combined teaching model can contribute to the language learning process through various activities. The tested sample consisted of two groups, each of 35 students, working on their assignments by face-to-face and online models. The findings of the research show whether ICT can contribute to enhance some segments of the language skills. The final test for all students analysed 6 elements of the written communication, 4 elements of the oral communication, communication quality with teacher and among students, average final grade and students' attitudes towards new technology. The results have been analysed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). At the end suggestion for further implementation are given.
E-LEARNING A NEW TREND IN TEACHERS TRAINING ACTIVITIES
In Romania, e-learning as a teacher training activity is at the beginning and has o lot of opponents, due to technical, economical, social and ethical problems associated with it. Some of these problems are the subject of this paper.
Relevance of e-training for English Teachers
The 21st century society is known as digital age. Man is trying to be as fast as the electronic media in order to cope with the current and urgent need of the society. Society is expected to be handicapped in the absence of technology. Educational technology has been in active use for a long time especially in most modern educational institutions. But, the emergence of the novel concept of pedagogy forced the researchers, pedagogues and language masters to think on daily basis regarding innovations, modernization and development of learning-teaching scenario. E-learning provides various opportunities to enhance educational development leading to technological sophistication and finally economic uplift. Electronic media can play a critical role in preparing modern teachers equipped with sophisticated learning tools. It has been noticed that effective implementation of e-learning is not possible without teacher’s attitude, readiness and appropriate training. The present paper discusses the importance of training in e-learning for teacher’s professional development (in this context: e-training) as part of a pedagogic strategy for successful implementation of e-learning/e-resource and academic achievement. The main purpose of this paper is to raise and tackle some of the training issues and components of in-service teacher-training for effective utilization of e-resource and achievement of educational objectives. The study will equally benefit the future teachers of English in particular in a way that they will prepare themselves in advance to face similar situation if the need arises.