Schedule: 2009-09-12 (15:45 - 16:30)
Parallel Session 3 (Room A-32)

Title: Online teacher training: Collaborating in a virtual learning environment
Authors: Pauline Ernest, Montse Guitert Catasús, Regine Hampel, Sarah Heiser, Joseph Hopkins, Linda Murphy, Ursula Stickler
Abstract: The academic, social and psychological benefits of collaborative learning are well documented (Panitz 2001) and the links between collaborative learning and online learning were shown as early as 1990 (Harasim 1990). More recently, the potential of new web 2.0 environments for increased peer interaction and for fostering learner autonomy and learning strategies has been explored (e.g. Batardière & Jeanneau 2006; Engstrom & Jewett 2005; Wang 2007). However, online collaborative learning is still not well understood, especially in the context of languages, and a number of researchers have called for increased research in this area. (Donato 2004; Mangenot and Nissen 2006; Lamy and Hampel 2007). For this type of learning to be successful, among the critical factors deserving further investigation are the role of the teacher and teacher training.

This paper reports on research carried out jointly between two higher education institutions: one in the UK and one in Spain. The two institutions were keen to share their expertise in language teaching using synchronous audio conferencing and asynchronous teaching. Twenty distance language teachers from these institutions took part in the resulting six-week project, which aimed to do the following:
- learn about participants’ prior experience in facilitating online group work;
- identify development needs in this area;
- explore the potential of specific asynchronous and synchronous tools in supporting collaborative learning;
- trial further development activities in this area..

The project aimed to provide these teachers with first-hand experience as participants in collaborative activities using CMC tools such as audio and video conferencing, wikis and blogs, thus developing their online teaching skills (cf Hoven’s (2006) ‘experiential modelling approach’). The collaborative tasks followed a sociocultural approach to learning, encouraging interaction among the teachers in order to help them collectively construct knowledge about collaborative learning. Participants were divided into small groups and asked to develop a collaborative learning activity for potential use with a group of online language students. Groups were provided with their own spaces on a Moodle platform (forum and wiki) and had 24/7 access to an Elluminate video conference at their disposal. Participants were free to use whichever tools they considered most appropriate to complete the task, both for their group meetings and for the design and presentation of their activity.

Data on teachers’ perceptions of the above process was collected through a post-training questionnaire and interviews; data on their participation in the project was gathered from Moodle records (forum discussions, wiki postings and participants’ Moodle logs).

Following an overview of the project activity and details on data collection techniques, this paper will present an analysis of data from the project in relation to the following questions:
- What did tutors see as the benefits of working collaboratively and which elements helped them develop their skills in supporting collaborative work?
- How did these perceptions compare with their own actual collaborative practice in the project?

The paper will also explore the implications of these findings for future teacher development and research.

References:
Batardière, M-T. and C. Jeanneau (2006) Quel est le bœuf? Beefing up Language Classes with Collaborative Blogs. Paper presented at Integrating CALL into Study Programmes, EUROCALL Conference, Granada Spain.
Donato, R. (2004) Aspects of collaboration in pedagogical discourse. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 24: 284–302.
Engstrom, M. E. and D. Jewett (2005) Collaborative Learning the Wiki Way, TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning 49(6): 12–15.
Harasim, L. (1990) Online Education: An Environment for Collaboration and Intellectual Amplification, in L. Harasim (ed.) Online Education: Perspectives on a New Environment, New York: Praeger, 39–64.
Hoven, D. (2006) Designing for disruption: Remodelling a blended course in technology in (language) teacher education. Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Ascilite Conference: Who’s Learning? Whose Technology? University of Syndey, 339–349.
Lamy M.N. and R. Hampel (2007) Online Communication in Language Learning and Teaching. Research and Practice in Applied Linguistics Series (eds. C. Candlin & D. Hall). Houndsmills: Palgrave Macmillan.
Panitz, T. (2001) The Case for Student-Centered Instruction via Collaborative Learning Paradigms. Online at: http://home.capecod.net/~tpanitz/tedsarticles/coopbenefits.htm.
Mangenot, F. and E. Nissen (2006) Collective Activity and Tutor Involvement in E-learning Environments for Language Teachers and Learners, The Calico Journal 23(3): 601–21.
Wang, Y. (2007) Task Design in Videoconferencing-supported Distance Language Learning. CAILCO Journal 24(3), 591–630.
Keywords: Language teaching, language learning, collaboration, online learning, virtual learning environments / learning management systems

Main topic: Research in new language learning environments

Biodata: Pauline Ernest is Director of the Language Programme at the Open University of Catalonia. With over 30 years experience in the teaching of language and literature, her current interests include e-learning, teacher development and classroom management and the development of strategies for incorporating literary texts into the language classroom. Montse Guitert, lecturer at the Open University of Catalonia and Director of the Digital Literacy Programme, has been involved in educational technology since 1995. Her research focuses on e-learning, specifically on collaborative work in virtual environments, online teacher training, and didactic multimedia materials. Regine Hampel is a Senior Lecturer in Modern Languages at the Open University, UK. Her research explores theoretical and practical issues around the use of digital technologies in language learning and teaching, and she is particularly interested in examining the impact of mediation on communication in new multimodal environments. Sarah Heiser has been involved in language education for 25 years, teaching and organising programmes for a variety of learners in different contexts, over a range of age, situation and ability. She is Languages Staff Tutor at the Open University in London, which includes management and training of Associate Lecturers. Joseph Hopkins has been involved in foreign language teaching and teacher training for over 20 years. He is currently a lecturer in EFL at the Open University of Catalonia, where he is also working on his PhD dissertation centering on learner collaboration and interaction in virtual learning environments. Linda Murphy is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Languages, Open University, UK, and member of the regional academic staff based at Oxford. Her research focuses on skills and attributes required for effective distance language teaching and on development of teaching and learning strategies for autonomy in distance language learning. Ursula Stickler joined the Department of Languages at the Open University in 2002. Her main research interests are independent and autonomous learning of languages and the integration of technology in language learning. Her publications are in the areas of collaborative learning, technology-supported learning and the use of different media for beginners’ language courses.
Type of presentation Paper presentation

Paper category Research

Target educational sector Higher education

Language of delivery English

EU-funded project No

Schedule:	2009-09-12 (15:45 - 16:30) Parallel Session 3 (Room A-32)
Title:	Online teacher training: Collaborating in a virtual learning environment
Authors:	Pauline Ernest, Montse Guitert Catasús, Regine Hampel, Sarah Heiser, Joseph Hopkins, Linda Murphy, Ursula Stickler
Abstract:	The academic, social and psychological benefits of collaborative learning are well documented (Panitz 2001) and the links between collaborative learning and online learning were shown as early as 1990 (Harasim 1990). More recently, the potential of new web 2.0 environments for increased peer interaction and for fostering learner autonomy and learning strategies has been explored (e.g. Batardière & Jeanneau 2006; Engstrom & Jewett 2005; Wang 2007). However, online collaborative learning is still not well understood, especially in the context of languages, and a number of researchers have called for increased research in this area. (Donato 2004; Mangenot and Nissen 2006; Lamy and Hampel 2007). For this type of learning to be successful, among the critical factors deserving further investigation are the role of the teacher and teacher training. This paper reports on research carried out jointly between two higher education institutions: one in the UK and one in Spain. The two institutions were keen to share their expertise in language teaching using synchronous audio conferencing and asynchronous teaching. Twenty distance language teachers from these institutions took part in the resulting six-week project, which aimed to do the following: - learn about participants’ prior experience in facilitating online group work; - identify development needs in this area; - explore the potential of specific asynchronous and synchronous tools in supporting collaborative learning; - trial further development activities in this area.. The project aimed to provide these teachers with first-hand experience as participants in collaborative activities using CMC tools such as audio and video conferencing, wikis and blogs, thus developing their online teaching skills (cf Hoven’s (2006) ‘experiential modelling approach’). The collaborative tasks followed a sociocultural approach to learning, encouraging interaction among the teachers in order to help them collectively construct knowledge about collaborative learning. Participants were divided into small groups and asked to develop a collaborative learning activity for potential use with a group of online language students. Groups were provided with their own spaces on a Moodle platform (forum and wiki) and had 24/7 access to an Elluminate video conference at their disposal. Participants were free to use whichever tools they considered most appropriate to complete the task, both for their group meetings and for the design and presentation of their activity. Data on teachers’ perceptions of the above process was collected through a post-training questionnaire and interviews; data on their participation in the project was gathered from Moodle records (forum discussions, wiki postings and participants’ Moodle logs). Following an overview of the project activity and details on data collection techniques, this paper will present an analysis of data from the project in relation to the following questions: - What did tutors see as the benefits of working collaboratively and which elements helped them develop their skills in supporting collaborative work? - How did these perceptions compare with their own actual collaborative practice in the project? The paper will also explore the implications of these findings for future teacher development and research. References: Batardière, M-T. and C. Jeanneau (2006) Quel est le bœuf? Beefing up Language Classes with Collaborative Blogs. Paper presented at Integrating CALL into Study Programmes, EUROCALL Conference, Granada Spain. Donato, R. (2004) Aspects of collaboration in pedagogical discourse. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 24: 284–302. Engstrom, M. E. and D. Jewett (2005) Collaborative Learning the Wiki Way, TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning 49(6): 12–15. Harasim, L. (1990) Online Education: An Environment for Collaboration and Intellectual Amplification, in L. Harasim (ed.) Online Education: Perspectives on a New Environment, New York: Praeger, 39–64. Hoven, D. (2006) Designing for disruption: Remodelling a blended course in technology in (language) teacher education. Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Ascilite Conference: Who’s Learning? Whose Technology? University of Syndey, 339–349. Lamy M.N. and R. Hampel (2007) Online Communication in Language Learning and Teaching. Research and Practice in Applied Linguistics Series (eds. C. Candlin & D. Hall). Houndsmills: Palgrave Macmillan. Panitz, T. (2001) The Case for Student-Centered Instruction via Collaborative Learning Paradigms. Online at: http://home.capecod.net/~tpanitz/tedsarticles/coopbenefits.htm. Mangenot, F. and E. Nissen (2006) Collective Activity and Tutor Involvement in E-learning Environments for Language Teachers and Learners, The Calico Journal 23(3): 601–21. Wang, Y. (2007) Task Design in Videoconferencing-supported Distance Language Learning. CAILCO Journal 24(3), 591–630.
Keywords:	Language teaching, language learning, collaboration, online learning, virtual learning environments / learning management systems
Main topic:	Research in new language learning environments
Biodata:	Pauline Ernest is Director of the Language Programme at the Open University of Catalonia. With over 30 years experience in the teaching of language and literature, her current interests include e-learning, teacher development and classroom management and the development of strategies for incorporating literary texts into the language classroom. Montse Guitert, lecturer at the Open University of Catalonia and Director of the Digital Literacy Programme, has been involved in educational technology since 1995. Her research focuses on e-learning, specifically on collaborative work in virtual environments, online teacher training, and didactic multimedia materials. Regine Hampel is a Senior Lecturer in Modern Languages at the Open University, UK. Her research explores theoretical and practical issues around the use of digital technologies in language learning and teaching, and she is particularly interested in examining the impact of mediation on communication in new multimodal environments. Sarah Heiser has been involved in language education for 25 years, teaching and organising programmes for a variety of learners in different contexts, over a range of age, situation and ability. She is Languages Staff Tutor at the Open University in London, which includes management and training of Associate Lecturers. Joseph Hopkins has been involved in foreign language teaching and teacher training for over 20 years. He is currently a lecturer in EFL at the Open University of Catalonia, where he is also working on his PhD dissertation centering on learner collaboration and interaction in virtual learning environments. Linda Murphy is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Languages, Open University, UK, and member of the regional academic staff based at Oxford. Her research focuses on skills and attributes required for effective distance language teaching and on development of teaching and learning strategies for autonomy in distance language learning. Ursula Stickler joined the Department of Languages at the Open University in 2002. Her main research interests are independent and autonomous learning of languages and the integration of technology in language learning. Her publications are in the areas of collaborative learning, technology-supported learning and the use of different media for beginners’ language courses.
Type of presentation	Paper presentation
Paper category	Research
Target educational sector	Higher education
Language of delivery	English
EU-funded project	No