Schedule: 2009-09-12 (12:00 - 12:45)
Parallel Session 3 (Room A-32)

Title: The long and winding road: user-found content, social networking and language learning
Authors: Mirjam Hauck, Tita Beaven
Abstract: The long and winding road: user-fOUnd content, social networking and language learning

In their 2007 ‘Horizon Report’ EDUCAUSE and the New Media Consortium mention user-created content and social networking as two of six key technologies that are likely to make an impact on education in the next one to five years. This observation seems to hold particularly true with regard to language learning where a range of online tools facilitating communication and collaboration between is already entering the mainstream as a means for authentic language production and an opportunity for language practice.
The Department of Languages at The Open University (OU) has been investigating the benefits of ICT for learning languages and sharing cultures for over a decade and has a track record of successful integration of online elements into its courses. Among the latest developments is fOUndit, a site for collecting, sharing and rating online resources. Based on a Web 2.0 open source content management system, it allows users to submit materials they have found online in the form of news stories providing them with the opportunity to write a brief introduction and to post a link to the resource. Other users can then vote for, comment on and discuss individual stories. This paper reports on findings from a pilot study designed by the authors to explore (a) the suitability of fOUndit as a social networking tool for advanced language students and (b) its potential as a gathering tool for learner-generated course content. It was also hoped that the insights gained from this trial would inform work on the updating of level 3 OU language courses.
In line with the aforementioned report which suggests that having students compare user-created content can give them "a valuable perspective on their own abilities and inspire them to try new ideas or techniques", the main aim of the study was to identify best practice in the use of social bookmarking to increase course content relevance and to enhance learner involvement with course materials and resources. Another objective was to support students in acquiring key skills for their OU study and beyond and to assess the potential of materials collected, shared and jointly evaluated by learners as a repository of resources for future course production.

Drawing on Stickler and Hampel (2007) who contrast learners’ individual evaluations with their actual usage of online tools, the authors will map the participants’ views of fOUndit (as expressed in post-treatment questionnaire, informal feedback, and semi-structured interviews with a focus group) against their actual use of it (as evidenced by time spent online, numbers of resources gathered, and news stories produced and commented on in the target language). This combination of qualitative and quantitative data analysis will highlight the benefits and pitfalls of user-created content and social networking in order to optimise their application for the teaching and learning of languages and cultures. It will also allow the authors to re-consider the question whether these technologies are useful for core learning of languages and cultures or whether they are simply “good at creating all sorts of secondary learning opportunities” (Anderson 2007).
Keywords: User-found content, social networking, sharing cultures, secondary language learning opportunities

Main topic: Research in new language learning environments

Biodata: Mirjam Hauck is a Senior Lecturer and Associate Head of the Department of Languages at the Open University, UK where she has been investigating the use of technologies for the learning of languages and cultures for over a decade. In her current research and publications she focuses on the interdependence of multimodal and intercultural competence in telecollaboration.
Type of presentation Paper presentation

Paper category Research & Development

Target educational sector Higher education

Language of delivery English

EU-funded project No

Schedule:	2009-09-12 (12:00 - 12:45) Parallel Session 3 (Room A-32)
Title:	The long and winding road: user-found content, social networking and language learning
Authors:	Mirjam Hauck, Tita Beaven
Abstract:	The long and winding road: user-fOUnd content, social networking and language learning In their 2007 ‘Horizon Report’ EDUCAUSE and the New Media Consortium mention user-created content and social networking as two of six key technologies that are likely to make an impact on education in the next one to five years. This observation seems to hold particularly true with regard to language learning where a range of online tools facilitating communication and collaboration between is already entering the mainstream as a means for authentic language production and an opportunity for language practice. The Department of Languages at The Open University (OU) has been investigating the benefits of ICT for learning languages and sharing cultures for over a decade and has a track record of successful integration of online elements into its courses. Among the latest developments is fOUndit, a site for collecting, sharing and rating online resources. Based on a Web 2.0 open source content management system, it allows users to submit materials they have found online in the form of news stories providing them with the opportunity to write a brief introduction and to post a link to the resource. Other users can then vote for, comment on and discuss individual stories. This paper reports on findings from a pilot study designed by the authors to explore (a) the suitability of fOUndit as a social networking tool for advanced language students and (b) its potential as a gathering tool for learner-generated course content. It was also hoped that the insights gained from this trial would inform work on the updating of level 3 OU language courses. In line with the aforementioned report which suggests that having students compare user-created content can give them "a valuable perspective on their own abilities and inspire them to try new ideas or techniques", the main aim of the study was to identify best practice in the use of social bookmarking to increase course content relevance and to enhance learner involvement with course materials and resources. Another objective was to support students in acquiring key skills for their OU study and beyond and to assess the potential of materials collected, shared and jointly evaluated by learners as a repository of resources for future course production. Drawing on Stickler and Hampel (2007) who contrast learners’ individual evaluations with their actual usage of online tools, the authors will map the participants’ views of fOUndit (as expressed in post-treatment questionnaire, informal feedback, and semi-structured interviews with a focus group) against their actual use of it (as evidenced by time spent online, numbers of resources gathered, and news stories produced and commented on in the target language). This combination of qualitative and quantitative data analysis will highlight the benefits and pitfalls of user-created content and social networking in order to optimise their application for the teaching and learning of languages and cultures. It will also allow the authors to re-consider the question whether these technologies are useful for core learning of languages and cultures or whether they are simply “good at creating all sorts of secondary learning opportunities” (Anderson 2007).
Keywords:	User-found content, social networking, sharing cultures, secondary language learning opportunities
Main topic:	Research in new language learning environments
Biodata:	Mirjam Hauck is a Senior Lecturer and Associate Head of the Department of Languages at the Open University, UK where she has been investigating the use of technologies for the learning of languages and cultures for over a decade. In her current research and publications she focuses on the interdependence of multimodal and intercultural competence in telecollaboration.
Type of presentation	Paper presentation
Paper category	Research & Development
Target educational sector	Higher education
Language of delivery	English
EU-funded project	No