FRLN 572: Integrating Technology into Language Learning

TR 7:00PM-10:00PM - Room: E124 and T227 Professor: Esperanza Román-Mendoza Telephone: 993-1232 E-mail: eromanme@osf1.gmu.edu

Department of Modern and Classical Languages George Mason University Office: Thompson 235A Office hours: MTWR 11:40-12:00PM and by appointment

http://mason.gmu.edu/~eromanme/lang-572.htm

Course Description	Objectives
Materials	Assessment
Schedule of classes

Course Description

FRLN 572 has been designed for students who want to learn about the different uses of the technology in their present and future careers as researchers and teachers. FRLN 572 covers both theoretical and practical issues, with a special emphasis on the Internet and its possibilities as an educational tool. The course is open to both beginners and advanced computer users.

Materials

• Internet account.
• Steen, D. R., Roddy, M. R., Sheffield, D and Stout, M. B.: Teaching with the Internet. Bellevue: Resolution Business Press, 1995
• Lemay, L. Teach Yourself Web Publishing With Html 3.2 in a Week. Indianapolis: Sams, 1996.
• Selection of articles on CALL, the Internet, and the WWW.

Objectives

• To be able to create and edit Web pages with educational content using HTML 3.2
• To learn about the different types of software which have been created for computer-assisted language teaching.
• To learn about the different available authoring tools.
• To learn how to evaluate educational software.

Assessment

The progress made by students in this class will be evaluated by the following criteria:

1. Participation	20%
2. Written Assignments (to be posted on the Web)	20%
3. Class Presentation	20%
4. Two Final Projects	20% each

1. Participation

Participation means active involvement in the class. Students are encouraged to contribute in class discussions on the articles they have to read at home. The participation grade includes:

1) your contribution regular class sessions, in group activities and in electronic discussions,

2) your cooperation and leadership in group and pair work, and

3) your respect and attitude towards your peers and the class.

2. Written Assignments

Students will read a selection of articles related to the following issues:

1. Theories of learning and information technology.

2. History of CALL.

3. Factors promoting and inhibiting the introduction of CALL.

4. Types of courseware: taxonomies and examples.

5. Hypertext and Hypermedia.

6. Design principles of CALL materials.

7. Examples of CALL experiences.

8. Evaluation principles of CALL materials.

9. LAN principles: its use for learning purposes.

10. Internet related issues: copyright, censorship, future problems.

11. Study of Web-based materials.

12. Research on the Internet.

For each of these topics, there will be a Web Forum on the WWW where every student will place his/her comments on the articles. Students are encouraged to participate in all the electronic discussions, but they are only required to contribute to five of them. (More information on this in class)

3. Class presentation

Students will have to subscribe to a Mailing List or follow a Newsgroup. Last day of classes, each student will submit a report to the class on the topics covered by his/her list. A list with different Mailing Lists and Newsgroups will be provided during the second week of classes, as well as some specific instructions on how to prepare the final report to the class.

4. Final projects

Students will submit two projects: the first one has to be related to one of the following issues:

1. Imagine you are a principal at a school and you have $2,500 for hardware and software infrastructure. How would you spend the money? Imagine the same situation but with a budget of 50,000.

2. Find out the distribution and use of computers in 10 schools of one of the counties close to George Mason.

3. Interview three experts on CALL. Use the Internet to contact them, and to find information on their research.

4. Copyright issues on the Web.

5. Open topic to be discussed with instructor.

Students are required to select a topic for his final theoretical project by the third week of classes. The practical project will be based on the skills in HTML editing acquired during the course (more information on this in class).

Schedule of classes(tentative)

Dates	To be covered	Assignments (due to the next day of classes)
Tuesday, July 1	Theory: Logistics of the course. Basics on Microcomputers. Practice: Subscribe to FRLN 572 mailing list. Browsing the Web. Using HTML files: editing and saving changes.	Read Day 1 and Day 2 in Lemay's book. Read article on Theories of learning and information technology. Find 10 WWW sites related to your field of interest.
Tuesday, July 8	Theory: Discussion on Theories of learning and information technology Practice: Working with HTML templates. Design first WWW page: A resume.	Read Day 3 in Lemay's book. Read article on History of CALL.
Thursday, July 10	Theory: Discussion on History of CALL. Practice: Choosing a HTML editor. Editing a Syllabus	Read Day 4 in Lemay's book. Read article on Factors promoting and inhibiting the introduction of CALL.
Saturday, July 12	Theory: Discussion on Factors promoting and inhibiting the introduction of CALL. Practice: Adding images to existing pages. Explore the Web about the use of images in pages related to language learning. Video film on Computers and Language Learning.	Read Day 5 in Lemay's book. Read article on Types of courseware: taxonomies and examples.
Tuesday, July 15	Theory: Discussion on Types of courseware: taxonomies and examples. Practice: Using Lab courseware, electronic dictionaries and books. Compare them with online courseware and reference tools. Add links of reference tools to your Web pages.	Read Day 6 in Lemay's book. Read article on Hypertext and Hypermedia.
Thursday, July 17	Theory: Discussion on Hypertext and Hypermedia. Practice: Meet at the Media Authoring Center. Using multimedia facilities there. Explore and test Macintosh based CALL software.	Read Day 7 in Lemay's book. Read article on Design principles of CALL materials.
Tuesday, July 22	Theory: Discussion on Design principles of CALL materials. Practice: Add sound and video to your pages. Explore the use of this media in pages related to language learning.	Read article on Examples of CALL experiences.
Thursday, July 24	Theory: Discussion on Examples of CALL experiences. Practice: Using of tables, frames, windows. Applying design principles to your materials.	Read article on Evaluation principles of CALL materials.
Saturday, July 26	Theory: Discussion on Evaluation principles of CALL materials. Practice: Evaluate software. Using IRCs, MOOs and MUDs.	Read article on LAN principles: its use for learning purposes.
Tuesday, July 29	Theory: Discussion on LAN principles: its use for learning purposes. Practice: Interaction on the Web: Shockwave and Javascript.	Read article on Internet related issues: copyright, censorship, future problems.
Thursday, July 31	Theory: Discussion on Internet related issues: copyright, censorship, future problems. Practice: Exercise with Javascript. Work on individual projects.	Read article on Study of Web-based materials.
Tuesday, August 5	Theory: Discussion on Study of Web-based materials. Practice: Work on individual projects.	Read article on Research on the Internet.
Thursday, August 7	Theory: Discussion on Research on the Internet. Practice: Class presentations