Distance Learning & MOOCs for Supplemental Language Learning

Minsk State Linguistic UniversityKatie Subra, subr0054@umn.edu

elfbelarus.wordpress.com

Distance Learning Timeline• The first modern distance learning course was taught by

Sir Isaac Pitman, who in 1840 conducted shorthand lessons via writings on postcards.

• University correspondence courses followed shortly from The University of London, The University of Chicago, Open University, and others.

• In the mid-20th century, radio broadcasting became a popular means of distance education

• E-learning began in the 90s and is so wide-spread today that more than 1/3 of US College students complete at least one distance learning course (Lederman, D. (8 January 2013). "Growth for Online Learning". InsideHigherEd.)

Sample: MOOCs MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Course,MOOCs are offered in a variety of subjects and at different levels,People from all around the world participate in MOOCs (Over 40,000 participants registered for one course that I taught),Prestigious Universities, such as UCBerkeley, MIT, Harvard, Open University, etc…https://www.edx.org/https://www.coursera.org/http://www.open.ac.uk/

Reasons to Use Distance Learning:• It helps to foster independent language learning

strategies in your students• You can augment your classroom instruction by

using this as a flipped-classroom environment• The topics of online courses (MOOCs) are varied

and most reflect the latest trends in those fields• Online courses are taught to a global audience so

interaction with global peers is likely• Many are free, some are verified, and some

provide certificates

The Structure of Supplementing with MOOCs: You can…

Integrate them into your course

Promote them as an add-on to your course

Encourage students to complete them for self-study credit

Applying Course Materials

Sample Lesson: Writing good thesis statements 1) Summarize the video2) Show examples/context3) Ask students to apply the lesson

Your turn: A vocabulary lesson.As a teacher using this MOOC, how would you

write your classroom lesson plan?

Bumps Along the Road

Major Bumps: Unclear information from MOOC:• due dates• essay topics• peer evaluation/grading• unclear objectives• teacher tries to do too much• not everyone is equally challenged

Navigation Strategies• Run your own peer review• Match the content and delivery with your

group’s needs (do a needs analysis)• Make more organized groups that are

responsible for each other• Take a MOOC yourself before using it in your

classroom• Make the course your own and add relevant

projects (Ex: writing newsletter, student book)

Start Searching for Virtual Classes:• https://www.edx.org/• https://www.coursera.org/• http://courses.writinguniversity.org/TESOL Online Courses & virtual seminars:• http://www.tesol.org/attend-and-learn/online-

courses-seminarsAmerican English Shaping the Way We Teach

webinars & courses:• http://shapingenglish.ning.com/• https://www.coursera.org/course/shaping2paths

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