Classroom dynamics of virtual learning environments: a humanistic perspective : Classroom dynamics of virtual learning environments: a humanistic perspective Anna Turula
College of Foreign Languages, Czestochowa
Poland
Map of the terrain : Map of the terrain Classroom dynamics - definition
The adult learner
Virtual teaching environments
My teaching environment
The action research
b-course 1 – identifying the problem
classroom anxiety
end-of-term questionnaire
b-course 2
conclusions
Classroom dynamics : Classroom dynamics Stevick (1980: 4)
What goes on in and between people in the classroom
IN: motivation; autonomy; know-how; self-confidence
BETWEEN: affiliation; reconciling the collective and the individual; sharing and caring (Moskowitz 1978)
The classroom of the adult learner : The classroom of the adult learner Billington (2002: 2; see also Knowles 1990 and later works):
students feel safe and supported, individual needs and uniqueness are honoured, abilities and life achievements are acknowledged and respected
intellectual freedom is fostered; experimentation and creativity are encouraged
faculty treats adult students as peers – accepted and respected as intelligent, experienced adults whose opinions are listened to, honoured, appreciated.
Self-directed learning, where students take responsibility for their own learning. They work with faculty to design individual learning programmes that address what each person needs and wants to learn in order to function optimally in their profession.
Pacing or intellectual challenge.
Active involvement in learning as opposed to passively listening to lectures.
Regular feedback mechanisms
Virtual learning environments (Dudeney and Hockly 2007) : Virtual learning environments (Dudeney and Hockly 2007) Technical constraints (hard- and software; availability and appropriacy of content)
Student ability constraints
Copyright issues
Classroom dynamics factors
My teaching environment : My teaching environment Off-line
participation in classes
worksheeting
essay
test Online
lecture handout database
e-library
out-of-class collaborative assignments
forums TEFL; theory (autumn term) and practice (spring term)
Blended learning – a balanced combination of in-class and online activities
Autumn course: The problem (B-course 1) : Autumn course: The problem (B-course 1) E-participation – close to non-existent
Moodle forums
1 2 3 4
Statistics:
number of discussions: 9
number of participants: 3
number of posts: 11
Requested participation – reluctunt; face-saving
A: Students are lazy A: Students are lazy
worksheeting
length
concern about form and content
essay
18/25
A’: The participation problem lies elsewhere
Action research : Action research The tool: Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (Horwitz, Horwitz and Cope 1986)
33 questions; possible answers: 1) strongly agree; 2) agree; 3) neither agree or disagree; 4) disagree; 5) strongly disagree
3/question; 99/student – borderlines
MEAN anxiety: 93,14286
SD: 31,99372
G – 100; H – 101; J – 112; M – 121; O – 134; P – 109; U – 102
Action research – anxiety scale : Action research – anxiety scale
Action research – the questionnaire : Action research – the questionnaire I would have taken part in moodle forum discussions if:
a) the topics had been closer to my personal interests
b) it had been possible to participate anonymously
c) the discussions had taken place in small groups closed to outsiders
d) the discussions had not been supervised by the course tutor
e) other (specify)
Action research – interim conclusion : Action research – interim conclusion As demonstrated by the studies of Horwitz, Horwitz and Cope’s (1986) as well as Matsumoto’s (1989), the fear of negative evaluation is a tension-breeding factor. Leary (Oxford 1999: 63) calls this fear of the prospective interpersonal evaluation social anxiety
The BETWEEN factor
Action research: the treatment (B-course 2) : Action research: the treatment (B-course 2) Off-line:
class participation
? lectures
and workshops
? project Online:
lecture handout database
out-of-class assignments
forums
Action research: the treatment (B-course 2) : Action research: the treatment (B-course 2) Off-line:
Working on confidence via 3 confidence- factors:
(Davies and Rinvolucri 1990)
being judged
being isolated
feeling out of control Online:
point accumulation system
face-saving – aliases
Moodle aliases : Moodle aliases
Action research – forum participation : Action research – forum participation 5 6 7
Statistics:
number of discussions: 7 (9)
number of participants: 10 (3)
number of posts: 51 (11)
A: They do it for the points
?Alex Cross – 15; Mr Pharmakon – 10; Lynette Scavo – 7
? Real world classroom dynamics improved ?
A’: The reasons lie elsewhere
The classroom of the adult learner : The classroom of the adult learner students feel safe and supported, individual needs and uniqueness are honoured, abilities and life achievements are acknowledged and respected
intellectual freedom is fostered; experimentation and creativity are encouraged
faculty treats adult students as peers – accepted and respected as intelligent, experienced adults whose opinions are listened to, honoured, appreciated.
Self-directed learning, where students take responsibility for their own learning. They work with faculty to design individual learning programmes that address what each person needs and wants to learn in order to function optimally in their profession.
Pacing or intellectual challenge.
Active involvement in learning as opposed to passively listening to lectures.
Regular feedback mechanisms
Conclusions : Conclusions If e-learning environments are like other environments and their participants are subject to real-world driving forces and constraints, including affective constraints, …
… e-group processes will be sensitive to humanising teaching,
which is best implemented as b-humanising: a combination of on- and off-line measures.
There will be students unaffected by these measures, …
… but some will benefit. As in every teaching/learning environment.
Slide 18 : Thank you ?
Anna Turula
AKA
La Peau de Chagrin
Bunny Lebowski
Mercy is for Sissies
m_tymczynska@vp.pl
Moodle forums (1) : Moodle forums (1)
Moodle forums (2) : Moodle forums (2)
Moodle forums (3) : Moodle forums (3)
Moodle forums(4) : Moodle forums(4)
Face-saving : Face-saving
Moodle forums (5) : Moodle forums (5)
Moodle forums (6) : Moodle forums (6)
Moodle forums (7) : Moodle forums (7)