Participants will explore ways in which online technology, such as YouTube and VoiceThread, can be used in and outside of the classroom to encourage students’ enthusiasm and facilitate language learning. Participants will survey the surprising project outcomes and explore the flexible grading rubrics (i.e., those that become more rigorous as each assignment’s intensity increases). Participants will also review and critique sample student projects, learn how to create a video, and design a workable rubric to take back to his or her own classroom.
3. This presentation will include:
The basics of Voicethread
Creative uses in and out of the classroom
Project ideas and examples
Assessment rubrics
Project feedbacks
4. What is VoiceThread?
easy upload of images,
video, audio, or Word
documents
possibility of adding text,
audio, video comments
and doodles
distribution of
VoiceThreads to
individuals or groups.
http://voicethread.com/
5. Project training and support
internet connection for VoiceThread
access, uploading entries and
viewing/responding to classmates
webcams /microphone to record video
/audio “entries”
orientation in language lab
6. Creative uses in and out of classroom
Interviews with native speakers
Skit project
Video Journaling
Oral presentation
(Students were broken into groups of 3 or 4 students each )
7. The objectives of these activities
To provide a platform for students to regularly voice
their opinions and exchange ideas with each other after
class in Chinese.
To help students reflect on their learning activities and
instructional materials in class.
To provide a new media for students to students /
instructors to students interaction in Chinese.
To expose students to authentic communication by
interaction with native speakers.
To help students apply their newly learned knowledge
and skills to real situations.
8. Project sample:
interviews with native speakers
pre-task: readings and questions
core task: interview a native speaker;
record with Flip camcorder;
upload to VT
Post- task: summarize this interview on VT;
view group members’ interviews, and
leave comments.
10. Project sample:
skit performance
Choose topic and design a public-interest
advertisement
perform and record it by Flip camcorder
upload to VoiceThread
view at least one ad from other groups
and leave voice comments
21. Project feedbacks
How much does the project help you express ideas in
Chinese outside of the classroom?
-Some, but helpful 84% - a lot 6%
How much does the project help you make improvement in
listening comprehension?
-Some, but helpful 69% - a lot 12%
How much does the project help you increase your
knowledge of Chinese culture?
-Some, but helpful 48% - a lot 28%
How much does the project help you identify the
strengths and weaknesses of your presentation?
-Some, but helpful 38 % - a lot 42%
22. Project feedbacks
It is useful to learn others’ opinions from their video
presentations.
-agree 60% - strongly agree 33%
The comments or feedbacks from classmates and
instructor are helpful.
-agree 78% - strongly agree 22%
Simulated interviews with native speakers are very
helpful.
-agree 71% - strongly agree 22%
It is a good opportunity to practice Chinese in
the skit performance.
-agree 45% - strongly agree 55%
23. Advantages:
-good user interface, fun to make project
-it is interesting to hear people’s response, it is also helpful on
identifying errors.
-it was good to be able to see my presentation and be able to self
evaluate my Chinese pronunciation
-very cool, easy to use
-I could watch myself and see where I went wrong
-has a lot of potential
-I can learn my own weaknesses
-allows speaking practice
-let you use language outside of classroom
-provides an opportunity to get a lot of feedback
Disadvantages:
-100 mb upload limit
-there were technical difficulties
90% students would like to recommend the use of Voicethread in Chn126
in the future.
24. Conclusions:
Encouraging active participation in target language use regardless
of distance and space; stored-and-forward communication is easily
accessible
Promoting the use of multiple communication modes from receptive
to productive and interpersonal, interpretive and presentational
communication;
Providing a wide range of participation from one-to-one, one-to-
many and many-to-many
Making good use of multiple communication devices to extend
maximum language contact hours and frequency of interaction
among teachers and students and between native speakers and
non-native speakers
Providing an opportunity to get a lot of feedbacks and the student’s
productive samples were collected for assessment.
25. references
Honggang Jin (2009) Participatory Learning in Internet Web technology: A
study of Three Tools in the Context of CFL Learning Journal of Chinese
Language teaching Associate, 26-45
Augar, N., Raitman, R. & Zhou, W. (2004). From e-learning to virtual
learning community: Bridging the gap. Paper presented at the International
Conference on Web-Based Learning, Advances in Web-Based Learning -
ICWL 2004, Beijing.
Lipponen, L. (2002). Exploring foundations for computer-supported
collaborative learning. In G. Stahl (Ed.), Computer Support for Collaborative
Learning: Foundations for a CSCL community. Proceedings of the
Computer-supported Collaborative Learning 2002 Conference (pp. 72-81).
Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum
Sidney L.Hagn, Tamara Stassen, Grading Classroom Oral Activities: Effects
on Motivation and Proficiency Foreign Language Annals 22,No 3,1989