~w.e.b.s.i.t.e.v.a.l.u.a.t.i.o.n~

TSL 641
COMPUTER ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING
ASSIGNMENT 2: ESL WEBSITE EVALUATION

1. What does the application attempt to “teach”?

The website is http://a4esl.org/a/g.html. Basically, this application attempts to help students learn English as a Second Language. It focuses on grammar, vocabulary and also bilingual quizzes. All the activities in this application are contributions from many experienced teacher out here in conjunction to the project of The Internet TESL Journal.

2. What sorts of things is the application user expected to do with regards to learning the content?

With regards to learn the content of the application, it requires user to fill in the blanks, answer multiple choice question, match, answer true and false question and the most exciting part is crossword puzzle. Moreover, it records the marks of the students’ performance.

3. What sorts of computer skills is the application users expected to have in order to operate/access/use the application?

Computer skills are ability to utilize the software or hardware of a computer. Therefore, in order to operate/access/use the application user is needed to have the ability to browse the internet in the first place. Then, user should know how to use the mouse in order to interact with the elements on the computer screen. Next, user should also know to use the computer keyboard. All these skills required are the basic computer skills. Thus, I think this application is user friendly due to basic computer skills requirement that would ease the user.

4. While you are “playing/accessing/assessing” the application, does it remind you of anything you do in a classroom, or with a teacher, or with a fellow classmate, or in self-study?

Yes, the application does remind me of the activity that I have carried out with my students during my practicum days. It is crossword puzzle. It did grab my students’ attention in learning. I did this type of activity during the closure or as the enrichment activity in the class. All my students did participate in the activity actively. Although, it is not using the computer but my students did enjoy the activity. I just made the puzzle using the flip paper and colourful marker pens. Therefore, I made a conclusion that this activity did attract students’ attention to participate. In general, I believe that students did enjoy activity in which look like a game. They worked and think better in competition situation. Thus, I also agree that this application could attract students’ attention to try and enjoy the activities provided. Furthermore, the activities are divided into several levels in which can cater all the range of students’ proficiency.

5. Can you pinpoint some theories of language learning and/or teaching underlying the application?

The theory of language teaching that applies in this application is Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). This is because CLT is student-centered in which emphasizes more on students participation on the activities. In this theory, teachers play role as facilitators and allowing students to contribute more in the learning process. These apply in this application whereby teacher serves as facilitator who gives directions to students only. Furthermore, this application also implies the Direct Method in which it uses the target language as the medium of instruction. Moreover, it emphasizes on linking meaning to the target language (cited in http://www.englishraven.com/method_direct.html).

6. How well is the constructivist theory of learning applied to the chosen website?

This application applied more on the Piaget’s constructivist theory. This is because this application particularly requires more students’ responses rather than teachers. Here, teachers are the facilitators whereby they facilitate students’ progress in carrying out the activities. According to Piaget, learning occurs through taking action and solving problems. Educational reflections of his theory stated that children are continually interacting with the world around them by solving problems that are presented by the environment. Therefore, when they are given this application as their environment, they would try their best to interact with the environment and solving the problems in order to gain knowledge about learning a language. Furthermore, Piaget also claims that cognitive development requires continuous effort in order for the children to adapt to the environment of assimilation and accommodation. In addition, Mclaughlin (1992) reports that “Accommodation is an important idea that has been taken into second language learning under the label “restructuring” to refer to the re-organization of mental representations of a language.” Thus, by using this application continuously, it could help students to learn second language which is English effectively. In conclusion, from the Piaget’s theory, it concludes that this application offering opportunities for students to learn English as the second language by involving themselves in the authentic environment.

7. In 1980s and early 1990s, there was a major debate on ‘whether the computer was “master” of or “slave” to the learning process (Higgins and Johns, 1984). In relation to your evaluation- was the computer a replacement for teachers, or merely an obedient servant to students?

In my point of view, I do not view the computer was a replacement for teachers. However, it is a tool to help teachers in educating the students. It is a ‘workhorse’ whereby it aims to empower learners to use and understand language. As the world changed, education system also changed. By using internet facility, it gives students chances to surf for the world wide application in enhancing the language. Based on the ‘International Email Tandem Network’ project by Hulmet Brammerts in 1993, students were discussing about the language through the email on a reciprocal basis. Therefore, it did show that computer also helps students in learning a language. In the other hand, it is also medium of transferring knowledge for students in learning a language. This is because it provides more authentic learning environment to the students in discovering the knowledge by their own. Moreover, sometimes it integrates more than one skill in transferring the knowledge to the students. For example, reading skill, speaking skill, listening skill and also writing skill.

8. Would you like to use the application yourself in your future work?

Yes, I would like to use this application in mu future work. This is because this application can be use as enrichment to students’ knowledge. Moreover, it can be an exposure for students in using internet because in certain area there is no internet facility at home. Therefore, students only have the chance to be exposed to the technology at school only. As a future teacher, I should make use of the opportunity in order to give them sufficient knowledge and also exposure to the technology world. Moreover, this application is good to be applied to students because it has different levels that follow students’ proficiency in the subject matter. For example, easy, medium and difficult. As students go through the activities they could gain their confidence step by step. This is because students usually start with the easy level first then followed by medium and difficult days by days.

9. Suggestions/recommendations.

This application would be much better if there are verbal instructions, sounds and also colourful pictures. In my opinion, verbal instruction requires students to be more alert in carrying out the activities. They tend to be more focus. Furthermore, sounds could make this application more attractive and effective for young learners. For instance, the sound of clapping hands if they get the answer right. This is because at the young age, they tend to be more motivated with that kind of sound. It is the same with coloured pictures. It gives impacts in students’ learning process.

Reference :

1. The Direct Method. Retrieved on February 18, 2009. Website: http://www.englishraven.com/method_direct.html

2. Communicative Language Teaching. Retrieved on February 18, 2009. Website: http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/comlangteach/index.htm


3. Tuncer Can. (2006). Piaget’s Theory of Learning and Constructivism. Retrieved on February 18, 2009. Website: http://constructivist-education.blogspot.com/2006/04/piagets-theory-of-learning-and.html