scholarly journals The Impact of Integrating Weblogs into an ESP Classroom

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiza Zeqiri

Abstract Researchers have investigated the role of information technology (IT) in learning but there is a need for studies investigating the impact of Blogging distinctively. There are previous studies which support the use of technology in the classroom and researchers who are arguing the opposite by expressing their concerns related to technology integration into the curriculum. This paper attempts to explore the impact and effectiveness of using weblogs in universities, particularly in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) environment. The participants in this study were 25 second and third year Communication Sciences students attending ESP one and two courses. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used for the data collection. Evidence was gathered in the form of student questionnaires, weblogs and teacher’s analysis and evaluation of the process. The findings indicate that ESP students would not use their blogs effectively unless they are monitored and motivated by their teacher. It can be suggested that blogs can be used as an educational tool in different ESP courses and not only with ESP for Communication Sciences because their usage enhances student-student and teacher-student interaction and promotes discussions. Moreover, using Blogs in the classroom proved to be a good opportunity to promote students’ self reflection, peer evaluation skills and also their critical thinking ability. Finally, weblogs encourage collaborative work; establish a rapport between the learners and the teacher, by building a learning community and enhancing learner autonomy

Author(s):  
Douglas C. Orzolek

This chapter outlines the nature of music teacher evaluation found in existing and related literature and research. From these writings, there are an abundance of emergent themes that provide stakeholders with an opportunity to examine this topic and consider its application in their own settings. These themes include ideas related to the following: the intent of teacher evaluation; the role of teacher evaluation; what an effective teacher is; the importance of multifaceted evaluation systems; the place of student learning in the evaluative process; the various forms of evidence used to evaluate educators; the fact that research and practice should be intertwined in developing evaluation systems; the role of testing; the degree to which observation and self-reflection should be involved in teacher evaluation; the importance of clear and concise goals for learners; and the impact that systems of evaluation will have on the educators, schools, students, and American education as a whole. This chapter intends to allow stakeholders the opportunity to reflect on all of these issues and challenges.


2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Michael Bourne

Technology has an ever increasing impact on how we work and live. Article adressed the issue of the impact of technology in two key areas of language learning. On the one side learners increasingly used technology to translate. Given this trend, was there any real need to learn a language. On the other side, educational institutions increasingly used technology to rate language proficiency. Given this trend, would the work of the teacher become less and less important. The survey was conducted by using quantitative method. The respondents’ age range was 18-25. There were 53 respondents, 35% were male and 65% were female. The instrument was a questionaire having 9 questions describing the students’ reliance on computer in translation. It can be concluded that learners of English indicate that they accept and welcome the role of technology in language learning, but there is a doubt that the role and participation of humans in the learning process will be completely replaced. The human element remains an important ingredient. (EE)


Author(s):  
Lazar Stošić

Today, more than ever, the role of educational technology in teaching is of great importance because of the use of information and communication technologies. With the help of various applications for distance education, the Internet, teachers, and students themselves, they see the advantage of educational technology. The question is whether schools and teachers themselves are ready for the use of technology in education and whether they are aware of its benefits? In this paper, we try to give an overview of the importance and use of educational technology in the classroom.


Author(s):  
Annette Greer ◽  
Vivian W. Mott

This article explores the use of various learning technologies as tools for facilitating learner-centered teaching. The article offers another perspective on the scholarship of teaching with technology—through discussion of various theoretical models of learner-centered teaching, the role of technology on the student/instructor relationships, the impact on technology in different educational settings and contexts, and learners’ cultural differences. The article concludes with a brief discussion of future trends, cautions, and speculations related to technology use in learner-centered teaching.


Proceedings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Vega ◽  
Ramírez-Benavides ◽  
Guerrero ◽  
López

By using techniques such as the Wizard of Oz (WoZ) and video capture, this paper evaluated the performance of the Nao Robot in the role of a personal assistant, which was valuated alongside the impact of the assigned gender (male/female) in the perceived performance of the robot assistant. Within a sample size of 39 computer sciences students, this study assessed criteria such as: perceived enjoyment, intention to use, perceived sociability, trust, intelligence, animacy, anthropomorphism, and sympathy, utilizing testing tools such as Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and Godspeed Questionnaire (GSQ). These methods identified a significant effect of the gender assigned to the robot in variables such as intelligence and sympathy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 192
Author(s):  
Susana León-Jiménez

Friendship has been studied along centuries, since ancient times to present-day, as the basis of the social cornerstone, present at all stages of the lifespan and belonging to the world of truthful sentiments. Benefits of friendship on health have been demonstrated. Less is known about the role of friendship on seniors. The aim of this case study has been to show how the end friendship developed in an adults’ school operating for more than 40 years in Barcelona is having a positive impact on the well-being and health of their participants. Through the communicative discussion group, we have deepened in the trajectories of some of the school participants. The results show how participation in the school and the dialogic gatherings have contributed to the emergence of a non-instrumental friendship feeling and to consider an impact on the perceived general wellness and health and an improvement of their life quality. It is discussed how this research provides more elements to the existing literature. More research on how other communitarian environments have similar effects on this population, or on the impact of these dialogical spaces in the development of end friendships in other stages of the life cycle would be of interest.


Author(s):  
Cecilia Titiek Murniati ◽  
Ridwan Sanjaya

The existent literature on the integration of technology in language classrooms has addressed the issues of effective teaching strategies, the types of technologies students use, and teachers’ preparedness in adopting technology for the classrooms. Some scholars argue that the effectiveness of technology largely relies on the teaching strategies that teachers utilize. The findings of some studies shed light on the impact of technology on students’ attitude and engagement. Despite the unresolved debates about the use of technology in the classroom and its impact on student learning, the author’s current projects using games, YouTube, blog, and microblogging services indicated that students benefit from the projects in several ways. The participants of this study were students in the English Department in a private university in Semarang. The data for this study were collected from interviews, observation, and students’ learning reflective journals that students submitted upon the completion of the projects. The findings indicated that students felt more confident in applying their knowledge in real life situations. Interactions with teachers and peers, bridged by technology, contribute to their development as the creator of knowledge.


Author(s):  
Иван Владимирович Севастьянов

Статья посвящена анализу особенностей традиции гостеприимства у кряшен, самобытного этноконфессионального сообщества, характеризующегося сочетанием татароязычия и православного вероисповедания. Изыскания автора основываются как на письменных источниках, так и на оригинальных полевых материалах, касающихся преимущественно двух этнографических групп кряшенского населения Республики Татарстан, молькеевской и заказанской, каждая из которых обладает собственной этнокультурной спецификой. Этнографический материал, анализируемый в статье, относится к хронологическому отрезку от рубежа к. XIX – нач. XX вв. до настоящего дня. Ставится задача, во-первых, исследовать проявления гостеприимства в конкретной этнической среде в его функциональных разновидностях; во-вторых, проследить трансформацию этого обычая в условиях современности. Показана саморефлексия автора-исследователя по поводу проблемы взаимовлияния объекта и субъекта изучения (этнографического наблюдения) и роль субъективности в научном постижении иной этнической культуры. Отношения диалога между исследователем и информантом рассматриваются как значимый приоритетный аналитический подход. В этой связи на примере опыта полевой работы в среде кряшенского населения Республики Татарстан выявляется воздействие, которое традиция гостеприимства в ее современном бытовании оказала на полевые исследования ученых-этнологов. Важнейшим ресурсом в процессе работы, по мнению автора, оказались взаимная расположенность и доверие, во многом базирующиеся на обычае гостеприимства. The article is devoted to the analysis of the tradition of hospitality among the Kryashens, an authentic ethno-confessional community, characterized by a combination of the Tatar-speaking and Orthodox faith. The research is based on both written sources and original field materials concerning mainly two ethnographic groups of the Kryashen population of the Republic of Tatarstan – Molkeevskaya and Zakazan, each of them having its own ethno-cultural specificity. The ethnographic material analyzed in the article refers to the period from the turn of the XIX – early XX centuries to the present day. The task is, firstly, to study the manifestations of hospitality in a specific ethnic environment in its functional varieties; secondly, to trace the transformation of this custom in modern conditions. The self-reflection of the author-researcher on the problem of the mutual influence of the object and the subject of study (ethnographic observation), the role of subjectivity in the scientific comprehension of another ethnic culture is shown. Understanding the relationship of the dialogue between the researcher and the informant is considered as a significant analytical approach. In this regard, the experience of fieldwork among the Kryashen population of the Republic of Tatarstan reveals the impact that the tradition of hospitality in its contemporary form had on the field research of ethnologists. Mutual disposition and trust, largely based on the custom of hospitality, turned out to be the most important resource in the process of an ethnological study.


2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Kabes ◽  
Dennis Lamb ◽  
John Engstrom

Quantitative data collected from graduates of the Southwest Minnesota State University Master of Science in Education program examined the impact of the learning environment, the role of the facilitator, and their professional development. The results showcased the success of the learning community model in facilitating personal and professional growth and transformation. Essential elements of the program include: best practices, learning environment, effective teaching strategies, research-based decision making, scaffolding, peer collaboration, learning community philosophy, professional growth, empowerment, reflective practitioner, inquiry, and transformational leader (change agent). The data collected from student surveys over a five-year period indicated a high level of impact on their empowerment and transformational practices.


Author(s):  
Annette Greer ◽  
Vivian W. Mott

This article explores the use of various learning technologies as tools for facilitating learner-centered teaching. The article offers another perspective on the scholarship of teaching with technology—through discussion of various theoretical models of learner-centered teaching, the role of technology on the student/instructor relationships, the impact on technology in different educational settings and contexts, and learners’ cultural differences. The article concludes with a brief discussion of future trends, cautions, and speculations related to technology use in learner-centered teaching.


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