Teachers as Designers - Resources to Inspire in Week 3

A useful database of 32 technology based examples including collaborative, problem-based, case based, and role play learning strategies. The learning designs come from various disciplines and subjects, mostly at the University level. They can be useful in getting your head round the idea of learning design. I found the Collaborative Focus section particularly useful as well as ‘Interactive Stories’ design under projects, which actually focuses on language education. When exploring the design, please check out the links in the top right-hand corner of the page referred to as: ‘snapshot’, ‘designer’s voice’ and ‘cross-links’.

A very useful and comprehensive list of designs with the ‘challenge addressed’ as the starting point. It includes the following aspects: Efficiencies and Effectiveness Employability - authentic professional and work-related learning experiences, Learner attendance, Learner engagement, Recruitment, Stakeholder engagement, Remote learners (includes distance learners, work-based learners, students on placement and fieldwork), Staff development, Art and design Bioscience Business, Management, Accountancy and Finance, Education, Health, Sciences and Practice Hospitality, Leisure and Toruism

To help you select the most useful resources, you may go to the Education section under Subject areas, which has 6 ideas. Alternatively, have a look at the Technologies Used section, which lists 10 types of technologies for inspiration.

These learning designs focus on subject-specific areas (which may be useful for CLIL teachers) but some of them, particularly on pages 3-5 look into various teaching techniques as well as generic and employability skills, which may be integrated into language classes for graduates or business people.

This is an overview of Blended Learning, where and when the term first appeared and how the term was incorporated in ELT. You will have the be able to understand the terms related to Blended Learning such as “web-enhanced, blended, hybrid and fully online.” Throughout this reading you will have the opportunity to understand and reflect about the different blend and why a good blend is important for the learning process. Joy Gilbert talks about the a collaborative online reading and research project in Part 1. In Part 3, Natalya discusses English as a Foreign Language in a writing course, part 7 highlights the assessment criteria in blended learning. In part 10 you can find interesting information about The Cambridge CELTA course online, how it was developed and its specifics.

This guide is for anyone interested in teaching and learning languages, and thinking about teaching practices. It introduces a pedagogical framework for mobile assisted language learning. It looks at the different elements in detail before giving example lesson plans and activities (all linked back to the framework with justifications for their inclusion). Primarily aimed at late teen and adult learners in an English speaking country but can easily be adapted to learners around the world. It does not necessarily follow all the ideas of learning design, but it does have a wide variety of activities and apps that can be used in the classroom.

Edited by Gary Motteram, this publication offers a different approach to the uses of learning technologies in the language classroom. It gives an overview of the use of technology for English language teaching and learning. One difference between this book compared to others is that it devotes two chapters which discuss how teachers have adapted these technologies into the classroom. It not only shows what they adapted, but it also tells how these adaptations went and what happened when they were applied. Chapters 3 and 7 discuss case studies where teachers used technology based tools and the results of the cases. Some of the tools used are an interactive whiteboard, PowerPoint, Moodle, Audacity, PBworks wikis, and Movie Maker to name a few.

Research Notes is Cambridge English Language Assessment's quarterly publication reporting on matters relating to research, test development and validation within English language assessment. This quarterly publication introduces best practice and new developments within linguistics and language testing from experts in the field. Cambridge English Research Notes Issues 12, 23 and 43 contain projects related to Technology and Language Assessment. The recent English Australia/Cambridge English Action Research Programme also contain noteworthy Action Research related to digital technology and language teaching - see Research Notes Issues 44, 48 and 53.

This e-book is a collection of contributions from practitioners working in universities across the UK and the world. It includes case studies and reflective pieces which showcase good practice in the use of technology for language teaching and learning. They do not necessarily follow the idea of learning design but still can inspire you when it comes to the use of technology in the classroom. For an overview read the introduction: http://reference.research-publishing.net/publication/chapters/978-1-908416-23-0/262.pdf