The role of WebQuests in learning a foreign/second language?

WebQuests have changed the way students learn a foreign language in many ways. It has improved the language learning experience, by allowing students to communicate and interact in new ways (inquiry based learning). This is very beneficial for the learner, as well as the teacher.

One of the biggest changes brought by WebQuests is that the learning doesn't take place in a classroom anymore, it takes place online. Students can log in on their WebQuests and watch the lectures and complete the tasks posted by the teacher. The teacher designs the tasks and simply uploads them on WebQuest for the students to view on their own time, since it is available 24/7. The assignments are project-based, so the students have to work towards the completion of the project. The students have access to many resources online and can work together and share ideas. They follow inquiry based and collaborative learning. The role of the teacher is not as much as in normal classes, as they teacher can upload everything at one time and the students can complete the project by the given deadline. There is no requirement for the teacher to monitor the students all the time, as in a regular class setting.  

Another positive thing about WebQuests is that cooperative/collaborative learning can take place by other students who have traveled and explored another country’s culture. They can share videos and teach others about the culture, this will help in language learning. Since the learning is taking place online, interaction with people in other countries is also possible.  This gives the student a better understanding of the language, along with the culture of the country they are studying. It also makes them critical thinkers.

In the Saudi EFL context, I would definitely use WebQuests because many Saudi students do not get the opportunities to interact and see the culture of other people. Watching videos of how people in English speaking countries interact with each other on a daily basis, their body language etc. is will teach the students not only the English language but also the English culture. This will help the students when they move abroad and also will make them more confident students.

Also WebQuests will make things easier for the teachers, because this allows the students to be more independent from the teacher and it encourages group work.

How can blogs, wikis, and Delicious be used in the Saudi EFL context?

Blogs, wikis, and other social bookmarking tools such as Delicious are a great way for a large number of people to connect, learn, and share ideas with each other. These social medias help enhance interaction between class members and even globally, via the internet.

Blogs

Blogs such as E-Blogger, which we are currently using in our class, is an online website which is used as a place for discussion or ideas, in which people can share their views and opinions. Blogs can be used in Saudi Arabia for EFL purposes by asking students to write their views on important topics relevant in the modern world. They can then post this on the blog and share these ideas with everyone else on the blogging site. This will help interaction between various people from different places and help students become better communicators and improve their English. Also it will help them think increase general knowledge.  For example, students can write about a new, emerging technology that will change the world. Other students can then read and write their own views under the author’s blog post.

Wikis

Wikis are different from blogs and are used to write information collaboratively and give the option to the users to update information, to ensure it is always up-to-date. In the Saudi EFL context, wikis will help students work together on assignments and correct or update other student’s mistakes, through various forms on access. This will keep all the students involved not only with their own individual work, but with their classmates work as well. This will definitely improve writing skills of the students. For example, one essay which is to be written by several members of the class can be completed using a wiki.

Delicious

Delicious is social bookmarking software that allows users to store bookmarks for later access. Users can save bookmarks for websites that they would later like to visit, and all these links can be accessed through a single Delicious page.  For EFL purposes, students can save links as a reference which will help them improve their English skills. For example, if one student always feels nervous before a presentation, they can bookmark a website which shares tips on how to become a better presenter and can always read the tips through their Delicious account before giving any presentation.

Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants

   a)      Who are Digital Immigrant teachers and Digital Native students as categorized by the author?

Digital Immigrant teachers are today’s educators, who belong to the last generation, and are accustomed to the old way of learning and teaching. The use of technology in classrooms was not common in the olden days.  It is a challenge for the Digital Immigrants to adapt to the new methods of technology-assisted learning and teaching which are present today.

Digital Native students are the students of today who have been using technology in their classrooms and daily lives since a very young age. These students are very skillful and tech savvy and prefer to learn things through the use of technology.

   b)      List down 3 differences between Digital Immigrant teachers and Digital Native students.

-          Digital Immigrant teachers are accustomed to and like to learn things step by step, whereas Digital Native students process information very quickly and are capable of multi-tasking.

-          Digital Native students prefer pictures over reading though texts.

-          Digital Immigrant teachers cannot learn effectively while watching television or listening to music because they lack practice. Digital Native students, however, can learn effectively in this manner.

   c)       What is meant by Digital immigration accent? List down 3 examples of digital immigration accents.

Digital immigration accent is described by the author as the immigrants “foot in the past” meaning it is their unwillingness to let go of the learning and teaching methods of the past. Different people have different variations of accents; some are thicker than others which means they are more stern in holding onto the old ways.

Examples of digital immigration accents:

-Printing out a document to edit, instead of editing it online

-Asking someone to physically come into your office to view a file, instead of emailing it

-Printing out manuals of new products, instead of learning straight from the device itself

   d)      According to the author, what is the biggest serious problem facing education today?

The biggest problem facing education today is that Digital Immigrants, who are unfamiliar with the latest technology, are trying to teach students who are adept at technology and learn in a very different way from their instructors. The methods of teaching differ from the methods of learning by the students. There is a gap between the two.

   e)      Should the Digital Natives learn the old way, or should the Digital Immigrant learn the new way?

The Digital Immigrants must learn the new way, as the students of today have already learned to study in the new way and it may be impossible for them to go backwards, due to the way their brains work. The Digital Immigrants should work with the Digital Natives to quickly learn and adapt to the new ways of learning.

   f)       What should the Digital Immigrant educators really want to teach the Digital Natives?

Digital Immigrant educators really want to teach Legacy and Future content to the students. They should teach about the past topics such as logic, arithmetic etc., as well as the future content such as nanotechnology and hardware. The future content also includes languages, ethics, and politics etc that go along with the technology component.

“ThePossiblity of Reaching Bax’s Normalization in our Saudi context: Why is it possible? When is it possible/reached/achieved? How will it be reached?”

a)      Stephen Bax argues that, “Our aim should be to attain a state of “normalization” in which the technology is invisible and truly integrated.” 

By this statement Bax means, the use of technology should be so commonplace in the society that it should blend in and compliment all of our activities. In simple terms, technology should not be something unusual or rare. Bax believes we are at the Integrative stage of CALL and proposes the means of achieving this normalization through several ways. One such way this will be achieved is by integrating computers into every aspect of the language student’s lessons. This will not be a central part of the lesson, but it should be so integrated in the classroom that it will go unnoticed. 

Also, CALL will be normalized when more emphasis is placed on the learning aspect of the lesson, instead of the computer aspect.  The computer technology should accompany the learning only.

Bax has further described three steps which we need to take for normalization to occur:

1)      Identify the significant factors which normalization requires

2)      Audit the use of each teaching context for the identified criteria

3)      Make the necessary adjustments required for normalization to occur

a)      Application to Saudi Context

I believe that although Saudi Arabia is heading towards normalization and perhaps has achieved it to some extent, but there is still room for further integration. University students, such as in our Educational Technology class, use CALL in our daily activities, but this is not seen in schools. Students should learn how to use technology on a daily basis from a young age for normalization to happen smoothly.  This is one area which will help the youth move towards normalization.

Outside of the classroom, a greater amount of normalization can be found in Saudi Arabia. Every member of the family, be they young or old, use technology on a daily basis. Common devices used by everyone are mobile phones, cameras, ipads, laptops etc. to communicate with each other. These devices are much more commonplace these days than they were twenty years ago. Most people cannot even imagine life without them and we can technology plays a big part in our social life these days. This same normalization should also be achieved in the classrooms.

The use of blogging and interactive teaching courses and quizzes online are a good step towards normalization in Saudi Arabia. A few years from now, people will shift away from the traditional pen and paper methods of learning and shift to CALL completely and this is when normalization will occur completely.