Language Learning MOOC
I am happy to see that the topic of MOOCs as a language learning tool have come up in Change11!
Again, even though I am not a PhD student yet, I am considering topics for a potential dissertation. The idea is that if I have an idea going in, and it's partially developed, I won't be stuck in dissertation purgatory :-)
In any case, I've been participating in, and observing, various MOOCs over the past nine months and what's emerged is that different MOOCs take different approaches to the running of the class. Some are more loose (see eduMOOC) and some are more controlled (I think LAK11 was more controlled), and of course there are other MOOCs that are somewhere in-between those two spectrums. In thinking of a language learning MOOC (at least my potential dissertation topic), I am thinking of a MOOC that is more on the controlled side. The MOOC is going to be an introduction to Modern Greek, so there are some standards, some criteria, that students would have to meet in order to consider their participation in the course as a success. Of course, students will have their own goals as well, but I see those as additive to the learning process, not in-lieu of instructor goals. This is where, I think, instructors and participants need to come to an understanding of what is the minimum part of the MOOC.
In my implementation, when designing the MOOC, I was thinking of integrating, among other things, ACTFL's standards, Quality Matters standards, and factoring in what level of ACTFL Spoken Proficiency level I would like students to get out of the course. One of the areas that I am a bit stuck on is assessment. If this is truly a massive online open course, and massive amounts of people come, how can one assess the learner's attainment of a certain level language proficiency? Do you elect to test everyone? (potentially a massive undertaking) Do you take volunteers? (this means you might skew results because only those confident to take the tests will do so, and might skew results in favor of MOOCs) or do you do a random sample? (and how do you ask someone to take an exam when previous MOOCs don't really have exams?)
I was thinking of the Digital Storytelling MOOC, and how those students had deliverables. What if I incorporated DS components as deliverables and assess language use there? What if I assessed discussions? Hmmmm.... So many questions! I am happy though that there are others out there pondering these things - good opportunities for collaboration!
Again, even though I am not a PhD student yet, I am considering topics for a potential dissertation. The idea is that if I have an idea going in, and it's partially developed, I won't be stuck in dissertation purgatory :-)
In any case, I've been participating in, and observing, various MOOCs over the past nine months and what's emerged is that different MOOCs take different approaches to the running of the class. Some are more loose (see eduMOOC) and some are more controlled (I think LAK11 was more controlled), and of course there are other MOOCs that are somewhere in-between those two spectrums. In thinking of a language learning MOOC (at least my potential dissertation topic), I am thinking of a MOOC that is more on the controlled side. The MOOC is going to be an introduction to Modern Greek, so there are some standards, some criteria, that students would have to meet in order to consider their participation in the course as a success. Of course, students will have their own goals as well, but I see those as additive to the learning process, not in-lieu of instructor goals. This is where, I think, instructors and participants need to come to an understanding of what is the minimum part of the MOOC.
In my implementation, when designing the MOOC, I was thinking of integrating, among other things, ACTFL's standards, Quality Matters standards, and factoring in what level of ACTFL Spoken Proficiency level I would like students to get out of the course. One of the areas that I am a bit stuck on is assessment. If this is truly a massive online open course, and massive amounts of people come, how can one assess the learner's attainment of a certain level language proficiency? Do you elect to test everyone? (potentially a massive undertaking) Do you take volunteers? (this means you might skew results because only those confident to take the tests will do so, and might skew results in favor of MOOCs) or do you do a random sample? (and how do you ask someone to take an exam when previous MOOCs don't really have exams?)
I was thinking of the Digital Storytelling MOOC, and how those students had deliverables. What if I incorporated DS components as deliverables and assess language use there? What if I assessed discussions? Hmmmm.... So many questions! I am happy though that there are others out there pondering these things - good opportunities for collaboration!
Comments
I wanted to ask, though, do you see any way to have a LMOOC that includes the learning of more than one specific language?
I wanted to ask, though, do you see any way to have a LMOOC that includes the learning of more than one specific language?
Adding to your ponderings, you maybe want to split the assessment of language proficiency and look at writing, listening, speaking and reading skills independently. Maybe the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is worth having a look at, especially the "Can"-statements on what students are expected to be able to do on different proficiency levels.
Glen Cochrane Interesting question and worthwhile thinking about. I think when we talk about "language learning" in these contexts, we should first establish what we mean by this term. What are the target objectives of a multilingual MOOLLC, what are the learners supposed to gain from the course? Are the four core competencies of equal importance? What does the target group look like, how homogenous/heterogenous is it and how does the format deal with differences?
I don't see why a multilingual MOOLLC should not be possible. The facilitators could pick an adequate set of languages (of the same language family) for less experienced learners or a truely open format with lots of different languages and everyone gets to pick and choose the languages they would like to know more about...
Definitely an unteresting thing to think about and an excellent PhD project...
Thanks for the comment! I don't think that assessments can be divorced from teaching. I think that language exams are their own special "monster" and preparation for those tests doesn't mean that the person speaks the language well. In my mind there are two types of test: (1) Standardized - like the TOEFL, JLPT and TOEIC; and (2) the "can you communicate and find your way if I kidnapped you and dropped you in the middle of Athens" test. I think in an LMOOC the second type of assessment is much more useful.
As far as teaching more than one language in a MOOC, no, I don't see it. I can imagine that there are "meta language" MOOC opportunities (more like linguistics and language teaching MOOCs) but not multiple languages in a MOOC. The only exclusion to this is bilingual education MOOCs where you have a population of people speaking X and another speaking Y, and both X and Y are taught, so that speakers of X help speakers or Y learn X, and vice versa. If you add more languages to that mix it can become chaotic (in my opinion anyway)
Thanks for the info on the Common European Framework of Reference Languages - this is something that I was unaware of.
As far as the MOOLLC goes, I see what you mean about related languages (let's say French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese as Romance Languages). I think that one could learn grammar in this way (as a matter of fact my knowledge of French really helped me when I was learning Italian), and perhaps with some vocabulary, but I don't know how well it would work with communicating in every day situations where slang and more regional variations are influencing language use.
I could see 4 separate MOOCs dealing with 4 different classes and people joining both, but I am having a hard time imagining how 4 languages could be taught simultaneously in a one MOOC. Then again, it depends on what the learning goals of the MOOC are :-)