Rethinking pedagogical
models for e-learning
This paper will report on Rethinking
pedagogical models for e-learning, a major UK research project
funded by the national Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area
Studies, based at the University of Southampton. The purpose of the research
is to explore the pedagogical and methodological implications of the development
of e-learning in Higher Education.
The study addresses the three key questions of what, why,
and how. It is mapping the manifestations of e-learning in languages,
linguistics and area studies, identifying what is driving these developments,
and examining the ways in which teachers and learners are supported, both
structurally and pedagogically. From this, recommendations for future development
will be made.
Using a two-stage research model, formal questionnaires and seminars enabled
the map to be drawn, followed by six case studies. Although the emphasis
has been on provision in the UK, this has been located within a global picture,
with data gathered on an international level.
Choices and voices: enabling young learners to take control of their own learning
How
can we encourage our adolescent students (or indeed learners of any age)
to take more responsibility for their learning? What structural and methodological
changes do we need to implement in order to support them in taking control
of their own learning? And how can we create an environment where they will
want to learn?
This paper will draw on qualitative research into students’ constructions
of foreign language learning, conducted in an English secondary school.
It will offer insights into language learning as voiced by the learners
themselves, and will suggest that in order to find appropriate, context
specific answers to such questions, we need to start by listening to our
learners, and accessing their knowledge and beliefs about, as well as their
attitudes towards, language learning.