CategoryInstructional Design

Interactivity & The 5 Ts that Make it Fail

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Ian Forsyth (Teaching & Learning Materials & The Internet, 3rd edition,  p. 135) defines interactivity as
emulating the traditional classroom
He lists the 5 Ts that cause interactivity to fail on the Internet (pp. 19 -23)

time
technology timid
territoriality on topics
training
truss – an infrastructure requirement

E-Courseware Design: Issues

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Let me list some of the topical issues that keep emerging and need to be addressed asap. usability – what I mean here is all the extra clicks that either my students or I make, which takes time. Distributing courseware in space often results in learners’ having to spend more time online than they would otherwise have, and that should be avoided. feedback – it is not enough to...

Web 2.0 Synonyms & Opposites

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The opposite of hyperlinking is RSS aka really simple syndication. Users find content on the web and hyperlink to it . The opposite is subscribing to syndicated content aka RSS feeds. RSS readers are also known as aggregators. Metadata or metatags are usually embedded in website code, are not visible to the eye, are added by website content managers, are arranged by taxonomies, are structured...

How Long Should One Online Language Lesson Last?

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To begin with, I am not aware of any reliable statistics.  I can only draw on my personal experience and summarize a number of related Google search results. It is obvious, I hope, that it is impossible to spend more than 3 clock hours talking without a break.  I guess that’s the maximum.  As for the minimum, an online lesson can be as long as a regular phone call, i.e. it can last for as...

An Ideal E-Notebook

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‘Spent the day contemplating Clarke’s e-note-taking advice. Isn’t it amazing? They’ve got it all online but for proper note-taking tools.  I mean Moodle doesn’t have such a module or activity as a notebook. Nor does Blackboard Vista. Well, they do have blogs and notes sections, but they’re so-o badly designed that I do not want to comment. What would one want...

Techniques to Increase Memory & Stimulate Deep Cognitive Processes

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According to MacLachlan (1986) сited by E. L. Criswell (1989, pp 36-39)  the following instructional techniques can help the teacher teach and the student learn: Explaining the benefits of the lesson to the student before or at the beginning of the lesson. Memory is increased when the student is paying attention. That’s logical though sometimes easier said than done.  The authors do not...

Teaching EFL to Very Young Learners, Part 2

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While we were in the middle of exploring Cookie and Friends, I gradually introduced two more CD-ROMs, also by OUP. They are Tilly’s Word Fun 1 & Tilly’s Word Fun 2. Product Description Tilly’s Word Fun 1 – Topics Animals Face Family Food School Toys Tilly’s Word Fun 2 – Topics   At home Body Clothes Farm Food Holiday The activities used are 1. Listen 2...

Teaching EFL to Very Young Learners, Part 1

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I started teaching my child English when she was 3y8m old. The software that we used was very positively accepted, and the child was required to provide her responses using the computer mouse and clicking. The CD-ROM Cookie & Friends by Vanessa Reilly, OUP, was amongst the very first. Product Description Provides a colouring activity for each of 12 different topics (relating to the Cookie and...

Structure of Human Development: Implications for Instructional Design

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Piaget (1964) cited by E. L. Criswell (1989, pp. 35-36) developed the theory that children grow intellectually in stages: From years 0 to 2, children explore their tiny environments, and through physical exploration, learn that objects exist and do not change from day to day. This is the sensorimotor stage. This is a period of motor action. The way I see it, the time can be successfully used for...

Digital Storytelling

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A digital story is a personal experience represented in narrative format. The script is amplified by including video, music, still-frame imagery, and the author’s voice. A digital story typically lasts for two to three minutes. Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools p. 43 It must take ages to create such a story, but the idea is interesting anyways. I imagine the teacher has to provide a lot of...

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