Bildungswissenschaft/LANCELOT

= 1. Introduction This paper reports the concept development and evaluation results from the project LANCELOT (LANguage learning with CErtified Live Online Teachers). In LANCELOT a training program on live online language training is developed. This training program covers technical, methodological and intercultural aspects of live online language training. Concepts for the use of current online communication technologies, for suitable language teaching methods and for the consideration of intercultural aspects of live online language training are developed within the project. The concepts are combined in the training program by using an innovative pedagogical concept for online teaching and learning, the Wehttp://www.lerndorf.de/know/index.cgi?thema_id=-1b-Didactics. The concept of Web-Didactics is used to integrate methodological, technical and intercultural aspects within the training program. Intercultural Ascpets are necessary for language teaching in online environmentzs due to the inernational nature of the expecte audience. New methods = 2. Background Problem: Lack of trainign programms for language teachers considering videoconferencing. New tools raise demand for adopting language teaching methods considering technological opportunities and intercultural aspects. 2.1 Videoconferencing/Asynchronous tools/different tools Development of tools: When has which tools be developed.

blahblah -> New tools raise new demand for lanugage teaching methods and teacher qualifiocations. (Finckelstein/Salomon) 2.2 Language teaching methods (Hanna) vocabulary, grammar, listening skills, .... blahblah

Teaching in Online Envrionmets using new tolls with well etsabilsehd teachnig methods raises new tasks for teachers who become facilitators with an focus on supervision and coaching: 2.3 Supervision and coaching (Kathi) New tool raise demand for new teacher role: Beside teaching a language supervision and coachgin of learners becomes necessary. Current concepts show: .....

Single aspecsta re covered, but not integrated into one convincing concept 2.4 Web-Didactic-concept for integration (Christian) One of the aims of didactical knowledge organization is adjusting content to media. Adjusting content to media has been a challenge for didactical theory since Gutenberg invented printing. Comenius, one of the founders of didactical theory, has already reflected Gutenberg’s invention in 1657. Comenius described books as an innovative technology and an important medium for teaching that allows us to not only improve tuition, but also offer new forms of learning, and help the lower classes. In spite of the fact that schoolbooks have been well established within our culture, educational films are still developing and computer technology has only just started.

Today’s task was posed by Heimann in 1976, who questioned how aims, content, media and didactical models could be combined and incorporated. Whilst Heimann focused on the content we focus on the medium computer technology. Under the assumption that computer technology is here to stay, we must now inevitably query how knowledge can be organized and communicated through this medium. How do we consolidate this knowledge and apply it to education?

As Meder (1998) and Swertz (2000) demonstrated in a theoretical analysis of the media structure of computer technology, this medium requires offering individual paths through content to learners in a reflective way, thus requiring teachers to produce individually navigable hypertexts. Individualization does not mean offering “pure” self-directed learning, as learning presupposes instruction by others. We have to aid teachers in reorganizing knowledge to hypertexts that allow for individual navigation. Supporting learners in finding their individual path is also a crucial factor.

In light of these considerations, Web-Didactics was based on educational theory (Hönigswald 1927), knowledge organization theory (Buder 1991) and traditionally successful didactical models (Flechsig 1996). The analysis highlighted two key problem areas from the learner’s perspective.

We have to offer navigational aids allowing the learner to move around efficiently. We have to offer a variety of didactical models.

Web-Didactics solves these two tasks by a didactical ontology. This ontology uses vocabulary, which may be used as an aid for navigation as well as a metadata system. Such a system allows for an automatic rearrangement of content according to varied didactical models. By offering the metadata system and the didactical models to authors, they are simultaneously supported in producing high quality content for learning. Another advantage is the element of quality assurance. This becomes simple as the material can easily be evaluated against the metadata. What does this ontology look like?

The Web-Didactic ontology consists of a local hierarchy being placed in a network topology. The local hierarchy consists of three layers: Media Units, Knowledge Units and Learning Units.

Media Units are in matters of size defined by the medium used. Every Media Unit is typed with their media type. Web-Didactics therefore offer an ontology of didactical media types. Knowledge Units consist of one or more Media Units having the same knowledge type. Web-Didactics offer an ontology of didactical knowledge types. Learning Units consist of one or many Knowledge Units having the same topic. The topics are organized as a thesaurus and connected with typed relations. Web-Didactics offer an ontology of relation types. The typed relations make up the topology.

The metadata, which will be presented in the complete report in detail, may be used as a navigation aid for learners as we have illustrated in our prototype “InLearn” on http://www.lerndorf.de. Our research has shown that learners understand the metadata as a navigational aid without further explanation and use them to find their individual paths through the knowledge network efficiently.

While the navigation aid is already available, the automatic rearrangement of content to chosen didactical models still awaits implementation. Which software architecture would be the best to fulfill this task?

To arrange content according to didactical models, Web-Didactics offer models on all layers of the hierarchy:

Media models are applied to media types (e.g.: from concrete to abstract) Micro models are applied to knowledge types (e.g.: example based learning) Macro Models are applied to relation types (e.g.: learning by concentric circles)

These models are connected to the metadata, thus building a consistent ontology. For example, if exemplary based learning is chosen as the Micro-Model, Knowledge Units typed as Example will (amongst others) be used in the sequence. This shows at the same time how authors are supported; if they want to offer certain models they will know which knowledge types to produce from the ontology.

The r current challenge facing research is to represent these didactical models in a way that allows computer technology to apply the models to the metadata. These tasks concern several considerations:

Didactical specialists constructed didactical Models. Unfortunately, didactical specialists often lack understanding of computer technology and programming skills. Learning material often reveals inconsistencies, which prohibit a clear sequencing decision. Learning material often has incomplete structures that can easily be handled by teachers, but become a serious problem for computer technology.

How can didactical models be represented? Possible architectures are logical knowledge representation, procedural knowledge representation and semantic networks. The use of logical representation was already tried in the Project “L3” (Ehlers et. al. 2003). Within L3, only hierarchical models were represented, and the implementation could only work on complete and consistent graphs. L3 proved that it is possible to represent didactical models with logic but it also exposed limitations. This model was far from an acceptable working code of practice. since the didactical specialist was not able to modify the representation and any changes made to the representation caused many unforeseen changes in the software.

3. Main Focus of the Chapter 3.1 Learning objectives for language trainers 3.1.1 Language teaching methods (Hanna) Traditonal methods, known by language teachers example and activity orientated strategy to foster transfer to new environment (1) Language teaching methods: full range in new online environemtns (2): Web-Didactics: Knowledgee types for examnple and acitivity learning 3.1.2 Tool recommendation - Decision orientated: Background knweledge and information to foster choice of tool 3.1.3 Intercultural aspects self-reflection orientated: Awareness of own culture 3.2 Integrating the three strands with lancelot methodlogy (Christian) Integrated concept of new demands for language teachers: An example for the Web-Didactics is shown in screenshot 1. The screenshot shows a beginners lesson that was conducted using one of the language teaching methods developed in the project. The live online language teaching was held using an online videoconferencing system. The lesson was recorded. This recording is used in the LANCELOT trainer course as a scenario. Language trainers watch the scenario as an example for teaching languages online. To support language trainers in developing their own live online language teaching skills the scenario is combined with instructions on how to set up beginners lessons (“How To” in the screenshot) and a task where language teachers are asked to reflect on the connection of the given scenario with their own language teaching practice (“Writing Exercise” in the screenshot). “How To” and “Writing Exercise” are didactical knowledge types from the Web-Didacticm which offers an ontology of didactical knowledge types. With these knowledge types an example and acticity oriented learning strategy is set up in the methodological strand of the LANCELOT training. Since the LANCELOT strands are produced by people from different cultures each of the methodological, the technological and the intercultural strand uses different learning and teaching methods. Thus the Web-Didactics is used to model intercultural differences in teaching and learning. Through this concept intercultural differences are covered in the course and at the same time the course gives an example on considering intercultural differences. The same reflective concept is used in the technological strand. Links in the screen pages where language teaching methods are covered refer to specific online tools. In the screenshot links to tools which are suitable to introduce new languages to beginners were provided. Beside videoconferencing other live online tools, like voice over IP, instant messaging, screencasting, collaborative browsing etc. are covered. At the same time these tools are used within the training. Thus the usage of the tools is reflected. This way trainers learn how to teach online by being taught online. These experience are reflected and used for own teaching. This indicates a teaching and learning model we developed within LANCELOT: 1.Language teachers participate in an online teaching with a certain tool, for example: an icebreaker activity with macromedia breeze. 2.In the second step language trainers reflect this usage and think about their own experiences as participants in this activities. This reflection takes place during the live online session. 3.In the third step language teachers access asynchronous teaching material with backgrund informations on the teaching method, the tools and intercultural aspects (see the screenshot for an example). 4.Than they develop their own teaching strategy in a peer to peer activity, that is: they meet live online with other learners and develop a short teaching sequence. 5.In the last step the language teachers perform their teaching example in the online classroom with the respective tool. The teaching example is reflected by peers and the trainer. The usage of this reflective strategy is currently evaluated in an online course with 24 participants (http://www.lerndorf.at/lancelotcourses/). The evaluation shows that the reflective strategy works very well. Participations are successfully activated and did build a strong learning community. Problems occur for single learners with the online tools used and with the planned learning time. 3.3 Assesmment strategy Develpoment portfolio - participation 3.3 Changes in teacher role: Supervision and Coaching (Kathi) 3.4 Evaluation Formative Evaluation strategy problems: workload, unclear tasks, unsuitable forum, successful: p2p – activities, general setup (lancelot methdoology), tools Report with citations 4. Future Trends We expect an increasing usage of onlline tools in language training. 5. Conculsions and reccomondations Concept successful, published as Creative Commons material, open for public use. Reccomondation: Use the material and talk about it! Literature Comenius, Johann Amos (1993): Große Didaktik. 8. überarb. Aufl., Stuttgart (Original: Opera didactica omnia. Amsterdam 1657). Flechsig, Karl-Heinz (1996): Kleines Handbuch didaktischer Modelle. Eichenzell: Neuland Ehlers, Ulf-Daniel; Gerteis, Wolfgang; Holmer, Torsten; Jung, Helmut W. (2003): E-Learning Services im Spannungsfeld von Pädagogik, Ökonomie und Technologie. Heimann, Paul (1976): Didaktik als Theorie und Lehre. In: Heimann, Paul: Didaktik als Unterrichtswissenschaft. Stuttgart: Klett. Hönigswald, Richard (1927): Über die Grundlagen der Pädagogik. München: Ernst Reinhardt. Meder, Norbert (1998): Neue Technologien und Erziehung/Bildung. In: Borrelli, M.; Ruhloff, J.: Deutsche Gegenwartspädagogik Bd.III. Hohengehren, S. 26-40 Meder, Norbert (2006): Web-Didaktik. Bielefeld: Bertelsmann. Swertz, Christian (2000): Computertechnologie und Bildung. Bielefeld: Universität Bielefel. Swertz, Christian (2004): Didaktisches Design. Bielefeld: Bertelsmann.