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IELTS Teacher e-newsletter – May 2020

Online Platforms for IELTS prep teachers



With the ongoing disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, for teachers the virtual learning environment (VLE) offers a way forward. It’s the next step in teaching, according to the NILE course ‘Take your Teaching Online 2020.’ Take participation in the classroom, for example. In recent polling, participation rates range from 5% - 95%. The virtual learning environment, however, aims for a consistently higher level of student participation.

A high participation rate is one reason why teachers use Edmodo. Forget about the traditional blackboard - Edmodo’s updated version is better. NILE course presenter, Russell Stannard, compares it to social media, noting “it has the look and feel of Facebook.” Familiarity then, plays a part. Like Facebook, learners post comments on a timeline, but without the pressure of the classroom. Asynchronous activities also encourage participation. As NILE coordinator, Johanna Stirling, points out, “they benefit those who lack confidence to participate in large classroom environments.” Asynchronous activities provide students with time to think before posting, so there’s less risk that they will lose face, if they make a mistake.

Superior teaching tools can make the VLE better than traditional classrooms in some ways. Imagine downloading a Youtube video, inserting a clip of your own commentary, then asking learners to respond. Tools such as Snagit enable just that. Or how about pausing a video with an inserted quiz, during which the instructor monitors responses and intervenes with feedback? That’s the Edpuzzle tool. Then there’s Flipgrid, where learners video record themselves responding to a prompt, and post it to the timeline. And finally, Padlet, an infinite blackboard useful for mind-mapping and brainstorming activities. A toolbox like this takes teaching and learning to the next level.

A permanent record of classroom activity makes the VLE even more attractive. For homework assignments, learners log-in and replay in-class discussions, resolving doubts and misunderstandings. The ability to provide students with immediate and focused feedback is another benefit. Imagine learners are responding to a quiz incorrectly. The A.I. component can then recognize this, and notify the teacher, who can then provide the students with focused error-correction through a live Zoom session. This would be much more difficult to achieve in a traditional classroom.

Community spirit is equally important in a classroom and Zoom provides this. Isolated from their friends due to social distancing, the VLE helps learners reconnect with each other. Live sessions on Zoom, like traditional classrooms, cater to group and pair work: there are Break-out rooms for group discussion, and students can split off with a partner for pair work. In her introduction, Stirling cites the importance of the 5-stage model: “It is important not to rush them into collaborative activities,” she says. Avatar creation – where the learner creates an online identity – is a fun way to begin. Connecting is the next stage, in which learners share personal information with each other. Following that is cooperation, where learners work together to complete an activity. Setting goals and planning comes next. Finally, learners reflect on their performance and share ideas.

High student participation, better teaching tools, focused feedback, and a strong sense of community, are just a few reasons to consider the VLE. The NILE course can be found at NILE-ELT.com, is free to access, and can be followed at your own pace.

 

 

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