ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Using Tablet PC's for the Final Test of Baccalaureate
Author: Laborda, Jesús García
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Handheld Devices,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Technology,Computer Software,Computer Oriented Programs,Computer Assisted Testing,Second Language Instruction,Attitude Measures,Language Skills,Receptive Language,Expressive Language,Bachelors Degrees,Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),College Entrance Examinations,Questionnaires,Online Surveys,College Freshmen

Online testing is becoming a popular way to deliver language tests, partly because of its reduced cost, partly because of the high quality of test data collection. In language tests, interface validation has received a limited attention in professional literature (García, Magal, da Rocha, &amp; Fernández, 2010). This paper will show the validation process of the OPENPAU application, which aims at language testing exam delivery through an attitudinal study. The real importance of this project is that it offers reliable solutions at a low cost for the needs of a nationally delivered online test that can serve to assess all the traditional language skills (namely speaking, listening, reading and writing) in an efficient, simple and cost-effective manner. Our paper presents the design, development, and evaluation of a tablet PC software application for assessing both productive and receptive skills in foreign languages for its prospective use in the Final Test of Baccalaureate. The software development has been carried out within the OPENPAU project (FFI2011-22442), funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. [For the complete volume, &quot;New Perspectives on Teaching and Working with Languages in the Digital Era,&quot; see ED565799.]
The e-Generation: The Use of Technology for Foreign Language Learning
Author: Gonzalez-Vera, Pilar
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Technology Uses in Education,Second Language Instruction,Educational Technology,Questionnaires,Language Proficiency,Elementary Education,College Freshmen,Teacher Education Programs,Higher Education,Foreign Countries,National Standards,Alignment (Education),English (Second Language),Case Studies,Access to Computers,Student Motivation,Student Attitudes

After the Bologna Process, European Higher Education was reformulated as a response to a change of roles in higher education in a globalised society. The implementation of a new system of credits, the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), implied an enormous increase of autonomous learning hours. The high percentage of student workload reflected the new active role of students in the learning process and it was bound to the philosophy of learner-centeredness. In addition, the rise of autonomous hours led teachers to look for new media that fulfill the requirements of non-presential hours of education and that allow teachers to monitor the students' learning. One of the most useful tools has been e-learning platforms. This paper aims to explore how e-learning platforms and new technologies, in general, have contributed to the process of learning foreign languages. The point of departure of this research is a questionnaire about the use of new technologies in the English class and about their competence in English, which was designed for first-year students studying the primary education degree. After the analysis of the results of the questionnaires, the study presents a post-questionnaire presented at the end of the year in which the role of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) is assessed together with the improvement of the students' skills and competences. [For the complete volume, &quot;New Perspectives on Teaching and Working with Languages in the Digital Era,&quot; see ED565799.]
Applying Information and Communication Technologies to Language Teaching and Research: An Overview
Author: Pareja-Lora, Antonio
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Information Technology,Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,English (Second Language),Bilingual Education,Electronic Learning,Blended Learning,Educational Technology,Incidental Learning,Student Centered Learning,Student Needs,Computer Assisted Instruction,Handheld Devices,Educational Objectives,Distance Education,Online Courses,Instructional Design,Usability,Access to Education,Access to Information,Course Content,Lifelong Learning,Elementary Secondary Education,Educational Benefits,English for Special Purposes,Foreign Countries

Currently, there is an international change in education that includes the development of new learning programmes and policies, such as (a) bilingual education programmes, (b) the Bologna process, with an emphasis on a more autonomous way of learning, or (c) the systematic evaluation and assessment of students and educational results. These changes in the educational situation require changing the way we learn, think and behave. Thus have emerged several new scenarios and environments for teaching and learning, such as blended learning, e-learning, ubiquitous learning or incidental learning. All these new approaches put the focus on learners and are intended to adapt to their needs and limitations. It seems that the easiest way to implement these new approaches is to apply Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to teaching and/or learning. This is the main assumption underlying the research in important language teaching and learning areas, such as Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL). This chapter (as well as this whole volume) tries to show how this goal is currently being achieved. [For the complete volume, &quot;New Perspectives on Teaching and Working with Languages in the Digital Era,&quot; see ED565799.]
Technology Use in Nursery and Primary Education in Two Different Settings
Author: Bueno Alastuey, Mª Camino
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Computer Uses in Education,Nursery Schools,Preschool Education,Elementary Education,Preschool Teachers,Elementary School Teachers,Preservice Teachers,Observation,Practicums,Foreign Countries,Surveys

This article studies which and how Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) are used by nursery and primary education in-service teachers as reported by their pre-service teacher trainees after observations in their practicum in two provinces in Spain, Alcalá de Henares-Guadalajara and Navarre. Results indicate that in-service teachers tend to use traditional technological tools (audio files, video files, multimedia, games, Microsoft Word, interactive whiteboards) more than social networking (Facebook, blogs or wikis) both for teaching and for organisational purposes. Thus, more training in recent applications seems necessary to get ICT social applications into education. [For the complete volume, &quot;New Perspectives on Teaching and Working with Languages in the Digital Era,&quot; see ED565799.]
How Working Collaboratively with Technology Can Foster a Creative Learning Environment
Author: Gómez, Susana
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Educational Environment,Technology Uses in Education,Cooperative Learning,Experimental Programs,Secondary School Students,Student Motivation,Motivation Techniques,Social Media,Pilot Projects,Language Acquisition,Video Technology,Questionnaires,Lesson Observation Criteria,Interviews,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attrition,Music Activities,Foreign Countries

Research has shown that collaborative learning is a very powerful methodology as it ensures interaction among students, humanises the learning process and has positive effects on academic achievement. An activity based on this approach can also benefit from the use of technology, making this task more appealing to our students today. The aim of this paper is to present a project which combines both ingredients so as to develop a successful creative learning environment. The project we are talking about is called PopuLLar, a European Union funded innovative educational project designed to harness music and Information and Communications Technology (ICT), the primary social interests of youngsters, into their language learning. The paper will describe the project goals together with the methodology and results obtained in the initial piloting of the project carried out in Spain before being launched around Europe. [For the complete volume, &quot;New Perspectives on Teaching and Working with Languages in the Digital Era,&quot; see ED565799.]
ICTs, ESPs and ZPD through Microlessons in Teacher Education
Author: García Esteban, Soraya
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Information Technology,Learning Theories,Video Technology,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Elementary School Teachers,Teacher Student Relationship,Microteaching,Teaching Methods,Preschool Teachers,Preservice Teachers,Foreign Countries,English for Special Purposes,Teacher Education,Reflection

This paper presents the initial results of the use of dialogic interaction enhanced by the use of technology in teaching English in different settings and subjects of teacher education. Technology is used in three different ways: as a support (video) for analysis through teacher-instructor interaction, as a means of social interaction and use of language for education between teacher and students (use of the computer for instruction), and as the creation of own designed materials for language training (through the use of technology). Data is obtained from video-recordings related to teaching and learning English as a foreign language by three different teachers in three subjects from Primary and Infant Education at Universidad de Alcalá. Results indicate that microteaching is not only valid as a training method but also to introduce new content and concepts that have not been previously introduced in the classes. The interaction in the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) between the teacher-instructor and the teacher-students also proves to have a powerful effect in motivation, teaching improvement and language for education skills development through self-reflection. [For the complete volume, &quot;New Perspectives on Teaching and Working with Languages in the Digital Era,&quot; see ED565799.]
A Study of Multimodal Discourse in the Design of Interactive Digital Material for Language Learning
Author: Burset, Silvia
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Spanish,Native Language,English (Second Language),Learning Processes,Language Skills,Instructional Materials,Elementary Secondary Education,Layout (Publications),Discourse Analysis,Computer Graphics,Instructional Design,Electronic Learning,Multimedia Instruction,Teaching Methods

This study analyses some published interactive materials for the learning of Spanish as a f?irst language and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) commonly used in primary and secondary education in Spain. The present investigation looks into the relationships between text and image on the interface of Interactive Digital Material (IDM) to develop learners' language skills. Screen design is evaluated with regards to the following formal units of analysis: graphic elements (shape, colour, size, resolution, significance), typography (style, colour, size, readability), composition (location, ratio) and action (recognition and effects) to assess their functionality in various learning activities. A discussion is also presented on the way these features of multimodal discourse can influence the language learning processes. [For the complete volume, &quot;New Perspectives on Teaching and Working with Languages in the Digital Era,&quot; see ED565799.]
Learning Specialised Vocabulary through Facebook in a Massive Open Online Course
Author: Ventura, Patricia
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Vocabulary,Social Media,Online Courses,English for Special Purposes,Second Language Learning,Learning Experience,Action Research,Mixed Methods Research,Student Motivation,Learner Engagement,Student Attitudes,Student Improvement,Foreign Countries

This paper explores how the incorporation of a social network such as Facebook can enhance the acquisition of specialised vocabulary in the context of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). Such initiative took place in the second edition of the MOOC Professional English, the first ever English for Specific Purposes (ESP) MOOC to be launched in Spain as one of the courses offered by Aprendo, the UNED online platform. The main aim of the experiment was to ascertain how this social network, which has proved to foster motivation and engagement in language learning contexts (Blattner &amp; Lomicka, 2012; Zourou, 2012), could enhance the students' learning experience and promote vocabulary acquisition in an ESP MOOC context. Following an action-research methodology (Lewin, 1946) a Facebook group was created by the MOOC curator and ran for eight weeks out of the twelve that the course was comprised of (11 November 2013-31 January 2014). A mixed-method approach was adopted for the data collection, using both quantitative techniques, such as student tracking in the MOOC, and also qualitative ones (e.g. questionnaires). The results point towards a positive impact of the Facebook network in the motivation of students to learn specialised vocabulary and an improvement in their progress in the MOOC, likewise fighting the main two problems that MOOCs currently are said to have: high drop-out rates and lack of student engagement. [For the complete volume, &quot;New Perspectives on Teaching and Working with Languages in the Digital Era,&quot; see ED565799.]
Critical Visual Literacy: The New Phase of Applied Linguistics in the Era of Mobile Technology
Author: Dos Santos Costa, Giselda
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Visual Literacy,Critical Literacy,Applied Linguistics,Handheld Devices,Electronic Learning,Language Skills,Relevance (Education),Learning Activities,Multimedia Materials,Teaching Methods,Second Language Instruction,Curriculum Design,Technology Integration

In our society, which is full of images, visual representations and visual experiences of all kinds, there is a paradoxically significant degree of visual illiteracy. Despite the importance of developing specific visual skills, visual literacy is not a priority in school curriculum (Spalter &amp; van Dam, 2008). This work aims at (1) emphasising the importance of integrating visual literacy as the fifth linguistic skill in English classes, and (2) showing a visual activity exploring a video called Price Tag. We will show some strategies that can be applied in foreign language classes in order to teach students a way to encode and decode the artifacts of their own culture and perceive the affordances of multimodal composition. In this research, the students' cell phones were used with which we developed activities using videos as multimodal texts. [For the complete volume, &quot;New Perspectives on Teaching and Working with Languages in the Digital Era,&quot; see ED565799.]
Innovative Resources Based on ICTs and Authentic Materials to Improve EFL Students' Communicative Needs
Author: González Otero, Rebeca
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Action Research,Oral Language,Student Needs,Language Skills,Skill Development,Language Fluency,Listening Comprehension,Pronunciation,Learning Motivation,Educational Resources,Instructional Materials,Foreign Countries,Secondary School Students,Quasiexperimental Design,Questionnaires

Our global society and our current communication needs have put a strain on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching, since common resources such as textbooks may fail to adapt to the needs and interests of our students. The present action research study aims at identifying EFL students' communicative needs and developing their oral skills through the use of authentic materials and Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) in the classroom. For that purpose, a set of innovative resources was designed in order to decide whether these activities promote students' oral skills--namely oral production, pronunciation and fluency and listening comprehension--and whether they foster motivation among them. [For the complete volume, &quot;New Perspectives on Teaching and Working with Languages in the Digital Era,&quot; see ED565799.]
Identifying Collaborative Behaviours Online: Training Teachers in Wikis
Author: Vinagre Laranjeira, Margarita
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Inservice Teacher Education,Electronic Learning,Web Based Instruction,Teacher Collaboration,Collaborative Writing,Editing,Web Sites,Computer Mediated Communication,Distance Education,International Cooperation,Communities of Practice,Telecommunications,Information Technology,Foreign Countries,Group Activities,Comparative Analysis,Content Analysis,Coding,Group Dynamics

In this paper we explore the data gathered from a group of nine in-service teachers who were trained online to become future telecollaborative teachers. Participants from different countries worked in two small groups in a wiki designed specially to facilitate discussion and collaboration. Tasks included reading and reviewing articles on telecollaboration, critically analysing examples from authentic exchanges, organising a hypothetical exchange and designing a tool for its assessment. Analyses of the pattern, scope and nature of user contributions as reliable measures of collaborative behaviours by wiki-users were carried out on the data gathered from six wiki pages and corresponding discussion pages. Findings and discussion elaborate on the collaborative behaviour (or lack thereof) observed among participants. [For the complete volume, &quot;New Perspectives on Teaching and Working with Languages in the Digital Era,&quot; see ED565799.]
Language Learning Actions in Two 1x1 Secondary Schools in Catalonia: The Case of Online Language Resources
Author: Calvo, Boris Vázquez
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Secondary School Students,Access to Computers,Language Teachers,Educational Practices,Electronic Libraries,Courseware,Online Courses,Electronic Classrooms,Technology Uses in Education,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Semi Structured Interviews,Educational Resources,Language Skills

This paper identifies and describes current attitudes towards classroom digitization and digital language learning practices under the umbrella of EduCAT 1x1, the One-Laptop-Per-Child (OLPC or 1x1) initiative in place in Catalonia. We thoroughly analyze practices worked out by six language teachers and twelve Compulsory Secondary Education (CSE) students from two schools participating in a competitive research project analyzing digital literacies. Preliminary results show that at a project-based level, committed teachers find ways to innovate, use technologies efficiently and foster language learning in all skills. However, at an activity-based level, Online Language Resources (OLR) such as dictionaries, automated translation software, spelling and grammar checkers and others remain underused, if not unexplored. [For the complete volume, &quot;New Perspectives on Teaching and Working with Languages in the Digital Era,&quot; see ED565799.]
Mobile Learning: A Powerful Tool for Ubiquitous Language Learning
Author: Gomes, Nelson
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Telecommunications,Handheld Devices,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Computer Oriented Programs,Portuguese,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Integrated Learning Systems,Foreign Countries

Mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, e-readers, etc.) have come to be used as tools for mobile learning. Several studies support the integration of such technological devices with learning, particularly with language learning. In this paper, we wish to present an Android app designed for the teaching and learning of Portuguese as a foreign language. We aim to promote new experiences in the field of mobile learning, based on the concept of Social Learning (Mondahl &amp; Razmerita, 2014). [For the complete volume, &quot;New Perspectives on Teaching and Working with Languages in the Digital Era,&quot; see ED565799.]
Evaluation of Reading Achievement of the Program School 2.0 in Spain Using PISA 2012
Author: Vilaplana Prieto, Cristina
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Reading Achievement,Program Evaluation,International Assessment,Technology Integration,Influence of Technology,Achievement Gains,Secondary School Students,Data Analysis,Scores,Regression (Statistics),Models,Achievement Tests

In 2009, some Spanish regions implemented the Program School 2.0 with the purpose of introducing digital methodologies at schools. The aim of this paper is to analyse which part of the variation in reading scores is due to this program. For this purpose, we use data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA 2009 and 2012) for 15-year old students attending public schools. We estimate a difference-in-difference model and observe that the net effect derived from an increase in the provision of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) at schools has been positive, although small, in participant regions. However, elapsed time since the onset of the program has not equally affected repeater and non-repeater students. Finally, only a moderate use (1-2 times/week) of ICT for doing homework has a positive effect over reading scores. [For the complete volume, &quot;New Perspectives on Teaching and Working with Languages in the Digital Era,&quot; see ED565799.]
The Community as a Source of Pragmatic Input for Learners of Italian: The Multimedia Repository LIRA
Author: Zanoni, Greta
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Community Involvement,Italian,Second Language Learning,Multimedia Instruction,Multimedia Materials,Electronic Learning,Pragmatics,Feedback (Response),Web 2.0 Technologies,Informal Education,Electronic Libraries,Archives,Shared Resources and Services,Communities of Practice,Foreign Nationals,Active Learning,Social Networks,Social Media,Educational Technology

This paper focuses on community participation within the LIRA project--Lingua/Cultura Italiana in Rete per l'Apprendimento (Italian language and culture for online learning). LIRA is a multimedia repository of e-learning materials aiming at recovering, preserving and developing the linguistic, pragmatic and cultural competences of second and third generation Italians living abroad. The paper addresses a crucial issue in teaching pragmatics, namely, how to combine the intrinsic variability of this area with the need to employ a standard reference system and to provide clear corrective feedback to learners. Can user experience, interaction, and active participation in the community foster collaborative knowledge and develop pragmatic competence? [For the complete volume, &quot;New Perspectives on Teaching and Working with Languages in the Digital Era,&quot; see ED565799.]