In MERLOT (Multimedia Education
Resources for Learning and Online Teaching) I found and evaluated a simulation
that I believe would be very useful for world language teachers. It is titled “LangMedia Foreign
Language Media Archive”, and it can be accessed via the URL of http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=76168.
Quality of Content:
The
website contains information on culture and languages of different countries
and regions of the world. There is information in the target language such as
videos and audios that are authentic material. The information is significant to
education because in the Spanish language there are 22 countries where their
primary language is Spanish. There are many different dialects within these
countries as well as different words for greetings and cultural sayings. These
are addressed within the resources in authentic ways.
Potential
Effectiveness as a Teaching-Learning Tool:
1. What stage(s) in the learning process/cycle could the
materials be used?
1. Explanation: There
are videos, audio files and pictures for many topics such as basic
communications, culture and social life, necessities, shopping and services and
transportation pertinent to different countries such as Argentina, Ecuador,
Mexico, Nicaragua and Spain.
2. Demonstration: The
website it mostly in English with authentic materials in Spanish such as pictures,
videos and audio files. This website is a great resource to teach culture
lessons and the differences in culture between the different countries.
3. Practice: The
website is very informational. Students can read about and see authentic
materials about a variety of topics such as folk culture, art, greetings and
food. The students are able to examine the similarities and the differences
between the cultures even if they are not at an advanced level of the target
language. The site has pictures of realia as well as videos and audio files
that are authentic material.
4. Applying: An example of a lesson would be to compare the greetings
and the partings for 5 of the Spanish-speaking countries. The students could
watch the videos of authentic interactions as well as read, in English, about
the informalities and formalities of each country. The students could examine the similarities and
differences between the cultures.
2. What
is (are) the learning objective(s)? What
should students be able to do after successfully learning with the materials? After
viewing the resources, the students should be able to identify that there are major
differences between the countries for things such as greetings and partings,
culture, art, entertainment and other topics. The students should be able to give examples for specific differences
in the given countries.
3. What
are the characteristics of the target learner(s) The characteristics of the
target learners are Spanish students of any level. The students will be completing
an activity that compares the differences in greetings and partings between different
Spanish-speaking countries.
4. Does
the interactive/media-rich presentation of material improve faculty and
students' abilities to teach and learn the materials? The media-rich
presentation of the material improves the teacher’s abilities to teach because
there is authentic material that is accessible to them and all of the students.
The teacher is able to provide concrete examples that the students are able to
view. The material improves the students’ abilities to learn because they are
able to view and listen to authentic material in the target language.
5. Can
the use of the software be readily integrated into current curriculum and
pedagogy within the discipline? The information can easily be integrated into
the curriculum. Culture is a large component
in learning a new language. Spanish is a language that is spoken in many
countries that are in different regions of the world. It is spoken on 4
different continents and there are different customs in each country. Advanced students
will be able to listen to and read the material that is presented via pictures,
audio files and videos in the target language. Beginner students are able to
read about the culture in English and look at pictures.
6. Can
the software be used in a variety of ways to achieve teaching and learning
goals? The
software can be used in many ways such as reading the text in English, looking
at the pictures, reading information from the pictures in Spanish from things
such as sayings/proverbs, listening to the authentic audio files and watching
the authentic videos. All of the components of learning a foreign language are
being addressed except for speaking in the target language through the simulation.
7. Are
the teaching-learning goals easy to identify? The
goals are easy to identify. The goal for the teacher is to present clear
information that highlights the recognizable differences in culture between
different Spanish-speaking countries and regions. The goal for the learners is
to identify and acknowledge these differences while retaining interesting
information and information about a subject such as greetings and partings.
8. Can
good learning assignments for using the software application be written easily?
Excellent learning assignments can be
created. If I were to use the information and material, I would create a WebQuest
for the students to use to learn the material. I would ask them information
about certain subjects such as food, greetings and partings, etc. I would also
integrate information that I know and ask the students to find other
interesting information on the web.
Ease of Use:
1. Are
the labels, buttons, menus, text, and general layout of the computer interface
consistent and visually distinct? Yes, the information is separated into language
and country. The information is also sorted by country, where all of the
information is combined into an index via another link. The information is
clearly labeled and has a nice layout.
2. Does
the user get trapped in the material? No,
the website is very navigable.
3. Can
the user get lost easily in the material? If the user is not of the intermediate or advanced level
of the language it may be difficult to understand and interpret the authentic
material.
4. Does
the module provide feedback about the system status and the user's responses? No, there is no feedback because the material is not
two-way interactive.
5. Does
the module provide appropriate flexibility in its use? The
simulation is very flexible and provides many types of media that the user can
use.
6. Does
the learning material require a lot of documentation, technical support, and/or
instruction for most students to successfully use the software? The learning
material does not require any technical support or software support.
7. Does
the material present information in ways that are familiar for students? Yes, the material is presented in a concrete way for the
students, highlighting the differences in culture.
8. Does
the material present information in ways that would be attractive to students? Yes, the material is useful for the students and it is
presented in an attractive, meaningful way.