Communities of practice online: Reflection through experience and experiment with the Webheads community of language learners and practitioners

(an eight-week online workshop)

ACTION

IN EVONLINE 2003

Moderators

Online communication tools that facilitate interaction of participants in a virtual community and their role in language learning

(Mon Feb 3 to Sun Feb 9)

ONLINE AVAILABILITY

You can also contact us through our group email, evonline2002_webheads@yahoogroups.com.

VIP(oint): We are also available for chats at TI or to show you around the new TI2.

Teresa's welcome message

Rita's welcome message

Susanne Nyrop's intro

WiA Index Page

Evonline2003 Portal

Webheads in Action Colloquium at TESOL 2003

Webheads in Action Online Workshop (20Jan-7Mar 2003)

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Teresa's web page

Susanne's web page

Rita's web page

Online Learning Environments Page

The Email Page

Abstract

'Week 3' has three basic goals:

• to experiment with 'chat', an online form of synchronous communication;

• to explore three distinct conferencing modes: text, audio and video;

• to reflect on the potential of chat for learning English as a Foreign or Second Language.

The synchronous communication platforms we will experiment with are Tapped In (TI), Yahoo Messenger (YM) and iVisit, one at a time at a pre-determined schedule/time and day. We will start with Tapped In, then move on to Yahoo Messenger and finish at iVisit. We will also promote a chat in two of these platforms simultaneously as well as encourage random interactions with the moderators, since we are planning to be online and available to all participants as often as possible.

Email (through our group email list) will be the asynchronous communication tool for helping, guiding, making arrangements, preparing things in advance, commenting on and sending feedback on whatever is happening.

The practical experience gained should be the basis for reflection on some of the topics below:

• the role that both synchronous and asynchronous communication tools can play in language learning;

• how they can be used in our daily practice with students: 'integrated' into the course curriculum as regular working tools to interact with peers at a distance or as 'add-ons' to the traditional face-to-face (f2f) classroom, to be used when appropriate;

• practical uses of both these tools and the different chat modes in language learning;

• how to organize online sessions with students;

• how 'newbie' students can be introduced to these communicative  tools: factors to be taken into consideration and ways of doing it;

• pros and cons of using chat (and email) in the language learning process.

The last day of week 3 will be dedicated to gathering practical advice and wrapping up ideas.

We hope you will join us for some lively discussions in 'real' time, with 'real' people from the 'real' world and contribute to a broadening of ideas and experiences!

Cheers from the 'week 3 team' moderators,

Teresa, Susanne and Rita

Suggested readings

Here are some 'pre-week 3' readings we think may help you relate better to the subject:

• Almeida d'Eça, Teresa. To chat or not to chat in the EFL classroom, that is the question! "Language, Communication and Culture" International Conference. University of Évora. 29 Nov. 2002.

• Belisle, Ron. E-mail Activities in the ESL Writing Class. The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. VII, No. 12, December 1996.

• Carbone, Nick. Tips for Using Email with Students.

• Mynard, Jo. Introducing EFL Students to Chat Rooms. The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. VIII, No. 2, February 2002.

• Stevens, Vance. A day in the life of an online language educator.

• Stevens, Vance, and Arif Altun. The Webheads Community of Language Learners Online. Proceeds from a demonstration given at the MLI Teacher to Teacher Conference 2001, 7 Nov. 2001.