APLNG/CMLIT/FR/GER/SPAN 589

Technology, Mediation, and Second Language Acquisition:
Research and Praxis

Spring Term, 2008, Thursdays, 6-9pm; Class meetings: IST 210
Steve Thorne (sthorne@psu.edu) (Office: 304A Sparks Bldg, University Park, PA)

Department of Applied Linguistics; The Pennsylvania State University

Syllabus | Course Blogs | Course Wiki | CMC Activity Library

CMLIT/FR/GER/SPAN 589: This graduate level survey course explores the theoretical and pedagogical implications of Internet-based communication and multimedia in a wide array of language education contexts. Course activities include experimentation with established and emerging Internet communication and composition tools (e.g., wikis, weblogs (blogs), forums, chat, podcasting, the virtual environment Second Life) and readings of relevant research drawing from second language acquisition, communication theory, descriptive linguistics, cultural studies, poststructuralism, and educational theories of development (the latter primarily in the form of sociocultural and activity theoretical research). Participants will be expected to exit this course with a broad knowledge of educational uses of technology and will have the opportunity, through a variety of course activities, to focus on specific empirical, theoretical, and/or pedagogical contexts that relate to their academic and professional specializations. Students are encouraged to carry out research and/or pedagogical innovation projects relevant to their interests and professional goals.

Purpose: To competently and with insight enter the discourse community concerned with technology use in language education. To this end, we will address related research and pedagogical issues from a variety of perspectives, including, but not limited to, second language acquisition, communication theory, linguistics, cultural studies, poststructuralism, and educational theories of development (the latter primarily in the form of sociocultural and activity theoretical research).

Course Objectives:

• To grapple with the principle issues, concepts, and theories associated with technology use in language education.
• To understand a diversity of educational contexts through the reading and discussion of research and case studies.
• To investigate the relationships linking communication technology to changing forms and uses of language.
• To produce critical scholarship, pedagogies, and/or applied materials relating to language educational uses of information and communication technologies.

Class meetings will include:

• Presentations/Lecturettes by the instructor
• Discussion of readings
• Group and individual presentations
• Iconoclastic critiques
• The use of internet communication and information tools

Your obligations and responsibilities:

1. To participate in on-line and class discussions (invaluable, but marked at 10%): These will include whole-class interaction (email and web-based threaded discussion) and periodic uses of synchronous CMC and other new/emerging technologies.
2. To produce a reaction journal to the readings (10%): Write a short summary or outline of 12 articles over the length of the course (roughly one per week) and include 3 (or more) critical questions or issues that you could raise in class discussion. You will develop and keep these reactions on a BLOG (web-log).
3. To act as a discussion catalyst (10%): In teams of 2-3, groups will take responsibility for initiating in-class discussion by presenting a brief overview of the day's readings and critical questions.
4. Consider the following:
   • Teaching With Technology Certificate: The Teaching With Technology Certificate will appear on your official Penn State transcript and indicates proficiency in the application of technology to educational contexts. See the the TwT website, frequently asked questions page,and requirements, for more information.
5. Technology-integrated class activity project (30%): This project will be carried out in three phases.
   
   1. Phase One: Technology activity description: All students will design a technology-integrated unit of instruction for a second/foreign language course of your choice. The activity description should include discussion of the class and/or institutional context, students, and relevant course content. The main discussion should then include:
   •    unit content
   •    rationale for choice of unit theme
   •    means used to conceptualize the content, including any heuristic
   •    unit goals & objectives—these should parallel TESOL or ACTFL standards
   •    organization of content, including overview grid or other representation
   •    student assessment measures
   •    evaluation of unit
   
   2. Phase Two: Activity implementation: You will collaborate in groups of 3-4 (perhaps grouped by common instructional language or technology) and actually test the activity in a classroom context. The unit could include the web, chat, blogs, wikis, podcasts, online gaming or virtual environments (e.g., Second Life) or other technologies. The purpose of this phase of the project is for you to become familiar with the processes involved in developing, implementing, and evaluating a technology-integrated second/foreign language instructional unit. The final product (credited to you, of course), with possible adaptations and edits, will become a publicly available resource hosted on the Center for Advanced Language Proficiency Education and Research (CALPER) at the Computer-mediated Activity Library. either as separate activities or as an integrated project. There are 3 parts to the project: a project description, activity descriptions, and a case study.Your unit should include at least 3 technology-based activities (or be a single project using 3 different technologies). Each activity description should be of an identical format, with information on the activity type, language, topic, tool, group size, description, objectives (again using TESOL or ACTFL standards), teacher instructions, student objectives, variations, and resources.
   
   3. Phase Three: Case study: For the case study, video record the implementation of the activity in a class you or colleagues are currently teaching. See the CALPER CMC Activity library for examples: http://calper.la.psu.edu/cmc/index.php. You can participate in the production of a 5-minute video describing the implementation (using iMovie or a similar program).
   
   
   
6. Final project and presentation (40%): Examples of a final project are term paper, original research paper, review of the literature paper, formal report on in-class uses of a technology or a technology related initiative (e.g., #5 (above)). The goal of the Final Project should be relevant to your interest and academic/professional development. For all large projects, an outline, key questions, and literature review/bibliography will be due in late March (2008). Oral presentations of Final Projects will occur during the mini-conference we will convene over the 2 class sessions. Final paper due on the last class day in April, 2008.

Evaluation and Grading: You will be responsible for putting together the assignments that include the above items. At the end of the term, please provide a cover letter that explains where your work is (e.g., on a blog, wiki, website, attached document).

Ethical Code: The internet (and world, for that matter) is full of information that you will want to utilize in your written work. Please do so as freely as you like, but do use proper citation protocols (otherwise, one falls into plagiarism, which will result in a failing grade). Collaborative work in encouraged -- If you would like to co-develop a project with a classmate, please do so. 

Texts and Study Materials: Readings are available on the web (linked directly off the 589 on-line syllabus).

• The ability to access readings via the Internet (web)
• Potentially somewhere to print out readings
• A flashdrive or other portable harddrive with 512 meg storage or greater