TASK 1: COURSEWARE EVALUATION

www.tolearnenglish.com

1. What does the application attempt to “teach”?

At the far most as I am concern, basically, this application is another medium for English language learners to improve and polish their master in that particular language. As why I chose this courseware, I think it suits English teachers and English learners. First example of the application offered is the Placement Test. This application focus on ‘How Good is Your English’. By clicking on the link, users will have the access to a lot of random topic, combined all together, of tests and they could check for their ‘good’ in English from the result. This application is appropriate for secondary school students as it requires them for their comprehension skills and based on form 1 until 5 English syllabuses. Well, I think this application is meant for those who think that their English is very good enough so that they would just have it in the first place rather to look other application available. Besides that, there are also games offered in this web. Users, which I believe most of them would be school students, would have the access of wording games such as Hangaroo, Vowels in Your Bowels, and even crosswords puzzle. It is a very interactive web, as I thought that all of educational web should be, since there a lot of additional activities and social interaction skills would be polished whereby users could have the access for chat room with foreigners’ members in this web, and also joining the forum provided there. Overall, users can have test their grammar and also vocabulary in English just from by this web. Besides that, there is also simulation provided along with the learning activity. Tutorial of the lesson is prepared in optional audio method. This method brings also the benefit to the users on their pronunciation.

2. What sort of things are the application user expected to do with regards to learning the content?

Before I found this web application, I just simply type ‘learning English’ in Yahoo search engine. I intended to seek for a web which I can use to improve my English. As I found this page, I tried all the application offered. Well, pretty much, it had met my expectation of such application I wished for. Without register at first, I can use all of the application there since it is free. The learning contents helped a lot and it also has everything for an English learner. When I found that it also has educational games, then I do expected that it has to do with my quest of enriching my vocabulary. With free access, users can try various kinds of games of vocabulary and grammar. In addition, I also expected to have an application which could help me in pronunciation. Well, I am very surprised where there is link which lead to another tab which automatically opened where that application prepared an audio simulator. I just need to type any sentence I want. Then by clicking ‘play’ button, a voice heard and pronouncing every word I typed. Besides that, it also has other language option if I wanted to hear or learn. Since there is also chat room and forum, I also can practice my English with other people around the world and interact with them through the forum for the sake of my English. However, user need to register and it just for free. For the ‘Leisure Time’ links, it offers loads of jokes where there are thousands of them. Besides, I also can submit one if I have any. Another thing which made me really anxious about this web is it also offers lesson activity for teachers. They are simple and easy to operate by teacher and students. And since I am taking CALL subject, I can conclude that I had found software which enhance on computer assisted language learning!


3. What sorts of computer skills is the application users expected to have in order to operate/ access/ use the application?

Well, since it is an educational web application, users do not really need to have great skills in application usage. Since I am a quite novice computer user, the application in this web does not really seem complicated at all. And I do believe that even school students can operate the application just by themselves. There is option for users whether to register for an account to use some of the application which required them to do so. Even though, we do not want to register, I can consider that a free user can already apply all of the important core applications for language learner. As far as I am concerned with the registration, it is only needed for the users who intended to join in the chat room and forum. So, there is less important to give interest on that. Another skill needed is not more than typing and clicking mouse expertise. After all, the format of the test and exercise provided are al the same as what students usually have during class learning activities. Overall, it is an easy application which suits everyone.

4. While you are ‘playing’/ ‘accessing’/ ‘assessing’ the application, does it remind you of anything you do in a classroom, or with a teacher, or with a fellow classmate, or in self-study?

Surely affirmative! Well, since this is another CALL medium, it resembles alike the learning activity during classroom learning. We can have this kind of situation by as assessing and accessing the Placement Test, Lesson and Exercise, and also Leisure Time application. User would meet a number of tests and exercise which as the same as what teachers usually have for class exercise and tests. Besides, users can check their answers on the spot for the result. During the check, this application will reveal the errors and also the exact answer so that users can make corrections and revise the test. Meanwhile, in the Useful Tool link, users could access to ESL and EFL tools. There are free resources for teachers, access to history and geography of English-speaking countries encyclopedia, and a lot more. Wait till you see and use all the application served! Besides that, games provided are so interesting for users, especially students, of even for 10 years above and they are used to internet surfing and its application. As a former school student, he exercises in the web are so much in common with the real one from the teachers. So, teachers and students could make a full use of this web later on. In the Useful Tool link as well, I found a very interesting link where it is extremely useful for teachers, as well as new teachers as ideas on how to start the very first class. The link which I mean is free-guide ice-breaking and back-to-school guide. It offers loads of guides for teachers to practice. As for my self-study, I do normally make use of jokes and the extra large lesson for my study requirements. Plus, the applications prepared make me feels comfortable of using it since it is easy to operate as well as there are a lot of with what I am usually exposed to in my study activity.

5. Can you pinpoint some theories of language learning and/or teaching underlying the application?

Since this is a language improving application which based of exercises and tests, it meets the theory of drills in language learning. Drills mean users can make use of the exercise again and again as they wish until they could score the highest and perfect result. The errors and correction available after the finish a set of question is basically to motivate them to drill themselves. Another theories connected to this web is “operations or steps used by a learner that will facilitate the acquisition, storage, retrieval or use of information” (O’Malley et al (1985) (http://www.crie.org.nz/research_paper/c_griffiths_op1.pdf). what I can conclude by this is this web offers step by step learning where users can use the exercises and test accordingly to the topic. When a topic they manage to cover, then they can continue to the next one. Stephen Krashen mentions that language learning requires the monitor hypothesis during the process. However, the only person who can monitor the progress is the user itself. This also means that during the checking process, they can monitor their own progress. To make it more interesting, parents can make use of this page to their children and they can be the person who monitors their kid’s achievement.

6. How well is the constructivist theory of learning applied to the chosen websites?

As far as I am concern, constructivist theory is about learning through experiences. So, how this theory link to my chosen website? It is easy. Whatever students, as the users, learned during classroom with their teachers, they can apply them back using this web through the exercise and tests. By this, they can discover by themselves of their own understanding on the topic they had learn. I believe that this website’s exercises and tests cover everything which English language learners would have in their process. Besides that, games available are also can test the users to manipulate their language learning experiences.

7. In 1980’s and early 1990’s, there was a major debate on ‘whether the computer was “master” of or “slave” to the learning process’ (Higgins and Johns, 1984). In relation to your evaluation – was the computer a replacement for teachers, or merely an obedient servant to students?

Honestly, computer is an obedient servant to students. Why so? Students still need teachers if they wanted to consult for something. They would need more on explanation rather than finding their errors right away. Learning alone without experiences and knowledge is useless since they have no references at all to convince their own selves. Whatever any website of language learning application are just another medium and method for students to have drill and home-based exercises rather than to evaluate themselves. Even though they can mark and get result by those applications, it follows what the students desired to. Parts from that, those applications are programmed by human. So, if they have any inquiries upon having problems, they still need to seek for the person who operates it. In this case, teachers are their best solution.

8. Would you like to use the application yourself in your future work?

Since this application website and its application have a lot to offer, I will surely make the full use of it later on in my work. First of all, as a future, its contents would help me a lot for my preparation for class exercises, tests and also learning activities. Secondly, I would suggest this website for students for their home-based exercise. And I would also take items as lesson and games to have it during my class. Thirdly, since it has interactive programme which allow me to submit my ideas on jokes, and even in the forum, I could also involved in the site.

Suggestions/Recommendation

However, this site has its own lack. It is two language application, in French, and its somehow would be confusing for users. With the proper guide to the users, or make used of the application, I believe that there would be no major problem of applying it. In addition, besides of having tests, exercises and games, there are a lot of other things available. Nevertheless, we have to look at it and use what it has to offer in the first place.