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Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center

Donald Fischer, PhDProvost, DLIFLCProvost, DLIFLC

2012 BILC Professional SeminarCreating Communities of Practice

Overview

• Introduction• Content

Group Cognition Project/Technology Integration Arabic Reading Working Group (ARWG) eSessions

• Concepts Community of Practice (CoP) Appreciative Inquiry Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL)

Rapid Change & Organizational Learning

• Technology is constantly changing• People find varying ways to use it• Learning occurs at different points and different

rates• Learning occurs faster than it can be transmitted

and turned into practice• How and why do we have to develop ways to

keep up?

Possible Technology Application

Application/System Used for Teaching Application/System Used for Teaching Application/System Used for Teaching

1. VTT/BLTS 21. (Microsoft Office) Word, Excel

41. (Transparent Languages Inc. programs) Rapid Rote

2. Blackboard 22. OneNote 42. Language Pro.

3. DCO 23. Access 43. Talker

4. iPOD 24. Outlook 44. Windows media Player

5. iTouches 25. InfoPath 45. QuickTime

6. SharePoint 26. PowerPoint 46. SMART Notebook

7. BLTS 27. Ulead/Corel VideoStudio 47. Adobe Acrobat Pro

8. Tablet PC 28. Pinnacle TV Center Pro 48. Abby Fine Reader

9. Headstart2 29. Camtasia 49. SPSS

10. Rapport 30. Captivate 50. QuarkXpress

11. GLOSS 31. DLIFLC LSKs 51. CutePDF

12. WTE 32. (Adobe suites)

design and/or web, with Dreamweaver52. ALELO tactical scenarios (3D games)

13. DLPT Readiness 33. (Adobe suites) Flash

53. Wenlin

14. Adobe Audition 34. (Adobe suites) Photoshop

54. CollabWorx

15. Acrobat Reader 35. (Adobe suites) Illustrator

55. SCOLA

16. SANAKO 36. (Adobe suites) InDesign

56. IE

17. ScribeZone 37. CamStudio 57. Atomic Learning

18. Jabber Moment IM 38. Skype 58. Firefox

19. iTunes 39. Google Earth 59. iPAD

20. Countries in Perspectives 40. YouTube 60. Other

Technology Integration and Professional Development Workshops

• Using Virtual Environments for Content-Based Problem Solving and Presentation and Speaking Skill Improvement.

• Workshops in which faculty members discussed applications of classroom and individual learning support technologies and offered online using the Sakai/ Elluminate Learning Management System (LMS).

• Web-based Communities of Practice examining reading methodologies and approaches

• Use of Web-based conferencing for student assistance

Theoretical View

Situated learning Environment for interactions and relationshipsNetwork for sharing

Activities and resources

Grounding

Common beliefDistributed cognition

Changing levels of participation

Group sense-making

Creativity and new solutions

Theoretical View of the Emergence of Collaborative Knowledge and

Group Sense-Making

Community of Practice

Wisdom Community Model

Issues/ Challenges/ Problems

Identification

Initial Exploration

Various stages of engagement;

Discovery, Interactions,

Relations, Activities, etc.

Resources/Mentor/FacilitatorGroup accountability,

Common belief, Communities of

Practice

(Environmental, emotional, social

aspects, etc. group activities.

Reflection/Reorganization

Strategic Change, Distributed Cognition,

Collaboration, Transformation

PreservationGroup Community

of Practice, Group Creativity, Group Innovation,

New Perspectives/cases

Mentor/ Facilitator

Support Center

A Possible Working Model

Project Example-Teaching Modern Standard Arabic AND Dialects

Participants objectives: • Build an online Community of Practice with

respect to teaching reading to dialect students.

• Apply various technology tools to increase teaching effectiveness.

• Develop a way ahead to teach MSA and necessary reading skills to dialect students.

Elluminate/Sakai

Arabic Reading Work Group (ARWG)

• ARWG Workshop-Group Cognition + Appreciative Inquiry Approach

-Goal: explore ways to identify, describe, and disseminate the best practices of reading instruction for MSA and Arabic dialect courses.

Appreciative Inquiry Approach

• Themes and Ideal States Derived from the Student, Teacher, Military, and Leadership Working Group Presentations

• Summary of Student/ Classroom Instructor/ Leadership/ Military Instructors Collected Data

• Best Practice Priorities – Recommended Actions – Responsible Agents

Outcome of ARWG Phase I-III

• Built an online community of practice to address improvement of Arabic reading instruction

• Examined best of best practices associated with teaching reading in MSA and Arabic dialects

• Identified salient themes and listings of best instructional practices

• Designed, implemented, and facilitate school and program “Summits”, seminars, workshops, and presentations to improve reading instruction through best practices

• Developed appropriate metrics to determine the effectiveness of the best practices initiative

Interview Findings of Successful Themes

Theme Number of OccurrencesAuthentic (materials) 37

Task-Based Instruction (TBI) 27

Autonomous (teaching and learning activities) 22

Collaborative (student/teacher/military) 22

Integrated (skills/activities) 21

Motivated (student/teacher) 21

Individualized (tailored) 19

Cultural Practices (context for understanding) 18

Scaffolded (structured skill building) 18

Engaged (active vs. passive ) 17

Prepared (teacher) 15

Honest/Authentic (teacher) 15

Interactive (technology) 11

Contextual 9

Connected (technology) 8

Planned 8

Varied 7

Pedagogy 5

Relaxation 5

Real (activities) 5

Broad/Deep 4

Time 4

Structural 4

Appropriate (levels) 4

Production 3

Synthesized 3

Analytical 2

Applied, contextual 2

Harmonious 2

Current, interesting 1

Themes and Ideal States from Student, Teacher, Military, and Leadership

Working Group Presentations (1/2)

Instructional Theme The Ideal State Constituent Group

Curriculum/Materials •Up-to-date authentic materials addressing all learning styles•Effective and purposeful authentic materials with FLO requirements•Student-centered, task-based & can be tailored to individual needs•Class is a microcosm of real life /culture. Military expressions•Textbook, a basic framework for engaging students in learning TL/TC

-Student-Teacher-Military-Leadership

Technology •Time saver/ alternative to learning/exploring language•Having ‘tech savvy’ instructors/ Updated equipment and software•Efficient and relevant to learning objectives •“Real life” classroom experience is enhanced thru well-integrated use of technology

-Student-Teacher-Military-Leadership

Teaching Methods •Tailored to students’ individual needs, learning style, attitude•Plunge Sts into natural habitat of Arabic, meaningful, engaging, and suitable activities/ Student centered/ Motivating/ Task-based/ Contextualized instruction/ Personalized/ Promote collaboration•Invoke the highest order thinking skills possible•Balance teacher expectations with reality/situation/ Provide students an opportunity to review/recap prior lessons•Reading instruction in cultural context/ Utilize interactive discussion •Pre-during-post reading activities with meticulous instructional plans

-Student-Teacher-Military-Leadership

Autonomous Learning •Student as a partner in the learning process and accountable to express needs as well as well prepared• Allow for creativity and exploration in indentifying content and different ways “strategies” learning

-Student-Teacher-Military-Leadership

Themes and Ideal States from Student, Teacher, Military, and Leadership

Working Group Presentations (2/2)

Instructional Theme The Ideal State Constituent Group

Autonomous Learning •Students take ownership of reading activities content, task and project instructions/ Project oriented learning activities

Culture •Present as an exploration of an exotic Middle East – Imbed culture within reading exercises •Develop knowledge of the world “schemata” •Explore topics of interest, and cultural background is as important as familiarity with the linguistic code

-Students-Leadership

Assessment •Provide assessment that enhances language learning thru In classroom - Peer Assessment - Self Assessment•Continuous comprehensive checks of reading texts are important and productive in group and pair activities

-Teachers-Leadership

Grammar •Learn and integrate into context of lessons rather than as a separate session•Compare and contrast grammatical similarities/differences between MSA and dialects•Design grammar workshops that can be phased out at higher levels

-Students

Student-centered •Attentive to students needs – motivate – develop rapport – collaborative in teaching and learning

-Teachers

Communication and Collaboration

•One team, one fight – Cohesiveness and harmony – Institute wide sharing - Autonomy – Positive management and faculty relationship

-Teachers

ARWG Project via Elluminate / Sakai

Technology Tools

Outcome of Group ProjectsFaculty participants• Shared knowledge, gained confidence, enhanced technology

proficiency, and promoted their speaking skills thru interaction in group collaborative activities.

• Appreciated the opportunity to learn personally and collectively and shared their positive and best practices with their department and school division. (e.g. requested more Group workshop and elected to pursue their advanced studies in the field of FLED. )

• A unique opportunity for interaction among faculty leading to increased mutual understanding, collegiality, and professionalism—and a foundation from which to improve our approach to dialects AND MSA.

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Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center

Donald Fischer, PhDProvost, DLIFLCProvost, DLIFLC

2012 BILC Professional SeminarCreating Communities of Practice

Back-Up Slides

Group Cognition ProjectsGroup Cognition Projects (Dr Garry Stahl’s Group Cognition

Model) , Provost Initiatives

Technology Integration and Faculty Development WorkshopArabic Reading Working Group (ARWG) with Appreciative

Inquiry (AI) Approach

E-Sessions: Virtual Environment for Study Hall, Special Assistance, and Speaking Sessions.