ELICOS Online: Co-creating Flexible Learning Environments Zbych Trofimiuk

Overview of the Study Educational Design Research (EDR) methodology The immediate research context A custom-made website The wider research context Stage 1 focussed on analysing and exploring the

wider context Stage 2 consisted of two classroom interventions

with two IELTS-Preparation classes

Implementation and spread

The framework of my study, based on a generic model proposed by McKenny and Reeves (2012).

McKenney, S., & Reeves, T. C. (2012). Conducting educational design research. Great Britain: Routledge.

Research Questions How do ELICOS practitioners regard the culture of the college?

What are the exact educational needs/problems of students in the IELTS program that might benefit from interventions with new media?

What can be learnt from the context (the college), and from implementing these EDR interventions there?

The Wider Research Context Views on the organisation

– A business

Teaching at the college

– Tension between CBLT & CLT

Educational uses of new media at the college

– Some excellent work done by individuals – Generally poor from an organisational viewpoint

The Immediate Research Context IELTS students

– Extremely test-focussed

The IELTS syllabus

– Should be better organised around themes

New media in IELTS-Preparation programs

– Mixed views, i.e. Not really appropriate, but can be beneficial

Needs/problems Generally speaking, there was little evidence of effective engagement

with new media in IELTS programs.

Many IELTS students were extremely test-focussed, and ignored improving language/academic skills per se.

The syllabus did not provide enough guidance. It was not thematic, and it was not designed to build upon language, nor did it rigorously engage with topics.

Central Claim

Selwyn (2014) characterises "the academic study of educational technology... as an essentially ‘positive project’. Most people working in this area are driven by an underlying belief that digital technologies are – in some way – capable of improving education" (p. 11-12).

Nonetheless, the key claim of this project was that L2 learning improves when new media is integrated into an L2 program

Pre-implementation

After EDR Cycle 1

After EDR Cycle 2

Unit 1

(Cambridge ESOL, 2013).

(May, 2008)

Unit 2

Unit 3

(Haines & May, 2006)

(Haines & May, 2006; Jurascheck, 2006).

The Forum

Student Experience of the Program The needs/problems (namely, immersion in English and critical

thinking) were addressed via the intervention

The website helped improve the course, but it was not seen as necessary for the program

Students credited:

– Own independent work – Teacher feedback – Opportunities for practice

EDR Principles I - IV Question whether educational media is the best option for achieving

teaching/learning excellence in an L2 program.

Educational use of new media must begin and end with teaching/learning.

Decentralisation of control.

Flexible learning environments are co-created and they exist in an ephemeral collaborative space.

Educational use of new media should experiment with teaching/learning theory, and it should be underpinned by critical reflective practices.

EDR Principles VI - IX

Teachers cannot be forced to use educational media.

Students cannot be forced to engage with online content/activities.

Course developers/designers must teach, and teachers must develop/design courses.

Trust and invest in teaching staff, and value their work.

References Cambridge ESOL. (2013). Cambridge IELTS 9: Authentic examination

papers from Cambridge ESOL. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Haines, S. & May, P. (2006). IELTS masterclass: Student’s book. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Jurascheck, A. (2006). IELTS masterclass: Teacher’s book. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

May, P. (2008). IELTS practice tests. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

McKenney, S., & Reeves, T. C. (2012). Conducting educational design research. Great Britain: Routledge.

Selwyn, N. (2014). Distrusting educational technology: Critical questions for changing times. New York: Routledge.