FOREIGN LANGUAGE INSTRUCTIONAL CENTER UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHOREDEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH & MODERN LANGUAGES DR. JACALYN L. BOOKDR. NYDIA V. GREGORY

Our Beginning: Achieving the mission through digital languages lab technology

• Facilitated dissemination of information about FLIC within the various Schools and their departments at UMES.

• Advocated for the use of FLIC as a state of the art instructional center not only for languages but for many other instructional areas.

• An overview of the challenges and benefits of Sony Virtuoso/Soloist has been presented to faculty on how best to use this resource to maximize its benefits to class delivery to our students.

• The most effective tool in introducing FLIC has been our own personal experience in the training and use of the Sony Language Learning Software, a digital language lab suite that includes the Sony Virtuoso instructor control interface and Sony Soloist digital comparative recorder and media player.

Sony Virtuoso/Soloist

• This instructional technology allows for interactivity between the instructor and students for oral testing, multi-teacher distance learning applications, etc.

• Virtuoso is a small application installed in the instructor’s station which interacts with the Soloist software installed in the student stations.

Main Function

• Interactivity between instructor and students is established through a single screen organized in five function panels that is launched from the instructor’s computer desktop by clicking on the Virtuoso Major icon.

Soloist.lnk

Virtuoso Major

1. Group Control Panel: manages student grouping.

2. PC Control Panel: allows the transfer of files and websites from the instructor’s computer to the students’ units and affords controls of student use of their assigned PCs.

3. Screen Control Panel: which allows the instructor to take control of the students’ work.

Virtuoso Major

4. Soloist Remote Control Panel: helps monitor voice recording activities on the computers.

5. Voice Communications Panel: the area that controls synchronous oral activities, designed to implement listening and pronunciation activities during a class session.

The FLIC experience:

• Both Virtuoso and Soloist permit the creation and use of digitized materials that can be tailored to the particular needs of the classroom users.

• A greater variety of synchronous and asynchronous time oral and written activities using teacher control of the student stations can be designed (i.e., reading tests, midterm exams, Echo360).

• The software enables more interpersonal communication (audio and video) so that students have increased opportunities to use the language to develop core skills(i.e., Pairs, Groups, Library).

Training of Faculty

• Once faculty members’ interest is peaked, we provide a one-hour (more or less) training as groups or on a one-on-one basis in the use of the facility and its equipment.

• Several group training have been provided, however, as many more faculty members are coming forward to be trained in the use of Sony Virtuoso/Soloist technology for their classes, the one-on-one training approach has proven beneficial.

To teach less commonly taught languages

• The lab aids instructors with assessment because they get instant feedback.

• The technology provides efficiencies in preparing students for the real world communication in the target language.

• Students are able to use the language program to practice listening, speaking, reading, and conversational skills on a one-to-one basis.

• Some of the aspects that we like the most about the software are:

• Class management activities: pairing and/or grouping students without having to move around

• More one on one interaction for practices

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• Student response to FLIC has been very positive. Some limitations are the size of the classes and the time consuming on preparation for the class (i.e., oral and written assessments, reading, practice, oral activities, etc.), and although the system allows for walk-in activities, there is not enough room/stations for such activities at the present time.

• Activities Possible During an Average Class: During a typical class period, the instructor can have students practice listening comprehension and speaking by pairing students several times with different partners to do impromptu oral interviews of each other.

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• The instructor can also create up to four groups of students to practice in-class exercises/activities under direct supervision.

• The instructor can work across groups randomly checking and correcting the chosen assignment. We find this very useful in teaching new grammar points.

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• These activities target basic skills in a variety of combinations which are advantageous for both students and instructors.

• Authentic documents can be used in a more natural, contextualized environment at all levels.

• Listening activities using sound or movie files can be used with a seamless transition making the class time efficient and allowing students to better internalize the phonetic rules of the language through highly interactive and entertaining educational experiences.

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• Student pronunciation can also improve dramatically because of the freedom to easily record and replay as many times as needed before submitting a recording for grading.

• The instructor experiences higher productivity as well, since there is no need to set up the variety of electronics such as audiotape, video or CD players and/or recorders that were needed to obtain the same effect or to carry audiotapes or disks around since all materials are filed on a single server.

Video• http://youtu.be/hpZho_HtLhI

Aventuras vhlcentralClass: Section 101-0401 • Instructions for your students • Roster • Assignments • Practice• Assessment• Gradebook• Announcements• Voice Boards

• GRAMÁTICA     • Due Date Activity• Page(s) Graded• 2.1 Present tense of regular –ar verbs• Escoger, Seleccionar, Las clases • 2.2 Forming questions in Spanish• Una conversación, Elegir, Preguntas, Completar• Present tense of estar • ¡Manos a la obra!, Completar, Escoger, ¿Dónde está...?. La universidad

Blackboard• Your 24-hour link to our class: classmates, professor,

notes, updates, etc.

Course Information• Syllabus Spanish 101-0401 (2144) • Attached Files:

 A Spanish 101_0401 Syllabus Fall 2012.doc (174.5 KB) • !!!!Bienvenidos!!!!• NOTE: UMES Final Exam Schedule for our class  has

been added to your syllabus. 

Announcements • New announcements appear below this line• Grades for online test have been posted • Posted on: Thursday, October 4, 2012

Course Content

• Enhancing the lessons • These PowerPoints will enhance and reinforce what you

learned in your textbook.  Sometimes they will extend the lesson.  You should read them and save them to a thumb drive so you will have them for next Spanish classes.  They are very handy, specially during vacation time.

• Spanish 101_0401 Groups • Spanish 101_cap 1.pptx • Cap. 1 Review

Calendar • Actions for Content Page• Create Course Event• Jump to

• Forums are made up of individual discussion threads that can be organized around a particular subject. Create Forums to organize discussions.

• Actions for Content Page• Create Forum• Show Search

Email• ll Users • Send email to all of the users in the Course. • All Groups • Send email to all of the Groups in the Course. • All Student Users • Send email to all of the Student users in the Course. • All Teaching Assistant Users

• My Grades• UMES Help Desk• Center for IT

Instructional Technology UMES > Academics and Research

•   Quick Links   Outlook Web E-mail Academic Calender Admissions and Registration Campus News and Events McAfee Downloads Get Adobe Reader Academic Affairs

•  Center for Instructional Technology• Starfish Tutoring• Writing Lab• Access and Success for Academics

• The Center for Instructional Technology at UMES assists faculty and students in all aspects of e-learning including hosting, training, development, and support of the Blackboard 9.1 Learning Management System, the Blackboard Portfolio System, Respondus, and Echo360.

Students have cited various benefits from the use of the system and some issues

• Benefits:• Equipment ease of use• Information more clearly presented via computer rather

than the instructor writing on the board• Ability to converse freely in pairs or groups without

embarrassments• Fun activities and students can help each other• Interactive teaching style• Ability to record lab assignments on the system

Cont.

• Issues:• More seating stations• More time and practice• System not available after class

STUDENTS’ OPINIONS OF USING

FLIC

”It’s so much more fun than a regular classroom”

“It’s practically a painless way to learn”

Student Survey ResultsFrom Likert Scale

http://www.vhlcentral.com/images/programs/medium_173/imaginez2e.png?1348780997

http://www.vhlcentral.com/images/programs/medium_173/promenades.png?1348780997

INSTRUCTOR’S POINT OF VIEW

ADVANTAGES OF FLIC

1) Remember students’ names

2) Control and monitor what students see and say

3) Facility of pairing for dialogues

4) Display of all components of online text

DISADVANTAGES OF FLIC

1) Difficult to arrange room for circle seating (classroom conversations / plays)

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