Новые технологии в образовательном пространстве родного и иностранно

2. Group differences in the evaluation of the pedagogical usability of e-Learning materials between native and non-native English teachers

A second complex analysis was performed for the teachers’ group. The factor “native speaker” with two levels was introduced as an independent variable. The second independent variable with four levels is the type of e-Learning material. The dependent variables (intra-group factor) are the composite ratings of the teachers on the separate dimensions in the PMLQ questionnaire.

Fig. 3. Interaction between teachers and PMLQ dimensions

There’s a striking similarity with Fig. 2 but this time the place of the students’ profile is taken by the non-native teachers. The same tendency is evident in the two profiles, which illustrates that the two subgroups of teachers rate the pedagogical usability of the e-Learning materials in the same way on the different dimensions in the questionnaire. Fig. 3 also demonstrates the tendency for higher ratings from the nonnative English teachers.

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If the type of e-Learning material is introduced in the analysis, there is a tendency for systematically higher values in the ratings of the nonnative teachers. This tendency is observed in each of the ten dimensions for each e-Learning material.

3. Group differences in the evaluation of the pedagogical usability of e-Learning materials between the students from NBU and UNWE

As already mentioned, the students participating in this study belong to two sub-groups from two universities – NBU and UNWE. The participants groups’ characteristics differ in the intensity and frequency of e-Learning that they engage in. This justified the analysis of their evaluations of e-Learning materials for foreign language learning and to look for differences and similarities as in the previous analyses.

Fig. 4. Interaction between students and e-Learning material

The average ratings of the students from the two sub-groups on the basis of all materials and all dimensions of the PMLQ show statistically significant differences (p = 0.000); the average value of the e-Learning materials by the NBU students is 19.596, while that of the UNWE stu-

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dents is 22.580. In other words, NBU students are more critical of the qualities and effectiveness of the e-Learning materials. This is probably due to the fact that they regularly use the institutional NBU Moodle which is a major component of their studies at university.

The following figure presents the combined influence of the factors e-Learning materials and university. It can be seen that the UNWE students evaluate higher the pedagogical usability of the materials that the students from NBU and the difference between the two groups is statistically significant at p = 0.000. It is worth noting also that materials 3 and 4 contribute mostly to these differences.

The following figure (Fig. 5) presents one more significant interaction. It illustrates how the students from each sub-group have evaluated the four e-Learning materials according to the different dimensions in the PMLQ questionnaire.

This figure is strikingly similar to the previous two in which we compared the responses of students and teachers (Fig. 2) and the two sub-groups of teachers native and non-native speakers of English (Fig. 3).

Fig. 5. Interaction between students and PMLQ dimensions

Fig. 5 demonstrates that the students from UNWE give systematically higher ratings to the pedagogical usability of the e-Learning materials in the

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different dimensions than the students from NBU. It is to be noted here that significant differences are observed in dimensions 1. Learner control, 4. Goal orientation, 5. Applicability, 6. Added value, 7. Motivation and 10. Feedback, all at p = 0.000. Similarly, when the factor ‘type of e-Learning material’ is included in the analysis, significant differences are observed not only in the sub-dimensions, but in the different e-Learning materials. Most of these differences are statistically significant at = 0.05.

The results from the analysis showed differences and interesting similarities in the evaluation of e-Learning. The first is the constant higher rating by the students compared to that of teachers, and the second is the higher ratings of the non-native English teachers compared to that of the native teachers. A possible explanation could be found on the one hand in the age differences, and on the other hand in how the perceived usefulness of computer technology for learning. Students are representatives of the younger generation and are more receptive of the new technologies, while the teachers could be more skeptical about the effectiveness of the computer technology for learning. This could lead to lower ratings of the pedagogical value of the e-Learning materials. On the other hand, although only a speculation, the native teachers come from countries where e-Learning has been adopted for longer, which could lead to more critical perception of the quality of the e-Learning materials.

Similar differences have been shown in the two student subgroups. NBU students have been exposed longer and more intensively to learning with the new technology, and this could have helped them develop more critical opinions concerning the pedagogical value of the multimedia delivered learning content.

These two aspects could be explored further in the future to see how they influence the perception of the pedagogical value and quality of e-Learning content.

Although students and teacher evaluate the pedagogical usability in a similar way, significant differences, the higher rating of the students in the sub-dimensions point at dimensions which seem of greater importance for the learner, namely collaboration, applicability, added value and feedback. Those aspects have been rated the highest by the students and teachers should be aware of this when developing e-Learning content. This is clearly evident from the higher ratings on materials 3 and 4 in which more multimedia is present and learners have greater choice and freedom as regards the sequencing of the content, and with more practical applicability. Al-

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though subjective, the higher students’ ratings clearly reflect their perception of the learning process as a whole, namely the questions whose answers learners indentify the learning process with: how and who with do I learn, where and how this is applicable, how is this more effective than traditional forms of learning, and how well do I perform.

It is necessary to explore how technology is perceived and how these perceptions influence the evaluation of the pedagogical usability. Another aspect for further research could be cultural factors which may play a role in perceiving the pedagogical value, as well as if age and gender influence those perceptions. These fell outside the scope of the present study and future research could throw some light on the issue.

References

1.Reeves T.C. Evaluating what really matters in computer-based education // Computer education: New Perspectives / In Wild, M. & Kirkpatrick, D. (Eds.), Perth, Australia: MASTEC. – 1994. – P. 219–246.

2.Quinn C. Pragmatic Evaluation: Lessons from Usability [Electronic resource]. – URL: http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/ade- laide96/papers/18.html (retrieved March 04, 2013).

3.Albion P. Heuristic evaluation of educational multimedia: from theory to practice [Electronic resource]. – URL: http://www.ASCILITE 1999: 16th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education: Responding to Diversity, 5– 8 Dec 1999. – Brisbane, Australia. – URL: http://www.ascilite.org.au/ conferences/brisbane99/papers/albion.pdf (retrieved March 04, 2013).

4.Squires D., Preece J. Predicting quality in educational software: Evaluating for learning, usability and the synergy between them // Interacting with Computers. – 1999. – 11. – P. 467–483.

5.Horila M., Nokelainen P., Syvänen A., Överlund J. Criteria for the pedagogical usability, version 1.0. – Hämeenlinna, Finland: Häme Polytechnic and University of Tampere, 2002.

6.Nokelainen P. An empirical assessment of pedagogical usability criteria for digital learning material with elementary school students // Educational Technology & Society. – 2006. – Vol. 9., No. 2. – P. 178–197.

7.Moodle Trust Usability [Electronic resource]. – URL: http://moodle.org (retrieved March 04, 2013).

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M.M. Nokhov

Gymnasium № 1, Khasavyurt, Dagestan

USE OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND ON-LINE COMMUNICATION AT THE ENGLISH LESSONS AND IN EXTRACURRICULAR WORK

The paper reports about the role of the Internet for solution of the problem how to make the process of learning English interesting to the students. Describe authors experience in using on line communication to provide students with very interesting opportunities of communicating with their coevals from the English-speaking countries all over the world.

Keywords: new technologies, the Global Classroom, web-based classroom environment.

Last year there was approved and adopted by the State Duma the new Federal State Educational Standard in Foreign Languages which is also called the standard of the second generation.

The Standard states the following requirements to the results of the students’ mastering of the basic teaching program:

1)personal;

2)meta subjective;

3)subjective;

4)personal results;

5)formation of world outlook, which corresponds to the contemporary level of the development of science and public practice based on the dialogue of cultures, and different forms of public consciousness, and perception of a person’s place in the poly cultural world;

6)tolerant behaviour and attitude in the poly cultural society, readiness and ability of having a dialogue with other people, come to consensus, find mutual purposes and cooperate in order to get them;

7)meta subjective results;

8)the ability of clearly, logically correctly express his/her point of view, use of adequate language remedies;

9)the ability of cooperation in the process mutual activity, considering the position of other participants of the action, effectively solve the conflict problems. subjective results;

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10)the subjective results of mastering of the basic educational program a are determined in two levels : basic and advanced;

11)the basic variant is for those students who are oriented on getting secondary education;

12)the advanced level is for those students who prepare for further professional education, develop their individual abilities and capabilities by independent extracurricular work [1].

With the introduction of English into the Unified State Exam as a compulsory subject the role of the teachers of English has become very important. To teach the students to be creative, have an unprepared talk with other people in English, analyze the work of art in English, the teacher must be well prepared himself. Who does he or his students speak English to in their free time? To be frank – to nobody, not only in the village schools but even in large city schools too, which are well equipped with modern educational equipment. The introduction of the Internet into our educational process helps us solve the problem how to make the students learn English properly.

Use of the Internet helps the teacher widen the borders of the textbook, make the process of teaching English fruitful, interesting and cognitive to all students both to the bright ones and those who are legging behind in their studies. Participation in the International projects and programs is one of the means of the solution of the problem how to make the process of learning English interesting to the students.

Our Aim is:

– to teach a student to use new technologies effectively so that to raise the quality of education;

– to help a student understand the changes of the purposes of education from learning to knowing;

What is it for?

A student must learn to use the global network Internet as a means of informational supply;

The importance of the development of this branch of education is always stressed by the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin.

Because the Man of the Future must know the techniques and methods of self-dependent acquiring of new knowledge; ways of creative approach to the choice and solution of different problems;

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What Result Should be Expected?

–acquiring of new informational technologies;

–creation of a desired product in the form of either a project or writing an essay, or development of the ability to hold an unprepared talk in English, prepare the student to passing the Unified State Exam;

–the loss of computer fear;

–professional use of computers by the teachers;

None of the textbooks will substitute the lively communication of the students from different countries of the world. The role of the Internet is indispensable here. Not long ago the communication of the students from different countries at the lessons was something from a field of science-fiction. Now it is part of the English lesson, a common working process.

New teaching technologies and educational facilities that we are having in schools nowadays help us to provide our students with very interesting opportunities of communicating with their coevals from the English-speaking countries all over the world. One of these facilities is an interactive program “The Global Classroom” which is a research based, international, interdisciplinary, interactive website providing a cross cultural and heterogeneous mix of students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in reading, research, rhetoric and writing in the disciplines of World Geography and World Literature [2].

I got acquainted with Mr. Michael Bailey a teacher of World Geography, Literature and English from the city of Belfast, Maine, U.SA. during our participation in the International seminar in the Cold War period in Cambridge, Great Britain, where I was in the group of ten teachers from Russia in 2005. He told me a lot about his school, students, use of computer technologies in the process of teaching and finally invited me to participate in his interactive educational program «Global classroom» [2].

It is a research international web. site. It gives the students from different countries of the world a chance to master their reading skills, go in for research and learn how to write essays in World Literature and Geography.

The web-based classroom environment offers our students an opportunity to participate in a collegial exchange of images, ideas, experiences and opinions with the students from around the world.

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What Do Students Find Here?

The Global Classroom experience introduces students, on a personal level, with students from different cultures and different perspectives on common questions these cultures may entertain.

Each region is evaluated on specific criteria which are connected to the Unit Question. They are designed to provoke analysis of key areas pertaining to the Unit Question and are the building blocks of the Unit

World Literature

In the study of each region a selection of 4–5 short stories or poems, written by celebrated authors from the region, are read. Interpretive and thought provoking questions are provided for class discussion. Synthesis questions are offered to connect the central theme of the story with the regional question.

The program provides the students with great opportunities of mastering their language skills in reading, speaking, understanding and having an unprepared conversation.

In our first introductory unit we have the opportunity to share with the Classroom our understanding of our own republic, town and gymnasium. We discuss home, and family, and develop the skills of description and analysis.

We deal with national and global regions and issues. In each of the discussions throughout the year we study geography, climate, history, culture and economy of a region of the world and discuss how these

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