(上海财经大学 施赞聪)
Abstract: Structivism lays
special emphasis on the automatic acquirement of knowledge of the learning subject.
Therefore, teaching and learning with the Internet can be far from satisfactory
by being merely an information-gathering tool between human and computer. This
paper mainly discusses the strengths and potential weaknesses of four usual
forms of interactivities with the Internet, with special attention of human involvement of two parties.
The Internet is becoming increasingly present and significant in our
society. Many educators have begun using the Internet in teaching, and have
found different functions of the net suitable for different pedagogical needs.
Some, however, still regard the Internet as merely an information-gathering
tool, and think of teaching with the Internet as basically having students read
lectures on screen, with links to other screens. Leading educators in the field
of computer-assisted teaching and learning attest to the transformative powers
of the Internet in changing the paradigm and leading to interactive,
student-centered learning.
Interactive and
student-centered uses of the Internet are especially valuable in language
teaching and learning. By 'interactive' uses of the Internet, we do not mean
human-computer interactivity (the learner pointing and clicking the mouse), but
human interaction, or computer-mediated synchronous and asynchronous communication.
We hold that interactivity implies two conscious agencies in conversation,
playfully and spontaneously developing a mutual discourse, taking cues and
suggestions from each other as they proceed.
Language is essentially a means of human communication, which is mostly
about and for the purpose of interaction. The real inherent nature of human
communication is in the dialogical exchange of views and messages; monologues,
on the other hand, are a taught and thus rather artificial (in a sense
unnatural) way of communicating. The essential lesson that we have abstracted
from our experiences is that a cyberspace is defined more by the interactions
among the users within it than by the technology with which it is implemented.
Interactive exchanges can carry a social binding force. Interactivity
in communication settings not only results in feelings of acceptance and
satisfaction, but is also related to performance quality, motivation, sense of
fun, cognition, learning, openness, frankness and sociability. Study examining
interactivity on the net has found that interactivity can lead to more
engagement and cooperation.
While there is a propensity to agree displayed in all messages, this
propensity is enhanced in interactive messages, along with (and maybe despite)
the fact that interactive messages are more opinionated. Interactive messages
are significantly more humorous, and more likely to contain self disclosure.
Interactive messages are more than twice as likely to contain first-person
plural pronouns in reference to members of the list, indicating that
interactivity is associated with a sense of involvement and belonging.
Interactive groups are more likely to sustain their memberships, and yield other
desired outcomes, such as symmetry in contributions, creativity and
productivity, agreement, humour, and sense of belonging. Interactivity is
related to longevity too.
Research findings indicate that not all network activities are
interactive, and that less interactive uses of the net are not likely to see
stable memberships. Individuals may come, but they will not tarry. By focusing
on human-human interactions in online learning and teaching, the language
instructor can play an important role in realizing the Internet's potential to
assist language learning and teaching.
Online human interactions can take many forms. This essay offers an
overview of some of the most often used forms of on-line interactions in
language teaching and learning: e-mail, network-based classrooms, web
discussion forums, and MOOs. Topics discussed in the paper include definitions
and concepts, strengths and potential weaknesses of the different forms,
successful practices, and pedagogical implications for the language instructor.
Email is perhaps the most widely used means of communication online.
There exists a variety of email programs, and users of different programs can
send mail and files to each other with relative ease and little technical
requirement. Many universities and colleges offer free email accounts for
faculty and students. Currently, there are also many free web-based email
accounts available (for example, hotmail, yahoo mail, and many others) which
can be readily set up and used by students who have access to computers on
campus, in public libraries, and at home.
1. STRENGTHS
The main advantages of using email include its availability and wide
access. It is also of little or no cost. Usually, little or no technical
support is required for teachers who decide to use emailing in teaching. It is
easy to learn and convenient to use, and students can write anytime and
anywhere they have access to email. Many email programs have features that
allow students to spell check their document, insert images, web pages, and
hyperlinks in their email. Some email programs allow the use of different
colors in email texts, which can be a handy feature for teacher correction and
peer review, when the instructor or other students need to make comments in another's
message. The speed of electronic mail carries with it a sense of immediacy.
Interactions on email are usually considered asynchronous, but the messages are
usually delivered immediately so that when two users are logged on together,
their communication can sometimes approach synchronicity. Recently, some
institutions and individuals have developed web sites with features that would
allow the instructor to set up a mailing list for the whole class almost
effortlessly.
In a review of the use of email in language learning, we found greater
participation by students via e-mail communication than via face-to-face
discussion. Participation is enhanced because e-mail communication reduces
social context clues related to race, gender, handicap, accent, and status;
reduces non-verbal cues that can intimidate and it allows individuals to
contribute at their own time and pace. Moreover, it encourages people to state
their own opinions rather than rapidly concurring with others; and breaks the
pattern of teacher-dominated discourse in the actual classroom. In addition,
e-mail can not only increase participation by language students, but it can
also improve the quality of discourse. Comparing e-mail discourse with oral
classroom discourse, researchers found that students used more complex language
with a wider range of functions, were more accurate, and produced stronger
arguments. Contrasting e-mail dialogue journals with paper-based dialogue
journals, the e-mail group write more per session, ask and answer more
questions, use language more flexibly, and are less formal and more
conversational with the teacher. Therefore, email can help L2 learners develop
their analytical, narrative, and descriptive writing styles. Especially when
used internationally, email can greatly enhance the cultural awareness of L2
students.
Messages on email can move from a public audience to a private one,
just as private messages can become public by using the copy function. It
provides ample opportunities for students to observe shifts of register and
style. The capability of including multiple audiences in the same message can
also give the participants a feeling of 'eavesdropping' on conversations not
addressed to them, as if they were in a large family that held its personal
conversations in the kitchen. This feature is especially helpful for the timid
or shy learner, who can learn by lurking first and responding only when s/he is
ready to.
2. POTENTIAL WEAKNESSES
The following are some problems that students and the instructor might
encounter when they start to use email extensively.
Once students start emailing to their friends as well as the teacher
and the class, and if they also receive email from email lists, they can find
it difficult to manage or organize the numerous messages. This is especially
true when there are many private messages mixed with class interactions,
homework, and messages without proper subject lines. For example, I have
ordered email news from ustoday.com and teaching.com under the instruction of
our CALL teacher, and he also sends us supplemental materials by email and now
my mailbox is full of emails everyday.
Flaming and email wars are a well-documented phenomenon, especially on
interactive email lists. Fortunately, they have been relatively rare on second
language lists and on certain moderated lists. Students need to be alerted to
this phenomenon and be exposed to the basic rules of Internet etiquette. This is especially necessary when the
instructor gives assignments requiring the class to subscribe to, lurk on, and
respond to email lists outside of class.
In summary, e-mail provides a context-rich, easy to use,
meaning-focused, authentic communicative activity which can be beneficial to
the improvement of second language students' overall linguistic ability and
fluency.
1. DEFINITION
Network-based classrooms are classrooms where the students and the instructor can communicate with each other on a Local Area Network (LAN). One of the most important forms of network-based classroom is ENFI, or Electronic Networks for Interaction. Different hardware and software systems have been used in network based classrooms. In some of the environments (such as Interchange), students see two windows: one in which to write and edit their own writing, and another window, which runs the text/discussion, generated by the class. In other software systems, the discussions are 'threaded' into different topics, and put under different links or folders. Some instructors find the latter a better layout for the sharing of longer student writing files on different topics assigned by the teacher.
2. STRENGTHS
In traditional classrooms, the students write mostly for the teacher;
the teacher is the audience, evaluator, and the center of authority. In network
based classrooms students read, respond to, and write for their classmates,
thus there is a better environment for collaborative learning. They have a
wider audience who are genuinely interested in what they are saying rather than
one who is perceived as constantly making an evaluation of their grade in the
class. Their interactions are more 'authentic' in nature, because they now have
a 'real' purpose for their writing, when they are interacting with a concrete
and immediate audience. Consistent with the nature of writing as a tool for
communication, research has found that most students write better when they write
interactively than in solitary production. Receiving attention and continuous
feedback from peers can be motivating as well as encouraging. Evaluators of
ENFI student writings have found the degree of the writer's engagement with the
issue surprising.
B. DECREASED COMMUNICATION ANXIETY AND MORE EVENLY DISTRIBUTED STUDENT
PARTICIPATION
Most instructors have noticed that student participation can become
more evenly distributed on a network than in the traditional classroom. One
reason that some students are more likely to contribute to class discussion in
writing than in face-to-face social situations is that they find the screen
less threatening than speaking in front of a whole class. Another reason is
that pauses in interaction are more sustainable because utterances are
parallel, not sequential (i.e., all participants can talk at once). Instead of
the whole class sticking to the 'beat' of the normal flow of class time, each
participant is freer to follow his or her own beat. On the network, it is very
difficult for anybody to control the conversation, while at the same time it is
apparent to everyone who is contributing and who is not, thus all participants
sense a responsibility for keeping it going and are encouraged to contribute.
C. STUDENT AUTONOMY AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS
On the net, students seem somehow authorized to break the conventions
of classroom or academic discussion. To put it simply, it is unusual to see so
many students write so defiantly. "ENFI writers were more engaged with the
ideas under discussion and they were more likely to turn to their own
experience, opinions, or voices in presenting those ideas.
D. STUDENT MOTIVATION
Many teachers have commented on the motivating effects networks can
have on students. Students will become more confident in network writing as
they are more motivated to write. They become more engaged in the writing,
asking more questions, seeking more clarification, and writing more extensively
on shared topics. They also become more independent, needing less encouragement
for network writing. As stated above, the shift of the audience from teacher to
peer and purpose of writing from being evaluated to communicating may be a
highly motivating factor. Another highly motivating factor is the freedom and
variety in writing that the network encourages.
E. TEACHER FREEDOM
As students gain more autonomy, the teacher gains more freedom from
having to be center of the classroom and attention all the time. Just as on
MOOs, social distinction can be blurred in the network-based classroom and
entirely new pedagogical dynamics occur as a result. The instructor's role
changes from the 'sage on stage' to the 'guide on the side. Instructors need
not worry about running out of things to say. Actually they will have time to
think during the class, because they are no longer frantically trying to get a
'fire' going or try to be an entertaining performer. This decentralization can
be discomforting for instructors more used to authoritative roles in the
classroom, but for teachers who are more interested in giving power, voice, and
control to students, this environment offers a whole new way of thinking and
teaching.
Although the instructor has to spend more time on the course before and
after class, the success of a class session no longer heavily depends upon the
physical and mental energy or performance of the instructor during the class
periods. For several times when the instructor comes down with a temporary
illness, he is able to stay in his office near the classroom and talk to the
students online, without much disruption of planned class activities. This is
something that could not have happened in a traditional classroom. The
instructor's attention and energy is more evenly distributed before, during,
and after class.
3. POTENTIAL WEAKNESSES
Pedagogically speaking, there are some issues and potential problems to
consider before one starts using the networked classroom. Using network-based
classrooms is usually a more complicated process than using email and often
requires technical support and teacher training. The cost of software and
hardware is usually higher than email and can add burden to either the
department or the students. Some software systems are not accessible outside
the designated classroom, which makes them less convenient than email to use.
Especially in synchronous network activities, teachers need to know how to
create coherence through group interaction. Moreover, just as on email, some
instructors find that there are more emotional and more uninhibited remarks
because of the written medium and students’ responses are less reflective
because of the pressures of synchronous interactive communication. This is less
of a problem with beginning and intermediate language learners but rather more
often occurs to advanced learners and native speakers. However, such behavior
significantly will decrease if these students are given more structured writing
tasks.
Network-based classrooms also require a student-centered teaching style
and teachers used to the traditional style will need considerable adjustment.
In a synchronous network activity, for example, some teachers may be tempted to
control the conversation by trying to type and respond to each and every
student, and the energy it requires to maintain all of the interactions can
easily make him or her weary and exhausted. The same room is being used by less skilled teachers
with negative outcomes--strong tools make good work better and likely make bad
work worse.
A. JOURNAL WRITING, FREE WRITING, AND DRAFTING
Some instructors find the medium ideal for free writing or 'thinking
out loud,' in both synchronous and asynchronous network interactions. For
language students who are not very confident in their language skills, the
synchronous network discussion can serve as a good starting point because
speech seems easier, more intimate, and more engaged.
B. ANONYMOUS PEER REVIEW
The process of reading other students' work, critiquing it, getting
feedback on one's own work, and revising is automated and streamlined. The
paper shuffling of passing essays around, keeping rack of whose reviewing whose
essay, and rewriting, is kept to a minimum. Commenting is easier because one is
not restricted to writing between the lines, as with paper and pencil essays,
but can write comments or questions of any length and in a more legible manner.
Another main advantage of the network (just as on email) is that
instructors can easily have records of the first drafts of students' essays,
the comments made by other students, and the final versions of each essay.
Based on observations of the peer review process, instructors can address
misconceptions that students may have, keep a running list and tabulation of
the most common problems in student writing, and note the progress each
individual student is making. Researchers found that writing for a wider
audience with a communicative purpose, students as critics begin to focus more
on content (coherence, organization, and clarity of ideas), in addition to form
(grammatical accuracy, vocabulary and spelling).
C. DYAD DEBATE
There is a 'chat' feature on some networks that enables students to
'chat' both in a lab and at home. Some instructors found that the attractive
social chat mode can be effectively used as an integral academic tool of
language teaching. Working in pairs with one being the affirmative and the
other the negative side of the current dyad debate, students debate on the
network on a topic for 20-25 minutes, followed by oral class discussion and the
creation of individual essays over the next few days. Students comment that
"because the writing need not be very formal, ideas can flow and thoughts
are provoked a lot. It is a very realistic form of conversation because it is a
real conversation about a real, relevant topic with real people. Chat mode is
particularly effective for the shy students (or what I call the tertiary
thinker) who cannot just blurt out an answer in class.
D. REAL-TIME CLASS DISCUSSION ON A LAN
Some language instructors have found it especially helpful to hold real
time, synchronous class discussions on a local area network (LAN). In contrast
to oral class or group discussions, synchronous discussions on a network
provide language learners with a less stressful environment for expressing and
exchanging ideas, because the language is live, dynamic, informal, fluid, and
conversational. Learners are encouraged to focus on what they want to say and
how they want to formulate their utterances without worrying about their looks
or accents, are able to monitor their grammatical accuracy if they wish to, and
can experiment with longer, more complex syntactic constructions. On the
network, learners can generate and initiate different kinds of discourse and to
play a greater role in managing discourse. Also, that in such synchronous
discussions, students feel compelled to use the target language and rarely or
never revert to their native language, which is a common problem in the
traditional language classroom.
Synchronous, real-time discussions require not only skills in reading
and comprehension, but also the ability to form coherent expressions and
arguments under time pressure. These skills are important components of writing
proficiency, but can be gradually transferred to speaking competence.
E. ASYNCHRONOUS CONFERENCING
Depending on the class's size, level, purpose, and type, as well as
instructor's personality and teaching style, some instructors may prefer to use
asynchronous conferencing software in networked classrooms rather than the
classic synchronous ENFI. An English instructor to native speakers, for
example, will find synchronous conferencing clumsy, time-consuming, potentially
hostile, and extremely difficult to organize and coordinate. For sometimes the
amount of writing generated is so great that the messages flow up the screen
and away faster than most students can read them, and sometimes student group
exchanges will quickly get off topic and out of bounds. However, instructors
who prefer reflection to spontaneity might choose asynchronous conferencing,
for developmental students seem to be especially happy using classic ENFI, and
they seem to get a lot of much-needed writing experience from using it. The
very immediacy of the experience supports their use of writing to communicate.
This seems to suggest that asynchronous conferencing or sharing might be more
appropriate for very advanced language classes with already fluent students
while synchronous discussion might
be better suited for the intermediate or lower level students.
In asynchronous conferencing, students and teachers write whenever they
please and do not have to arrange to be online at the same time. While classic
ENFI works on real-time interaction, and writing must be done quickly, read
quickly, and responded to quickly, "asynchronous interactive writing
allows students and the teacher to take their time, to read others' writing at
their convenience, and to answer as the spirit moves them. It invites
reflection as much as responsiveness.
In summary, the network-based classroom provides a unique environment
for language teaching and learning, and networked interactions can have
dramatic impacts on the teaching and learning process. It may mean success as
well as discomfort and stress for the instructor.
1. DESCRIPTION AND STRENGTHS
A web discussion forum is a web site dedicated to a course or a particular subject or topic area that allows users to log on and post comments, suggestions, and add questions and answers to a collection of threaded messages. The discussion is "threaded" or arranged under different headings so readers can follow and respond to each thread easily. Some web discussion forums are password protected so only authorized students or classes can log on there; some are open to the public. It is similar to an email list (especially to an archived list) and is often connected with a class listserv, but different in that the discussions are saved and archived on the site server, and do not scatter among the many messages in the students' or the instructor's email box. Like email, the web discussion forum allows students to present their questions, writings, comments, etc. at a time of convenience and at the time of thought, providing an avenue for sharing beyond the time and place constraints of the physical classroom. Postings on the forum are usually asynchronous and allow time for reflection and articulation. It provides a common meeting place for participants, and certain features allow for convenient sharing of ideas (for example, URLs can automatically become active hypertext links to allow easy sharing of bookmarks, just as email addresses of participants are active hypertexts that allow quick email responses).
2. ISSUES AND PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS
1). PASSWORD
Without password protection, there is potentially a wider audience: all
web surfers who visit the site can contribute if they want to, and it also
saves the teacher or the technical support person time and effort to set up and
maintain individual passwords. For instructors who are worried about unwelcome
intruders, and who have experienced hostile comments or attacks on a particular
site, password protection may offer more security.
2) ANONYMITY OF POSTERS
The forum can be designed so that posters can remain anonymous. Some
instructors find that this feature encourages bold, untraditional, critical
thinking and more candid communication by allowing students and/or visitors to
speak more freely. One concern though is that anonymity may cause the forum to
become vulnerable to flames and attacks.
3) TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Designing an interactive web forum requires more technical knowledge
than using email or the MOO, and may require considerable technical support
and/or technical training. To solve this problem, some institutions have
designed sites with built in features for the instructor to make a forum
easily.
4) STUDENT'S RELUCTANCE
The archive function of the discussion forum is a double-edged sword:
it promotes well thought and articulated arguments but could also intimidate
certain students, who may hesitate to post because the public display makes it
apparent that the posts are permanent.
Outside experts and/or native speakers may also cause some students to
feel intimidated and reluctant to post. The anonymous posting features as well
as the password protection feature may help to ease students' discomfort.
5) E-MAIL NOTIFICATION OF NEW MESSAGES
A web discussion forum can have a notification module that delivers via
email daily notices of new posts on the forum. This feature can prevent unnecessary visits to the site, but
may not be essential for very active sites where new messages are posted
frequently.
3. SOME SUCCESSFUL PRACTICES
1) POSTING TO THE FORUM AS ASSIGNMENT
The discussion forum is a good additional avenue as an adjunct for the
traditional classroom to be used for homework assignment and/or after class
posting.
2) GUEST EXPERTS
In certain intermediate and advanced level courses with content areas
outside of the instructor's specialty, guest experts can be invited to
participate remotely from anywhere in the world where there is web access.
Guests can help introduce the topic, pose questions to the class, respond to
comments and questions, and provide pointers to additional background reading.
3) INCLUSION OF CITATIONS
The web environment easily supports the inclusion of citations, so
instructors can encourage the use of citations in hypertext to support
student's point of view.
4) INTER-CLASS AND MULTI-CLASS PROJECTS
Two or more different classes either in the same area or a different
country can easily participate in discussions on the same forum without adding
much extra burden to the instructor, especially if the forum is an open one
(without password restriction), or if the classes choose a uniform password.
1. DEFINITION
A MOO is a telnet-accessible text-based environment that allows users
to connect and interact with other users from different parts of the world in
real time. MOO stands for
"MUD, object-oriented." A MUD is a multi-user domain. On a MOO,
students can smile, wave, and say things just as they do in real life; they can
also create, describe, and manipulate objects such as rooms, pets, and clothing
that are either imaginary or based on real life. Most importantly for the
language students, they can converse with other learners and native speakers of
their target language synchronously via text.
2. STRENGTHS
A. AUTHENTIC INPUT AND AUDIENCE
It is often difficult, time-consuming, and/or intimidating for second
or foreign language students to find and approach native speakers to practice
their target language with. On a MOO, students can log on anytime and converse
with other learners and especially native speakers from other parts of the
world. They can observe firsthand the target language being used by native
speakers, practice using the language, and experience the effects of language
on others as well as themselves. Most language learners consider the ability to
connect and interact with native speakers from different parts of the world the
most appealing aspect of the MOO.
B. LEARNER AUTONOMY AND MOTIVATION
MOOs provide perhaps the most conducive atmosphere for student-centered
learning. The roles of the teacher and student are dramatically shifted, with
the teacher fading into the background, working as only a guide and
facilitator. The students are in control of their learning experiences on the
MOO. Once the students have learned the basic commands and concepts, they can
choose when to log on, where to converse, whom to talk with, and what to talk
about. All MOOs have help texts that teach the basic commands for students or
users to talk or interact with each other, and most people on MOOs are usually
friendly and willing to help with any technical questions the students might
have. The MOOs provide a highly fluid and encouraging environment for
self-directed discovery learning. Also, the creative and expressive powers that
the MOOs give student can be very liberating, especially to those who are
afraid to speak up in a traditional classroom. The scared learner is always a
poor learner, and fear in a language learner can be especially inhibiting and
destructive. The power and control a MOO gives its users can be highly motivating,
even to the point of being addictive. An ESL instructor discovers that the MOO
motivates them to use language for periods of time well beyond normal teacher
expectations. They find that they must read and think quickly in the target
language, but that they have just a bit more time for composing their thoughts
in typed MOO conversations than in normal speech. The spontaneousness and
authenticity are two other highly motivating factors in MOO communication. Many
people develop MOO friendships that sometimes develop into phone, mail, email,
or real life meetings (called MOO bashes; some MOOs even have specific mailing
lists devoted to the discussion of possible future MOO bashes).
C. SKILLS TRANSFER
Many researchers and educators have commented on the
"conversational" aspects of the language on MOOs.
MOOs are a landscape of words. This new writing is landscape and it is
momentarily frozen speech. The writing is dynamic, a living-of-the-moment
trace. And yet it can be 'logged' or 'captured' as a transcript. Writing
becomes conversation, fluent and charged with emotion. Yet the presence of a
transcript of this spoken writing means that what has transpired can be edited,
transformed into more conventional writing. This opens a path to writing for
people who have always thought of themselves as incapable of it. On a MUD, one
discovers that one can speak writing. The writing on MUDs, because it is
spontaneous and alive, is often rich in texture and emotion. Unconstrained and
unconventional, it is a writing through which one encounters the self. Research
in the speech pathology field has shown that "those engaged first in
special forms of written speech acquire some motivation to speak orally. CMC
has been found to be useful for that type of therapy. Also, skills
transfer--can also happen to second and foreign language students. Those
intimated by the act of speaking are encouraged to learn to 'speak out' by
typing, while those who are more orally fluent but lack accuracy in writing may
discover that their incorrect uses of grammar lead to misunderstanding and
misperception in synchronous interactions, and therefore start paying more
attention to their writing. And
when they improve their proficiency in one area, their skills as well as
confidence can transfer to other areas. Thus the MOO can be used to improve the
students' reading, writing, and speaking/conversational skills, expose them to
idiomatic usage of language, and help them practice and grasp the syntax of the
target language.
D. COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN BOTH SYNCHRONOUS AND ASYNCHRONOUS
COMMUNICATION
The MOOs are usually considered as a synchronous communication tool.
There are, however, many asynchronous discussion tools or features that exist
on a MOO: mailing lists, channels, recording machines, and MOO mail. When
students are not synchronously communicating with others, they can plan,
create, leave messages, and describe objects and rooms for themselves, and
become totally emerged in project-based discovery learning in an information-rich,
tool-rich environment. Their learning is marked by continuous improvement of
their creative work, and almost always immediate feedback. SchMOOze and Lambda
as well as several other social MOOs also have an online dictionary for easy
reference. Many MOOs also have rooms where people can play word games such as
scrabble, and boggle on SchMOOze, which help increase students' vocabulary
skills as they chat and play with others around the world. .
E. PLAYFULNESS AND FUN ONLINE
T he MOO seems to be an inherently playful and fun place. Conversations
tend to be humorous, fun, and witty, often filled with puns and jokes. Because
of the highly interactive nature and the written text medium, a person's
attractiveness can only be exhibited through words, thus many people strive to
make their use of language engaging and entertaining.
F. FRIENDLINESS ON MOOS
It has been generally recognized that people are much more likely to
'talk' to complete strangers on a MOO than in the real world. Users are also
usually friendly and willing to help. The context of the MOO emphasizes the
implicit assumption that participants on a MOO are there because they are
willing to converse and interact with others. This provides wonderful
opportunities for student to interact with speakers of their target
language--their "MOO conversational partners," so to speak.
3. POTENTIAL WEAKNESSES
A. CHAOS
The MOO can appear chaotic and confusing at first, especially to
learners new to the concept. The speed of conversation can be perplexing and
overwhelming to the beginner, especially when there is a large productive group
in the same room. The instructor can try limiting the number of students in the
same room, or limit the length of time the group stays in the same room,
especially in the first several sessions. Acknowledge that getting used to the
chaos and finding one's way on the MOO can take time.
B. LAG
Since MOO is mostly a synchronous interaction tool, lag time between
the time of typing and the time text goes through the MOO server can be
disruptive to conversation. Some MOOs have more lag time than others do, and
lag time is especially long when the server is saving data onto the disk. It is
helpful to find out about each MOO's lag time and their checkpoint patterns and
be prepared with an alternative when there is unexpected lag (or when the MOO
server is down).
C. ANONYMITY, ROLE-PLAYING, AND HARASSMENT
On a MOO, a person's real life identity is not usually openly available
to others. Anonymity is the norm, and only a few professional MOOs require that
users register with their real life names. Some teachers find that the
anonymity can make the MOO a useful and safe place to discuss potentially
difficult or sensitive topics, such as homosexual parenting or issues of
religion or race. But the anonymity can also appeal to people who are seeking
fantasy role playing, sometimes called "identity hacking." For example, many male MOOers have
confessed to having logged on as a female to seek attention. Sometimes students
may encounter those "MOOsex" seekers who craze the attention and the
pseudo intimacy that is so easily achieved on MOOs. And just as in other forms
of online interactions, there exists a possibility to encounter harassment on
MOOs, especially on social MOOs NOT specifically designed for second language
learning. Students need to read the help text on MOOs and find out how to
defend themselves online, should this happen to them. Fortunately, there are
usually wizards and helpers online who are prompt and experienced in dealing
with abusive users. Find out whom you can turn to in cases of emergency.
D. PSEUDO INTIMACY AND MOO ADDICTION
New MOOers often marvel at the fact that two people conversing on a MOO
often achieve almost instant "intimacy." Role-players enjoy the
fantasy and attention, but even for people who are not into role playing, MOO
sometimes gives its users a sense of infallibility; the sense that one can
totally be oneself online, open up to and become platonically attached to
another human being can be exhilarating and even intoxicating. Conversing and
interacting with real people in real time sitting at their keyboards in
Associated with the notion of pseudo intimacy, many players on MOOs
have confessed to MOO addiction, and even falling into MOOlove, sometimes more
than once; some are so deeply involved that their schoolwork and/or job
performance is affected. Cyberspace MUDs are captivating because people get an
intense thrill from the shock of networked communication. They find their new
global yet intimate connections exhilarating. It is clear to me, that MUDs are
sufficiently attractive that many people get themselves in self-control trouble
with them. They are certainly addictive to an amazing number of people.
4. SUMMARY
MOOs offer a rich language environment where students can interact with
native speakers, other learners, and instructors. They can talk, emote, move
around in different rooms, examine objects created by others, create notes,
rooms, and in general develop or affect the environment they are in.
Psychologists have studied
the need for adolescents to have a psychosocial moratorium--a transitional
space for them to interact intensely with people and ideas, to form and
experiment with passionate friendships. In many ways, second language learners
resemble adolescents who are always hungrily observing, absorbing, and
experimenting with new languages, cultures, and different sets of social rules.
Thus the foreign and second language learners, as many adolescents do, find the
moratorium they need in virtual communities, where they have permission to play
with the target language, to try things out, and to experiment without severe
harm to their immediate surroundings or their normal life. And when they are
hurt in real life or virtual reality, MOOs can also become places of
self-repair. Just as virtual reality offers some therapeutic effects for
certain native speakers, the MOO can be a place of healing for language
learners, because it can provide the safety for them to express themselves as
they are and to realize and accept what they are. And only by accepting
themselves as they are can they become better. Thus, the power of MOOing is
essentially the power of facing ourselves and making ourselves in the mirror of
language. And just as for many adolescents, virtual reality is the raft, the
ladder, the transitional space, the moratorium that eventually is discarded in
order to reach greater freedom.
According to constructivist learning theories, learning is an active
process in which students build their own understanding by creating personally
meaningful learning environments and materials. Knowledge is constructed in a
context. Theories of situated learning
stress the need for knowledge construction to take place in a context
that both connects new knowledge
to what is already meaningful for the students and does so in a
way that makes
learning worthwhile. Social learning theories and the
Interactional Model of Language Learning stress that language learning is
constructed socially, resulting from a combination of motivation, creative
construction, practice to build skills and enhance performance, and feedback
about success of the learner's attempts to communicate. Feedback in speech
contexts results in a process negotiation of meaning between speakers that is
interactive, with each building on what the other says (Pennington, 1996).
Soviet psychologist Vygotsky emphasized social relationships in the development
of mental abilities and underlined the importance of peer support for any form
of learning. The Vygotskian approach highlights the need for a collaborative
learning environment where learners are enabled and encouraged to interact and
give each other support in their language learning.
In all of the four forms of online interactions mentioned in this
paper, namely, email, network-based classrooms, web discussion forums, and
MOOs, learning can be enhanced because they offer opportunities for
constructive, collaborative, and situated learning in a socially meaningful
context. Learning is fun when learners interact, connect, and build their
learning environment together. Writing online, for example, no longer has to be
a negative, difficult, problematic, error-ridden, and therefore ultimately
joyless activity; rather, it can become an inspiring, fluid, engaging,
invigorating, and passionate process, as language learning should be.
Francis Bacon once commented thus on the different benefits of reading,
writing, and conversing: "
References
1. Network-Based Language Teaching: Concepts and Practice
Edited by Mark Warschauer and Richard Kern
http://www.gse.uci.edu/markw/nblt.html
2. An Electronic Literacy Approach to Network-Based Language Teaching
http://www.newtierra.com/nblt.html