Rethinking task design for the digital age: A framework for language teaching and learning in a synchronous online environment

Authors:
Regina Hampel
Affiliations:
Department of Languages, Faculty of Education and Language Studies, Stuart Hall Building, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK. r.hampel@open.ac.uk
Venue:
ReCALL
Year:
2006

Citing 3
Cited 16

Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching

Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching
Theoretical perspectives and new practices in audio-graphic conferencing for language learning

ReCALL
Innovative language learning: achieving the vision

ReCALL

Critical success factors in a TRIDEM exchange

ReCALL
Wikis: A collective approach to language production

ReCALL
Developing online multimodal verbal communication to enhance the writing process in an audio-graphic conferencing environment

ReCALL
Learners’ anxiety in audiographic conferences: A discursive psychology approach to emotion talk

ReCALL
Training future language teachers to develop online tutors’ competence through reflective analysis

ReCALL
Multimodal student interaction online: An ecological perspective

ReCALL
Designing oral participation in second life – a comparative study of two language proficiency courses

ReCALL
Differences that make the difference: A study of functionalities in synchronous cmc

ReCALL
Rationalities of collaboration for language learning in a wiki

ReCALL
Learner participation patterns and strategy use in second life: An exploratory case study

ReCALL
Issues of interaction in pure-online English learning environment through perspectives of cognitive constructivism and social constructivism: a case study for non-formal learning

ICWL'10 Proceedings of the 2010 international conference on New horizons in web-based learning
Web conferencing for synchronous online tutorials: Perspectives of tutors using a new medium

Computers & Education
Editorial: Teacher education research in call and cmc: more in demand than ever

ReCALL - Special issue on CALL and CMC teacher education research
A case study of language learners' social presence in synchronous cmc

ReCALL
Effects of required and optional exchange tasks in online language learning environments

ReCALL
Evaluating the correspondence of educational software to learning theories

Proceedings of the 17th Panhellenic Conference on Informatics

Quantified Score

Hi-index	0.00

Visualization

Abstract

This article discusses a framework for the development of tasks in a synchronous online environment used for language learning and teaching. It shows how a theoretical approach based on second language acquisition (SLA) principles, sociocultural and constructivist theories, and concepts taken from research on multimodality and new literacies, can influence the design and implementation of tasks for computer-mediated communication (CMC). The findings are based on a study conducted at the Open University, a study which examined all three levels of theory, design and implementation. The paper first presents the underlying theories in more detail before examining how these theories are translated into the design of tasks for language tutorials via an audio-graphic conferencing tool. Finally it looks at how the design was implemented in practice by focusing on a number of issues such as student–student and student–tutor interaction, feedback, use of multimodal tools, and the differences between teaching face-to-face and online.