Executive+Summary

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**Executive Summary**
In process - 2/28/09 - dwood

Introduction:
New foreign language students need engaging learning opportunities that include practical application in a realistic setting. Emerging social learning technologies allow for students to social construct knowledge by becoming immersed in contextualized settings through the use of Web 2.0 tools. Educators who strive to enhance their current language learning courses and those creating a curriculum from the ground up will find significant learning benefits for the their students by including these technologies. This combination of social constructivist learning theories with educational technology tools has been dubbed "technoconstructivism" (Spodark, 2005).

The purpose of this learning activity is to introduce a group of adult language learners enrolled in a Conversational Spanish class to a learning curriculum which includes opportunities to apply their learning in realistic situations. Participants in the learning activity will use internet-based technologies, including synchronous and asynchronous discussion methods that support the construction of knowledge within a social context.

The broad learning outcome to which the activity is aligned is: Students will demonstrate an understanding of conversational Spanish. The following essential questions will be pursued in support of this outcome:
 * What is the value of learning a foreign language?
 * How is my life similar and/or different than that of someone in Spain?
 * How can current technology enhance the language learning experience?

Participants will complete a learning adventure which allows them to discover key Spanish words and phrases necessary to go on a vacation in Spain. Learners will be provided the context and setting for their vacation in Spain and given a list of requirements to include in completing the learning adventure. The goal is to come as close as possible to immersing the learners in the scenario so they may experience realistic opportunities to apply the new language as they learn it. The outcome of the activity will be a travel itinerary, including basic packing necessities, written in Spanish.
 * Activity Outline:**

Participants will be using an interactive learning website which includes pre-built lessons and the opportunity to interact with Spanish language speakers through both synchronous and asynchronous methods: Chat and discussion forums. As a part of the process learners will locate a Spanish language speaker and have a chat-based discussion with them regarding the learning activity.

The final component of the learning activity will be the discussion of several Essential Questions and posting a final reflection on the process in an online discussion forum and moderated by the Furious Five team.

Learners will start by visiting the website setup to support the learning curriculum: http://www.echolurn.com. Here they will learn the background of the curriculum and be provided the details of the learning adventure to be completed. The following items will be included in this step:
 * Assigned Content Item:**
 * Review the "how-to" videos on echolurn as an introduction to busuu.com
 * Visit http://www.busuu.com/ to set up a free account
 * Complete a specified activity on busuu.com
 * Begin building their itinerary
 * Interact with a Spanish language speaker on busuu.com
 * Post their itinerary and chat session on the echolurn discussion forum
 * Discuss the Essential Questions on the echolurn discussion forum
 * Post a final reflection on the learning activity process on the echolurn discussion forum

The following technologies will be used to support the learning process for participants:
 * Instructional Technologies:**
 * Babelfish: http://babelfish.yahoo.com/
 * http://www.busuu.com/ - free online language "buddy" program
 * Threaded discussions hosted on echolurn
 * http://www.uni.edu/becker/Spanish3.html

Learners will be assessed by both successful completion of the learning activity, as determined by meeting the requirement specified in the rubric, as well as through self-reflection on the process they followed in completing the learning adventure. The assessment be done in two main parts on the discussion board on echolurn. The first will be the submitted Spanish writing portion including the itinerary and chat session, the second will be the participation in the essential questions and reflection, to be posted in English.
 * Learner Assessment:**

The first portion of the assignment will be graded by a high school Spanish teacher who will provide feedback on the following areas of language proficiency and participation: Spelling, Grammar, Syntax, Contact w/ Busuu friend.

The second part of the assignment, submitted in English, will be graded based on a participation rubric. (Need more info here)

The rationale for the assessment is constructivism. (Add more explanation here.)

The assessment of the activity will be done by providing participants the opportunity to complete a survey indicating the effectiveness of this particular learning adventure to meet the learning goal. The survey will focus on areas of engagement, clarity of goals, individual sense of growth toward the expressed learning objectives, and enjoyability of the activity.
 * Activity Assessment:**


 * Reference List**:
 * E-Learning : [|Strategies for Delivering Knowledge in the Digital Age]
 * Wiggins, G and McTighe, J., (2006). Understanding by Design. New Jersey, Pearson Education,Inc.
 * Technoconstructivism for the Undergraduate Foreign Language Classroom. Edwina Spodark. Foreign Language Annals. Alexandria: Fall 2005. Vol. 38, Iss. 3; pg. 428, 8 pgs


 * //The above information should be summarized in an executive summary, submitted on March 2, 2009. The summary should be no more than three pages long (not including the reference list). In the discussions after each team activity, all participants will be asked to reflect on the activity from both the learner and facilitator/teacher perspective.//