Howard Nicholas

Recasts as Feedback to Language Learners

Some researchers suggest that recasts are effective in showing learners how their current interlanguage differs from the target (Long & Robinson, 1998). Others have argued that recasts are ambiguous and may be perceived by the learner as confirmation of meaning rather than feedback on form (Lyster, 1998a). We review research on the effectiveness of recasts in first and second language acquisition, paying particular attention to how recasts have been defined and how their impact has been assessed in observational and experimental studies. We conclude that recasts appear to be most effective in contexts where it is clear to the learner that the recast is a reaction to the accuracy of the form, not the content, of the original utterance.

A framework for sustainable mobile learning in schools

While there are studies that have looked at the implementation of mobile learning in educational institutions, particularly the identification of issues encountered, few studies have explored holistically the elements that sustain mobile learning. This study dissects the findings of a longitudinal study of a secondary school adopting a personal digital assistant programme and proposes a person-centred sustainable model for mobile learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fostering online social construction of science knowledge with primary pre-service teachers working in virtual teams

As many primary pre-service teachers enter teacher education courses with little science background, it is essential in teacher education courses to provide opportunities for them to learn more science independently. The purpose of this study is to investigate an online pedagogical activity that fosters the social construction of science knowledge by primary pre-service teachers working in small virtual teams. The study investigated how the pre-service teachers collaborated online in virtual teams to complete set tasks, their attitudes toward and beliefs about the effectiveness of the online learning experience, and the types and quality of the resources developed. The findings indicated that the virtual team-produced science resource materials were generally of high quality, with nearly half the number of teams engaging with Web 2.0 technologies (e.g. wikis and blogs) to construct their product. The findings indicated positive attitudes toward the collaborative learning even though beliefs about online learning were mixed.

Conceptualizing the use of online technologies for gifted secondary students

In an era where technology is advancing at a rapid pace, and where information is readily accessible on the World Wide Web, educators should be capitalizing on these resources for gifted students. This paper proposes a conceptual framework to support individualized and independent learning within a network of peers that will provide challenging interactions through extensive use of online learning. Online resources and technologies promote the exploration of new concepts and sharing of new learning with a group of motivated and “like‐minded” peers.

A Progressive Pedagogy for Online Learning with High-Ability Secondary School Students: A Case Study.

This article describes a case study of a group of ten 14-year-old students who engaged with an online extended-learning project as an extracurricular activity for about 6 months. The students were physically located in Australia, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom. The facilitation and online learning made use of a progressive pedagogy that moved from structured, whole group online participation to a more individual, open approach to learning. The study investigated students’ motivation to participate in the online learning and explored the nature of the interactions in an online learning environment. The findings show that students interacted differently online, depending on the task at hand. Seven of the 10 students completed the final task of creating learning products. The implications of the study for online learning with high-ability school students are discussed. Putting the Research to Use This research demonstrates that online support for high ability students is both possible and practical. Implementing this approach requires a structured approach to move the students progressively to more open-ended enquiry. This incremental approach reduces the extent of student drop-out and increases task completion when compared to more challenging open-ended tasks. Teachers or schools seeking to provide this kind of support to overcome geographic isolation of high ability students need to (a) plan carefully for the structured engagement with topics and with other students (b) remain closely involved in the initial stages of engagement and (c) only gradually remove their scaffolding as students demonstrate capacity to sustain independent interactions. Having a public purpose for the activity is also important.

Engaging Secondary School Students in Extended and Open Learning Supported by Online Technologies

Abstract This paper investigates the use of online technologies to extend the learning of a group of junior secondary school students after attending a Sun, Science, and Society camp. The students were of mixed ages and came from metropolitan and rural schools. Their teachers described them as students of high ability or students interested in science who required extension work. These students were engaged in online learning for a period of 6 months after the camp. This paper reports on how they engaged with the extended and open learning supported by online technologies.

Blending creativity, science and drama.

Abstract Blending the arts into students’ learning of science concepts through role-play and drama is unusual pedagogy in schools. For seven Australian Year Five students seeking extended learning, advanced scientific concepts were learned during the creative process of script writing and production of a science play called Hectic Electric. A mentor and two parents were involved in the students’ learning and the script creation processes. The script was transformed into a dramatic play involving other members of the class and submitted for a science drama competition. The play was awarded the winning prize in the primary school section. Based on this situation, this study indicated that by providing the initial ‘thinking activation’ and promoting self-efficacy in the students, they were able to draw on and further develop their communicative, creative and higher order thinking skills in bringing abstract science concepts to a more concrete and visual form leading to a novel outcome.

From model to methodology: developing an interdisciplinary methodology for exploring the learning–teaching nexus

ABSTRACT Numerous higher education researchers have studied the ways in which students’ or academics’ beliefs and conceptions affect their educational experiences and outcomes. However, studying the learning–teaching relationship has proved challenging, requiring researchers to simultaneously address both the invisible internal world(s) of the student and teacher, and the observable communicative world they inhabit. This paper describes the development of a methodological approach for exploring the learning–teaching relationship based on an interdisciplinary conceptual model – The Learning–Teaching Nexus (LTN). We describe the ways in which disciplinary perspectives within the model were translated into methodological processes, enabling us to study teaching and learning as both individual experiences and a shared communicative relationship. The paper aims to provide researchers with a staged approach for studying learning and teaching together, and to illustrate how interdisciplinary perspectives can be translated into staged but integrated methodological processes in order to address complex educational questions.

Mobile Seamless Learning and Its Pedagogy

Mobile connectivity enables learners to make connections across different contexts and across different learning experiences in the different contexts. This requires both ubiquity and seamlessness. However, both concepts need to be framed in relationship to a clearer understanding of what learning should entail. We will analyse relationships between ubiquity, seamlessness and learning in order to develop a view of seamless learning that addresses three issues: context, nature of learning and technological constellation. Building on the relationships that we propose between these three issues, we will discuss ways of framing pedagogy so that mobile seamless learning occurs.

“Have You Noticed any Changes upon your Return”? Vietnamese Alumni After Their Australian University Experiences

Abstract Many individuals who study abroad return to their home country with the hope of applying new learnings. This paper reports on a videotaped group discussion with three such returnees, in-service English language educators from Vietnam. It considers ways that these educators feel that they have changed through their study abroad experiences and how these changes are accepted and contested after their return to Vietnam by their students, colleagues and the public. By exploring the themes that emerge, we open up discussion about how returnees embrace, negotiate and contest diverse aspects of multiple worlds and the complex and layered nature of post-return identity.