Content and Pedagogy Sub-Group
Report
Lu Wei & Gary Cziko, Co-chairs
Delivery
Communicative, scenario-based settings as
primary learning environment
Communicative tasks in expanding
social and physical contexts
Peer,
family, friends, neighborhood, school, city/village, Olympics
Situations
can be unpredictable & adventurous
Peer
as companion/guide/model in all settings
Sympathetic,
predictable
Activities involving listening,
speaking, reading and writing
Students
learn to write most common characters, use computer + pinyin
for less common characters
Student choice leading to new and
different scenarios
Use of L1 for instructions with
decreasing use of L1 throughout the scenarios
Skill drill activities and expanded learning as secondary
activities and resources
eLearning activities seen as consistent with Chinese national
learning standards
Communication
Goal to allow student to communicate with a live peer in
different contexts, using both spoken and written language
Simulated communication via
computer using virtual guide in simulated settings
Communication using Internet
with live peer native speakers
Problem
of finding enough English-speaking peers for Chinese
Expand
to other English-speaking?
Face-to-face communication
with native speakers
Feedback
Immediate, task-dependent feedback integrated in all activities
Cumulative assessment automatically provided by where student
is in the progression of scenarios
Possible “milestones” for assessment
Management
Two ways to access system
Student logon
Student
must progress through scenarios
Teacher logon
Teachers
have random access to scenarios for use in group and whole-class
settings
Teachers
have access to student records
Issues and concerns
How to interest American students in Chinese language and
culture?
Stand-alone or supplementary?
Individual student, group, or whole-class use?
Student access
Too many students, not
enough computers or time
Target age
Is 12 to 18 too old?
Simplified vs. complex characters
Importance of complex
characters for Chinese heritage students in U.S.
Assessment
Lack of fit between eLearning
outcomes and MOE English examinations |
