Prepared by: Mohd Juraimi bin Omar
Group: U8A
Student ID: 2005478175
The Website: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
Title: Guide to Grammar & Writing
1) What does the application attempt to “teach”?
The application tries to teach grammar and writing. There is enough coverage for contents for this website as it has many links to follow for various explanations and exercises. The links also are interrelated to one another. It makes the learning process become easier. The application also provides many useful inputs for the users. The explanations also are useful, direct, and comprehensible. The words used in this application are suitable for every level of proficiency. This application is more towards teaching the users instead of let the users playing with the contents. There is o attractive animation in this website. The application also provides the teaching of proper use of daily language use and the other language components such as how to avoid fragmented language, how to avoid runs-on sentences and many more. As a whole, this application provides enough contents for grammar and writing plus the other additional useful language inputs.
2) What sorts of things is the application user expected to do with regards to learning the content?
The users are expected to read the elaborations of any topics on grammar and writing. Then the users are expected to do some exercises to test their understanding. The grammar section in this application contains of several parts, which are sentence parts, such as adjective, adverb, noun, active and passive voice and many more. The next one is the mechanical parts such as capitalization, fragmentation, Italic, bold and underline and many more. It also comes with punctuation parts such as apostrophes, full stop, comas and so on. The users need to select any part of the sections and learn about the contents followed by the exercise.
3) What sorts of computer skills is the application users expected to have in order to operate/ access/ use the application?
The basic thing to use this application is the skill to use the cursor, as it will lead the users to explore more about the contents in the application. The users also are expected to know how to use Internet in order to cope with many hyperlinks contained in the application. For some sections in this application, the users need to type the answers and then check for the answers.
4) While you are “playing/ accessing/ assessing” the application, does it remind you of anything you do in a classroom, or with a teacher, or with a fellow classmate, or in self- study?
Yes, I remind me to all the exercise that I had in my ESL class during my school days. It also reminds me of the exercise that I gave to my students during my practicum. During my practicum, I used to teach grammar in isolation for the low proficiency students. This application provides the material to learn grammar in isolation. The good thing about the approach used in this application is the choice of color to highlight the important points or answers that can direct the sight of users straight to the intended locations. This reminds me to one of my teacher in my school that always uses different colours of markers to highlight the important points.
5) Can you pinpoint some theories of language learning and/ or teaching underlying the application?
There are some theories that can be related to the method used in this application. According to Rubin & Thompson (1982), there are 14 characteristics of good language learners. Here, in this website, it can lead the users to meet the criteria of good language learners. There are at least seven characteristics that can be enhanced by the learners using this application. They are:
1. Find their own way, taking charge of their learning.
2. Creative, developing a ‘feel’ for the language by experimenting with its grammar and words.
3. Make their own opportunities for practice in using the language inside and outside the classroom.
4. Make errors work for them and not against them.
5. Use linguistic knowledge, including knowledge of their first language, in learning the second language.
6. Use contextual cues to help them in comprehension.
7. Learn how to make intelligent guesses.
All of these seven characteristics can be developed using this application. For example, learn how to make intelligent guesses. The learner will try to find out anything that can help them in the exercise given to them in the application to get the right answer. This aspect is there in the website.
Some more, this application also related to learning strategies provided by O’Malley (1985b: 582-584). It related to metacognitive and cognitive strategies of the learners or the users. For metacognitive strategy, the users involve in selective attention when they choose any topics that they like in the application. This is intended to improve the language that becomes a concern for the users. Then, the application also uses self-evaluation for the users to see the progress of their learning. It happens when the users check for the answer and rethink about the errors the made. For cognitive strategy, there are nine of them in this application. They are repetition, translation, grouping, deduction, imagery, keyword, contextualization, transfer, and inferencing.
The application allows users to imitating a language model, which is repetition. For translation, the application allows them to using the first language as a base for understanding and, or producing the second language. In grouping part, the users can reordering or reclassifying or labeling the contents that they learn. The next one, deduction, the users can consciously apply the rules to understand the second language. Imagery, the users will have a chance to relate the new information such as grammar rules and examples to visual concepts. The application also provides many obvious keywords for users to remember. The users also would be able to placing a word or phrase in a meaningful language sequence and that is contextualization. For transfer and inferencing, the users can use previously acquired conceptual knowledge to facilitate new language learning task and guessing for the meaning of difficult vocabularies.
6) How well is the constructivist theory of learning applied to the chosen website?
This application also is a good example to describe the usage of constructivist theory. It can lead the users to function as a person who responsible for their learning. The effort taken by the users to use this application is the evidence on that. In addition, this website also has the aspects of empowerment. This means, it can guide the users to learn for the holistic improvement using the target language. The issues contained in the application, are good and related (authentic) for the users. The structure of the exercises and the explanations also is from easy to hard or more complex and follow a good sequence. According to Bruner. J (1986,1990,1996), learning is an active process in which learners construct new ideas or concepts based upon their current/past knowledge. This application provides enough rooms fro the users to use their own ideas based on their knowledge. Note that in constructivism, the focus is on the cognitive aspects rather than behavior. This application accommodates that to stretch users’ mind to learn the target language.
7) In 1980s and early 1890s, there was a major debate on ‘whether the computer was “master” of or “slave” to the learning process (Higgins and Johns, 1984). In relation to your evaluation-, was the computer a replacement for teachers, or merely an obedient servant to students?
Computer should be the supplementary elements of learning. The heavy reliance of the computer does not means that the computer can replace the teacher as it lacks of humanistic touch although the current computer functions are generated to copy down the humanistic functions. The problem of using computer in class is sometimes it does not work the way we planned or too much technical error. It also invites the increasing of cost to accommodate the need of the students to use computer. The major argument is that the computer cannot be functioning without the assistant of human or the guidance of a teacher or peer. This is a perfect evidence of the debate that computer should be the supplementary of learning process only, not to replace the function of a teacher.
8) Would you like to use the application yourself in your future work?
Yes or No? Give reasons:
Yes! This is because this application is awesome and helpful for the language learners in many ways. It is free and contains a lot of language aspects and exercise. Some more, this application also is provided by Dr. Charles Darling who is famous in language learning methodology. That means, the methods used in this application is effectively proven. It also can help the users from various level of proficiency.
9) Suggestions/ Recommendations.
My suggestions to improve this application are about the surface validity of it. For me, personally I think that the decorations are too lame and only suitable for adult learners. The choice of colours is bad and the items of decorations are not suitable for the adolescent learners. So I think they publisher need to improve on that and uses more attractive decorations as it always be the first thing that the learners will engage when browsing this website. It also should contain some lively animations so that the users will not be bored in front of the screen.
Group: U8A
Student ID: 2005478175
The Website: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
Title: Guide to Grammar & Writing
1) What does the application attempt to “teach”?
The application tries to teach grammar and writing. There is enough coverage for contents for this website as it has many links to follow for various explanations and exercises. The links also are interrelated to one another. It makes the learning process become easier. The application also provides many useful inputs for the users. The explanations also are useful, direct, and comprehensible. The words used in this application are suitable for every level of proficiency. This application is more towards teaching the users instead of let the users playing with the contents. There is o attractive animation in this website. The application also provides the teaching of proper use of daily language use and the other language components such as how to avoid fragmented language, how to avoid runs-on sentences and many more. As a whole, this application provides enough contents for grammar and writing plus the other additional useful language inputs.
2) What sorts of things is the application user expected to do with regards to learning the content?
The users are expected to read the elaborations of any topics on grammar and writing. Then the users are expected to do some exercises to test their understanding. The grammar section in this application contains of several parts, which are sentence parts, such as adjective, adverb, noun, active and passive voice and many more. The next one is the mechanical parts such as capitalization, fragmentation, Italic, bold and underline and many more. It also comes with punctuation parts such as apostrophes, full stop, comas and so on. The users need to select any part of the sections and learn about the contents followed by the exercise.
3) What sorts of computer skills is the application users expected to have in order to operate/ access/ use the application?
The basic thing to use this application is the skill to use the cursor, as it will lead the users to explore more about the contents in the application. The users also are expected to know how to use Internet in order to cope with many hyperlinks contained in the application. For some sections in this application, the users need to type the answers and then check for the answers.
4) While you are “playing/ accessing/ assessing” the application, does it remind you of anything you do in a classroom, or with a teacher, or with a fellow classmate, or in self- study?
Yes, I remind me to all the exercise that I had in my ESL class during my school days. It also reminds me of the exercise that I gave to my students during my practicum. During my practicum, I used to teach grammar in isolation for the low proficiency students. This application provides the material to learn grammar in isolation. The good thing about the approach used in this application is the choice of color to highlight the important points or answers that can direct the sight of users straight to the intended locations. This reminds me to one of my teacher in my school that always uses different colours of markers to highlight the important points.
5) Can you pinpoint some theories of language learning and/ or teaching underlying the application?
There are some theories that can be related to the method used in this application. According to Rubin & Thompson (1982), there are 14 characteristics of good language learners. Here, in this website, it can lead the users to meet the criteria of good language learners. There are at least seven characteristics that can be enhanced by the learners using this application. They are:
1. Find their own way, taking charge of their learning.
2. Creative, developing a ‘feel’ for the language by experimenting with its grammar and words.
3. Make their own opportunities for practice in using the language inside and outside the classroom.
4. Make errors work for them and not against them.
5. Use linguistic knowledge, including knowledge of their first language, in learning the second language.
6. Use contextual cues to help them in comprehension.
7. Learn how to make intelligent guesses.
All of these seven characteristics can be developed using this application. For example, learn how to make intelligent guesses. The learner will try to find out anything that can help them in the exercise given to them in the application to get the right answer. This aspect is there in the website.
Some more, this application also related to learning strategies provided by O’Malley (1985b: 582-584). It related to metacognitive and cognitive strategies of the learners or the users. For metacognitive strategy, the users involve in selective attention when they choose any topics that they like in the application. This is intended to improve the language that becomes a concern for the users. Then, the application also uses self-evaluation for the users to see the progress of their learning. It happens when the users check for the answer and rethink about the errors the made. For cognitive strategy, there are nine of them in this application. They are repetition, translation, grouping, deduction, imagery, keyword, contextualization, transfer, and inferencing.
The application allows users to imitating a language model, which is repetition. For translation, the application allows them to using the first language as a base for understanding and, or producing the second language. In grouping part, the users can reordering or reclassifying or labeling the contents that they learn. The next one, deduction, the users can consciously apply the rules to understand the second language. Imagery, the users will have a chance to relate the new information such as grammar rules and examples to visual concepts. The application also provides many obvious keywords for users to remember. The users also would be able to placing a word or phrase in a meaningful language sequence and that is contextualization. For transfer and inferencing, the users can use previously acquired conceptual knowledge to facilitate new language learning task and guessing for the meaning of difficult vocabularies.
6) How well is the constructivist theory of learning applied to the chosen website?
This application also is a good example to describe the usage of constructivist theory. It can lead the users to function as a person who responsible for their learning. The effort taken by the users to use this application is the evidence on that. In addition, this website also has the aspects of empowerment. This means, it can guide the users to learn for the holistic improvement using the target language. The issues contained in the application, are good and related (authentic) for the users. The structure of the exercises and the explanations also is from easy to hard or more complex and follow a good sequence. According to Bruner. J (1986,1990,1996), learning is an active process in which learners construct new ideas or concepts based upon their current/past knowledge. This application provides enough rooms fro the users to use their own ideas based on their knowledge. Note that in constructivism, the focus is on the cognitive aspects rather than behavior. This application accommodates that to stretch users’ mind to learn the target language.
7) In 1980s and early 1890s, there was a major debate on ‘whether the computer was “master” of or “slave” to the learning process (Higgins and Johns, 1984). In relation to your evaluation-, was the computer a replacement for teachers, or merely an obedient servant to students?
Computer should be the supplementary elements of learning. The heavy reliance of the computer does not means that the computer can replace the teacher as it lacks of humanistic touch although the current computer functions are generated to copy down the humanistic functions. The problem of using computer in class is sometimes it does not work the way we planned or too much technical error. It also invites the increasing of cost to accommodate the need of the students to use computer. The major argument is that the computer cannot be functioning without the assistant of human or the guidance of a teacher or peer. This is a perfect evidence of the debate that computer should be the supplementary of learning process only, not to replace the function of a teacher.
8) Would you like to use the application yourself in your future work?
Yes or No? Give reasons:
Yes! This is because this application is awesome and helpful for the language learners in many ways. It is free and contains a lot of language aspects and exercise. Some more, this application also is provided by Dr. Charles Darling who is famous in language learning methodology. That means, the methods used in this application is effectively proven. It also can help the users from various level of proficiency.
9) Suggestions/ Recommendations.
My suggestions to improve this application are about the surface validity of it. For me, personally I think that the decorations are too lame and only suitable for adult learners. The choice of colours is bad and the items of decorations are not suitable for the adolescent learners. So I think they publisher need to improve on that and uses more attractive decorations as it always be the first thing that the learners will engage when browsing this website. It also should contain some lively animations so that the users will not be bored in front of the screen.
4 comments:
Good work..9/10
Thank you sir..9/10 is a compliment.
juju konon jd polite la 2!!
hahaha.poyo jek..tau la dpt lg tinggi..
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