Abstract.  As technology develops and evolves, educators must determine which instructional technologies are useful for their particular situation, and how they might facilitate changes in the traditional structure of foreign language instruction. This article chronicles the implementation of significant technology-enhanced language instruction in a beginning Spanish course at a U.S. Research I university with the in-class hours reduced by one-third and the student-to-instructor ratio doubled.

Keywords - Technology-enhanced language instruction, Second Language Acquisition

Background

During the academic year 1996-1997 I met on a weekly basis with our department's assistant head to discuss and plan the development of new and different courses in Spanish with a view to helping meet the needs of increasing resource demands which would be necessitated by full implementation of the university-wide foreign language GER requirement. The Office of the Provost provided released time for both of us, in addition to the accessability of a student assistant and the purchasing of supplies and materials. Support of this nature allowed us to think creatively of several different delivery systems that could possibly prove useful in future years.

During the Fall Semester, we investigated many different information sources in order to gather data and findings concerning the use of technology-assisted instruction in foreign language teaching. This included searches on the Internet, books and articles from leading publications, down-linked conferences on technology in teaching available on video cassette, attendance at meetings on technology in teaching, such as the one at UNC-CH in February, 1997, and discussions both on and off-line with colleagues at NC State and at other institutions.

Through these readings and discussions, we learned of the excitement, interest, and concern regarding the use of technology-assisted instruction and distance education. We learned that the Romance Languages Dept. At Chapel Hill is actively involved in the planning of computer-assisted foreign language courses, Duke, as we know, already has an MBA degree on line, the virtual reality university of the western states is fast becoming a reality, and chat lines across the nation are humming with discussions about the pros and cons, and the potential for technology-enhanced delivery of the traditional courses that we teach. In our meeting with Dr. Don Bitzer in early fall, we took a look at the possibility of incorporating NovaNET into the curriculum. However, we determined that the tutoring software that we have was sufficient for our needs, without dedicating additional resources to setting up and operating NovaNET

Out of these meetings and discussions came several projects, including the one covered here: a multimedia class designed to double enrollment and reduce in-class time while still maintaining high student achievement.

The Problems

The following are problems particular to our situation that we attempted to address principally through curricular change:

• Foreign language proficiency GER - Starting in 1994, all incoming students were to meet the General Education Requirement of proficiency at the second semester level in a foreign language. Until that time, the majority of students at NC State had no foreign language requirement.
• Student enrollment increase - Student enrollment is projected to increase by 5000 students between 1997 and 2007
• Minimal increase in instructor numbers expected
• Disengaged students - The majority of students taking the lower-level courses are doing so because of the GER and not because they want to study a second language
• Many false beginners - The vast majority of students enter NC State with previous foreign language experience.
• More technology-literate students - Each year's group of incoming students arrives on campus more technology-enabled than the previous year. These students are expecting technology to play a role in their education.

• What might technology be able to offer our particular set of instructional problems?
• Would technology allow us to reach more students?
• Will technology increase even more the ability of one instructor to meet the diverse needs of beginning language students?

Multi-media Spanish 101 was taught to 51 students in Spring 1997 it was taught in a subsequent semester to a section of 35 students. The course met 2 times per week for 50 minutes per session as compared to 3 sessions per week for the traditional course. Students were required to complete the regular course work, in addition to the following additional components: paired activities, Internet activities, tutor programs and computerized listening comprehension exercises. The course would double enrollment from 25 to 50 students and decrease the in-class contact hours from three to two hours per week. The intent was to maintain the level of achievement by students by providing opportunity for significant collaborative activitities outsed of class in addition to the significant technology-enhanced language instruction.

Course Design

Computer Activities - Students completed a series of computer activities designed to ensure their competence relative to the technology being used, and their ability to use technology to learn the language.

Collaborative Activities - Each week students, in groups of two or more, would meet to complete the collaborative activities. Usually students completed a series of paired activities that provided for additional one-on-one interaction. Each student in the pair would have only half of the information necessary to complete the activity and would need to work with his/her partner to obtain the remainder of the information. Additionally, students met to review previous exams, or to prepare for an upcoming exam.

Chat Sessions

Email

Sample Assignment:

 

- Send an email message to a classmate in Spanish, and a copy to me at the following address: despain@gw.ncsu.edu - The content should include a greeting, sentences about who you are, how you are doing, questions to your classmate, etc. - Reply to the message that you receive from a classmate, and CC to me again. - Due date is August 29 by 5 p.m. for both email messages.  - Note: If you have any concerns/anxieties/fears about this assignment, talk to me now!

Other

Delivery

Listening Comprehension Exercises - Arriba Audio

Computer Tutorial Programs

Arriba Tutor (Prentice Hall Tutor)

Spanish MicroTutor - Frank Dominguez, UNC-Chapel Hill

Geografía

Just Grandma and Me/Arthur's Teacher Trouble

Grades - Each student received approximately 100 scores! Electronic Classroom Roll is a dos-based, turn-key application. In order to allow students to keep track of their records I developed a Grade Generator. Students had to be logged into one of the two foreign langauge labs, and then be able to provide a 4-digit pin that I had assigned to each student, in order for them to access their grades. Grades were reported as composite, percentage scores for each of the course components. Two times during the semester I gave the students their entire list of scores on paper.

Significant Web Work: - Student access assignments, update the Spanish Government info., participate in Spanish chat
sessions, evaluate the new Web version of the Spanish Placement Exam, etc.
Computer-assisted work: - Students use Email, extra Arriba audio, Arriba tutor, Triple Play Plus, etc.
Email - The course Website has a student roster and includes each students email address. This was generated,
principally using Registration and Records section reports utility.
Question Box - Given the size of the class, students have the opportunity to place anonymous questions or comments in
a manila folder. The questions are then addressed to the class as a whole.
Outside Observation - Arlene has attended the course often, especially during the first half of the semester. She has
acted as an outside observer, offering valuable comments and suggestions based on her perspective of the class.
Student Evaluation - Students were administered a post-midterm evaluation regarding the course. Results are being tabulated.
Questions - Where one typically has three or four students come up after class to ask questions, etc., there are now six
or eight students with questions ...
Time - Time flies--the class goes very quickly.
 
 
 

Reactions
Positive
A lot of work
Not for everyone
My Thoughts/Recommendations
Collaborative Work effect
Attitude/Teacher-type/Student-type
Contact ...
Work!!!
Is it for you ... ?

Conclusion

Although it is too early to learn of any definitive results of the effectiveness of assisted on-line instruction, findings seem to indicate (including our own, see below) that, if well conceived and coordinated, computer-assisted courses can offer students a challenging, stimulating and productive educational experience. It is in the spirit of investigating and testing new technologies that the multi-media Spanish course taught this past spring was undertaken and developed.
 

Bibliography
Author's Biodata

Scott Despain is Assistant Professor of Spanish at North Carolina State University. He earned his Ph.D. in The Instruction of Hispanic Language and Literature at Indiana University. He co-developed a digital version of the listening comprehension exercises to accompany Arriba, a first-year Spanish text. His research interests deal with all aspects of the integration of technology into second language instruction, including time-enhanced courses.

With the implementation of a foreign language proficiency GRE, and the number of instructors remaining constant, critical mass was imminent. Our solution was to create a course that would: 1) allow one instructor to teach twice the number of students at the first-semester level; 2) allow the instructor and students to meet 1/3 less often; 3) and maintain a high level of instruction, learning and proficiency. These three parameters were met by the significant presence of computer-assisted instruction and paired-work in the course curriculum. Did it work? Come find out! See the software suite that was used to make it all possible, including ¡Arriba Audio! 1.2, the digital version on CD of the complete set of listening comprehension exercises to accompany the first-year Spanish text from Prentice-Hall, "Arriba, comunicación y cultura".
Most foreign language programs attempt to cap the number of students to 25 or lower.

Many programs are facing large student to professor ratios:
Can we increase the number of students in a classroom, decrease the number of hours in the classroom, increase the number of hours spent outside of the classroom and still see the same language performance levels in students?
May 1, 1997
MEMORANDUM
To: Dr. Frank Abrams
From: Scott Despain and Arlene Malinowski
Re: End of Year Report on Technology Assisted Foreign Language Instruction

Although it is too early to learn of any definitive results of the effectiveness of assisted on-line instruction, findings seem to indicate (including our own, see below) that, if well conceived and coordinated, computer-assisted courses can offer students a challenging, stimulating and productive educational experience. It is in the spirit of investigating and testing new technologies that the multi-media Spanish course taught this past spring was undertaken and developed.

Multi-media Spanish 101 was taught to 51 students in Spring 1997. An interview with the instructor, Scott Despain, was published in the Technician in early January. The course met 2 times per week for 50 minutes per session as compared to 3 sessions per week for the traditional course. Students were required to complete the regular course work, in addition to the following additional components: paired activities, computer activities (World Wide Web, tutor programs, computerized listening comprehension

(Scott: please describe course here; how set up, include websites for reference, what were students asked to do, findings and conclusions, how did students compare to other 101 classes?, etc.)
Paired Activities: - Each week students, in groups of two or more, complete several activities from the magenta activities book, or review previous exams, or prepare for an upcoming exam, etc.
Significant Web Work: - Student access assignments, update the Spanish Government info., paticipate in Spanish chat

sessions, evaluate the new Web version of the Spanish Placement Exam, etc.
Computer-assisted work: - Students use Email, extra arriba audio, arriba tutor, Triple Play Plus, etc.
 

Other:
Email - The course website has a student roster and includes each students email address. This was generated, principally using
Registration and Records section reports utility.
Question Box - Given the size of the class, students have the opportunity to place anonymous questions or comments in a manila folder. The questions are then addressed to the class as a whole.
Outside Observation - Arlene has attended the course often, especially during the first half of the semester. She has acted as an outside observer, offering valuable comments and suggestions based on her perspective of the class.

Student Evaluation - Students were administered a post-midterm evaluation regarding the course. Results are being tabulated.
Questions - Where one typically has three or four students come up after class to ask questions, etc., there are now six or eight
students with questions ...
Time - Time flies--the class goes very quickly.
 

Attrition:Through mid-semester 6 students have dropped the course since before the first day of class.
Total Students: 51
Course Components:

• Paired Activities: - Each week students, in groups of two or more, complete several activities from the magenta activities book, or review previous exams, or prepare for an upcoming exam, etc.
• Significant Web Work: - Student access assignments, update the Spanish Government info., paticipate in Spanish chat sessions, evaluate the new Web version of the Spanish Placement Exam, etc.
• Computer-assisted work: - Students use Email, extra arriba audio, arriba tutor, Triple Play Plus, etc.

• Email - The course website has a student roster and includes each students email address. This was generated, principally using Registration and Records section reports utility .
• Question Box - Given the size of the class, students have the opportunity to place anonymous questions or comments in a manila folder. The questions are then addressed to the class as a whole.
• Outside Observation - Arlene has attended the course often, especially during the first half of the semester. She has acted as an outside observer, offering valuable comments and suggestions based on her perspective of the class.
• Student Evaluation - Students were administered a post-midterm evaluation regarding the course. Results are being tabulated.
• Questions - Where one typically has three or four students come up after class to ask questions, etc., there are now six or eight students with questions ...
• Time - Time flies--the class goes very quickly.

Observations and Conclusions
Notes
References

Assistant Professor, Spanish
Acting Executive Director, Foreign Language Lab System
North Carolina State University

Author's Address

 

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