AR/VR Integration into ELT

 Exploring Shanghai, China without Going There

    Yes, you have read it right. Thanks to this assignment and AR/VR technology, even with a limited sources, we were able to take a short virtual trip to Shanghai, China.

    For this assignment, we were supposed to create an augmented/virtual reality integrated teaching material for high school English preparatory class students. As a group of four, we chose Shanghai as the city to integrate into our material. First, we selected two landmarks to introduce: the Oriental Pearl Tower and Yu Yuan Garden. Then, we chose the Shanghai Natural History Museum for the museum introduction section. Later, to include a cultural aspect, we decided to add the Spring Festival. After each VR trip, we added various questions for the students to answer in order to help them practice and check their comprehension. At the end of the material, students need to write a letter to either their best friend or a family member, describing their trip to Shanghai and their overall experience.

   The process of this particular assignment was quite smooth for me. From the beginning, we shared each task equally and communicated clearly with each another. Whenever something was unclear, we asked our teammates for clarification and this helped us to avoid any possible problem during the preparation process. Working with my team mates made the assignment both productive and enjoyable for me.

     I believe that integrating AR/VR into education, especially into language classrooms, is quite beneficial. Many people learn best by doing things and experiencing them in natural or realistic environments, and virtual reality provides this opportunity. It allows students to feel more engaged and motivated while learning a new language. Therefore, I believe that AR/VR technologies should be integrated into our current education system more actively to create a more immersive and effective language learning experience.

My teammates are:

• Aslı Özyıldırım
• Beyza Zabun
• Yasemin Sağır

This is our teaching material:

• https://www.canva.com/design/DAG7fCrQ9ZI/M8WcYBKjmp_82uswT__vgw/edit?utm_content=DAG7fCrQ9ZI&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

This is the ASSURE lesson plan:

• https://marmaraedutr-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/yasemin_sagir_marun_edu_tr/IQCxR_Erz9wnRIfJnB6NCKNBASSQlSg4xe52SckNXn24blw?e=KX7JaH

FEEDBACK SESSION:

       After the feedback session, we made some minor changes in our material and the lesson plan. We changed the instructions of the first part: The Oriental  Pearl Tower and also added one more question (question number three).

      For the second part: Yu Yuan Garden, the instructions were revised as well. Also question number three is changed from "What can you tell about the history of Yu Yuan Garden?" to "What have you learned about the history of Yu Yuan Garden?".

         For the last part, we added two guinding questions and changed the placement of the question number three and four to include factual questions first and then the personal questions. 

      We changed and edited the lesson plan based on the second draft of our teaching material. 

This is the 2nd draft of our teaching material:

• https://www.canva.com/design/DAG8ImgfqS4/HLnKGK6Pi6aDj28j8AAtXg/edit?utm_content=DAG8ImgfqS4&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

This is the 2nd draft of the ASSURE lesson plan:

• https://marmaraedutr-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/hilalyildirim23_marun_edu_tr/IQB39XK8oIWUTJ9P9MqbB0wwAdRyWFSqaH7OcxSXyxFIuh8?e=HVKubt
  

Integrating Corpus and AI into Langauge Classrooms

 AI-enhanced Corpus-based Teaching Material

         After a short break, welcome back again, everyone! For today’s blog, I have an interesting and very broad topic. Imagine a corpus, an online database like an imaginary library, and AI, a competent assistant, working hand in hand to create a successful language teaching and learning environment. It is the summary of our new assingment! :)

          As groups of three, we created an AI-enhanced, corpus-based teaching material along with a lesson plan based on the ASSURE model for high school students in Turkey.

We chose “quantifiers” as our topic for developing the material. Since it has various components that can be confusing for students, our activity aims to help them understand the topic, practice using a corpus along with AI technology, and come up with language patterns naturally.

The design process was a lot more easier than I expected thanks to Canva. We created a shared file and designed the material by giving feedback and suggestions to each other.

          Possible problems that might arise while implementing the material can be limited time or the students’ proficiency level. To address time limitations, teachers can divide the task into several sessions and assign some parts as homework. If learners have difficulty understanding the content, the material can be simplified or the number of questions can be reduced.

My teammates are:

Yasemin Sağır and Merve Arslan

 

• Here is the link of the AI-enhanced corpus-based teaching material:

 https://www.canva.com/design/DAG49EBp06Q/uCXX1-SnZSz6_GtkTYocfg/edit?utm_content=DAG49EBp06Q&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

• The lesson plan based on the ASSURE model: 

https://marmaraedutr-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/hilalyildirim23_marun_edu_tr/IQBhj8ON0vaTQ5wqAnRVIUkkAcrrKmntmERMzHzSWQXjFJs?e=O66M4J

 

FEEDBACK SESSION 

      After the feedback session, we made some improvements and changes on the material and lesson plan. Based on the feedback, the headings were not suitable for the students, also some questions were not appropriate for their age and  proficiency level. 

Here are the improved versions:

AI-enhanced corpus-based teaching material:

• https://www.canva.com/design/DAG5QuQ9Nh8/f7w_NifTRptODAahtG_B7A/edit?utm_content=DAG5QuQ9Nh8&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

The lesson plan based on the ASSURE model: 

• gttps://marmaraedutr-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/hilalyildirim23_marun_edu_tr/IQCW4719iD4eR7KA6f9xeuB2AalGzO2Pd34J-NMWvxHm3tI?e=Tz6pS0

 See you in the next blog post!👋☺

21st Century Learning

 Digital Era: 21st Century Learning

  In our fast-paced world, just like everything else, education and learning trends have also changed incredibly. Especially with technological advancements, learning is now something closely connected to various skills and knowledge systems supported by technology.

  As far as I comprehend, 21st-century learning is about various skills, knowledge, and competencies that learners should possess in order to be mindful, productive, and successful individuals in this fast-paced age: the 21st century.

  The importance and necessity of this topic come to the surface with its application to various fields, for instance, language learning, as it is based not only on knowing some necessary knowledge areas but also on knowing the value of these and acting on it accordingly (The 3*3 model of 21st-century learning, based on the Kereluik et al. (2013) framework).

  As a teacher candidate, I think knowing and applying the 21st-century skills in language classrooms and language learning is crucial for being a qualified language teacher and raising successful students. Additionally, keeping up with the latest trends would be useful for creating a more learner-friendly environment, as these skills are quite helpful for making learners create and thus produce more permanent results. Once again, the necessity of integrating technology lies in the fact that we live in an era in which many things are automatized, and critical skills like creativity, competence, and being knowledgeable are highly important. With the help of technology, we can create productive materials and practices for the benefit of both us and our students :).