Sweeping changes are taking place with respect to the implementation of computers into the classroom throughout Japan. In 1994, the Mombusho [Japanese Ministry of Education] began a six-year plan to provide computer labs to every public school in Japan. The ultimate goal is to have a one-computer-to-two student ratio in elementary schools and a one-to-one student-to-computer ratio at the junior and senior high levels (Chuou Kyouiku Shingikai [Central Educational Policy Committee], 1996). This oncoming flood of computers is being met with some trepidation on the part of EFL teachers, who are expected to find ways to use the computers to improve language education.
EFL teachers generally use computers in the classroom in three ways:
1) as a storehouse of materials and resources; 2) as teacher's aide: educational software programs; and 3) as a language production tool: e-mail, word processing.
We will focus on one element of this third category. When looking for ways to use the computer as a production tool, teachers sometimes turn to student-produced multimedia projects. Such projects, when they combine writing, reading, speaking, and listening, can be effective in getting students to practice the target language in an integrated manner. However little has been said about the pedagogical underpinnings of student-produced computer projects as a language learning tool, or about the day-to-day workings of actual projects. In this paper, we will first describe student-produced multimedia projects and present the theoretical foundation upon which such projects may be built. Next, we will relate an experience in conducting a multimedia project.
What are student-produced multimedia projects?
In many ways, student-produced multimedia projects are the natural outgrowth of task-based movie-making or newspaper projects. Talbott and Oxford (1991) offer a good description of a video-making project at the university level, stating that such projects offer students the chance to acquire highly integrated language skills. During the process of producing a movie or newspaper, students are encouraged to utilize speaking, listening, reading and writing skills to complete an authentic task.
Student-created multimedia projects offer a new twist on this idea. Students choose a specific topic about which to create a computer presentation. Next they study the topic, reading articles and books, listening to radio and television broadcasts, recording interviews, taking pictures, taping video, and composing text. Finally, students combine these elements into a coherent presentation in a computer using multimedia authoring software.
Theoretical justification of student-produced multimedia presentations
Mohan (1986) states the need for skill integration in language learning since each language skill is not used separately in real life communication. According to Scarcella and Oxford (1992), the combination of theme-based and task-based instruction is the most effective way to teach language in an integrated manner. Student-created multimedia presentation projects include both modes. Students choose a topic about which they would like to learn and then research it. In the process of making the project, students first learn about the theme in English, and then combine all visual, textual, and spoken elements on the computer into a single, multifaceted presentation. Moreover, in order to complete the task, students need to learn how to use an authoring program and need to negotiate with other classmates about the look, feel, and content of the presentation.
Nunan (1989) states for task-based instruction to be successful, the tasks must be authentic, exciting, interesting, and require the use of language skills. Let's examine these requirements as they relate to student-created multimedia presentations. An authentic task is one in which students create personally relevant messages for a real and defined audience (Scarcella & Oxford, 1992). Student-created presentations, based on topics of students' own choosing and designed to be shown to a specific audience, meet this requirement. Additionally, the act of learning how to use a computer is itself an authentic language task.
Secondly, creating a multimedia presentation is a truly exciting and interesting task. Self-chosen topics lead students to explore their ideas in more detail, and make more revisions of their writing (Scarcella & Oxford, 1992). When creating presentations on a topic about which they are personally connected, students will be more likely to seek out as much information, visual, aural, and textual, as possible. Additional interest and excitement are generated by the creativity multimedia projects demand. The creation of these projects brings out the best in budding directors, photographers, writers, reporters, artists, singers, designers, actors/actresses, and programmers.
Finally, creating multimedia projects allows students to practice all of the language skills. For example, students listen to the teacher's instructions about how to operate the authoring software. They may listen to radio and television reports on the topic. Students listen and speak with each other when they negotiate about the design and construction of the presentation. They write essays, summaries, and stories. Depending on the topic, students may need to conduct interviews in English. They may also read authoring software manuals or study the interactive tutorials that often accompany authoring software programs. With the prospect of a real audience waiting to hear and see their presentations, students are eager to improve their pronunciation and presentation skills. At every stage of the project development process, students can sharpen their receptive skills while improving and expanding their productive talents.
Remember the English
One legitimate complaint about student-produced computer projects is that the focus often shifts to multimedia, with language learning taking a secondary role (Dryden, 1996). One reason for this could be that the teachers themselves become caught up in the excitement of multimedia, and lose sight of the language bedrock upon which successful projects should be built. To be successful, teachers must remain focused on the language goals and prepare materials and lessons to help meet those goals. As Swenson (1991) states, successful content-based classes require preparation of language materials to support the content. With multimedia computer projects, teachers have the additional task of analyzing the functions and structures of language that students will need during the project development process. Without such preparation, teachers may not be ready to offer students good answers to language questions arising naturally during the project. For example, students will need to understand how to ask questions concerning specific tasks during the development of the presentation. If the teacher hasn't taught students the method of asking such questions, students may be afraid to ask.
Also, students will need specific vocabulary related to computers and the presentation topics. The teacher must be ready to offer vocabulary instruction as the need arises. By being prepared for the language questions that arise naturally in the course of the presentation development, teachers can offer effective comprehensible input. Krashen (1981) states that optimal comprehensible input is language that is just a little beyond the learner's level. With proper preparation, student-created multimedia projects can offer just that.
It is also important for a teacher to let students be conscious about their learning of language. Some students will have a difficult time associating the creation of computer projects with language learning. By making students aware of the language they are learning, and how it relates to future language needs, these students will better understand the motivation behind the creation of multimedia presentations.
Finally, even though a teacher carefully analyses the language questions and needs which may occur, it is impossible to know every point in advance. Therefore, the teacher needs to observe the students' language and be flexible enough to respond quickly to address students' needs.
A Project in Action
Let us turn now to an actual project. Over the past several years, we have had the opportunity to teach classes in which both short and long-term computer projects played a part. We will look at a short project conducted under circumstances familiar to many EFL teachers in Japan: a Japanese English co-teaching with a native English speaker, large classes, short time frame, and limited computer facilities.
The Course
The student group was made up of 40 Japanese technical college students taking part in a six-week intensive summer English program at St. Michael's College in Vermont. Their English ability ranged from low to intermediate, and they had limited computer experience. Classes were held for 2 hours a day for one week (5 days). On the last day, the project was presented to an audience of students and teachers from the college.
As the project came at the end of the students' stay in America, "Our Summer in Vermont" was chosen as the theme. As discussed previously, it is best to allow students to choose their own topics. With this project, we chose a large theme within which students could create personally relevant messages. If time, language level, and access to resources allow, it would be better to give even more autonomy to students, allowing them to choose the theme as well.
After choosing the overall theme, we tried to anticipate the kinds of language the students would be dealing with when creating their individual projects. Each student would use authoring software (IBM Linkway ) to create a multimedia project containing: (1) a digitally recorded self-introduction, and (2) a story describing the most memorable event of the summer. With this in mind, activities were designed in which students could practice pronunciation and essay writing skills. In addition, lessons were created to teach students grammar structures that would likely occur, including past tense forms, discourse markers, and "wh" questions (see the syllabus in the Appendix).
Hardware and Software
For our project, we were faced with a lab containing ten old (pre-Windows) IBM computers. By splitting the students into two groups, and then putting two students on each machine, we made due with what was available. Actually, we found that having two students sharing one computer improved the language experience. In lower level or short-term projects, such as this one, students can help one another (usually in their native tongue) with problems in computer operations. In longer-term projects or with higher level students, pairs can be asked to work together on a single topic, and to negotiate in English about the content and organization of material (Hanson-Smith, 1997).
One benefit with using old machines for this project was the forced simplicity of the authoring tool (IBM Linkway ). A DOS program, Linkway is similar to HyperCard for the Macintosh. Linkway programs consist of a number of electronic pages contained in a folder. On each page, students can combine digital photos, text, drawings, and sound. Students place buttons on the screen to connect pages. Devoid of fancy animation effects, and requiring little or no programming, Linkway allows students to very quickly master its basic concepts and commands, letting them to focus most of their attention on the content of their projects.
Class Description
On the first day, we explained what the students were going to do throughout the course as clearly as possible. Since many of the students were not familiar with the concept of multimedia presentations, we showed a sample program. This demonstration project resulted in a good deal of excitement and anticipation on the part of the students.
Following the project introduction, the large group of students was split into two smaller groups. With only 4 days of actual teaching time available, class time had to be used with great efficiency. Each day, the Japanese teacher took half the students for an hour and taught them, in English, necessary computer skills, rudimentary multimedia authoring, and computer-related vocabulary and structures. Meanwhile the other teacher (a native speaker of English) worked with the second group of students on necessary English skills, including essay writing, pronunciation, and presentation skills. After the first hour, the two groups traded places.
In the Computer Lab
In the first computer lab session with the Japanese teacher, students were taught basic Linkway skills, including starting the program and creating individual files. Next, they had a mini-lecture on the concept of Linkway folders and pages. During the lecture, students were helped to take notes on the main points. After the lecture, the students were paired up. Each pair went through a computer-based Linkway tutorial in English. The tutorial led students through the creation of folders and sample pages. As the students worked through the tutorial, the teacher walked around class and checked their comprehension of the lecture and the program tutorial by looking at their sample folders.
During language activities, and when asking questions, the students in the computer lab generally spoke English. But when working with their partners on the computers, especially when faced with difficult problems, they spoke in Japanese. The teacher did not prohibit students from speaking in Japanese. Instead, she listened to the kinds of questions students were asking each other and compiled a list of the most common questions. The teacher then wrote these questions on the board and taught the students how to ask them in English. For example, many students had a difficult time creating new Linkway pages. A Linkway page looks like a word processor page, so students often tried to scroll down to begin a new page. However, in Linkway , students need to use a menu item to create new pages, and then make hyperlink buttons to navigate between pages. While working through the tutorials, the students commented "tsugi no page ni ikenai." So, the teacher taught them to say, "I can't open a new page. Could you help me with it?"
On the second day in the computer lab, the teacher separated the partners. One partner was asked to work through a computer-based Linkway paint program tutorial, while the other partner had a lesson about importing photographs into Linkway . After these lessons, the partners came together and taught the skills they had each just learned to each other. Each partner had to teach a specific task. One partner had to draw a picture in the Linkway paint program, and the other needed to import a photograph into his folder. While teaching their partners, students were asked to speak only English except when they needed language help from the Japanese teacher. The activity led to an unexpected competition, with sets of partners racing other pairs to complete each task first. The students were also quite strict about any Japanese heard spoken by other pairs.
On the third day in the computer lab, students typed in the essays they had written in the native English speaker's portion of the class. Each student dictated his essay to his partner, and the partner typed. Students worked on speaking clearly, listening carefully, and asking for clarification.
The fourth day in the computer lab was a workshop, with students working individually to finish their projects. The students who wanted to create more elaborate programs were given a lesson on some advanced techniques. When these students began to add features to their programs, many other students immediately wanted the same features in their own programs. The teacher asked the students who had learned the advanced techniques to teach them to other students in English.
In the Regular Classroom
The native English teacher's portion of the class focused on the skills needed to create the English content of the projects. First, the students interviewed each other about their summer activities in America. This activity served to get the creative juices flowing for the essay writing to come, as well as practice speaking, listening, and note-taking skills. In addition, the teacher introduced basic essay format, including introduction, topic sentence, body paragraphs with supporting examples, and conclusion. Next, students began work on an essay outline, focusing on essay elements without worrying about grammar or spelling points. Finally, the teacher gave a mini-lecture on the use of digital cameras. By asking each student to take a picture of his or her partner, the teacher could check students' comprehension of the mini-lecture.
On the second day, students worked on converting their essay outlines into a first draft. The teacher helped students with past tense forms and discourse markers. Next, in preparation for their recorded self-introductions, students heard a short lecture on reduced sounds and word stress, and practiced dialogues with their partners using reduced sounds.
On the third day, the students wrote their self-introductions. Next, they learned about sentence-level stress and intonation patterns and practiced reading their introductions with stress, intonation, and reduced sounds in mind. After the practice session, students recorded their introductions on the computer. Finally, they worked to finish their essays.
On the fourth day, the class focused on presentation skills. The students practiced their short presentations in small groups, working on such presentation skills as eye contact, gestures, facial expressions, and pronunciation. The teacher went from group to group, offering suggestions and providing examples.
Presentation Day
Having a class presentation day is essential in the course. On the last day of our class, each student gave a brief presentation of his or her project. We invited the students' friends, fellow students, and faculty as guests. In doing so, students had a specific audience to present to, making for a more authentic speaking task. Moreover, the classroom presentation helped the students feel confident and proud about what they had done.
Conclusion
Leading Japanese students through the creation of computer multimedia presentations is both exciting and daunting. Many ESL teachers hesitate to try because they think they do not know enough about computers. But thanks to the relative simplicity of many multimedia authoring programs, along with a growing level of computer literacy on the part of students, now is a good time to give it a try. It's important to remember that the computer is just another tool to help the teacher. It offers one more way students can gain productive use of the target language. By analyzing exactly what language the students can learn through the creation of multimedia projects, teachers can use the computer as a channel through which students can use language in realistic, task-based situations.
Appendix
Intensive Multimedia Seminar (Linkway)
Course Syllabus
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Rooms: Room A (computer lab)/Room B Students: 40 Japanese students |
Instructors: A Japanese teacher/ an American teacher Level: Low-intermediate |
| Day | Activity | Language Skills | Homework |
| Day 1 |
All students:
Group I: Room A
Group II: Room B
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| Day 2 |
Group I:
Group II:
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| Day 3 |
Group I:
Group II:
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| Day 4 |
Group I:
Group 2:
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| Day 5 |
All students:
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References
Chuou kyoukiku shingi kai (Central educational policy committee). (1996). White paper on Japanese education in the 21st century. Tokyo: Ookurashyo insatsu kyoku.
Dryden, L.M., (1996). Multimedia for EFL learners: implications for teachers and learning. In On JALT 95: Curriculum and Evaluation (pp. 69-73). Tokyo, Japan: The Japan Association for Language Teaching.
Hansen-Smith, E. (1997). Multimedia projects for EFL/ESL students. CAELL Journal, 7(4), 3-12.
Krashen, S.D. (1981). Second language acquisition and second language learning. Oxford: Pergamon.
Mohan, B. (1986). Content-based language instruction. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Nunan, D. (1989). Designing tasks for the communicative classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Oxford, R. L. & Scarcella, R.C. (1992). The tapestry of language learning. Boston: Heinle and Heinle.
Swenson, T. (1991). Content-based teaching. The Language Teacher, 15(2), 9-10.