Less is more :reducing contact time, improving learning outcomes

French Intermediate (2nd year) & French Beginners (3rd year)

School of HumanitiesJanette Bradley and Rachel Munns

Who?

o 18-20 students : diverse cultural backgrounds and learning habitso Majority of group worked together in previous yearso Motivated and enthusiastic learnerso Module is 25% of degreeo Languages ‘protected’ contact time @ 3 hrs per weeko Includes one scheduled hour in language labo Tutor’s expectation of 8 hrs weekly directed/independent studyo Continuous assessment throughout semester in 4 skill areas @ 25%

weighting each.

Why?

o Traditional view that maximum contact is essential for language learning

o Over-teaching/spoon-feedingo Insufficient choice/lack of flexibility

for students o ‘Safe’ learning environment creates

culture of dependency rather than independence

o Assessment tasks used as a tool to keep students on track

o Process of learning not sufficiently intrinsic

o High expectations not explicit for all students.

Graduate Attribute intellectual curiosity and effective learning and research abilities.

Surface learningo task as external impositiono strategic approach to task completion rather than understanding

What?

Reduced contact @ 2 hours per week

1 hour designated ‘off-campus’ Weekly learning grid : designated on-line and seminar preparation tasks to cover all skills

Emphasis on collaboration Variety of materials Choice of tasks Completion of OL formally logged

each week Bonus points 4-1 on overall grade

for 100-75% task completion.

Outcomes

Majority embraced challenge ‘Reluctant’ independent learners

more engaged Students trained themselves to

understand native delivery speed through enforced exposure to TV websites

Improved results in listening ability, acquisition of vocabulary and oral expression

Sense of achievement Increase in learning time Improved overall grades, no

failures (5 @ 1st) Learning outcomes surpassed.

Graduate Attribute The skills of communication, independent and team working…and self-management.

Deep learningo higher level of processingo relation of previous knowledge to new knowledgeo challenges are rewardingo higher quality learning outcomes

Student viewpoint

Without this I might not have spent as much time on French as I should have; it's a great motivation to push yourself harder.

It speeds up the learning process, in terms of acquiring new vocabulary and practising pronunciation

It ensured that I did the activities and once I was engaged in them I found other areas that I wanted to work on, which I would do independently

I was able to focus more on the areas that I was weaker at, whereas in class with set tasks it was more difficult to do this

When collaborating on-line, we were able to comment on each other’s work. This meant that students like me who struggle with grammar could learn from other students.

The real web-based programmes were a great opportunity to prepare for my year abroad.

Graduate Attribute The skills of communication, independent and team working…and self-management..

Deep learning Sense of achievementAwareness of learning process and self-reflection

Graduate Attribute Intellectual curiosity and effective learning and research abilities.

Some challenges

Colleagues enjoy face- to-face time with students and don’t want less contact

Only suitable for students with advanced levels of language

Possible dissolution of the learning time

Time-consuming to prepare materials

New fees structure and ‘supermarket’ mentality may lead to expectation of maximum scheduled contact time.

Students at all levels of learning should be offered a similar experience

Importance of coherence between levels of study

Exposure to content used daily by native speakers

Important preparation for employability

Students are given higher expectations of themselves

Increases sense of achievement Emphasis on collaboration,

sharing knowledge and independent learning.