ESL WEBSITE EVALUATION
http://www.englishclub.com/
1. What does the application attempt to “teach”?
The application attempt to “teach” learners (school students, second language learners or even teachers) on how to learn English language easily, fast and save time by surfing its web. It is free of charge and user-friendly. The basic of English lessons can be found here such as grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, listening, speaking, reading and writing. Besides, it also provides interactive sections where ESL learners and teachers can involve in forums, chat rooms, help desk, games, and quizzes or post their own blogs. Furthermore, it offers ‘Online English Lessons’ including video lessons for learning English to all levels as well. Before the users revise the offered exercises, there are simplified notes that act as reminder to users. These notes can help the users to recall their previous knowledge. There is also a slot where it offers monthly news to the learners and teachers. Overall, this website is very interactive and informative to be used by ESL learners and teachers.
2. What sorts of things is the application user expected to do with regards to learning the content?
In my opinion, this website is very helpful for users whether they are teachers or learners. Users can take advantages to achieve their aims in teaching or learning. On learners’ behalf, they can full use the website as their revision learning. Here, they can recall and exercise the knowledge or lesson that they have learnt on their previous time. By doing this, they can be alert on certain rules in English such as grammar rules or sentence structures that some of them might not master. Besides that, they can improve their vocabulary through the lessons that the website provided. Once they master English rules, thus, they would not be hesitate to use the language itself especially in speaking. On behalf of teachers, the website can assist them in teaching. This website can incorporate with their teaching approaches. Therefore, their approaches will be varied which lead to attractive and interesting learning. It moves away from conservative and dull learning.
3. What sorts of computer skills is the application users expected to have in order to operate/access/use the application?
The users are expected at least have a basic knowledge about computer such as how to switch on the monitor or increase the volume. Besides that, they must know handling the computer peripherals such as a mouse and a keyboard. This is because all the lessons are required them to double click the contents (e.g. grammar) before they can access the lesson. Furthermore, the users must be literate in IT world because they need to surf the internet and learn English lesson through online. However, if the users have difficulties in understanding the lessons, they are welcome to ask questions at ‘Help Desk’ which will help and guide them.
4. While you are “playing”/ ”accessing”/ ”assessing” the application, does it remind you of anything you do in a classroom, with a teacher, or with a fellow classmate, or in self-study?
Yes. It does remind me the things that I have done in a classroom, with a teacher, fellow classmate and in my self-study. All the lessons seem like revision for me. However, it is more interesting and exciting in terms of instructional design. The program does provide appropriate feedback if I make mistakes in answering the questions. In addition, it allows the learners to repeat doing the same task if they make mistakes in the first task. For each task or lesson, it records learners’ scores. For me, this program is more flexible and follows the learners’ pace of learning. For example, during my previous days of schooling, I needed to follow others’ pace of learning although I did not really understand the lesson well. Even the teachers were trying to complete the lesson according to the syllabus’ planning. However, by using this web, learners can follow their own pace and they can revise the lessons as many times as they like.
5. Can you pinpoint some theories of language learning and/or teaching underlying the application?
There are two obvious theories of language learning underlying the application which are constructivist theory and behaviourist theory. For constructivist theory, it helps the learners to think, analyse and organize knowledge and information in order to develop their mutual understanding about once lessons thus; they are not dependent too much on the teachers. Learners need to explore the lessons by themselves. For example, learners who face problems in understanding once lessons will look for solutions by themselves. They will use all their basic knowledge or previous information to lose the burden. Here, the theory promotes independent learning to the learners and it is an active process because learners will discover the knowledge. Teachers, on the other hand, will facilitate the learners’ learning to ensure that they can relate the new knowledge into their existing knowledge.
The other theory is behaviourist theory. The learning focuses on repetition and stimulus-response model. According to Skinner, repetition is seen as a formation and learning because learners usually learn when they repeat the lesson frequently as they train themselves to memorise the lessons. For example, there are certain topics in English that requires learners to train themselves such as in memorising tenses (example present, past and future tense) thus; they will know when to use each tense while speaking or writing. In learning language, this theory is helpful because it prepares some platform of security and comfort for users to apply English rules.
6. How well is the constructivist theory of learning applied to the chosen website(s)?
The constructivist theory of learning is well-applied in this website. Moving from traditional learning process (e.g. chalk and talk), the programmer sets up website which requires the users to explore the lesson by themselves. Pertaining to Brunner, learning process involves learners to construct new ideas based on their current knowledge. Thus, it is applied through the lesson in this web. In the lesson, users need to read, understand and answer the questions before they check the answers. They can redo the exercises if they are not satisfied with their previous performance. By doing this, users can learn language through the website easily and successfully. Besides, it is also a chance where they need to generate with the computer stuff and internet surfing. Here, the programmer successfully includes the constructivist theory in this website.
7. In 1980s and early 1990s, 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 teacher, or merely an obedient servant to students?
In my humble evaluation, computer can be both master and slave to learners. It depends on the learners to operate the computer themselves. In this era of technology, we cannot deny the usefulness of computer to education. By clicking through our fingertips, we can explore and gain more knowledge around the world because it is the cheapest institution of education. Teachers cannot be replaced by computer and it goes same as well with computer. We need teachers in learning process because they have first hand teaching experience while we also need computer as a tool of gaining knowledge out of school syllabus. Therefore, as a future teacher, we need to balance the computer need in education in order to avoid it becomes a ‘slave’ to students and make them become lazy and too dependent.
8. Would you like to use the application yourself in your future work?
Yes. I would use the application in my future work. This is because this application is very useful and beneficial to my future students as one of my teaching aids. Nowadays, getting students’ attention to focus learning is not easy. They can easily fall to sleep and become bored if the teachers tend to apply chalk-and-talk method. Besides that, this application can mould the students to be more independent to learn and it can instil the students’ curiosity to explore the education by them. In addition, using this web is user-friendly and not complicated to handle it. Students, in this new generation, are able to generate the computer well. Thus, it is something waste if the students cannot apply or implement the knowledge they know in school especially for their academic lessons. In addition, teaching approaches are now more on the use of technology. As a future English teacher, I must be literate in this field and I do believe that in the future time, learning will be incorporated with technology.
9. Suggestions/Recommendations.
In my humble opinion, I would recommend the application to be used in school. The exercises provide in the website can be done either individually, pair work or group work. It is save time although the school need to spend quite a lot of money to provide its apparatus. It depends on the teachers to conduct the lessons to make it interesting, enjoyable yet meaningful for students. However, teachers play an important role to ensure the lesson runs smoothly according to what they plan. They cannot totally let the students to handle the website, but, they must guide them by giving clear instructions. This website is just a tool of learning while teachers are the most important means in delivering the knowledge and information. Thus, teachers and technology should work together to get the best and effective results in learning. However, there are certain areas that the website needs to be improved such it must include time limit. By including timing for each exercise, the students know how to manage their time properly especially when they sit for their big examinations to avoid them from being awkward and disorganised on the real day of examinations.
