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Training Package

Module 3
CREATION OF QUALITY DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY-BASED LANGUAGE TEACHING SOURCES

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CASE STUDY 2: English for medical students – creating an app using the platform Educaplay based on a video.

The operational tool describing how the platform Educaplay can be used to create a digital resource was tested by a lecturer who produced one resource and used it in class with her own students. The lecturer initially went through the operative tool on her own, to get familiar with the information, then together with a member of the QuiLL team, with whom she discussed the technical aspects and who instructed her on the how to use it and gave details on some other option of the platform. The lecturer also chose to watch the tutorials on the platform, yet found them somewhat difficult to follow, so the feedback was that the operative tool was the faster and easier option. Another positive aspect mentioned by the lecturer was that it allowed following the instructions at her own pace and that it came in handy when working to create the actual resource. During the creation of the digital resource and after, during the conversation with the QuiLL team member, the lecturer also mentioned that she appreciated the versatility of the platform and the various other features – imediate feedback to the student (also sent by email), the possibility for the student to replay the video sequence several times if needed before giving the answer, the statistics provided both to the student and the creator/lecturer who can thus follow the students’ progress with respect to the various tasks and offer personalized support, and also the challenge feature, which can be a useful motivation trigger for young users. The lecturer is experienced in teaching mixed groups and also has some experience in using pre-created digital resources but not in creating any herself (the score in the entry test was 69, corresponding to the intermediate level).
The resource created was a quizz based on a video about The most dangerous additives in food – where they are and what consequences they can have on our health, as the resource was destined to students training for the medical school. It was tested online on 11 students aged 19-23, from 8 countries (native speakers of 8 different languages) who had studied Romanian for 7 to 9 months. Their estimated level was B1. The use of the resource for didactic purposes was preceded by various activities that introduced the linguistic material (grammar issues, medical terminology). After this step was completed, the students used the resource consisting of a 11 minute video and 15 questions (multiple choice) as a form of revising the medical content introduced and checking general comprehension, and of reinforcing the terminology through vocabulary related questions. The tasks were perfomed by the students in about 20 - 25 minutes; then they responded to an online satisfaction questionnaire (on Google forms); they evaluated the resource as “useful”, “informative”, “easy to use”, they liked that it had been “interactive”, “not boring”; they appreciated “the accuracy of the information”, “the use of visual elements”, its adequate length (“not too long”) and level (“not too difficult and not too easy”); in one student’s words “this combination of video, audio and testing helps me process information better”.
In her feedback, the lecturer appreciated the opportunities provided by this type of resources; she reflected on her raised awareness of the need to be able to create and integrate such resources – therefore on the importance of improving her digital skills. The operative tool was considered useful and a suggestion was made that a translated version alongside the English text would make the entire process even more friendly and effective. A pertinent remark was that, while initially it seems rather time-consuming, on subsequent attempts working with the platform becomes significantly faster and easier, thus making the use of it a viable alternative; also the fact that the same linguistic material can be further adapted for other purposes/tasks, and that it is easy to add / eliminate questions/task or alter them etc.. One other feature that was appreciated was that, prior to publication, the platform requires the creator of a resource to provide a description and the “library” of resources thus created by the users can be further explored in various ways. The various features – such as the time limit, the “challenge” feature (students can challenge their peers to complete the tasks in a shorter time and/or with a higher score) is a plus. Another is easy access, students do not have to create an account to be able to use the platform, a link to it sent by the lecturer is all that is necessary. The only negative feedback was related to the fact that the platform does not allow for a very precise trimming of the video material, and thus some word fragments at the beginning or end of the sequence can distort the meaning and hinder comprehension.

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