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Database of Teaching Sources

A database of selected, reviewed, tested, assessed and validated e-learning based language teaching sources addressed to Higher education students for the learning of 18 different European languages.

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Democratic schools

Date of Publication

24/09/2021

Target Group

Lecturers
Students

Domain Area

Teacher Education

Learning Scenario

Autonomous learning
Classroom Context

Target Language

Slovakian

Language of Instruction

Slovakian

CEFR level

B2

Type of Material

Reference resources (online Dictionaries/ grammar guides/phrasebooks)

Linguistic Features

Vocabulary
Grammar

Skills

Speaking
Critical Thinking
Writing
Reading

Description

The present online source is a website created by a school in Slovakia specialized in democratic education. Students can get acquainted with the key features and the philosophy of democratic education in general as well as the school itself while they can also read different texts with vocabulary items and technical terms related to the relevant topic, e.g. the school system, the teaching methods, the aims, the rules and regulations, and a section with frequently asked questions concerning this particular school, etc. Also, there are many images and shorter videos available on the website which can be used for motivating exercises and activities as well. In addition, the design of the website may be appealing to both students and teachers as well, as it is easy to navigate.

Case study

The material can be tested in classroom context. Students are asked to do the activities recommended in the guidelines section below. After this, they can be tested on their knowledge about democratic education or the vocabulary related to the topic to check the efficiency of the online resource and the related tasks. Also, a questionnaire can be designed so that the students participating in the project can give feedback on the source and the activities: Did they consider them useful, interesting and motivating? Do they think that they suit their needs? Do they have any ideas or suggestions for improvement?

Guidelines

Lead-in activity/warmer: Eliciting information on learners’ knowledge of Slovakian vocabulary in connection with schools, education, school activities, etc. This may encourage students to use Slovakian. The teacher can present and explain the most important terms in the texts.
The texts on the website can be used as reading exercises. The teacher can divide the class in smaller groups whose task is to read a given section (e.g. aims, rules) and then illustrate the main points on a poster. The groups present their posters to each other, which gives the students the opportunity to develop their speaking skills. Afterwards, the students may share their feelings and opinions about the topic in an open discussion. This activity is more suitable for learners at B2+ level. Alternatively, the teacher can prepare a worksheet with questions (e.g. the FAQs) that the students need to answer individually or in groups.
Also, the teacher may use the photos and the videos in the gallery as prompts thus giving the students the opportunity to describe what they can see or express their ideas.

Review

Category
Rate
Comprehensive approach
Capacity to match the needs of lecturers and students

5

Added value
The provided tangible improvements

5

Motivation enhancement
The capacity to motivate students to improve their language skills

5

Innovation
Effectiveness in introducing innovative, creative and previously unknown approaches to LSP learning

5

Transferability
Measurement of the transferable potential and possibility to be a source of further capitalisation/application for other language projects in different countries

2

Skills assessment and validation
Availability of appropriate tools for lecturers to monitor students’ progress and for students to assess own progress and to reflect on learning

5

Adaptability
Flexibility of the contents and possibilities for the LSP lecturers to adapt the contents to their and to students’ need

5

Usability
Assess the technical usability from the point of view of the lecturer and the student

5

Accessibility
Assess the accessibility from the point of view of the lecturer and the student

5

Comments:
The present teaching source satisfies the needs of students specialized in Teacher Education, as it includes factual background information about democratic education and contains the relevant professional vocabulary. The topic itself, the images and the short video clips in the gallery can be motivating for students to read and speak in Slovakian. Teachers can print out some texts and make some changes to adapt them to the needs of students below B2. Assessment can be aimed at the vocabulary, the topic itself (i.e. what students have learnt about democratic education) or their oral performance in the open discussion. Lecturers can use this source easily and it can be accessed and downloaded without difficulty. As the website is mainly in Slovakian (there is only a short section in English), it may be challenging to use this resource in different countries.
Website of the Teaching Source:
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