PLGE - Personalised Learning in Group Environments

2020

Lecturers

Teacher Education

Autonomous learning
Classroom Context

Italian

English
Italian
Polish
Spanish

B2
C1
C2

Activity/task
Guiding resources (online course/book)
Simulation

Vocabulary
Grammar
Pragmatics

Listening
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Writing
Reading
Mediation

The aim of PLGE materials is to provide language teachers with a set of innovative tools in an individual platform, along with the skills and knowledge to be able to offer adult learners high quality, personalised learning opportunities in adult, group language courses. The focus is on the personalisation of learning for adults, especially in informal environments.
The direct target group are language teachers and indirect target group are language learners, especially disadvantaged.
There are three main resources:
IO1: Handbook/Guide on Differentiation (Differentiated Instruction) in L2 Learning Environments for language teachers.
IO2: Standardised Modular ILP (Individual Learning Plan) Framework for L2 teachers – a framework for designing ILPs based on student/class demographics, interests, initial level of knowledge etc.
IO3: Interactive Electronic ILP and e-Learning Resource Platform – an automated type system, through which teachers and students can both log in to see their progression, short-term and long-term goals. It includes Interactive Electronic ILP System (no longer available) and Electronic Resource Library.
The resources have been validated by case-studies.

Validation with one Chinese PhD student (C1 CEFR level) of Linguistics and Italian language.
The material was understandable, the instructions on how to draw the activity were well explained, especially the step-by-step activity part, in addition there was also a case study on Chinese secondary school students. To read a real specific case, even if of different ages from what was in the instructions, makes easier to understand what needs to be done.
The resource was motivating, interesting, and more useful than a normal study, something new facilitates concentration; however, it also depends on the topic chosen whether or not it is of interest. In the case produced (lesson on "The mountain"), it could be less interesting for younger people (and also too difficult), and should consequently be adapted. I thought of the Erasmus students from Unibo who like to travel to the mountains and are young adults, so they have to prepare the trip, study the itinerary, imagine the destination and create a connection with the landscape. However, the topic itself is transversal if adapted to age.
The given material was complete, the activity explained step by step was very useful.
The texts of the resources seemed clear and correct to me, maybe there were errors, but I didn't see them.
Student's personal comment: in my opinion, this activity can only be done once, because it requires a lot of time to be prepared for the teacher, but also for the student. To sum up, it was an interesting activity, because it was innovative for me.

In the framework of holistic learning, the PLGE resources are designed to support teachers (as direct targets) to adapt their language teaching to student’s needs.
These resources can profitably be applied according to the methodology of the flipped classroom:
1 - Future L2 teachers of Italian will autonomously study the Guide on Differentiation.
2- they will interview their students for analysing their needs.
3 - In the classroom, they will put into practice the proposed methods (ILPs - Individual Learning Plan, CLIL, drama techniques for teaching, storytelling etc.) in simulated Italian lessons, in which teachers alternatively will play the role of teachers or of students.