Project-Based Learning with Emerging Technology: The Bridge Program
Case
Iona Sarieva
Bridge Program
Department of English, School of Art and Sciences
Saint Leo University
Abstract: In this presentation, I would like to share my work on a pedagogical project which aims to
enhance the development of learning, academic language, and computer skills of Bridge Program
international students at Saint Leo University through active and meaningful inclusion of technology.
The participants in the project are the students enrolled in the first-semester Learning Laboratory course;
a key goal of this course is engaging students in early and structured introduction to the university
community and academic resources, as well as supporting the development of students’ academic
speaking and presentation skills. It is intended that this learning experience will offer learners with
opportunities for guided reflection on their language acquisition process and academic skills
development.
Introduction
During the past two decades, technologies have become an important part of the modern higher education. Today,
educators and researchers agree that technologies alone do not shape the learning process; rather, sound pedagogical
approaches should guide the implementation of technology in the classroom in order to meet the needs of the
contemporary society and the digital age learners. The 21 st century educators are influenced by a number of factors
when making pedagogical decisions; this is especially true in the realm of technology-enhanced teaching. In his
review of technology choice in teaching, Stockwell points out that there are at least four different factors that
influence educators in their decision on what technologies to include in their teaching:
1.
Pedagogical objectives
2.
Institutional decisions
3.
Personal curiosity
4.
Trends and fashion (Stockwell, 2007, p.107)
where the guiding factor should be the pedagogical objectives. Schacter (1999), in one of the first comprehensive
reviews on technology implementation in education, states that “learning technology is less effective or ineffective
when the learning objectives are unclear and the focus on the technology is diffuse” (Schacter, p.10). Further, the
emphasis on pedagogical and learning objectives in the era of Web 2.0 technologies, user-generated content, and
mobile devices has brought the contemporary notion of Pedagogy 2.0 (Thomas, 2009). This view on pedagogy is
empowered by the understanding of social interaction as the basis of learning and by the fast development of usercentered applications on the Web. Within the framework of this pedagogy, the transmission model of teaching with
Web 1.0 technologies is replaced by the constructivist approach and the provision of communication channels and
multimedia tools for blending cultures, building communities, and sharing experiences through Web 2.0 applications
and mobile devices.
The emerging generation of technology is consistent in its principles with the new pedagogical trends in another
respect as well – in addition to promoting meaningful and authentic interaction, it places the users/learners in the
center of the interaction process and supports them in the development of broader-scope learning projects.
Segmented tasks can be naturally integrated within a larger project-based task and linked to authentic goals. In many
cases such learning projects require interaction and work both within the class community and a broader community.
Such projects have the potential to support learners’ exploration and practice of different academic communication
aspects: text structure, genre, grammar, presentation tools and strategies etc. The flexibility of the emerging
computer-based tools and the pedagogical orientation to larger scale projects blur the borders between individual
classroom tasks and technology-based activities (Evans, 2011), students can naturally transition from one
environment to the other in the process of achieving the final goals of their projects.
All this motivated me to design the Learning Laboratory course following the principles of constructivism and
Pedagogy 2.0 realized through project-based learning. While in this course the students will work mainly on PCs
and laptops, the access to a mobile device will give the instructor the flexibility to provide timely support and
feedback and to model specific steps and learning strategies.
The Students
The Bridge Program is designed for international students who meet the minimum English language proficiency
requirements for University admission but need further support in the development of their academic
communication skills in English. Currently, the majority of the students in the program come from Saudi Arabia;
however, there are also students from South America, Europe, and Asia. The majority of the students plan to pursue
their undergraduate degrees in various majors, including international studies, political science, criminal justice,
social work, computer technologies, and medical technologies. There are 12 students enrolled in the course.
Based on the informal interviews I had with the students currently enrolled in the Program and the observations
conducted in the Fall semester of 2012, the majority of the students have had limited exposure to technologies in
educational settings. While they seemed to be proficient users of mobile technologies and basic computer
applications for personal purposes, they seemed to be insecure and therefore inconsistent in their use of basic ecommunication tools provided through the University resources such as Saint Leo email, eLion, and eCollege. In
addition, the students shared that they have not had much experience in the use of presentation applications and
faced difficulties in following formatting guidelines for their written assignments. These observations suggest that
the students who are joining Saint Leo through the Bridge Program will benefit from guided technology-enhanced
introduction to the University community and information resources.
The Course
The Learning Laboratory I course is designed to support the academic development of Bridge students through the
provision of opportunities for: (1) early and structured introduction to the Saint Leo Campus and academic resources
and community, (2) development of academic speaking and presentation skills, and (3) guided reflection on their
language acquisition process and academic skills development. The emphasis of the course is on the active use of
information resources for academic purposes and the developments of academic communication skills with
emphasis on oral presentations. The course is scheduled to take place in one of technologically enhanced classrooms
in the Daniel A. Cannon Memorial Library, University Campus; this assures students’ regular and easy access to
technology during the semester.
The meaningful inclusion of technology and its active application during the course is an important part of this
course; it is intended to support students’ engagement in collaborative learning activities designed to facilitate their
use of various academic resources. The course learning activities are exploratory in their nature; in the process of
their research, the learners collaborate with each other and reach to the broader university community. During the
course, the students are engaged in the development of a multimedia course portfolio of digital resources in which
they present the learning experiences they gained during their first semester at Saint Leo University. This portfolio
will set the beginning of Bridge user-generated guides for new students.
The Course Learning Project
The students who take Bridge Learning Laboratory I explore the SLU academic community and resources; they
work on their academic communication skills and engage in an active discussion and reflection on their learning
experiences. During the semester, the students are engaged in collaborative work both in a computer laboratory and
outside of classroom. They use stationary computers as well as mobile technology in the process of their work on a
collection of multimedia materials which present the Saint Leo University community and its resources. The
collaborative creation of this e-collection is intended to facilitate their learning; further, the collection itself will
serve as means for communication with future first-semester SLU students.
In the process of completing the course, the instructor and students use the following applications and equipment:
1. eCollege
a. Access to reading materials, information resources, and communication tools
b. Assignment descriptions
c. Communication with class members and the instructor through personal messages and group
discussion forums
2. Multimedia applications and mobile equipment –
a. the students use tablets and other mobile devices in order to collect and record authentic data in
the process of guided small-group learning activities and will create their own multimedia
materials.
b. Video editing software - Magisto – Magical Video Editor (iTunes), Ezvid – video editing software
for Windows
3. Social networks for publication of access links to created multimedia materials.
a. VoiceThread for collaborative work on multimedia materials.
b. Prezi for online presentation creation and publishing
c. Facebook
All of the applications, except for the video editing applications, are iPad and PC compatible.
The proposed course consists of eight modules during which the students will work collaboratively on their learning
project: a multimedia e-portfolio. In the beginning of the semester, the students were divided into pairs; currently
each pair plans and develops the portfolio projects. The course is organized in eight modules designed to introduce
students to core concepts and practices of academia and to guide and support their work on the project.
In order to assure the successful development and completion of the pedagogical project, it is planned to be
assessed during the process of its implementation and after its completion.
The following assessment strategies will be used:
1. Module 1 & 2:
a. Needs assessment (survey & group interviews)
b. Module 2: Content analysis of the initial multimedia presentations created by the students
about their expectations and first encounters with the Saint Leo University community
2. Module 2 through 8: Ongoing observations – difficulties and support for learning when using the
various technologies
3. Module 2 through 7: Ongoing content analysis of developed e-materials and discussion forums –
analysis of gains and difficulties
4. Module 8: Content analysis of the final multimedia presentations of the students in order to determine
the level of their oral academic language growth and learner satisfaction
5. Post-course:
a. Summary of analysis of observations and e-portfolios
b. Following students in their second semester. Analysis of their:
i. performance in Bridge college preparatory reading and writing courses (GPA and
qualitative data from instructor feedback)
ii. performance in general education courses (course participation log and GPA).
Conclusions
The proposed pedagogical project is guided by contemporary research which shows that learners are motivated to a
greater extent when engaged in learning through projects that create tangible learning outcomes and are intended for
a real audience. Further, this type of projects supports the development of literacy, writing rhetoric, and academic
communication skills through meaningful and authentic interaction (Carney, 2009; Evans, 2011). The Web 2.0
environment and mobile technology promote interaction, scaffolding, and collaboration among learners and between
learners and their teachers. Last but not least, today user-generated content takes an important place in information
exchange, this trend affects education as well – learners seem to be more motivated when student-generated
materials are included in their studies (Hawkes, 2011).
References
Carney, N. (2009). Chapter XVI: Blogging in Foreign Language Education. In M. Thomas (ed.) Handbook of Research on Web
2.0 and Second Language Learning.
Evans, M. (2011). Digital technology and Language Learning. In Foreign Language Learning with Digital Technology.
Continuum: 7-31.
Hawkes, R. (2011) ‘Digital technology as a Tool for Active Learning in MFL: Engaging Second Language Learners in and
Beyond the Classroom’. In M. Evans (ed.), Foreign Language Learning with Digital Technology. Continuum. 80-103.
Schacter, J. (1999). The Impact of Educational Technology on Student Achievement: What Most Current Research Has to Say.
Santa Monica, CA: Milken Exchange on Educational Technology.
Stockwell, G. (2007). ‘A review of technology choice for teaching language skills and areas in the CALL literature’. ReCALL 19
(2), 105-120.
Thomas, M. (2009). Handbook of Research on Web 2.0 and Second Language Learning. Hershey, PA.
Acknowledgements
This pedagogical project is supported by the Emerging Technologies to Enhance Pedagogy – iPads pilot program at Saint Leo
University; this is a program which offers a valuable support for instructors who are implementing technology-enhanced
pedagogical activities.