research evaluations

Using virtual worlds as a learning resource was deemed to be highly engaging for learners and offered them the opportunity to practice skills in a situation that was imitating real life but that was not causing any real life risks. There were barriers for the learners, for example, in order to get the most out of the virtual world, it is imperative that the learner is able to control the avatar and manoeuvre around the world, and this takes considerable time to master. Also, the hardware and Internet requirements have to be of a high enough specification in order for Second Life to run at the optimum level. Overall, this innovative project has been a success and has won international awards.

The major success of the pilot was the smoothness of operation and the lack of issues in respect of the technological infrastructure. A number of the eLearning advisors in different institutions commented on the fact that students seemed to be unable to tell the difference between networked provision of learning and other eLearning courses.

The main concerns were with regards to the amount and quality of interaction between different participants, which varied depending upon their roles. In general, there was little online interaction between learners and despite the fact that the network provided a channel of communication between tutors it was not used extensively.

Recommendations:

• Changes should be made to the MyLearn network in the areas of project management, communication, tutor professional development and learning.

• These changes should be negotiated with participants and be reviewed and modified.

• Senior management of institutions involved in future projects should market and support raising awareness of networked initiatives within the institution and secure the necessary staff and resources to complement external funding.

The cluster model was based on the principles that have underpinned the successful New Zealand ICT professional development programme. Evaluation of the pilot programme was based on data collected during the project, including surveys, interviews with principals and teachers, facilitator observations, and personal communications to facilitators. The key findings were as follows:

• Facilitated cluster models of professional learning can be successfully implemented in Malaysia, when national and state education infrastructures work with school leaders to meet the challenges of learning collaboratively.

• The programme’s online community and its access to international resources enabled teachers in the pilot to model global communication with their students.

• Teachers overcame anxieties about technical issues and moved beyond their usual teaching approaches to involve students in decisions about their learning.

• Teachers had individual needs in terms of their ICT use and capability, and this project worked with these needs as a priority.

• The model allows for the generation of Malaysian leadership capability in new ways of working with teachers.

• The impact of the programme after 10 weeks was greatest for the group of teachers that began as the least confident in the use of ICTs for administration, teaching and learning.

• Student use of ICTs was slower in the early phases of implementation, as their teachers began to experiment themselves with the use of ICT as teaching tools.

• At the end of the programme, teachers reported using ICTs with classes less often for motivation, and more often to support learning outcomes.

The project considered the extent to which ICTs were integrated into teaching and learning in a range of language lessons, including Te Reo Maori, European languages – French & Spanish, as well as Japanese and Chinese, at intermediate and junior secondary levels. The study focused on the ways in which engaging in ICT-based learning activities might improve student learning outcomes in relation to the following four key elements of the language learning process:

• Input (students’ exposure to the language)
• Output (students’ use of the language)
• Interaction (reciprocal communications with others in the language)
• Cultural reflection (students’ understanding of, and respect for, cultural similarities and differences)

A range of ICT tools were utilised by teachers and learners to support language learning, including hardware (laptops, digital cameras, data projectors), software (Microsoft Office, Language Market, Linguascope) and networks (YouTube, Internet). The ICTs were used for a variety of activities and the range of resources offered increased exposure to authentic language and culture. The highly visual and auditory nature of ICTs engaged learners and encouraged reflection, further exploration and comparison with their own culture, whilst also allowing for differentiated learning, enabling all students to experience success. The multimodal aspects of ICT tools allowed the learners to speak, write, present and perform in the language and often provided instant feedback on accuracy, fluency and understanding, thus, motivating students to improve through self-correction.