Elearning - April/May 2008 - (Page 46)

casestudyeducation based on cultures that use the target language. Authenticity, so essential in full immersion language learning, improves student skills retention. The faculty loves being able to create customized learning paths for students so that individual student focus can target specific areas of difficulty.” The new software has three built-in assessment tests. The Placement Test assesses vocabulary / grammar knowledge and listening / reading comprehension skills and is helpful in placing students in appropriate classes. The Progress Test, which can be taken at any time at any level, enables learners to successfully pass the TOEIC exam or demonstrate language mastery. THE PILOT PROGRAM Rather than make an initial long-term commitment, Virginia Tech decided to first take advantage of a pilot program for 193 students during the fall 2006 semester. At its conclusion, Shrum gathered feedback from faculty and students. Challenge Provide high-quality language learning that is developed based on authentic materials and serves a diverse student population with varying linguistic and cultural needs. The solution must be accessible remotely as well as from multiple on-campus locations, and function smoothly within the university’s current technological environment. ware. Students identified several things they liked about the new learning process, including a variety of activities, videos and questions; word/phrase repetitions; cultural lessons; and the chance to repeat languages using speech recognition. “It is a great way to practice the language,” says Alumni Distinguished Professor Lucinda Roy. “I loved the fact that I could learn at my own pace, repeating things as necessary. Overall, this is a wonderful program, even though it is Solution Following successful pilot program, Virginia Tech adopted TELL ME MORE Campus, which is userfriendly, accessible on- and off-campus, easy to implement within the current IT environment, and can be used with other programs. spoken up so much [in class] if I hadn’t practiced at home with the online assistance,” said one student. “It made the experience of learning a language more natural and much less intimidating,” said another. “Instead of entering an unfamiliar world of a foreign language where I was only able to practice once a week, I could now enter a world in which I had some degree of familiarity.” PROBLEMS SOLVED Following the success of the pilot program, Virginia Tech adopted TELL ME MORE Campus in fall 2007 for 10 classes and 2500 licenses. The university was able to meet all of its requirements with a single software solution. >> Language students receive high-quality language learning that is accessible in the classroom, lab, online and at multiple on-site locations. >> The solution featured realworld current events and culturally accurate content. >> Implementation was smooth, and Auralog provided accurate and timely technical assistance. >> The software-based program did not interfere with other established programs. >> On-site faculty training provided instructors with the knowledge they needed to put the solution to work for them. >> Post-pilot research showed that students enjoyed working in TELL ME MORE and increased test scores reflected the additional time that students were studying language. —For more about TELL ME MORE Campus, visit www.tellmemore.com. ‘I don’t think I would have spoken up as much in class if I hadn’t practiced at home.’ —sample student Faculty members reported that students enjoyed using the software and that they were more prepared for class. Although the initial investment of time was considerable, including on-site training and online help, once they started using software, faculty reported that operations went smoothly. Of the students surveyed, 95 percent recommended that Virginia Tech purchase the soft46 April / May 2008 Elearning! areas in which the instructor determined student(s) needed additional practice. Student usage during the pilot project was tracked, and time spent studying languages increased by six hours per student, which included two hours of assessment testing. Students used all 37 activity types and both “Free-toRoam” and “Guided” modes. One of the biggest challenges facing language learning instructors and learners alike is finding enough time to practice pronunciation and conversation. TELL ME MORE leverages the most advanced speech recognition software and combines the patented Spoken Error Tracking System to deliver interactive feedback and demonstration for perfect pronunciation. THE RESULTS Overall test performance improved during the pilot, with 83 percent of the students improving their scores from Placement to Progress tests. Twenty-six students took the Language Achievement Test/ TOEIC Prep Exam with eight achieving B1 level (Intermediate, as defined by European Council). Student feedback was extremely positive. “I don’t think I would have time consuming. The pronunciation exercises, the videos, the dictation, and the dialogue were the most helpful.” At initiation of the pilot, all students took the Placement Test and were assigned individual learning paths with defined objectives and activities. At anytime throughout the semester, the instructor could monitor student and class progress, and even customize http://www.tellmemore.com

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Elearning - April/May 2008 Editor's Note Contents News Targeting Africa Locating Courseware People in the News Upcoming Events Deals Trendlines Web Services Building a Learning Culture Measuring the Learning Experience Making Learning Fun and Social LMS's 2008: What You Need To Know Learning Leader: CA Case Study: AVI Case Study: IBM Case Study: QualComm WBS Case Study: National Center for State Courts Case Study: Grundfos Pumps Case Study: Virginia Tech Pop Quiz Last Word

Elearning - April/May 2008

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