EXPLANATION/DEMONSTRATION
Theoretical introduction
Explanations and demonstrations are a very common occurrence in class. They are of crucial importance whenever new information or material is introduced. By explaining or demonstrating, we attempt to convey new information and enhance better understanding of a given topic. A demonstration may also be a tool used to check or confirm newly acquired information.
Even though these processes are said to be performed primarily by teachers, it is not always the case. It is worth mentioning that students’ active involvement is often highly beneficial for the learning process.
Exercise I: JIGSAW PRESENTING
Prezi + any communication service (Google Meet, Zoom, etc.)
- first class/during the semester/last class
- introduction/main body
Online/blended/face-to-face
Synchronous
- to present new information/material
- to improve presentation skills
- to improve teamwork skills
STEP I
Before the class, we divide the new material, information or problem we are planning to discuss into 3-4 main sections or aspects.
STEP II
In class, we divide the students into 3-4 groups. Each group is assigned one of the sections/aspects.
STEP III
The groups are asked to search for the required information (by using documents, the internet, etc.) and prepare a short Prezi presentation for the rest of the class. They also make handouts summarising their presentations. The handouts can be shared using a cloud.
STEP IV
Each group gives its presentation (each followed by a Q&A session).
- Active participation often results in better learning.
- Students have an opportunity to improve their presentation and teamwork skills.
- Students can always get back to the handouts and the presentations.
– Due to the fact that students are not familiar with a given topic, they might unknowingly share incorrect information.
+ Teachers monitor the group work and help students avoid possible mistakes while preparing their presentations (STEP 3).
+ Teachers listen to the presentations carefully and correct possible mistakes (STEP 4).
Exercise II: VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT USING CORPORA IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM
LMS Moodle (online self-correcting tests)
Compleat Lexical Tutor
- during the semester
- main body
Online
Asynchronous
- to improve vocabulary
- to practise grammar structures
- to improve reading skills
The students work with the texts in LMS Moodle using the Compleat Lexical Tutor.
Used texts may be either original or adapted from a textbook or a magazine.
STEP I
A reading comprehension test is prepared and released to the students using LMS Moodle.
STEP II
Before the actual reading, the students need to focus on certain terms and/or difficult expressions. We provide the students with a set of definitions and have them either match the words or look them up in the text.
*Using the Compleat Lexical Tutor is recommended to extend vocabulary.
STEP III
After reading, the students are given various exercises focusing on reading comprehension. The exercises may include:
- multiple-choice questions (if we do not reveal the exact number of correct answers to each question, the exercise becomes more difficult),
- true-false questions,
- cloze tests – filling in missing words (from a list, without any list, without a list but with first letter or half of a word),
- creating questions based on answers,
- matching objects and their functions,
- matching headings and paragraphs.
- Asynchronous mode allows students to take their time and focus on their specific needs while working with a text.
- Students have an opportunity to improve their vocabulary and reading comprehension skills.
– While working asynchronously, some students can feel isolated and discouraged.
+ We recommend using Moodle discussion forums.
Exercise III: PRESENTATIONS THAT WILL DRAW YOU IN
Mentimeter + any communication service (Google Meet, Zoom, etc.)
- during the semester
- main body
Online/face-to-face
Synchronous
- to improve interaction between students and teachers
- to quickly and effectively map students’ opinions
- to engage students during lectures
Applicable both online and offline.
STEP I
Before class: The teacher prepares a presentation that includes slides with various questions and surveys in the Mentimeter app.
STEP II
In class: The teacher presents new course material using the interactive Mentimeter presentation. The students join the presentation using their smart devices (e.g. smartphones, tablets). Thanks to the application, they participate in the explanation process in real time (answer questions, vote, etc.).
STEP III
In class: In the final slide, the students can express their opinions using word clouds.
- If a class is taught synchronously, the app improves the students’ engagement.
- If a class is taught asynchronously, the app can help to obtain student’s opinions (If everyone raised their hands, it would take a lot of time to ask each and every student individually).
– Due to the fact that the activity includes polling tasks, the explanation process might take more time.
+ If teachers prepare a max. of 2 or 3 polling tasks, the explanation process is not prolonged significantly, but it is still interactive and engaging for the students.
Exercise IV: LET’S COLLABORATE FROM AFAR
G-Suite, Office 365
- during the semester
- main body
Online
Asynchronous
- to cooperate in solving tasks
- to explain a problem to other students
- to search for consensus
- to share information with other students
STEP I
The teacher creates a shared document (with all students) using Google Documents or Office 365. The document contains a list of various assignments for the students to work on.
The students can be asked to:
- explain certain terminology,
- find certain information,
- prepare a slide show,
- etc.*
*The list differs depending on the topic discussed.
STEP II
Each student chooses an assignment and removes it from the list. The chosen assignment is not visible to other students anymore.
STEP III
All the students prepare their own assignments and then share their finished work with the other students and the teacher.
STEP IV
Each student chooses one assignment completed by another student and comments on its content (peer proofreading).
The author of the document then collaborates asynchronously with the “feedback-giver” to improve the assignment.
STEP V
Finally, a complex document composed of all the assignments is created and corrected by the teacher.
- Students learn to collaborate online.
- Students learn to critically evaluate topics prepared by other students.
- Students prepare their own study materials.
– Students may be unwilling to evaluate other students’ work.
+ Teachers emphasize the benefits of peer proofreading before the assignments are chosen.
– Students may not know what to focus on while proofreading other students’ work.
+ Teachers support the proofreading process by providing their students with a set of criteria they need to follow while evaluating their classmates’ assignments.
Exercise IV: DECODE AND LEARN!
a QR code generator (for example, https://www.the-qrcode-generator.com, https://www.qr-code-generator.com)
a QR code reading app
- during the semester
- main body
Face-to-face
Synchronous
- to acquire new knowledge
- to create a lesson’s content
- to improve communication skills
- to learn how to work with QR codes
It is ideal to split the activity into two lessons (alternatively, into a lesson and home preparation).
- Part 1: Students prepare QR codes.
- Part 2: Students work with the QR codes.
Some QR code generators allow you to create codes in different colours. That way it can be easier to differentiate between QR codes prepared by different pairs or groups.
It is important to stress that we can encode not only texts or web links, but also pictures, sounds or other multimedia.
STEP I
The students are divided into pairs or groups which are then provided with a set of questions about a certain topic. Each pair or group searches for the answers to those questions and consults the teacher about the information they find.
STEP II
When the answers are ready, the students prepare one set of QR codes with the questions and another set of QR codes with the answers.
STEP III
Printed QR codes are then spread around the classroom. The students scan the question codes that have been prepared by their classmates and try to find answers to all of them.
STEP IV
Each team that has finished approaches the teacher, who checks their work.
- Students participate in class preparation.
- Students learn how to cooperate in teams.
- Students can work with various media, i.e. texts, links, pictures, sounds, etc.
- The activity involves movement, which is a benefit for kinesthetic learners.
- The activity is universal and usable across various fields.
– Not all students have the necessary device or application.
+ The teacher can suggest that each group use only one smartphone.
Exercise VI: LISTEN CAREFULLY
Google Forms
- during class
- main body
Online/blended/face-to-face
Synchronous
- to keep the students’ attention
- to pinpoint crucial points of a lesson
- to provide the students with comprehensive notes for future study and revision
STEP I
Before the teacher starts presenting new lesson content, the students are provided with worksheets with various questions or assignments. The worksheets are to be filled out while listening to the teacher’s presentation.
STEP II
During the presentation, the relevant exercises are done and immediately checked by the teacher, who asks about the correct answers and/or opinions.
STEP III
At the end of the presentation, the students have an opportunity to discuss anything unclear about the worksheet or the presentation.
- Students get comprehensive and clear notes for their future study.
- Students are active and their attention is kept during the whole lesson.
- Thanks to Google Forms, all answers are saved, and teachers can get back to them later.
– If the presentation covers very difficult and complicated matters that need detailed explanation from the teacher, it might be too difficult to fill out the worksheets while listening to the teacher’s presentation.
+ It is a teacher who decides if this exercise can be used effectively during a particular lesson.
