I’ve long been a fan of voting systems (eg. Turning Point, Quizdom) because of their capacity to add interactivity into formative assessment. The trouble is, though, that such systems cost – generally, around £2000 for 16 handsets. Many of us have hoped that voting in this way might become possible using mobile phones (not actually free, but a lot cheaper!), and now it seems that this is a reality.
For a start, there is the option of using a text wall (eg. xlearn: http://www.xlearn.co.uk/sms.htm) in which sms text responses are displayed on a web-site, and visible to all participants with screen & projector. There is a cost to this, but quite low for a standard service. At this level of service, text entry is possible, so words, numbers, ‘yes/no’ etc can be viewed, though there is no analysis of responses and hence no graphs etc (this can be done, but at greater cost).

Another option that I have just discovered (via the e-Assessment Association newsletter) is to use Twitter. Power-Point Twitter tools, developed by Timo Elliott, allow Tweets to be input into power-point slides. If Tweets with a unique ‘voting string’ are made in response to a question, eg. multiple choice, the tool can feed data into charts/graphs (Tweets can be made from a mobile device as well as a PC). The tool can be downloaded from the SAP Web 2.0 web-site at http://tinyurl.com/yecmh86 : it’s basically a power-point presentation from which you can copy and paste slides (they have to be in ‘presentation’ or ‘slide-show’ mode to be fully functional). In addition to the ‘Twitter voting’ slide, there is a ‘Twitter feedback’ slide that displays Tweets in speech balloons, and a ‘Twitter Ticker bar’ that can be embedded into a Power-Point master slide to give real-time ticker-tape updates. I have tested all of these, and they work (hurray!), though there is sometimes a bit of delay as Twitter updates. These options are not quite as slick as using an up-to-date voting system, but they’re not bad, and definitely worth trying.

Last week, some of my RSC colleagues and I attended a three-day ‘Welsh for Adults’ course. This was the second we’d been to, and we very much enjoyed both – hopefully our Welsh has improved, too! The experience got me thinking about the ways in which technology could enhance the teaching and learning of languages.

      Within a classroom setting, it would often be helpful to use audio and video – using a TV & video or CD/DVD player is no longer necessary, for all audio/video files can be stored within a PC/lap-top and transmitted via a projector and whiteboard. If the PC is connected to the internet, it would also be possible to find useful pictures and other resources, relevant web-sites (for example of places of interest, local cuisine), and in the case of Welsh, watch TV programmes (eg. S4/Clic – http://www.s4c.co.uk/clic/e_index.shtml – with or without subtitles!). There are many useful online dictionaries (eg. www.geiriadur.net  for Welsh) and other online reference works.

    If the PC also has interactive whiteboard software, a wide range of interactive games and activities could be devised eg. matching words to pictures, filling gaps in a piece of text, drawing lines to connect pairs of words (note that whilst an actual interactive whiteboard is helpful, it isn’t essential for most activities – learners could interact with the board using a ‘remote’ mouse and keyboard). Voting systems, also controlled by PC, are another technology that promotes activity and engagement.
     Outside of a classroom situation, learners could benefit from relevant web-sites, and could also listen to audio files, for example on mp3 players, and receive podcasts. They could also record their own conversations and e-mail to tutors – many mobile phones have built-in recorders. Access to a VLE (Virtual learning Environment) could provide other ‘any place, any time’ activities.

Has anyone got other language-learning suggestions?