Howard DOYLE
Howard Doyle comes from Sydney in Australia, but lived mostly in Europe and Japan since 22 years old. Starting off teaching English in 1983 he moved into Adult Literacy Education including research on academic English, use of English in the world and self-directed learning. He has published materials in these fields but prefers working with real or authentic texts. Back in Australia, after academia in Japan, he as worked as teacher in the Australian Migrant English Program (AMEP) in Townsville. Now, with Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC) as a foundation Literacy trainer he is trying to do what he has researched and studied.
He hopes you can see something that can help you.
He hopes you can see something that can help you.
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Can be used for teaching or self-directed learning (though mentor or buddy would help)
English is considered from perspectives defined by theoretical mathematics concepts of dimensions. In short, 1st is English as static entity or monolithicty; 2nd is English on coninuum along a line or a plane; 3rd is extra dimensional dynamic of context including socio-cultural variables; 4th introduces variability over time; 5th is people being able to engage in multiple varieties of English at any given time - a bit like parallel universes. Significance to ELF is considered in as far as it is essentially a dynamic mode for English use occurring optimally in 3rd or 4th dimensions, 5th dimension being people able to engage in multiple 'ELFs' in multiple contexts.
The upshot for this has been from a larger project about actual learning while interacting with MOOCs. FutureLearn is one case. It is a British MOOC platform with over 400 courses from 94 course-providing institutions. Some MOOCs are short and purposed to introduce learners to studying in longer deeper university programs. This crosses over into Academic Literacies which in turn encompasses language issues, and SAC language advisers come up against both of these.
The current presentation considers two issues: learning in and from MOOC discussion forums; and spaces for facilitative mediation by advisers for learners. Extents to which SACs with language advisers, and MOOCs introducing academic study compete or may complement each other are discussed as well.
After establishing theoretical grounds for MOOCs to be used, in different kinds of language-learning insitutions (private and public), the pedagogical utility of MOOCs is critically examined. Finally, tips and also step-by-step guides for using MOOCs in lessons and also for language advisers are presented.