What really makes students like a web site What are the implications for designers of language learn

1
The ATLAS project
Arousing an interest in school students for the
take-up of new languages at university Terry
King, Claire McAvinia, Jane Hughes Department of
Education Professional Development University
College London Jointly funded by CfBT (R D),
the Nuffield Foundation, and UCL. Project web
sites http//www.ucl.ac.uk/epd/atlas/ Schools
web site http//www.ucl.ac.uk/atlas/ Email
contact terry.king_at_ucl.ac.uk
2
ContextThe decline in the take up ofModern
Foreign Languages
3
Project Aims

• To engage school students in tasting
  languages not previously considered, or
  available, for study
• Method
• To explore school students attitudes and
  experiences of LL, through questionnaire and
  focus groups. Use results to design web tasters
  for the LWT langs. Promote in partner schools.

4
ATLAS survey questions

• Language background
• Past history of language study at school
• Attitudes towards
• LL in school and LL in general
• Continuing LL post 16 and at university
• Languages and jobs
• LL and computers / web sites
• Tasters / new language study opportunities

5
Some results. For a fuller account of the
results see project web site. Rationalisation 1

• As English is a world language there is little
  point in learning another Only 23 agreed
• This 23 was made up mainly (73) of students who
  saw themselves as not good at languages.

6
Rationalisation 2Intention to continue language
study post 16

• The main reason for not continuing the study of
  languages was it didnt accord with future
  career plans. However, this appears to be
  another rationalisation since not many have
  specific career plans.
• 75 thought skill in languages gave good job
  prospects.
• But many had a limited idea of what these
  prospects are.
• Whats the real reason for the increase in
  Nos in year 11?

7
Main reasons for disaffection

• Low self esteem
• The difficulty of language learning
• The jump between GCSE and A level
• Fear of a similar jump at university
• Lack of enjoyment
• Teaching methods (little oral, little contact
  with real speakers, too many photocopied
  work-sheets)
• Too much testing
• Too little use of IT and media

8
Positive attitudes towards languages
9
Survey of web site use

• To help us in our web design, if you visit web
  sites for recreation or information, (not just
  language ones), can you name a web site you like
  and say what it is you like about it?
• a) Web site name..
• b) What is the main thing you like about it?..
• Also two focus groups

10
Types of site nominated
engines
support
11
Design likes

• Lots of links
• But wanted to know what they would find by
  clicking
• Layout
• Simplicity and lack of clutter
• Colours and pictures
• Sensitive readers of these
• Eye-catching but not too in-your-face
• Colours not patronising (?)
• Cartoons vs photographs? Space ships and monsters?

12
Design - dislikes

• Lots of text off-putting focus groups
  unanimous
• It was not quantity but arrangement of text that
  mattered
• small blocks, clearly headlined,separated
• students wanted to scan, not read
• searching the web page

• Things that mess up your eyes
• backgrounds, blinking, flashing
• Annoying sounds, or music, that can not be turned
  off
• Having to download helper applications
• Flash and Acrobat Reader mentioned

13
Urban75
14
BBC
15
Bitesize revision site
16
Design for marketing

• How could we market languages through our design?
• Considered existing examples in media..
• .. but there were some contradictions with our
  survey findings
• How to avoid patronising design?
• Would our design align us with particular sites
  that students liked/disliked?
• Working within constraints (time, budget)

17
Marketing our content

• Combining unusual subjects but also music, sport,
  fashion
• Reflecting teachers interests, ideas
• Degree of freedom as these were not formal
  beginners courses
• Provided some interaction with content
• Gave students opportunity to have some success
  with simple language tasks
• Prioritising the examples of language chosen
  similar words, faux amis, unusual features,
  literal translations of expressions

18
ATLAS taster site - homepage
19
Russian taster homepage
20
Danish taster - homepage
21
Russian Alphabet exercise
22
Hot Potatoes for Danish
23
Hot Potatoes for Polish
24
Impact ? Quotes from feedback

• When asked what they had gained from exploring
  the site
• It has opened my eyes shown me that languages
  can be very valuable in the huge wide world.
• This is an eye-opening opportunity that I would
  be most interested in joining.
• The growing importance of languages in many
  sectors of employment and has encouraged me to
  continue with the study of languages.
• It was great finding out stuff about other
  countries. I think more sites like this should be
  created. It encourages young people to look
  further.

25
Recommendations for HE

• Target year 9 students when selling the wide
  range of careers with languages
• Contact school sector colleagues and help to
• Put enjoyment back into LL
• Do what you can to get school syllabuses changed
• Engender a sense of purpose beyond the mercenary
• Sell new languages and support schools where
  they are being taught
• Exploit the use of CALL

26
General marketing strategies

• Know your target audience well -
• their tastes, past experiences of, knowledge of
  and attitudes towards LL and how they read the
  web pages.
• Involve them in design
• Accentuate the positives the fly the nest
  dream
• Dont overstress theres a good job at the end
  of it.
• Make sure of effective dissemination
• Be optimistic!

27
Thanks to the following

• All the students who took part in the survey,used
  the site and gave useful feedback.
• The school language teachers who helped with the
  survey and gave us feedback on the web site.
• The UCL language teachers who developed the
  Taster courses. They are from the School of
  Slavonic and East European Studies, the
  Department of Scandinavian Studies and the
  Language Centre.

28
ATLAS - A Taste for Languages at School

• Partner Schools
• Ashcombe School, Surrey
• City and Islington College, London
• Cranford Community College, Hounslow
• Elliott School, London
• Haverstock School, London
• Haydon School, Pinner
• Parliament Hill School, London
• Weald of Kent Grammar School for Girls, Kent
• William Ellis School, London

• The ATLAS project is funded by
• The Nuffield Foundation
• CfBT Research Development
• UCL