Initiating change using Wiki for EAP writing in technologypoor Nigeria

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Initiating change using Wiki for EAP writing in
technology-poor Nigeria

• Peter A. Aborisade, FUT Akure, Nigeria

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Objective

• To support motivate fresh students to transit
  from teacher-fronted fixed classroom learning
  environment into cyberspace and student-centred,
  collaborative learning spaces

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Project

• Using the Wiki as collaborative learning tool in
  large classes
• to support stimulate learning
• Encourage students to make effective use of ICT
  in academic work
• Provide meaningful activities that foster
  autonomy and collaboration

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Context

• Large class situation 2000 100 150/class
  (Coleman, 1989)
• Setting inadequacies class, time-tabling, no. of
  teachers vis-à-vis students
• EAP necessity EST lack of motivation
• Low teacher student ICT access, ability but
  high interest
• FUTA provision Intranet, cybercafés, tickets

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FUTA Approach 3rd phase

• CLT process-product, problem-solution
  (Dudley-Evans, 1984 Hopkins, 1988 Bloor and St
  John,1988 Hyland and Hyland, 1992)
• Socio-cultural, constructivist learning in
  social context (Vygotsky, 1978)
• Technology as tool (Beatty, 2003 Dudeney
  Hockly, 2007)

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FUTA Approach

• What technology enables us, in process outcome
• Blended Learning F2F Wiki
• Learning in small groups out of class

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http//futagns.pbwiki.com
Federal University of Technology, Akure
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Outcomes

• Students are able to write term papers (academic
  genre) after investigation of issues
• Students use the computer and internet for
  academic purposes
• Students are able to raise research questions and
  investigate problems for a solution
• Students interact in L2

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Processes

• Teachers

• Students

• TD meetings ICT education
• Supervise group building
• Set up student group pages
• Upload student lists
• Facilitate team bonding

• Preparation for ICT learning skills
• Assignment of group roles
• Upload roles, emails on group pages
• Access tasks/activities, attach answers to pages

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Processes

• Teachers

• Students

• Put up aspects of term paper, outline on page
• Edit, add to group work
• Post comments on other groups pages
• Post reflective comments on front page

• Upload tasks/activities
• Monitor team work on group pages
• Post comments on activities
• Track and Assess group activities

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What worked

• ICT skills improved all round
• Learning more student centred classroom, for
  presentation of tasks/activities feedback in
  class
• More learner autonomy greater motivation,
  interest
• Team work fostered more L2 interaction

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Reflective comments (unedited) Start-term

• the site is fast but unable to locate the page to
  put in my group and tittle.
• firm and solid so easy to go through if your
  smart am getting through perfectly so u just calm
  down and follow the laid down rules.

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Reflective comments (unedited)mid-term

• the site is informative and educative........this
  is great.....ideas rules the world..
• I was able to log in today and the site has been
  very interesting. Its interactive nature is
  wonderful. I've never seen an interactive site
  like this. Thumbs to the managment crew

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Reflective comments (unedited) End-term

• A very demanding course, interesting and
  educative, though. This session's quite
  different. Got virtually all 100L students
  working real hard on the term paper. Its also an
  insight into writing reports and projects.
• Quite time-demanding but educative. Got all hands
  on deck. Kudos 2 the GNS 102 dept.for putting
  such a course in place. It exposes us to more of
  information sourcing ratherthan dubbing and
  booklifting.

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Reflective comments (unedited)End-term

• your efforts are really appreciated towards
  making this course an interesting one.It has
  helped in diverse wayssourcing for information,
  exchanging ideas, surfing the internet for vital
  information and working on time
• Thanks to futa and GNS lecturals for making us
  realise that we can think and how creative we
  are, i mean train us 4 the future

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Challenges

• Great expectations for all, from all!
• ICT infrastructure
• Inadequate learning technologists
• Pedagogy
• Technology vendors
• Assessment matters

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New Directions

• Blended Learning group university wide
• Moodle VLE university wide platform
  http//futa.edu.ng/FUTAel
• Learning to teach, learning to learn centre
• Seeking support for e-learning

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References

• Beatty, K. (2003) Teaching and Researching
  Computer-assisted Language Learning, Essex
  Pearson Education Ltd.
• Bloor, M. and St. John, M.J. (1988) Project
  writing The marriage of process and product. ELT
  Documents 129. Modern English Publications in
  association with the British Council.
• Coleman, H. (1989). Large Classes in Nigeria.
  ISBN 1 872351 05 0. Report No. 6.
• Dudeney, G. and N. Hockly (2007) How to teach
  English with Technology, Essex Pearson Education
  Ltd.
• Dudley-Evans, T. (1984) The Team-teaching of
  Writing Skills. In Williams, R. et al. (Eds.)
  Common Ground Shared Interests in ESP and
  Communication Studies, ELT Documents 117,
  Pergamon Press.
• Hopkins, A. (1988) Teaching academic writing on
  in-sessional language support courses. Bell at
  IATEFL. 11 20.
• Hyland, Ken and Hyland, Fiona (1992) Go for Gold
  Integrating Process and Product in ESP. English
  for Specific Purposes, Vol. 11, 225 242.
• Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society The
  development of higher psychological processes.
  Cambridge, MA Harvard University Press