Online tools for language support

1. Online tools for language support HEA Seminar 23 June 2011 Rissa de la Paz Student Services

2. Topics • Role of Student Services in developing practical tools for language support • Resources for key audiences • tutors • potential and existing students • Next steps

3. Student Services Main online portals for students and tutors Information, advice and guidance Study support (outside modules)

4. Addressing key audiences • Each audience has its own portal through which it can access a bespoke website and resources.

5. Tutor site: issues • Build confidence in responding to language needs • Develop language skills alongside subject-specific ones • Move from a deficit model to developmental one • Accommodate differing tutor priorities

6. Tutor-facing site • Pooled expertise from Open ELT plus tutors in nations and regions

7. OU Language strategy • Link between language and learning • Initiatives in developing language across the curriculum • Modules with integrated language support

8. MASUS Considers academic writing in four distinct areas: Use of source material Structure and development of text Academic writing style Grammar, spelling & punctuation A framework for academic writing

9. MASUS checklist

10. Online resources • Resources grouped under 4 main areas of MASUS • Divided into topic areas for easy reference • Flagged for students/tutors and for language level

11. Tutors reflect with a language specialist on how they give feedback to students Examples include Technology short answers and a Social science essay Insights on feedback

12. MASUS: the payoff • Framework for main areas of successful academic writing • Aide-memoire for issues to focus on as a priority • Draws attention to structuring and developing text • Enables feedback to be targeted at specific areas of strength and of developmental need • Ongoing dialogue with students

13. Enquirer site: issues • Harness power of student stories • Assess English language level and provide appropriate guidance • Address academic and cultural issues • Approach not remedial but developmental

14. Enquirer site

15. Video stories • Video stories cover cultural and academic issues • Incorporated as part of reflective activities to add value

16. Video stories • What users valued : • authentic tone • diversity of cultural perspectives • students’ feelings resonated with their own • students’ views prompted self reflection • ‘It is very good to get feedback from other people who are actually studying.’ • ‘People are sometimes scared of challenges because they are afraid to fail. It helps a lot because you see it is possible to do it.’

17. How good is your English? • Assess your level of English ability in four main skills • Rate yourself against recognised checklist based on the Common European Framework • Score places you into one of three categories • basic user (levels A1 or A2) • fairly confident user (levels B1 or B2) • very fluent user (levels C1 and C2)

18. How good is your English?

19. How good is your English?

20. How good is your English?

21. Language levels • For Level 1 OU modules : a minimum of B1 for reading and writing and B2 for listening and speaking

22. How good is your English? • The majority of users found the statements easy to understand. • A third of users found the statements only fairly easy. • ‘If you don’t understand the sentence, it’s not your level.’ • Results clear and feedback helpful • Scores matched their expectations • Easy to overrate yourself • ‘You need to be honest with yourself’ • ‘You would need to do a test to be sure.’

23. Next steps