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Transforming English language learning

in rural classrooms; OERs, mobile technologies and

scale.setting the scene:

OERs for ELT (COL)

an ELT case study from Bangladesh:

practice based learning and mobile phones

potential application:

thoughts from South Sudan

Tom Power, Director, English in Action (the Open University)Dr. Abdurrahman Umar, Specialist in Teacher Ed, Commonwealth of LearningClaire Hedges, Co-ordinator, English in Action (the Open University)

Collaboratively produced ‘OERs for ELT’(COL)

Case study -ELT in rural schools: improving teaching and learning, using mobile phones.(EIA)

Potential applicability: reflections on the situation in South Sudan.

In this environment rigid ‘chalk-and-talk’ teacher centred In this environment rigid ‘chalk-and-talk’ teacher centred

and teacher dominated pedagogy remains the norm.and teacher dominated pedagogy remains the norm.

““Such pedagogy places students in a passive role... Such pedagogy places students in a passive role...

...limits their activity in class to memorising facts and ...limits their activity in class to memorising facts and

reciting them back to teacher...”reciting them back to teacher...”

the educational landscapethe educational landscape

peer support through meetings and visits;wider project support

support beyond school

professional development materials for teachers and classroom use,new tools, HT & peer support

support in schoolnew

classroom

activitiesfor teachers &

students

Supporting changes in classroom practices

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Demonstration of ELT resources on the mobile phone

98% of teachers (primary & secondary) were confident to use the EIA technologies and materials for their professional development, and in their classroom practice.

“EIA is not like other projects. In other projects we go for training and after the training is finished everything is forgotten when we go back to the school”

Secondary teacher from Khulna

Indicator 1: Reach

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Impact 1Substantial increase in teachers’ spoken English

71% of all observed primary T talk now in English.

86% of all observed secondary teacher talk now in English.

Impact 2Substantial increase in students’ speaking, and speaking English

On average, over 1/3 of all observed lesson time now given to student talk.

Most (88%) observed student talk now in English, in both primary and secondary EIA classrooms.

Impact 3Substantial Increase in students’ participation in communicative practices

e.g. in typical primary lesson: there were 12 minutes student talk, of which there was: 5 minutes choral 3.5 minutes individual2 minutes group2 minutes pair

Based upon direct observations of 491 teachers’ classroom practice, triangulated with 152 T interviews; 900 student group interviews, and 1,693 secondary student questionnaires.

Indicator 2: Impacts on Practice

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Indicator 3: Impacts on English Language CompetencePrimary Students’ English Language

Competence

Based upon independent fieldwork by Trinity college assessors, carrying out diagnostic interviews with1,104 students and 96 Teachers.

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Indicator 3: Impacts on English Language CompetencePrimary Students’ English Language

Competence

Based upon independent fieldwork by Trinity college assessors, carrying out diagnostic interviews with1,104 students and 96 Teachers.

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practice based learning in

schools

peer-supported ODL

enhanced by MTech

high impact on practice

achieving large scale

bringing target language into the classroom

cost-effective

the EIA model for impact at scale

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SummaryCollaboratively produced ‘OERs for ELT’(COL)

• introduce new practices• share expertise / maximise capacity• voice and participation

ELT in rural schools: improving teaching and learning, using mobile phones.(EIA)

• practice based• peer-supported ODL• leveraging the power of the mobile phone

Potential applicability: reflections on the situation in South Sudan.

• scale?• distance and isolation?• quality? • impact?• cost?

Tom Power, Director, English in Actionthe Open Universityt.j.m.p.power@open.ac.uk