Incorporating a Language Learning Platform to Promote Independent Study: The case of Spanish at UWI St. Augustine [PowerPoint presentation]

Abstract

The rapid growth and increasing access to the Internet have become key elements in the teaching and learning processes in different disciplines. Foreign language (FL) learners and teachers have benefited from the multimodal contents available online. Several blogs, wikis, webquests, videos, among others, provide authentic and didactic materials for FL learning. The variety of options is wide and varies from free content to structured language courses for which users have the option to pay. In 2011, the Centre for Language Learning (CLL) at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus purchased a learning management system (LMS) that sought to promote independent study among FL learners. The LMS was developed in Europe and provides structured lessons for different language skills and different levels. This LMS was piloted with non-specialist Spanish learners at the CLL and with specialist students of the Spanish degree programme. This paper reports on the initial analysis of incorporating this ready-to-use platform from the perspective of the learners. The focus is on evaluating the perceived value of the experience as expressed by the students. Different data collection strategies, both qualitative and quantitative, were used for this case study