CALL ASSIGNMENT 1: WEBSITE/MOOC EVALUATION

CALL ASSIGNMENT 1: WEBSITE/MOOC EVALUATION 

1. What does the website attempt to “teach”? Are exercises included in the website? What are the types of exercise included? Are there immediate feedback? Are there different levels of difficulty for different proficiency level?

This website can be assessed by typing https://au.ixl.com/ in your search engine and taraaa the website will appear. IXL is Australia based learning site that follows the country’s national curriculum but it somehow can be used as a practice site for both Mathematics and English. This site is not solemnly for the students but also teachers and parents. The features available such as the performance report on each student have made it easier for teachers and parents to keep an eye on the students’ performance. This site can be accessed as a guest mode or if you wish to have full accessed of its’ game based features and more you can always purchase the membership. If you wish to check whether this site is suitable with the students or not, you can sign up for the free trial version first. 

There are thousands of exercises that have been included on the site varying according to age and proficiency level. The exercises are categorized from preschool level up to year 12. Some of the exercises for the older students are also suitable for early year college students. Each age level is provided with exercises on different topics and subtopics which have been categorized systematically. 

Immediate feedbacks are given on every question answered. Praises are given as tangible rewards to students with every correct answer and the praises are different with every question. If the answer is incorrect, a very detailed explanation will be given as to explain why the answer is wrong and what answer should be the correct one. 

2. What are the learners/visitors required to do with regards to learning the content of the website? 

If you already have access to the membership, you may sign in as a member or you can continue as guest. But assess for guest is limited making being a member worth the price. Students can answer the exercises provided as they wish or as what their teacher asked them to do. While doing the exercises, student can collect awards and multiple hidden items which increase this site’s attraction. Each level will uncover different items and unlock different world. This will increase students’ motivation to complete more exercises to be able to complete the game. Gamification has been part of this site’s idea in teaching and learning making each lesson fun in its own way. 

3. Does the website present learners with something that cannot be done in a face-to-face classroom? If yes, how so? 

IXL allows students to have fun while practicing English and Maths. This site has integrated lessons and games making it fun to learn. Having many students in a class make it difficult for teachers to keep an eye on each students’ performance but by using this site, teachers can have performance record on each students generated for them. Students’ different proficiency level can also be attended to since teacher can assign different exercise to different students based on their ability without having to stop teaching and giving more focus than others. 

4. Can you pinpoint some theories of language learning and/or teaching underlying the application? 

This site deals with 12 Principles of Language Learning proposed by Brown (2007) where one of them is motivation. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation can be seen here. Intrinsically, students can be self-motivated to their own learning by engaging and making use of various practices available on the site. Extrinsically, students may find that the gamification concept that has been integrated into the site as a source of motivation to learn. They have to be able to complete exercises to be able to complete the quest and collects items hidden. This is also known as Expectancy Theories which is used to describe human motivation. It is divided into three separate motivational processes. 

a) Expectancy, which is how likely you believe your actions, will lead to a consequence. For example, if I work hard, I’ll score high on the leaderboard. 

b) Instrumentality, which is how likely you believe that consequence, will lead to a reward. For example, if I score high on the leaderboard, I’ll feel good about myself. 

c) Valence, which is the value you place on that reward. For example, feeling good about myself is very important. (http://neoacademic.com) 

5. An important criterion for evaluating a CALL program, task or activity is the potential for language learning. Does the website fulfill this criterion? If yes, how so? If no, why? 

Absolutely, yes. This site holds a potential for language learning to take place in an interesting and fun way. The practices provide vast choices of aspect of language learning opportunity. Other than content-wise potential in serving as learning site, the attempt to allow not only teachers but also the parents to have access on their child’s performance should be given a credit. Students can be self-directed and responsible for their own learning while having fun doing the exercises. Students and teachers are so happy with this site that so many positive testimonials received by the IXL. Parents are also happy to use this site in helping their child’s learn. 

6. Would you like to use the application yourself in your future work? Yes? Give reasons: No? Give reasons. 

Yes. I’d love to utilize this site and engage my students in a more fun way of learning. I have tried to use this site with a student whom I tutored before and he found this site to be an interesting site for him to do practices since he loves the gaming concept. His parents also found him spending more time doing the exercises just to complete his collection of hidden items. It makes as if the learning process happens naturally and spontaneously that the students themselves did not realize that they are actually learning.