GLOSSA

505248-2009-LLP-GR-KA2MP

GLOSSA-REP-WP02-2.7 EL (EN)

Methodology for e-learning language content development for advanced students

7/12/2010

Elaborated by:
Konstantinos Diamantis- Balaskas , Action Synergy On the basis of the national reports submitted by the partners of the GLOSSA project
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction................................ ............................... ............................... ............................... ........... 4 . . . . Interaction between the students and the tutor ................................ ............................... ...................5 . . Systems/Platforms/Web 2.0 Applications ................................ ............................... .............................9 . . Pedagogical Approaches ................................ ............................... ............................... ......................15 . . . Role of the tutor ................................ ............................... ............................... ............................... .. 18 . . . . Use of multimedia ................................ ............................... ............................... ...............................21 . . . Orchestration of collaborative activities ................................ ............................... ..............................25 . . Assessment and Evaluation ................................ ............................... ............................... ................. 28 . . . Organization of Language Learning Communities................................ ............................... ................ 31 . . Motivating advanced level students ................................ ............................... ............................... .... 34 . . . Ways to facilitate self study ................................ ............................... ............................... ................. 38 . . . Methods to support revising in self study ................................ ............................... ............................41 . . Needs of students with language based learning disabilities ................................ ...............................43 . Methods for the use of multimedia in self study ................................ ............................... ................. 47 . . Tools for the development of the 4 skills ................................ ............................... .............................48 . . Conclusion ................................ ............................... ............................... ............................... ........... 51 . . . .

INTRODUCTION
The present document is intended to be used as a practical guide for teachers and content developers aiming at producing online language learning courses for advanced level students of less spoken European languages. It has been produced in the framework of the project GLOSSA- Greek as a Vehicle for promoting linguistic diversity (505248-2009-LLP-GR-KA2MP) which is supported by the European Union s Lifelong Learning Program (Key Activity 2Languages). The objective of the document is not to present and analyze to the language teachers all the methods and tools available for online language learning. This is presented in the comparative study for the teaching methodologies for online language learning that has been produced by the project and is available in the project s website www.ellinikiglossa.eu . On the contrary, the aim of this document is to give brief, clear, practical and concise tips to the teachers and the content developers that will facilitate them to develop and organize with the best possible way their e-learning course. The thematic that will be presented in the framework of this document are the following: Interaction between the students and the tutor, Systems/ platforms/ web 2.0 applications for online foreign language courses, pedagogical approaches applied in Online Language Learning, role of the tutor (or the online facilitator), use of multimedia in Online Language Learning, orchestration of collaborative activities for online foreign language learning courses, organization of assessment and evaluation in Online Language Learning courses, organization of language learning communities, motivating advanced level students, ways to facilitate selfstudy, methods to support revising in self study, needs of students with language learning disabilities, methods for the use of multimedia in self study and tools for the development of the 4 skills. The methodology is based on extensive research that was made in all the partner countries that participate in the GLOSSA project (Greece, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Czech Republic, Hungary, UK) through desk research, case study analysis and field research. The research was realized using the Greek language as a case study, however, the present methodology is applicable for all the less used European language confirming thus the title of the project Greek as a vehicle for promoting linguistic diversity . The present methodology is also going to be used as a basis for the development of the elearning course of the project for the advanced level (C1 & C2) of the Greek language.

INTERACTION BETWEEN THE STUDENTS AND THE TUTOR

The first thing you should do when designing an online language learning course is to choose the methodology that you are going to use. On the basis of the interaction between the students and the tutor, there are 4 main methodologies that are usually used: 1) 100% distance learning with platforms that the students work on their own. 2) Distance learning by phone or skype (or another similar program) with a tutor individual courses group or

3) Online learning with support and feedback from the tutor tutored learning (open and interactive system). The students have access to all materials, they can download them, and study in their own speed. Also, they can consult with a tutor, or other students from the class through their own forum. 4) Blended e-learning that combines online exercises and face to face training sessions The first two methodologies are not suggested; the first because the role of the tutor is crucial for the success of all e-learning courses (for motivation and other reasons that will be explained in a following chapter) and the second because these are not really e-learning courses. For an elearning course, communication is an important aspect but the didactic material and the platform are also very important. The choice between the third and the fourth option depends on the way that the teacher wants to organize the course. If the course is going to be completely online (and include students from distant geographically places), the third option is going to be used. If the teacher will organize face-to-face courses as well, the fourth option will be preferred. Of course this will affect the content because in the third option the whole course has to be built online while in the fourth option only supportive materials have to be built online. The tips and advices that follow are going mostly relevant to the third option. Language courses which are not tutored are not motivating for the students For advanced students, the most difficult part in an e-learning course is motivation. For these students all the grammar issues are well known, and we can assume that their writing is acceptably correct. So the main target is to find a motivating thing which makes an advanced level student to continue its studies. This is also true for the less used languages where the possibility to find a competent user for corrections and practice are significantly less.

Different activities require different degrees of support from the tutor Of course all the activities are not the same. Writing, Speaking and Grammar require more support from the tutors while reading and listening require less.

Advise: The use of communication tools is a very important aspect for e-learning courses The communication tools should allow the communication: Between two students Between a group of students Between a student and the tutor Between a group of students and the tutor

Communication tools should be preferably internal (integrated into the learning environment) Examples of Communication Tools: Personal messages through instant messengers like ICQ or MSN, individual or group emails, blogs, discussion fora, discussion module in Moodle, chatting or calling on Skype, sending files through Skype

Tips for Communication The tutor should have a limited task, e.g. corrects students writing and posts it so that all students can access it and fellow students can comment on it as well this method is more effective than the tutor correcting each student s essay individually as they quite often make the same or similar mistakes. The tutors should have a specific sign which is shown in each part of the website, so when they comment on anything, it can be seen, that they are the official teachers. Students should be able to acquire information online from their fellow students, summarize it and post it while other students can access it and comment on it. Students should be able to communicate with one another with and without the presence of the tutor. This communication should not be limited to one-to-one communication but students should also be able to address a question to a larger audience and to have their question answered by one or more learners Tutors must consider their time management so that their students are not discouraged by long breaks or late responses.

Students should be able to talk freely between them also for things not directly related with the course (e.g. cultural issues), to exchange information, share photos experiences, talk, chat and comment. Interactive tools, blogs and links to wikis should be promoted. Of course all of that in the target language. Tutors should be able to have their own forum dedicated to teaching techniques. There, they could exchange ideas, materials and teaching information between them. The participation of native speakers to the forums should be promoted. The learners would be much more motivated in case they would have a native speaker answering their questions than in case they only had one teacher answering all the time. This is especially the case with the less spoken languages with which is not always easy to find a native speaker to communicate with.

The communication can be either synchronous or asynchronous. Sychronous: When the communication is done in real time (Skype conversations, online chatting, videoconferences) Asychronous: The people react to other people s comments with some delay, in stages, separated by time (forums, wikis, blogs etc.) A combination of these two methods is recommended when organizing an e-learning course.

Advantages of synchronous communication it is similar to a traditional class where students can ask and get the answer immediately, it contributes to the feeling of belonging to a virtual class, and it offers the possibility of a quick reaction.

Advantages of asynchronous communication students do not have to be online at the same time, the need for an immediate reaction which is stressful for many students is avoided, students have the opportunity to think about the content of the comments longer,

comments are easier to organize (folders, topics, history), there are certain deadlines as to by when the participants must post their comments and therefore participants can expect to find a solution in specified time, and students can use the resources without contributing constantly.

Summary For the advanced level and the less used European languages, the courses should have a tutor in order to keep the motivation of the students. Of course, different activities demand different degrees of support from the tutor. In the e-learning courses, the use of communication tools for the communication between the students and between the students and the tutor is very crucial. The communication could be synchronous or asynchronous. Both these methods have their advantages. The combination of these methods is suggested as the better option.

SYSTEMS/PLATFORMS/WEB 2.0 APPLICATIONS

The choice of the system/platform that you are going to use for your e-learning course is also a very important step. The choice of the platform greatly affects the content and the organization of the course. There are four major categories of platforms/applications that are used for online language learning: 1. Distance online learning platforms which have already content: They are very useful for the students of the widely spoken languages but they have no content for the less spoken languages 2. Complete E-Learning suites or platforms: They replicate a physical learning space such as a campus, a classroom, or a school. Offer the interface and the learning environment but not the content. The teacher uploads content and organizes the courses 3. Online material for supporting the face to face language courses: Websites with didactical material (audio, video, texts, grammar and vocabulary exercises) that can be used in the classroom. They are usually addressed to teachers and it contains websites with audio and video material, wikis, blogs, internal platforms of language schools and ipod programs for audio and video. These materials are very useful for the advanced level. 4. Web 2.0 Applications: A range of digital applications, enabling interaction, collaboration and sharing among users: blogging, podcasting, collaborative content (wikis), social networking (MySpace, Facebook), multimedia sharing (Flickr, YouTube), social tagging (De.li.cious, Linkedin). Examples of online platforms with content uploaded: ELLA (http://www.altissia.com), TELL ME MORE (http://www.tellmemore.com) Examples of Complete E-Learning Suites and Platforms: Moodle (http://moodle.org), Mahara (http://mahara.org), Ilias (http://www.ilias.de), ELGG (http://www.elgg.org). An extensive list of all such applications (open source) can be found online at: http://www.opensoucecms.com Examples of online material for supporting face-to-face courses: (http://www.realiaproject.org), New English File (www.oup.com/elt/englishfile) Examples of Web 2.0 Applications: Synchronous written communication (chat) Google Talk MSN messenger Skype Blogger Realia

Individual or group publication and idea

sharing Collaboration and project work

Wordpress Google calendar Google docs Wikispaces Doodle Blogs wikispaces De.li.ci.ous Scuttle LinkedIn

Co-authoring of written text Social bookmarking

Professional networking

RSS feeds (organization of dynamic content) Digital storytelling

Google reader Ourstory Toondoo YouTube Flickr SlideShare PageFlakes

Multimedia sharing

Synthesis of personal learning environments

For a fully featured e-learning course at advanced level, the best combination would be a mixture of the categories 2 or 4. These courses use an (open source or commercial) platform as a basis for the organization of the course and the administrative activities with additional web 2.0 applications which will help the interaction between the students and between the students and the tutor.

Use a complete e-learning suite as a basis and then add web 2.0 applications If you wish to try some of the principal already existing (open source) complete suites that are available in the Internet, you can be helped by the SWAT analysis we make below.

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Moodle platform's SWOT analysis Strengths - thematic - well organized - official educational materials - transparent - allows downloads - easy to use Opportunities - access to study materials online - allows to use multimedia (tutor's upload) - allows online examining Weaknesses - just for matriculated students of the university - limited access - no comments - no networking - no student uploads Threats - if online exam, students can cheat easier

Mahara system's SWOT analysis Strengths - international background - clean, nice website - allows uploads and downloads - free - networking - allows bloging Opportunities - can be interactive Weaknesses - unknown - few users - empty or difficult to use - no multimedia nor web 2.0 applications - needs software download - illogical structure - not user-friendly Threats - hard to use- getting boring - no motivation - not a lively site rather a one-way learning system, even allows uploads

ILIAS platforms' SWOT analysis Strengths - well known Weaknesses - weak server background

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- clean structure - allows downloads - can integrate with other systems - networking - web 2.0 applications - co-working Opportunities - forums - blogs - convertible contents - co-working - self-examination - practicing and tests

- software problems - many problems from the user side - needs software download and refreshing

Threats - by the downloads can get viruses

ELGG's SWOT analysis Strengths Weaknesses

- interactive - Relatively unkown - huge diversity of web 2.0 and multimedia uses (voting, chatting, pictures sharing, uploading, downloading, videos, quizzes, favorites, etc.) - has the materials concentrated into plug ins - many packages - has online classes - networking - allows downloading and uploading - professional background Opportunities - discussing - blogging - can be used for advanced language e-learning -Threats

Whatever system you choose for your online language learning class, have in mind the following tips that could help you evaluate the online platforms and organize your e-content.

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Web design and aesthetics As the web interface is completely different by nature to the printed page, certain rules must be followed in order for a text to be readable. The texts should not be too long, there is a need to have enough free space, the fonts and the contrast of the background should be reader friendly. Organization of content There has to be concise and consistent organization of content in headers, subheadings and hypertext, or even icons is a necessary element for web-based language learning courses / resources. Not too many categories and not excessive number of links between texts and phrases, which blurs the orientation of the user. Ease of navigation Navigation can be either linear, or non-linear. A thoughtful combination of both modes is necessary in an online language course interface, in order to cover different navigation styles and user needs. Use of graphics and animation There has to be a clear connection of the moving/static image to the content/learning objective, or the relation of the image and its framing text is not clear. A careful choice of images is considered necessary so to enrich or complement the content, and not only to represent the designer s aesthetic. A harmonic combination of font colors and webpage background has to be made in order not to tire the eyes of the visitor, and to allow for the information presented to be readable. Presence of advertisements The use of the ads may be a trap, as too many of them can distract users attention and make eventually leave the page. Information on the Tutor The user should be aware of the profile of the author, whose page he or she is viewing and using. Therefore interaction, (the ability to communicate with the author and receive a reply to comments or assistance with any requests), is an important issue. Content updates

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Internet users, accustomed to visiting pages with dynamic rather than static content, appreciate information about the dates the content was updated. Content tagging It is also important for the learner to use properly tagged content. Thus, the materials should be somewhat labeled , named or categorized (in time indication /colour indication or other way, etc)., to provide a sense of taxonomy and structure. Uniformity and consistence The pages should give considerable ease to the users to adapt the virtual environment according to their needs, while maintaining a constant uniformity across in all subpages. Browser compatibility Another recurrent issue was the compatibility of the pages in different browsers. An essential condition is the optimization of material, in order to avoid such phenomena. Studies have shown that the pages are delayed for more than 15 seconds to load, quickly make users lose interest and leave.

Summary Many different categories of platform are available. The most suitable method for the successful organization of an online language learning course for advanced students of less used European languages is the combination of a complete e-learning suite with additional web 2.0 applications. When designing the course there are certain issues that have to be taken into account such as: web design and aesthetics, organization of the content, ease of navigation, use of graphics and animation, presence of advertisements, information on the tutor, content updates, content tagging, uniformity and consistence, browser compatibility.

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PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES
There are two main pedagogical approaches that are used in online courses Traditional (top-down approaches): The approach is teacher-centred and text centred. It focuses on the curriculum, just like textbooks do, and it is always developed by a single teacher or a group of teachers (the so-called educating group). The study material of all courses are centrally composed, each step follows one, and be followed by another in order. It does not require huge student activity, the teacher stands in front of the class, and gives the lessons. However can contain collaborative tasks, and sometimes involves the students as well. The examination and target is an important part of this method. For language learning, it is based on the systematic learning of the grammar and syntax of the language and the relevant exercises. The competencies of oral speech (but also writing) are closely linked to the progress of the corresponding chapters of grammar and syntax. There is a greater emphasis on the translation dimension of the learning content and not on an interactive relation. Innovative (bottom-up approaches): Communicative and student-centered, they allow the students to interact with peers and give them space to express themselves, to find their personal path towards the learning process. The innovative approach is divided in many sub-categories Communicative Method: Is based on the theory that students can learn a foreign language best if they are involved in natural, meaningful and real communication. Social-Constructivist Approach: Use of communication tools online: discussion fora, blogs, wikis and on-line collaborative activities. It is a collaborative approach which opens educational content creation to a wider group, thus allowing students to actively participate and influence the content of the course themselves. Emotional Approach: Focuses on the emotional aspects of learning, like motivation, engagement of students and having fun in lessons. Contextual Approach: Interaction with other students, collaborative discovery tasks and the importance of peer pressure as well as support. On the basis of this innovative method, there are various learning techniques which can be used with good learning results. The choice for the use of one or more of these approaches is depending on the personal choices of each tutor. These learning techniques are the following:

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Case-based learning: Students learn through real situations, phenomena, events, etc. Inquiry-based learning: The tutor stands as a facilitator in front of the group. S/he faces a problem, or a question, and then the students will start the seeking for the solutions to the problem. Project-based learning: Creation of meaningful artifacts or products that others can see, critique, and perhaps use. Assign project for students to create, e.g. write a journal on an historical event, create a web site to promote a health product or develop a video on social harmony. Problem-based learning starts with the idea, that the learner has a problem, or query which s/he wills to solve. Nothing else is given to the students, just the fact of the problem. All other necessary infos should be found by them. Game-based learning: Learning through the organization of games.

None of these theories can function properly on their own in online language courses. The ideal solution is the combination of various traditional and innovative methods and approaches in order to be able to benefit from the advantages of all of them. The traditional methodology should be the basis for the curriculum. However, innovative methodologies bring a lot of added value to the course. Students may be different kinds of learners (visual, audio, verbal, etc.) and therefore different students prefer different teaching styles, but also because students knowledge and skills can differ.

The combination of traditional and innovative methodologies should be applied in the design and development of e-learning courses. Traditional methodology should be the basis for the curriculum and supplemented by innovative methodologies for the organization of different activities.

The combination has to be made carefully and take into consideration the time available and the needs of the students. Another issue that is very important in the pedagogical approaches to be applied in the design and the development of an e-learning course has to do with the content. Advanced students of less used European languages are not usually studying for professional reasons but because

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they like the language and the culture in the country in which the language is spoken. Therefore, a special focus should be given to the arts. Advanced students should be encouraged to enjoy reading their favorite poets, writers, theatrical writers from the original, listen to songs etc. They should also be encouraged to have direct access to the target language (without the intermediation of translation) and therefore for the advanced courses, the source language should be the same with the target language.

For the less spoken languages, a special attention should be given to the arts and culture. For advanced learners the source language should be the same with the target language.

Summary The pedagogical approaches can be either traditional or innovative. The traditional approaches are teacher centred and text centred while the innovative approaches are bottom-up and focus at the involvement of the students in the learning process. The combination of these two approaches could lead to the best results. Regarding the less spoken European language, the pedagogical approach that has to be followed for the content should focus on arts and culture.

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ROLE OF THE TUTOR

At the beginning of the methodology we have stated that the tutor is a very important figure in the online language courses. Students need a person who they can turn to for help and advice that could guide them in the learning process. The ideal online tutor is described to behave as follows: posting regularly, responding in a timely manner and modeling good online communication and interaction . The role of the ideal tutor in an online language learning course should be the following: giving feedback Tutors correct students writing and speaking. The feedback should be a quite specific and targeted response, either in the form of a phone (Skype) conversation or as personalized written comments and suggestions for students. providing evaluation Tutors evaluate their students results and progress in various areas of language. With evaluation, immediate reactions are crucial. If students have to wait too long for a reply/comment, this might have a rather demotivating effect. sustaining motivation and interest The role of the tutor is very important for learners motivation and interest. If the relationship between students and tutor is a productive and trusting one, students are much less likely to drop out of courses. The tutor should support the students and promote their systematic, continuous and regular work. It is also the person that gets the students in contact between them and that encourages them to express themselves and interact. providing students with guidance and help Tutors help students choose and provide suitable materials and they also provide them with the so-called wrap-around supplementary materials for study. They can recommend the use and choice of films, music and literature. They can offer their students optional help (with certain tasks) and study tips. They can correct the work and the posts of the students in the blog or wiki edition. They communicate with the students in written and also in spoken form, by using Skype/MSN, the chat, the forums, and commenting on the members' blogs, pictures, etc. administrating the course Tutors are also responsible for administration of courses online and the organization of the work that has to be done . They also organize (where applicable) tests and examinations with

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deadlines and exact dates. The LMS (Learning Management System) application can be used for this in online courses. presiding over discussions in fora Discussions in fora are important for students motivation and cooperation. Usually the tutor sets the subjects for such discussions and corrects grammar and spelling mistakes. organizing virtual classroom sessions In the virtual classroom system, the tutor s role is similar to that of a live teacher. The tutor leads the lesson and sets the topic, the approach and the speed. During the lessons, the tutor tests the students, evaluates them, asks and answers questions and sets individual or team tasks for them. In any form of synchronous communication (either through skype or through a virtual classroom system), the tutor is the person responsible to give appointments for face to face or skype meetings with the learners community. negotiating the self-study programme of each of the students In an e-learning class (such as in a face-to-face class) the needs of all the students are not the same. However, e-learning provides more opportunities for personalization. In some cases, the students negotiate with the tutor their own self-study program. Many dimensions are included to that: (1) individual objectives and learning needs; (2) materials and resources to use; (3) methodological approach to follow, chiefly, activation of appropriate teaching-and-learning strategies; (4) timing of personal work; and (5) self-assessment of work undertaken updating the learning content In order to keep the content interesting and updated, tutors should also cater for constant content updates (uploading of powerpoint presentations, share up to date links etc.). For all the above mentioned facts, the frequent presence of the tutor is very important for sustaining the students motivation. Late replies can have a demotivating effect.

Frequent presence is a prerequisite for establishing a good learning ambience. An important constraint that many language teachers have is a certain degree of technophobia. This is why it is very important to have frequent support from the technical department and the technical staff that is responsible for the technical administration of the platform. Tutors should receive help from the technical stuff for their everyday work

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The most important quality that an online tutor should have is to like and enjoy his/her role as an online tutor.

Summary The role of an online tutor is very important for the success of the course. In an ideal situation the online tutor should give feedback, provide evaluation, sustain motivation, provide students with guidance and help, administer the course, preside over discussions in fora, organize virtual classroom sessions, negotiate the self-study programme of each of the students and update the learning content. The tutor should be frequently present in the platform and be constantly supported by the technical department. Above all, s/he must enjoy his/her role.

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USE OF MULTIMEDIA
Multimedia tools and applications have that big advantage, which is shown by the name itself, that they combine two or more content types such as video, voice, image, animation, text and interactivity. There are many examples of multimedia that can be used in an online language learning session. The most important of them are presented in the table below: Writing - blog - chat - forum - Wiki editing - commenting - games (f.ex.: crossword) Reading - e-books - multimedia encyclopedia - online vocabulary - interactive maps (map links when teaching realia) and pictures - RSS - videos, films with subtitles - online library - links (to magazines, newspapers, program magazines, etc.) - Story writing exercises - interactive games Speaking - podcasting (own, or owned by the group) - Skype/MSN - online gaming (also with consoles) - loud word tool (if click on the word in the vocabulary, it says the correct pronunciation)

Listening - online radios - podcasting - short videos/ films - Skype/MSN - loud books - Youtube - songs, mp3-s, music video clips - videos prepared by the tutors (can be also on grammar) - Audio texts - Picture dictionaries with animations (movement and sound),

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Here, is a small analysis of most of the tools presented in the table above: - Blogs: improve the owner's writing, and the visitors' reading skills. Can be started by each member. Enable to comment on the blogs, and to attach pictures and documents as well. The owner of the blog can ask for correction from the tutors, or can select one exact tutor to correct the blog. - Chat and forum: great for the writing and reading skills, builds social network better. Corrected by the tutors. - Wiki or folder editing: improving co-working and communication skills, exchange of experiences - Commenting: makes the whole system more friendly, improves writing skills - Games: self-studying - E-books, online newspapers, magazines, library: good in self-study progress, improves reading skills. Tool to open up a forum below an e-book, or newspaper article. - RSS: many news in one place, we suggest to give free log in to RSS-s for the e-learning course - Online videos in the target language, or with subtitles: for listening and reading skills - Online radios, podcasts, Youtube, songs, mp3-s: such as entertaining and for listening skills. Learning the songs could be good for speaking as well. - Official videos from tutors: videos recorded by official tutors speaking, as in a real classroom. A way to summarize grammar knowledge, which can be also found in a written form on the website. - Skype/MSN: communication, networking, conferences, speaking and listening skills. - Loud word tool: the words with link (advanced level words, specializes words) could be listened in the vocabulary, or in the multimedia encyclopedia.

Online systems should also offer web links to online dictionaries, dictionaries with audio materials and picture dictionaries, audio texts for listening, web links to films concerning lessons topics, songs, etc.

From all these tools audio, video and music are considered the most necessary. For advanced level, authentic items of these tools should be presented.

Gaming solutions, when applicable, are highly appreciated because adults like also to play

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Of course, the use of multimedia in a great extent has as a prerequisite some technical requirements. If internet connection is slow, big files would not load and the students will be demotivated. Fast internet connection should be in place in order to benefit the most from the multimedia Below, you can find some useful principles that will help you to incorporate multimedia into your learning content in the best possible way. The principles have been taken from Clark and Mayer (2002, cited in Mandernach, 2009).

Multimedia principle Relevant, instructional graphics to supplement written text should be incorporated to improve learning through the dual coding of verbal and visual information. Contiguity principle Place graphics and text close together so that limited working memory is reserved for learning content rather than coordinating various visual components. Modality principle Include audio to explain graphics as audio enhances learning more than text by expanding cognitive resources to simultaneously tap both visual and phonetic memory. Redundancy principle Supplement graphics with audio alone rather than audio and redundant text to reduce cognitive overload. Coherence principle Avoid using visuals, text, and sounds that are not essential to instruction as unnecessary information impedes learning by interfering with the integration of information. Personalization principle Use a conversational tone and/or a personalized learning agent to enhance learning via social conventions to listen and respond meaningfully.

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Summary Multimedia applications are very important to be included in an online language learning content because they increase the attractiveness of the course and give the opportunity for learning to students with different learning styles. A great variety of multimedia items exist for the practice of each one of the 4 key competencies with the most important being audio, video and music. Gaming is also very important to be included where relevant in the course. A prerequisite for the effective use of the multimedia items is fast internet connection.

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ORCHESTRATION OF COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES

In narrow sense, the collaborative activities mean that students from the same online course work together on a task. In the group everybody has a part in the exercise and they are discussing on the subject, help each other, check each other's work. At the end the whole group presents the ready task. The process in the orchestration of the collaborative activities is almost the same and can be described as follows: the tutor names the group, the members and the task. The members make their job in a stated period, then the tutor evaluates. The most important ways to organize collaborate activities are the following: Wiki editing as a web-quest: The students search and use primary target language web sites, understand them and collect new infos from them. Presentation: It is very similar to edit a Wiki page, but the preparation is not in online mode, however the ready work can be uploaded. In a presentation it is easier to paste in pictures, diagrams, charts, etc. There are some innovative programs available online, like Prezi which is a fun and interesting way of making a presentation. Quizzes: Those quizzes, which are based on co-gaming can be really helpful in the improvement of the students. They can collect points, there can be rankings, challenges. Competition is always a great motivation. They can play these games in synchronous time, or asynchronous time as well. Social networking: In a well organized and working community the members are commenting, discussing a lot and continuously. By facing new topics (for example: a picture uploaded by a member starts a conversation on architecture) all the students can take part of the learning process, searching for new infos on the topic, sharing it and again, commenting. Conference web-talks: In a pre-established time members can communicate orally through a program like Skype/MSN. It is a great exercise for the speaking and listening skills, and also a good social network building opportunity. It can be organized from two participants. Practically an online teacher is required, to make it helpful for the student's improvement. News: members (tutors and students too) can share news on the website, and discuss that topic. For example the opening up of the New Acropolis Museum in Athens. Also economical, cultural infos. Everyday topics, which are interesting to everybody.

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The role of the tutor in the evaluation of the work that has been done is very important. It can happen through the forum of the platform or through personal e-mails. It is important that the collaborative activities that are organized to be related with an interesting subject (cultural, social etc.) in order to be more attractive and to motivate the students to participate actively. When possible it is also suggested to include native speakers which could contribute to a discussion, raise new subjects, help in problem solving activities and say their opinion in different social subjects.

Collaborative activities should be associated with interesting social or cultural subjects.

Include, when possible, native speakers in the collaborative activities A SWAT analysis of the collaborative activities is presented below: SWOT analysis on collaborative activities Strengths - fun - innovative - strengthens social senses - use of the target language - communication improvement - diversity - involves members - stimulate activeness - creative Opportunities Weaknesses - less active students will be skipped

Threats

- widen knowledge, not just on basic language - needs good mentors to keep it alive skills - needs good topics - challenges - needs active, open-minded members - tournaments - it can lead to acquisition of the wrong data

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- getting to know target language official and to the negative perception of the whole webpages, authentic sites process if the right coordination is missing - finding new interesting infos

Summary Collaborative activities are when the students collaborate between them for a common assignment in order to develop a common product. The main methods for organizing collaborative activities are: wiki editing as a web quest, presentation, quizzes, social networking, conference web-talks and news. The role of the tutor in the organization and evaluation of the collaboration activities is very important. The inclusion of native speakers could bring an added value to the activities when relevant.

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ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION

Assessment and evaluation of the student s learning outcomes can take various forms in online language learning and can be done in various stages of the learning process. The assessment and evaluation activities for online language learning are also divided into two main categories: traditional and evaluation. Traditional Methodologies Offline Assessment: The process in these courses is self-studying, in own-managed schedule, but in every semester, or period there are exams in an examination centre. Online Evaluation and Assessment: - Evaluation through written student deliverables (assignments, essays etc.). The student writes essays and the tutor evaluates them, and sends back the corrected copy (by e-mail or by LMS) - Evaluation through standardized tests (multiple choice, completive tasks, synonyms, anonyms, text understanding examiner questions, substitution, etc.) - Progress tests are used in order to check the students progress - Test at the end of the course Innovative Methodologies - Self Evaluation - Interactive quiz - Sychronous communication forms: For the evaluation of evaluating and speaking - Correction of posts in blogs and in forums: For the evaluation of the writing skills Regarding the traditional methodologies, the first approach (offline evaluation and assessment) is applicable only in certain cases (where the students are concentrated in one geographical area). Otherwise, assessment should be done online. The innovative methodologies of evaluation can be very effective. They are flexible, they are unstressful, they increase intrinsic motivation, they can be fun and can be done continuously. However, they have also disadvantages because the students can easily cheat and they cannot give serious diploma. Below, you can find a SWAT analysis of the innovative assessment methods.

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SWOT analysis on innovative assessment methods Strengths - for inner motivation - flexible - online - unstressful - self-managing (time, level, topics, mix of used applications, etc.) - comfortable - not that strict, can be fun as well - can be done continuously - doesn't need any further background (classroom, inflexible schedule, extra costs, etc.) Opportunities Weaknesses - students can easily cheat - cannot give serious diploma - some kind of web 2.0 test need more professional technical background (from the developer's side) - weak external motivation for exams

Threats

- self-control - students maybe won't take it seriously - in a good e-class students can examine each other

As we have mentioned also in previous sections, the best practice is to combine these two evaluation methods. In these cases, on the one hand the tutor assesses the overall student performance in the blogs, forums etc and there are automatically corrected questions while on the other hand s/he continues to give assignments, tests and projects to the student and evaluate his/her performance on that basis. On the one hand, in the advanced online language courses, innovative methodologies are very suitable because the users participate more because they want to improve their language learning skills and less because they want to achieve a certificate. The use of web 2.0 applications and a friendlier atmosphere should be part of the course, where the tutors reach back their traditional role as being a teacher, and by mentoring and directing the students that borderline will appear again between studentmember and teacher-member of the language learning community. However, on the other hand, the use of traditional methodologies continues to be a very effective way to evaluate certain types of skills.

The combination of the traditional and innovative assessment methodologies bring the best results.

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In self-learning, there should be tests with feedback at the end of each unit to test students knowledge. The tests must be quite varied and there should be many types and more options and variants so that self-learners do not feel bored or frustrated. Beyond the evaluation of the learning outcomes of the student, the evaluation of the course is also a very important part in the process of the design of online language learning courses.

Periodical evaluation of the platform and the learning process in general through evaluation questionnaires could be very useful for the improvement of the course.

Independently of the type of evaluation, it is important that every student that participates in a course gets a certificate

An important factor in the design of the online assessment activities is the collaboration between the teachers and the technicians

Summary Assessment and evaluation in the online language learning courses can be done either with the traditional methodology or with the innovative methodology. In the traditional methodology, the evaluation is done through assignments which result in written deliverables or through standardized tests. In the innovative methodology, assessment is done through the interaction, through the correction of posts in blogs and forums, through self-evaluation etc. The combination of traditional and innovative methodologies brings the best results. In selflearning, where tutor is not involved, the progress tests should be more often. The collaboration between teachers and technicians is an important part for the designing of good assessment activities but independently from the assessment method, all the students should get a certificate. Not only the student but also the course should be evaluated in order to be improved.

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ORGANIZATION OF LANGUAGE LEARNING COMMUNITIES

Language learning communities are groups of people (students, tutors and occasionally native speakers) that work together, usually through web 2.0 applications, to develop what aspects of a language they would like to learn. There are two ways to organize a language learning community. The first is through a top-down approach and the second is through a bottom-up approach. The comparison of these methods is presented in the table below. Formal (top-down) - official tutoring and moderating - high structured - modelled - commonality, conformity - realty representation - teaching in focus - objectivism - concrete - linear - no individual differences, uniformity - low user/student activity - teacher-proof - didactic/ authoritarian role of the teacher - extrinsic motivation - standardisation - centralized control - autocratic decision making - one-way communication - compartmentalize - target driven (exam, degree) - rote-learning - content based, broken down into subjects - assessment - concise sentences - text and theory preference - conservative - closed system - good for traditional education/schools Informal (bottom-up) - individual minds - social interactions - products of culture - creating symbols - imaginative - sensory experiences - behaviorial psychology - constructivism - abstract - low structure - self made portfolio - multi-faceted - co-operative learning - cultural sensitivity - high user/student activity - flexible, easily modifiable - role of the teacher is facilitative - intrinsic motivation - customization - autonomy with accountability - shared decision making - diversity - networking - holism - abilities, thinking process - affect assessed - cognitive approach - how to learn? - what the learner becomes and understands

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- web 2.0, interactive facilities, practice preference - learning relevant and connected to real life situations

As always, even if at first sight the informal organization seems more effective for advanced level online students, the ideal solution is found at the mixture of the two systems.

It is recommended to have as a starting point the bottom-up form, and to integrate it with some trait of the formal organization type. Setting up a language learning community, poses many challenges. Some of the main challenges (as described by Anderson (2009)) are the following: Privacy: how this can be ensured, in order to provide a safe environment both for teachers and for learners. Different solutions have been implemented until now for this issue. Some communities require a registration for all the participants, some are accessible without any registration and in some communities you can access other people s materials but you need to register if you want to post something yourself or if you want to comment on something. Control: this is related to the new role assigned to the teacher, that of facilitating, rather than controlling the learning process. Institutional Support: any e-learning or blended learning solution aiming at community building with social networking tools should have full institutional support, an issue not always easy to negotiate, due to organizational barriers. Sustaining motivation and commitment: the absence of physical presence (or part of it) is a frustrating factor for the learner, which should be addressed by constant and lively online tutor presence. Tutors should create the environment of a virtual classroom, promote communication among students and encourage them to discuss problems and to help one another. Tutors should also develop a system of praising students for their effort and work. Dealing with disruptive change: any change in traditional learning rotes brings to surface a great deal of anxiety, both for educators and for the learners themselves, an issue requiring special training to be dealt with. The synthesis of the language learning groups is also a very important issue and affects in a great extent the effectiveness of the activities of the group.

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Language learning groups should have members with similar characteristics (similar age, similar learning objectives, similar interests and similar language level). The participation of a native speaker, when possible, is also suggested. A final issue related with the organization of online language learning course is the issue that also in informal communities there is always the threat some people to work more and some people to work less.

In each language learning group, even informal, it is important to have a coordinator (student or tutor) that will divide the tasks and will assure that everyone is working the same.

Summary Language learning groups are groups of people working together towards a common learning objective. They can be organized in a top-down form (formal) or a bottom-up form (informal).The mixture of the two methods is the ideal solution for organizing a language learning group. The organization of a language learning group presents some challenges such as privacy, control, institutional support, sustaining motivation and commitment, dealing with disruptive change. The language learning groups, in principle, should have similar characteristics and it is important that they have a coordinator that assures that everyone is working the same.

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MOTIVATING ADVANCED LEVEL STUDENTS

The motivation of the students is a very important part of the organization of online language courses since in the virtual classroom student engagement becomes imperative. [ ] Not only are online students navigating the typical learning challenges of the academic content, but they are learning in a physically isolated environment that is often void of the entertainment and social aspects of the traditional classroom (Mandernach, 2009, p. 4). Three are the most important motivational factors in relation to online language learning: Pedagogical intentionality, i.e., including course components with diligent attention to their educational impact, alignment with learning goals, relevance to assessments, etc., while also balancing increasing demands to integrate multimedia as a best practice for effective online learning (Mandernach, 2006) Social presence, the projection of real personalities interacting in a virtual setting (Richardson & Swan, 2003) Teaching presence, the frequent appearance of the tutor, his/her prompt response to learners needs and the specific strategies employed to foster dialogue, interaction and cognitive progress (Garrison et al, 2001)

Regarding the first factor (pedagogical intentionality), the key to the motivation for most students is the interesting and appropriate content, as they would be very interested to enter the platform and study if it contains varied and challenging topics. The diversity of the sources could also motivate the students, for example they would be thrilled by a combination of video, audio and text on the same topic, as this would allow them to have a global view of the use of language in a specific thematic. With advanced students, their knowledge of language is to a great extent being consolidated, practiced and perfected rather than enriched, that is why the way of learning must be interesting and motivating.

The materials of the course should be attractive. The topics of the texts should be interesting and up-to-date and they should concentrate on authentic everyday language use. Appealing and challenging audio and video activities should be a matter of course. Multimedia should be used as frequently as possible; their use is essential for students motivation.

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Learning online should be fun: The material can include quizzes and possibly also some Greek recipes. Extra materials and links to online cultural materials should also be offered, such as links to external websites for films, series, TV shows, music or comments on specificities of the culture of the target language country. A lot of communication tools and interactivity works well; thus, students can exchange ideas with people they could not easily meet in person In live discussions, discussion tasks need to be very clearly and specifically set, because vague topics could themselves be rather demotivating.

Authentic cultural materials, directly linked to related exercises, both for reading and listening comprehension. Regarding the second factor (social presence), using and offering all types of social applications ensures to the members, that they will find what is close to their interest. For example somebody likes watching pictures, and will check everybody's new photos, and commenting all of them. While somebody will use, the videos, and songs to study more, maybe somebody else will prefer just the blog part, etc. The freedom of doing their own e-portfolio makes them active.

Provide to the students a great variety of choices and let them decide what suits best their needs Also, social networking makes the students to feel part of a community brought together by the fact that they all know the same language and enforces the social contacts, fact which increases the motivation because the student is eager to find and communicate with people from all over the world that have the same interests with him/her. Another part of social presence is the active involvement of students in different activities, e.g. evaluating their fellow students work, choice of materials (e.g. topical articles, interesting news), etc. Motivation can also be maintained by getting students involved into various competitive tasks, e.g. short story writing competitions.

Promote the active involvement of students to different activities (evaluation of other students work etc. and involve them into various competitive tasks)

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Make the students interact through the blog on social aspects Finally, regarding the third factor Teaching Presence , frequent feedback and direct communication with the tutor is considered as critical for their progress. In cases where the tutor is not responding actively to their demands, students lose their motivation and are not interested to continue the course anymore. Even in the collaborative activities, the tutor should intervene often and give ideas, identify subjects and guide the students with his/her knowledge and experience. Tutors should provide frequent feedback and direct communication with the students Another motivational factor that is not included in the categories above is the design of the homepage of the course. Home pages should contain the author s editorial which should hold students interest. Home page is where the information about the form, the content and the aims of the course (what exactly will the students of the course have mastered at the end of it) should be found. The primary target group of students may be specified here as well as the curriculum and some advice on how to use the materials presented in the course. Students must be able to find their way around the course easily it is a good idea to show the map of the website. It would be a good idea to include a personal message to students which will motivate them. A good online language platform should also contain everything in one place. The students, members can have access to every kind of applications with just one registration. The Home Page of the course should be user friendly, informative and create a pleasant and friendly atmosphere. It should also contain everything in one place. The appearance of online courses is very significant as well, as it can increase students motivation. It should look attractive. Graphic layout and design should be focused on as well as a well-arranged system of headlines. The pages should be colourful; special attention should be devoted to the choice of pleasant colours. There should be a lot of pictures and photographs. Online learning should be entertaining as well. This can be achieved for example through using quizzes and interactive games. Also the course would be a lot more appealing for students if it contained cartoons, pictures, photographs, maps and jokes as well as some awards and points collecting options. The appearance of the online course should look attractive.

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Summary There are three main ways in order to increase the motivation of the advanced level students: pedagogical intentionality (interesting and appropriate content, attractive, use of authentic language and cultural information), social presence (provide great variety of choices from web 2.0 applications, promote active involvement to different activities and teaching presence (the tutor should provide frequent feedback). Another motivational factor that is not included in the categories above is the attractiveness of the homepage and the course.

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WAYS TO FACILITATE SELF STUDY

There are two mainly self-study methods related to language learning. Cognitive learner strategies: Cognitive learner strategies deal directly with the second language. Examples are memorization or repetition of vocabulary. Metacognitive learner strategies: In contrast to the cognitive learner strategies, metacognitive learner strategies do not deal with the language itself, but with the regulation of the learning process. This includes planning, self-monitoring, and evaluation of the learning.

Cognitive learning strategies should promote all the main language skills with ways that can motivate the student. Below there are some tips on how to maximize the effectiveness of the cognitive learner strategies:

Grammar for self-study should be contextualised. There should be context-based grammar presentations in the target language which are followed by both controlled and freer practice exercises of the presented grammar points. Input should be followed by plain exercises such as gapfils, mistakes correction, choosing the correct form, multiple choice exercises, reformulation, matching and word order testing. Grammar should then be used in communicative activities..

Vocabulary should also be presented in context and vocabulary sections should preferably be topic-based. While studying vocabulary, dictionaries and glossaries should be used. Vocabulary sections could include pictures (this is more applicable for lower levels, but not exclusively) and/or definitions of new vocabulary items in target language. Vocabulary sections should also offer pronunciation of new vocabulary items (preferably not only phonetic transcription but also audio recordings). For advanced students, information on register should be also included, together with special exercises on idioms and collocations.

Reading skills can be developed through reading articles and texts with comprehension check activities (general and specific comprehension questions, true/false, multiple choice questions, mistakes correction, missing paragraphs, putting sections of text into correct order, etc.).

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Listening skills development happens through listening activities with comprehension check (general and specific comprehension questions, true/false, multiple choice questions, mistakes correction, missing information, numbering pieces of information as they are heard, etc.). Tapescripts should always be available for students to check, even though they should not be accessible before the first listening.

Writing skills should be developed by the means of writing tasks which students have to do and send to their tutor by a certain date. Likewise, speaking skills development and pronunciation correction is done by and with the help of the tutor. With higher level students, writing should be preferably evaluated by a native speaker. Regarding the metacognitive learner strategies, some students find it difficult to organise their schedule in order to have time for the online learning. Even if they note down in their agenda what they need to study and revise, they would forget it easily.

With self-study, it is helpful to develop and design a very precise schedule of the course and to provide some tips for the students on how to organize the content of the course and how to organize their time and the tasks ahead and input energy.

Students should be motivated to study a minimum of time every day. Regarding the evaluation activities, it is necessary to set an entrance test at the beginning of every course for the students to find out whether this is the right level for them to start at and to have periodic evaluation activities that will help the student to assess his/her progress.

At the end of each unit there should be a progress test for the students to check their progress, at the end of each module there should be a test which the students need to pass in order to move on to the higher one and at the end of the course there should be a final test. In order to facilitate more the students, it would be a nice idea to have a section in the course s homepage, where the students can draw, make charts and figures. In this way, they will be able

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to create timetables, vocabularies for themselves, mind-maps, presentations or even memoryperches to ease their study process. The other path in learning is when collaborating with others. It is a double-edged method. Can turn out really good, because when in a good group, the students can work together well, the members can give inspiration to each other and can motivate one another. From the other side, collaborative activities can turn as a lazy time-spending extra action.

The teacher should constantly encourage the students to monitor their learning and check its progress.

Summary There are two main types of self study strategies: cognitive strategies and metacognitive strategies. The first one refer to the strategies that can help the students to assimilate what s/he has learned and practice its Grammar, listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. The second type of strategy refers to the methods that could be used in order to facilitate the organization, planning, self evaluation and monitoring of the process.

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METHODS TO SUPPORT REVISING IN SELF STUDY

Students should of course revise as often as possible. However, it is important to use methods that will improve their motivation. There should be special revision exercises/lessons/units to test students knowledge and progress, to ensure that students will not move on to the next lessons without actually mastering the content of the previous ones. These should be tests with immediate answer check (immediate evaluation and immediate feedback) which enable students to further focus on their own problematic areas. Almost every kind of online tests can be used successfully in self-revising. For listening and understanding revising, one of the best practices is to listen to an audio material, and answer to questions after. For listening and understanding revising, one of the best practices is to listen to an audio material, and answer to questions after. In this task, the program which accepts only the correct answer is satisfactory. There is another type of exercise, to fill in sentences, or paragraphs with the missing words, or phrases. It can be a good check on writing skills, and also understanding written texts. The multiple choice-type tasks can be used in writing, reading, listening and understanding checking. The most difficult is to revise speaking improvement in self-study. For controlling this skill a student needs a tutor, or a mentor. Revision activities and tests should not limit themselves to multiple choice grammar question or gapfils only.

It is important to try and create challenging and entertaining revision activities and testing tools. Vocabulary, for examples, can be revised in an engaging manner using crosswords and word searches. An interested revision activity is when students challenge each other, and they can compare their knowledge. In this way presumably the better student will help the other in catching up. Below, a SWAT analysis of revising in self study is presented.

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SWOT analysis on revising in self-study Strengths Weaknesses

- no pressure - does not give extra external motivation - self-time managing, own speed - can be procrastinated - intrinsic motivation for checking improvement - can eliminate from the task solving - continuous revising stimulates the students to learn the lessons well Opportunities Threats

- realizing mistakes by themselves, and lets self- - if cheat the results won't be objective correcting - failures can dishearten students - offers more practice - corporate challenging tests

Summary Special revision exercises should be always available in order to allow a student to get the most from a self-study session. This could be exercises that can be automatically corrected by the computer but they should not be limited to that. It is important to try and create challenging and entertaining revision activities and testing tools in order to increase the student s motivation.

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NEEDS OF STUDENTS WITH LANGUAGE BASED LEARNING DISABILITIES

Many individuals with learning disabilities experience difficulty in learning a foreign language. Learning disabilities often affect language-based tasks such as reading, spelling, writing, or listening. The best-known language-based learning disabilities are probably dyslexia and dysgraphia. Results have shown that phonological difficulties (problems with tasks involving putting sounds together and pulling sounds apart in spoken and written language) and orthographic difficulties (problems with sound-symbol tasks in language) have the most immediate and severe impact on foreign language learning. ICT can help to support individuals with learning difficulties by providing part of a multisensory approach to learning and recording. However, this cannot be done exclusively online. There are specific software applications dedicated to helping with particular difficulties. Thus, an online tutor should be aware of a range of such applications 1 to help a dyslexic leaner: Application Touch typing Comments / uses For some learners the pattern of letters on the keyboard can act as a trigger to the correct spelling. Learning keyboard patterns of words can reinforce spelling skills. This can be done at a learners desk using a laptop or note-taker, or by access to a computer with a word processor. Preferably, the word processor should have speech facility for listen as you type (to support spelling errors), talking word banks (set up in advance to support known spelling needs), and a talking spellchecker (to enable the pupil to choose the correct version of the spelling from a list). Used alongside a word processor & tries

Word processing

Predictive spelling software

1

Source: http://www.devon.gov.uk/sats-ictforsendyslexia.pdf

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to guess the word being typed from first few letters. One key press will then finish the word. Usually has speech support.
Tape recorders and Dictaphones Taped texts, Talking books Voice recognition software

For people with visual impairment Although this is still controversial in education, mainly due to the amount of withdrawal time needed to train & use the software. Also, introduction too early can hinder the development of the writing process. Dictation skills would need to quite advanced for the software to be effective. The debate continues. This type of software can give speech support for the complete screen, including menus, in high quality voices, it can provide a listen as you type environment for a word processor without speech facility (such as MS Word), and can also read and transcribe if required selected texts from internet pages To support learning strategies and help with mapping ideas for writing. For the development of literacy and maths skills, or more specific needs such as visual & auditory memory skill. Configuration of computer environment to meet specific needs, eg larger fonts, experimenting with background & text colours in word processing, double spacing etc. Many of the strategies required to support the needs of pupils with SpLDs/Dyslexia rely heavily on a

Screen readers

Planning and organisation software

Specific skills software

Visual display customisation

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computer with speech facility.

Online learning is especially suitable for such learners because they can get real individual approach, which might be somewhat problematic in a real classroom. These students can pace their own learning process and base it on their own needs and abilities, they do not have to try and keep pace with the rest of the class. Frequent usage of audio and video materials is also a great help. By being part of an online community also their self-image can improve. People with language-based learning disabilities think different, they mostly think in pictures, images, and sometimes they can recognize the background structure easier than other people. They are very intuitive, and many of them good at arts. Some tips follow that will help you design a course for people with learning disabilities.

When designing programs for people with learning disabilities, make short tasks and keep breaks more often

Use mind-maps, and connecting sounds, images with words or letters can be assistance.

With online learning courses, students who have problems with reading, offer them the option to choose a bigger font and a different background colour, as some of them may have specific colour preferences for reading

Do not use long texts. Long texts in small font immediately decrease motivation with dyslexic learners

For dysgraphic learners, use multiple choice answer tasks rather than having students write down their own answers.

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In any case, consult a specialist on learning disabilities (a psychologist, a logotherapist, a logopedic)

Summary Students with learner disabilities are a special category of people who have specific needs and teachers that are creating content for them, should take into account specific factors, after consultation with specialists on learning disabilities. For dyslexic people, the tasks and the texts should be short and there has to be the choice to change the colours and the fonts of the learning environment in order to suit better his/her needs. Combined use of texts and audios should also be used. For dysgraphic learners, multiple choice questions should be preferred to open questions.

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METHODS FOR THE USE OF MULTIMEDIA IN SELF STUDY

The use of multimedia is very effective, because thus more senses take part in the learning process and the usage of multimedia may have a very positive effect on students attention and motivation.

Audio activities with articles and songs and watching video clips and short videos are examples of listening skills development tasks with the use of multimedia. Students can focus on reading skills while reading texts and working on some tasks based on the text. For teaching vocabulary, the drill method is being used extensively. It is based on the theory, suggesting that students can remember facts faster and better if they are reminded of them a little less frequently, but for a very long time (the opposite of very frequent reminding for a relatively short time). Other examples of multimedia usage in self-studying are web links to films connected to lesson topics or interactive maps while teaching realia. Students could also upload multimedia files as external links or with an uploading format.

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TOOLS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE 4 SKILLS

There is a big number of tools and methods that are available for the practicing of the 4 key skills in an online language learning course. Reading skills can be developed through the use a range of texts, articles and dialogues with post-reading comprehension tasks. New vocabulary could be presented in readings where the meaning can be derived from context or difficult/new words can be clicked and a definition of the word can be provided and possibly used in a sentence, just like in a one-language learners dictionary. After the reading itself, comprehension check tasks should follow. With higher level students, authentic texts should be used. Blogs or personal diaries can also be used to practise reading. Example tasks for dealing with the texts are: reading comprehension questions, mistakes correction, multiple choice questions, true/false statements, key words selection followed by using them in sentences, putting sentences or paragraphs of a text into the correct order, writing a summary of the text using key words as a follow-up activity (or doing this orally and recording it and later comparing with the original text). Text builders (taking words out and reconstructing texts later) can be used as well.

For advanced learners, it would be a good idea to create an anthology of literary texts and a set of activities based on them (possibly also including information about the author, his other works, film adaptations, etc.). The provision of a list of external links to web pages that use good quality of the target language is also recommended. Listening skills development can be done in two different ways; either there is pre-recorded listening which students can listen to and do follow-up tasks afterwards or there are live listening sessions: student-tutor or students-tutor or student-student or more students together. With pre-recorded listening, listening skills can be developed using many types of audio materials: texts, dialogues, short videos, podcasts and songs. Authentic material (from Greek TV or radio) should be used where possible. These videos and audios would allow the students to feel more confident about their knowledge by hearing different accents and levels of the spoken language in varied communication circumstances (everyday talk, politicians speech, etc.). Comprehension can be checked immediately using e.g. multiple choice questions, gapfils, ticking pictures, true/false statements, specific comprehension questions, etc. Students could also listen to real-life dialogues sentence by sentence, an immediate gapfil exercise could follow and the system would only let the students continue if their answer was correct (this might be a

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bit frustrating but useful). For practical language situations, there could be comic style pictures with empty bubbles, the students could first try and predict the content of the bubbles and then listen and check. With the second listening, optional transcript could be made accessible. Likewise, with videos, students could choose if they want to see the subtitles or not (or the first listening could be without subtitles and the second with subtitles), or they could have a look at the listening transcript. Listening to students favourite songs for lyrics with all kinds of listening activities would be especially motivating. YouTube, GreekTube, TeacherTube, etc., loud books and blogs, online radios can also be helpful to develop the listening skill.

For advanced learners, the topics for reading and listening activities might be politics, history, economy, literature, etc. In writing, the role of the tutor becomes all important. This is the case both in the writing exercises of the material and in the web 2.0 applications. The fun and informal ways of developing the writing skill is to administer a blog, use chat and forums, and written games, like crosswords and word-gallows, also commenting on everything. Storytelling on the basis of photos or other material could also be an option. A more supervised form is when members solve tasks online, using presentation makers (for example: Prezi), Google docs, Wiki editing. These can be individual practice forms, or can be worked on by collaboratively. Speaking skills could be practiced with the use of communication tools (mostly) and with the use also of some offline tools (secondly). In the first case it is important, to make the atmosphere friendly, and dissolved. Communication could be made through the use of web 2.0 applications such as skype or MSN or through online video and phone conferences. These calls can be informal, just to keep their social network operate well, and share their experiences, help each other solve their problems. In the second case, it would be of use to include some pronunciation activities dealing with pronouncing words with difficult sounds/phonemes. Pronunciation of new vocabulary items should be offered as well and, preferably, the whole sound system of the language should be represented. Audio files for texts, vocabulary and phrases would be a great help too. Another best practice to develop the speaking skill, is to use songs, (also with subtitles) or karaoke programs.

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Summary There is a great variety of tools that can help the practicing of each one of the 4 key skills for language learning. Reading skills could be practiced through a great variety of texts (it is important for the advanced level to use authentic texts), listening through authentic audio or video podcasts or live communication through a web 2.0 application. Live communication can be used also for speaking even though asynchronous methods are also existent. The role of the tutor is mostly significant when it comes to the writing part.

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CONCLUSION
Online language learning is not an easy issue. There are many issues that have to be dealt with, many peculiarities that make online language learning different from traditional in-class language courses and many things that should be taken into consideration. This methodology document has tried to present in a clear and concise way, some of the major issues that are associated with the development of content for online language learning in advanced level for the less spoken European languages. It is clear that the list of the issues examined is not exhaustive and that other issues which have not been presented in here are equally important. However, we believe that this guide could help you to design better online language learning courses and to overcome some issues that might appear in the process.

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