EVENT DETAILS

Hybrid and Online Language Courses: Best (and Worst) Practices

Description:
The role of technology in language courses ranges from being a supplemental component (e.g., assignments completed with the help of web-based resources), to serving as either a partial replacement of instructional time, as in the case of hybrid courses, or the sole means of instruction, as in fully-online courses. The affordances of computer-assisted language learning have been described in the literature for over three decades. However, designing and teaching online language courses that integrate meaningful language use, as well as authentic synchronous and asynchronous communication, still remains a daunting task for both educators and program administrators. In this workshop, I will first summarize the advantages and disadvantages of technology-enhanced language instruction, based on what research has shown, particularly with respect to the effectiveness of hybrid and online language courses. I will then discuss best practices for online teaching and for selecting Web 2.0 tools that foster meaningful interpretive, presentational, and interpersonal communication. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of ways to make hybrid and online language courses a frustration-free learning experience, as well as with concrete ideas and tools they can implement in their own courses.

Please note that we will issue certificates of attendance for UC Irvine graduate students and lecturers as well as K-12 teachers who wish to get professional development credit. Send an email to Professor Torres, if you’d like to get a certificate of attendance: torresju@uci.edu.

About Dr. Henshaw:
Dr. Florencia Henshaw has a PhD in Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where she is now the Director of Advanced Spanish and the Director of the Center for Language Instruction and Coordination (CLIC). She is a certified ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) tester in Spanish, as well as a certified rater for the ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL). She is the 2018 recipient of the "Excellence in Language Instruction" Award within the School of Literatures, Cultures, and Linguistics, and the author of two Spanish textbooks: one for grammar review courses, and one for composition courses. She has designed six online courses, and she has extensive experience with technology integration into the language curriculum.