Learning Path
The World Languages Learning Path will be part of all of our programs moving forward whether they are standard or digital first. The goal was to create a set of pedagogically sound steps that could be utilized more effectively by students for learning and could make planning more streamlined and effective for instructors.
This predictable approach helps students and faculty know exactly what kind of activity or content they are working with at any point. There are over 20 different activity types available to be used with the learning path, but we want to think about the learning path as not the types of activities one may use in each step, but what the student is actually doing with the language at each step. One of the unique features of our learning path is the Try it! mode activities. Try it mode activities are no-stakes assessments that allow instructors to track whether students have completed or internalized content and students are able to self-assess quickly as they move through the content. Students do not "submit" their attempts, but instead continue to attempt each question until they get it right. This provides early success and ensures that students have understood the concepts appropriately before moving into higher stakes activities. |
The ready step is the is the students' first exposure to the topic at hand. It prepares them for their learning either by presenting them with clear learning outcomes for the upcoming section, having them reflect on and draw from their prior knowledge of the topic, or provides strategies that will prepare students for what they are about to undertake. Ready activities are simple and low-stakes, geared towards preparing the students to learn. The Ready step is found at the following areas of a program:
- Chapter opener: Students internalize learning objectives or a strategy. Programs may have more than if the chapters are split into themes or parts.
- Grammar discovery approach: If the program provides this approach, students are using their knowledge to discover the why's before formal instruction takes place. The ready step allows them to apply this inductive approach.
- Strategies in any of the skill development sections (writing, reading, culture, speaking, listening) help students to become better learners. The ready step provides the platform for improvement.
The Learn it! Step is the presentation of new content (vocabulary, grammar, culture, pronunciation) in chunks with text, audio, video or images. All Learn it! pieces should have a try it! activity associated with it so that instructors can track understanding and internalization and so students can self-assess with each chunk of content.
Grammar and Vocabulary Learn it! sections will be split into manageable chunks, each with its own Try it! activity. They may also be preceded by a strategy or discovery approach as outlined in the Ready? step.
Grammar and Vocabulary Learn it! sections will be split into manageable chunks, each with its own Try it! activity. They may also be preceded by a strategy or discovery approach as outlined in the Ready? step.
Practice it! activities provide the autograded, low-stakes practice that students need to gain confidence and prepare for what is going to be done in the classroom in a face-to-face or hybrid format. For distance courses, it provides the practice needed before moving on to the open-ended and production activities in the Use it! step.
Use it! provides open-ended activities that require production in written or oral formats. Students are asked to use the information or content they learned in more personalized ways.
Although the majority of activities that make up the Use it! step require instructor grading, we are not looking at this step by activity type, but by what students are actually doing with the content they are learning. For example, after a grammar presentation students will be provided with Practice it! activities and then open-ended Use it! activities. This flow from discrete practice to production just makes sense.
Also, all of our skills development areas (culture, reading, writing, listening, speaking) are also part of the Use it! step no matter what kind of activity is used. For a reading, you might have a pre activity that is auto-graded, but is still part of the Use it! step because students are not "practicing" with the content from a reading, they are "using" the content to answer questions, give opinions, etc... So those sections are part of Use it! even though they may contain auto-graded activities as well as production activities.
Although the majority of activities that make up the Use it! step require instructor grading, we are not looking at this step by activity type, but by what students are actually doing with the content they are learning. For example, after a grammar presentation students will be provided with Practice it! activities and then open-ended Use it! activities. This flow from discrete practice to production just makes sense.
Also, all of our skills development areas (culture, reading, writing, listening, speaking) are also part of the Use it! step no matter what kind of activity is used. For a reading, you might have a pre activity that is auto-graded, but is still part of the Use it! step because students are not "practicing" with the content from a reading, they are "using" the content to answer questions, give opinions, etc... So those sections are part of Use it! even though they may contain auto-graded activities as well as production activities.
Got it! brings learning full circle and asks the students to self-assess at varying points in the chapter. This can be done via student can-do statements, mini-quizzes or chapter review activities.
If the chapter has themes, parts or sections that each have their own identity, Got it! sections can be added at the end of each as well. For example, if the program has a discovery approach or a strategy with a grammar section, we can provide a Got it! self-assessment section just after that section is completed. This flexibility provides pedagogically sound assessment with any program format or philosophy.
If the chapter has themes, parts or sections that each have their own identity, Got it! sections can be added at the end of each as well. For example, if the program has a discovery approach or a strategy with a grammar section, we can provide a Got it! self-assessment section just after that section is completed. This flexibility provides pedagogically sound assessment with any program format or philosophy.