This paper is part 5 of a series of workshops that examines the properties of some simple models of vocabulary networks. While previous workshops dealt with activating words in the network, this workshop focuses on vocabulary loss. We will simulate two possible ways of modelling attrition: (a) explicitly turning active words OFF, and (b) raising…

Massive online Open Courses (MOOCs) make extensive use of videos. Students interact with them by pausing, seeking forward or backward, replaying segments, etc. We can reasonably assume that students have different patterns of video interactions, but it remains hard to compare student video interactions. Some methods were developed, such as Markov…

The purpose of this paper is to present a specific case of CALL task design adopting the patterns-based learning design approach. The approach provides a common framework/vocabulary for educational designers, particularly teachers, to systematically capture, articulate, make explicit, share and reuse expert knowledge of teaching and good design.…

This article demonstrates how, at a time when learners may be experiencing fear and chaos in other aspects of their lives, a focus on language task engagement is essential across both online and offline language learning contexts. It presents a model of language task engagement and describes why and how teachers can use it to support learner…

Sequencing language production activities based on the inherent cognitive load of each activity type can improve student performance and self-efficacy on high cognitive load language tasks like conversational speech (either face-to-face or via video chat). This ordering according to cognitive difficulty can scaffold learners in their development…

"Continuous partial attention" is a term that was coined in the late 1990s, to describe the increasingly dispersed nature of attention in online environments. The purpose of this article is to describe the concept, discuss its implications for online learning, and propose a new agenda for research in what has been called "the Age of Interruption."

The conflicts arising between the pedagogical preferences of the fields of instructional design and technology (IDT) and social foundations of education are substantial. This conflict is primarily one of pedagogical values separating the Social Foundations with its emphasis on critical and creative thinking and the presumption of value and theory…

The importance of teachers in the success of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) is unquestionable. However, designing a teacher course on TBLT raises many questions concerning "what" and "how" it can be implemented. Can teachers' professional development be promoted through Task-Based Instruction (TBI)? This paper explores…

These days, with learning management system (LMS) offerings just about everywhere, online courses are almost as prevalent as classes taught in traditional classrooms with professors and students present at lecterns and desks. Many colleges and universities turn to vendors to help them create these courses, a service that software providers such as…

The aim of this article is to clarify the university teacher roles and competencies in online learning environments, with a view to assisting in the design of professional development activities. This referential framework results from an extensive review of the literature and from analysing professional development designed in different European…

The use of authentic tasks is derived from social constructivist principles of locating learning in the context of reality. Authentic tasks can foster learning transfer because collaboration among students not only helps them learn the concepts under discussion, but also exemplifies how these concepts are used in real-world contexts. To achieve a…

Discusses the knowledge-on-demand (KOD) paradigm as it emerges from the needs of a knowledge-based society. Presents basic requirements for on-demand learning; discusses front-end users, such as learners, and back-end users, such as publishers and service providers; defines typical user tasks; and outlines work towards a technical solution to…

Discussion of instructional design for distance education compares team-based and faculty-driven design approaches based on three online graduate degree programs in two disciplinary areas. Discusses design considerations for online graduate distance education, including needs analysis, content and task analysis, and media selection and design; and…

Describes a Web-based course management system called TeleTOP that was developed at the University of Twente (Netherlands) to shift the focus in a course from the presentation of content to the facilitation of learners making contributions to the course. Considers instructor tasks, changes in class activities, and implications for the instructor…