Event
HomeShifting Paradigms in Online Language Learning: The Link between Technology and Organizational Culture
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010, 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Speaker: Larry Davies (ABD), St. Thomas University
JALT's Tokyo and West Tokyo Chapters, and CALL SIG are pleased to invite you to a presentation by Larry Davies, the plenary speaker at JALT CALL 2010 and featured speaker at PanSIG 2010.
Pre-registration: You may pre-register by sending an e-mail message to Kevin Cleary kcleary@me.com
Information: jwt.homestead.com/home.html. Or call 070-5572-2882 on the day.
Abstract: Recent literature suggests that learning online (eLearning), and learning in a face-to-face environment involve different processes. Online learning poses its own challenges, including:
(1) building an effective and efficient learning community;
(2) establishing a coherent and cohesive online presence;
(3) understanding administratively the time and effort needed to conceive, develop, implement and revise online courses;
(4) balancing the synchronous and asynchronous activities that occur in online courses; and
(5) keeping up with the ever-evolving and quickly-shifting paradigms that newer technologies bring.
All of these worthy goals are hindered by Learning Management Systems (LMSs) which were conceived and developed within a mechanistic model of education. Craig (2007) notes that the paradigm behind these LMSs is now out of date with the emergence of Web 2.0 technologies. This presentation will suggest ways that larger institutions can learn to adapt and change at a much faster rate than they have in the past, while addressing faculty and staff-based hindrances to technology adoption. The presenter concludes that institutions that don't undergo technological paradigm shifts at a faster pace will be left behind in the online world by learners who will vote with their virtual feet, and their very real pocketbooks.
Biodata: Larry Davies lived and worked in Japan from 1989 to 2003, mostly in Nagoya and Hakodate. He was a member of JALT, its first webmaster in 1995-1996, a member of the 1995 JALT national conference organizing committee in Nagoya, and was an officer in the JALTCALL-SIG, serving as program chair for the 1999 conference. He left his position as associate professor of communication studies at Future University Hakodate to return to the United States, where he has been pursuing his doctorate in Educational Leadership at St. Thomas University near Miami, Florida. He is also an administrator at a Virtual College in the Miami area. His current research looks at the relationships between academic organizational culture and technology acceptance and implementation programs in higher education.
Organization: West Tokyo Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (West Tokyo JALT)
Cost: JALT Members: free
Non-members: 1,000 yen (you can join or renew your membership at the event)
Venue: Tokyo Keizai University, near Kokubunji Station on the JR Chuo Line. Building #3, Room C208 (on the 2nd floor). This room is also known as LL2
Location: Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan
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