Beyond Form: Functional Perspectives on CALL Research and Teaching
September 12 & 13, 2014
PROPOSAL DEADLINE: May 23, 2014
Plenary Speaker: Michael (Mick) O’Donnell, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
If you have questions regarding the abstract submission, please email tsll@iastate.edu.
ALL FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS
The 2015 Volume in CALICO’s Monograph Book Series.
Guest editors
Dr Ed Dixon (University of Pennsylvania, USA)
Dr Michael Thomas (University of Central Lancashire, UK)
Book Title
Researching Language Learner Interaction Online: From Social Media to MOOCs
Overview
This timely volume aims to publish new empirical research on language learning in digitally-mediated environments and conceptual chapters that address new research approaches for effectively understanding the complex interactions taking place online. This dual focus distinguishes the volume from existing books in the field and is based on a recognition of the need for qualitative, multimodal and mixed methods research approaches that aim to capture a holistic understanding of learner interaction in online spaces.
According to advocates, social network sites and new learning spaces like Coursera, Instreamia and other MOOCs are set to have an unprecedented impact on educational practice and affect the ways students engage with language and culture over the next decade. The volume will also examine the process of language acquisition in globally networked learning environments and the role that international interactions play in enriching the language learning experience and perspectives of world cultures. Chapter authors will make important contributions towards a better understanding of how international online interactions in online environments such as social networking sites can achieve proficiency goals and aid learner interaction, intercultural understanding and digital literacy skills. Chapters are requested which explore how digital environments provide learners with opportunities to:
● Engage in meaningful conversations and exchange viewpoints with like-minded learners worldwide;
● Compare one’s own cultural reference with a multiplicity of different cultural perspectives of the target language and culture;
● Connect with other disciplines through online courses that offer professional and academic courses in foreign languages;
● Continue their study of the target language beyond the school setting in multicultural online communities of practice.
In addition to discussing the potential contribution of MOOCs and social networks in terms of enriching the language-learning experience and preparing students for global citizenship through the study of a foreign language, authors will address a multiplicity of issues affecting language education at pedagogical and institutional levels. At the pedagogical level, this volume will examine instructional methods, learning strategies, student feedback, peer assessment and lifelong learning. At the institutional level, we will investigate issues of teacher readiness, accreditation and articulation.
The volume will have two parts,
● with the first addressing new approaches to researching online CALL environments using digital technologies and applications
● and the second providing examples of empirical research on learner interaction online e.g., in social networking sites such as Livemocha, virtual worlds, telecollaboration, and online and blended language learning contexts.
In the first stage, abstracts of no more than 250-300 words are requested on the following or related topics:
● Methods and approaches to language learning and teaching in MOOCS, social networks and blended environments
● Cultural and social approaches to online language study
● Language learner interaction in virtual worlds
● Proficiency and assessment of online learners
● Microblogging and language learning
● Input and output in digital-learning environments
● Institutional readiness and professional development
● Accreditation, curricular integration and articulation
● Using digital video and screen capture software
● Eye tracking software and digital literacy
● Multimodal and new approaches to researching language learning in social networks
● Big data and learner interaction
● The ethics of online research with language learners
Timeline:
First Call for Abstracts (1 March 2014)
Deadline for submission of abstracts (1 April 2014)
Notification of contributors (1 May 2014)
First draft of full papers to be submitted (1 October 2014)
Publication of the CALICO monograph (1 May 2015)
ALL FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS
The 2015 Volume in CALICO’s Monograph Book Series.
Guest editors
Dr Ed Dixon (University of Pennsylvania, USA)
Dr Michael Thomas (University of Central Lancashire, UK)
Book Title
Researching Language Learner Interaction Online: From Social Media to MOOCs
Overview
This timely volume aims to publish new empirical research on language learning in digitally-mediated environments and conceptual chapters that address new research approaches for effectively understanding the complex interactions taking place online. This dual focus distinguishes the volume from existing books in the field and is based on a recognition of the need for qualitative, multimodal and mixed methods research approaches that aim to capture a holistic understanding of learner interaction in online spaces.
According to advocates, social network sites and new learning spaces like Coursera, Instreamia and other MOOCs are set to have an unprecedented impact on educational practice and affect the ways students engage with language and culture over the next decade. The volume will also examine the process of language acquisition in globally networked learning environments and the role that international interactions play in enriching the language learning experience and perspectives of world cultures. Chapter authors will make important contributions towards a better understanding of how international online interactions in online environments such as social networking sites can achieve proficiency goals and aid learner interaction, intercultural understanding and digital literacy skills. Chapters are requested which explore how digital environments provide learners with opportunities to:
● Engage in meaningful conversations and exchange viewpoints with like-minded learners worldwide;
● Compare one’s own cultural reference with a multiplicity of different cultural perspectives of the target language and culture;
● Connect with other disciplines through online courses that offer professional and academic courses in foreign languages;
● Continue their study of the target language beyond the school setting in multicultural online communities of practice.
In addition to discussing the potential contribution of MOOCs and social networks in terms of enriching the language-learning experience and preparing students for global citizenship through the study of a foreign language, authors will address a multiplicity of issues affecting language education at pedagogical and institutional levels. At the pedagogical level, this volume will examine instructional methods, learning strategies, student feedback, peer assessment and lifelong learning. At the institutional level, we will investigate issues of teacher readiness, accreditation and articulation.
The volume will have two parts,
● with the first addressing new approaches to researching online CALL environments using digital technologies and applications
● and the second providing examples of empirical research on learner interaction online e.g., in social networking sites such as Livemocha, virtual worlds, telecollaboration, and online and blended language learning contexts.
In the first stage, abstracts of no more than 250-300 words are requested on the following or related topics:
● Methods and approaches to language learning and teaching in MOOCS, social networks and blended environments
● Cultural and social approaches to online language study
● Language learner interaction in virtual worlds
● Proficiency and assessment of online learners
● Microblogging and language learning
● Input and output in digital-learning environments
● Institutional readiness and professional development
● Accreditation, curricular integration and articulation
● Using digital video and screen capture software
● Eye tracking software and digital literacy
● Multimodal and new approaches to researching language learning in social networks
● Big data and learner interaction
● The ethics of online research with language learners
Timeline:
First Call for Abstracts (1 March 2014)
Deadline for submission of abstracts (1 April 2014)
Notification of contributors (1 May 2014)
First draft of full papers to be submitted (1 October 2014)
Publication of the CALICO monograph (1 May 2015)
The editor, associate editors and editorial board of Computer Assisted Language Learning (Taylor and Francis) extend a cordial invitation to attend our XVIth International CALL Research Conference at Universiteit Antwerpen (Antwerp, Belgium), 7-9 July 2014.
RESEARCH CHALLENGES IN CALL
The starting points for this conference are the 12 challenges Jozef Colpaert recently identified and presented at WorldCALL 2013 in Glasgow, and which he classified into three categories:
contextual (academic meritocracy, academic value of CALL, myths/hypes and broad-public perception), methodological (design, replication, slow research and transdisciplinarity), and epistemological (open, psychological, smart and sustainable aspects).
Our three proposed session types reflect these categories:
-Keynote speakers – Piet Desmet (K.U. Leuven University) and Bryan Smith (Arizona State University) – will tackle the contextual challenges in thought-provoking plenary sessions.
-Research papers should focus on your current research and should discuss the methodological challenges you encounter. Two selected research papers will be awarded as plenary presentations.
-Pre- and post-conference surveys, polls, group discussions and panels will focus on epistemological challenges we define together. If we want academic evaluation to become more objective, fair and justifiable, then epistemological challenges need to be defined clearly in advance. We would like this conference to be a catalyst for discussions regarding the question: What priority research topics can be defined by our community? This should lead to a document that can be used by all CALLers worldwide for supporting their research proposals.
Deadline for submissions is 30 November 2013. Please send your abstract (300 words) and biodata (100 words) to ann.aerts@uantwerpen.be.
Participants have the opportunity to combine the CALL conference with a Summer School in Design-Based Research (by Sven De Maeyer and Vincent Donche) or a Master Class in Educational Engineering (by Jozef Colpaert). Both events will be held from 30 June until 4 July. Further information will follow soon on the conference website www.antwerpcall.be.
The editor, associate editors and editorial board of Computer Assisted Language Learning (Taylor and Francis) extend a cordial invitation to attend our XVIth International CALL Research Conference at Universiteit Antwerpen (Antwerp, Belgium), 7-9 July 2014.
RESEARCH CHALLENGES IN CALL
The starting points for this conference are the 12 challenges Jozef Colpaert recently identified and presented at WorldCALL 2013 in Glasgow, and which he classified into three categories:
contextual (academic meritocracy, academic value of CALL, myths/hypes and broad-public perception), methodological (design, replication, slow research and transdisciplinarity), and epistemological (open, psychological, smart and sustainable aspects).
Our three proposed session types reflect these categories:
-Keynote speakers – Piet Desmet (K.U. Leuven University) and Bryan Smith (Arizona State University) – will tackle the contextual challenges in thought-provoking plenary sessions.
-Research papers should focus on your current research and should discuss the methodological challenges you encounter. Two selected research papers will be awarded as plenary presentations.
-Pre- and post-conference surveys, polls, group discussions and panels will focus on epistemological challenges we define together. If we want academic evaluation to become more objective, fair and justifiable, then epistemological challenges need to be defined clearly in advance. We would like this conference to be a catalyst for discussions regarding the question: What priority research topics can be defined by our community? This should lead to a document that can be used by all CALLers worldwide for supporting their research proposals.
Deadline for submissions is 30 November 2013. Please send your abstract (300 words) and biodata (100 words) to ann.aerts@uantwerpen.be.
Participants have the opportunity to combine the CALL conference with a Summer School in Design-Based Research (by Sven De Maeyer and Vincent Donche) or a Master Class in Educational Engineering (by Jozef Colpaert). Both events will be held from 30 June until 4 July. Further information will follow soon on the conference website www.antwerpcall.be.
EUROCALL 2013 – University of Évora, Portugal
Areas covered during the conference:
Recent developments in mobile learning
Language learning in virtual environments
Synchronous communication in language learning
European Language Portfolio, self assessment and ICT
Challenges of e-learning: the role of the institution
E-learning: student expectations and experience
Successes of e-learning through the eyes of the student
The use of new technologies for language teaching in schools
Promoting the use of new technologies amongst language teaching professionals
Developments in the pedagogy of online learning
Corpora and language learning
Courseware design
Cross-sector collaboration through e-learning
Supporting less widely taught languages through CALL
Improving intercultural competence through language learning
Managing multimedia environments
Distance and collaborative learning
Self access and learner autonomy