Connected Classrooms: Videoconferencing in TESOL Teacher Preparation

Recent technological developments have afforded a proliferation of flexible online opportunities for teacher education (e.g., Chen, 2013). Videoconferencing (VC) is one of the most effective ways to engage students in collaborative learning (Wegner, 2015), as it makes in-class interactions more feas...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inInternational journal of teaching and learning in higher education Vol. 30; no. 2; pp. 290 - 299
Main Authors Schmitt, Elena, Eilderts, Luke
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published International Society for Exploring Teaching and Learning 2018
Subjects
Computer Mediated Communication
Cooperative Learning
Course Evaluation
English (Second Language)
Graduate Students
Language Teachers
Masters Programs
Second Language Instruction
Second Language Learning
Student Attitudes
Student Surveys
Teacher Education
Teaching Methods
Videoconferencing
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ISSN1812-9129
1812-9129

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Summary:Recent technological developments have afforded a proliferation of flexible online opportunities for teacher education (e.g., Chen, 2013). Videoconferencing (VC) is one of the most effective ways to engage students in collaborative learning (Wegner, 2015), as it makes in-class interactions more feasible (Bannan-Ritland, 2002). This descriptive study discusses the online teaching of graduate students in a TESOL program from the point of view of sociocultural theory (SCT) Lantolf and Thorne (2007) and media naturalness theory (MNT) (Kock, 2011). It analyzes the use of VC as the sole medium of instruction of future ESL teachers (N = 12) who participate synchronously from different locations, including on-campus and distant classrooms. The participants' exit slips, as well as post-course anonymous surveys, are analyzed to identify elements of VC that have worked well and those that present challenges. The results provide an insight into what makes VC a compelling tool for the training of ESL teachers.
ISSN:1812-9129
1812-9129