2. Arousal and Learning of Language through Edmodo

1. Introduction

The current Indian education system is welcoming Distance Education with a greater pace, however the role of teachers remains critical. One of the emerging trends in Distance Learning is the use of Computer Assisted Language Learning(CALL) where the learners are taught using software programmes .It is believed that the CALL environment creates situations that stimulate interest, allows dialogue and communication, enhances reactivity, fosters a sense of personal worth, facilitates collaboration among students working together, permits rich learning experiences for all students and strengthens communication skills (Borras 1993; Pennington 1995, 1996; Cameron 1999; Hardisty et al. 1989; Inoue 1999; Kohn et al. 1997; Powell 1998).But the fact is that the learners need help in making the best use of it and research has indicated that learners don't always know how to fit new information into an appropriate framework so intelligent software has to give them context as well as data.( Dole, J.A., Duffy, G.G., Roehler, L.R., & Pearson, P.D. (1991). Therefore in India, self learning is still not as reliable as traditional learning method and thus the role of a teacher cannot be totally ignored. However there is a shift in the teacher’s role from a traditional teacher to a guide. As Carl Rogers said, the teacher should first forget that she/he is a teacher. Instead, she/he must possess the skills of a facilitator of learning-genuineness, prizing and empathy.(Murali.M,2009) . ‘Blended Learning’ environment gives a traditional teacher an opportunity to reframe her/his roles. Blended Learning combines face to face classroom methods with computer-mediated activities to form an integrated instructional approach. It helps the learners to get the advantage of personal guidance as well as self learning in a playful way. Edmodo- a social networking website can be used as a Blended Learning Platform wherein the teacher can teach the learners through the lecture method and later use Edmodo for practice sessions and online discussions.

2. What is Edmodo?

Edmodo is a social networking website similar to Face book, however exclusively designed with a specific didactic purpose and for exclusive users. The teacher is the administrative head of the group whereas the students and parents are the members. Like Facebook Teachers can invite students into private groups, and can post assignments, quizzes and polls for the students. The students can thus, solve the tasks given by the teacher and parents can view their wards’ performance.

2.1 Create and Join an Edmodo Group

Initially the teacher has to sign up and form a group. Once the group is formed the teacher is provided with a separate group code for students and parents. Using their respective group codes the students and parents can sign up and login thereafter. The teacher can even lock the group from new members at any time!

2.2 Features of Edmodo

Edmodo Planner: The teacher can plan the assignments of a week or even a month in advance. The planned assignments can be received by the students after they login. It is a calendar within Edmodo which keeps the students reminding them about their assignments in coming days. Most importantly it keeps students informed about deadlines.

Edmodo Back Pack: The teacher can save the teaching material in the storehouse called as Backpack. It can be used as a virtual library from where the teacher can streamline the process of sharing content repetitively at different times. Thus it saves time as the teacher just need to share the content and not upload every time he/she needs to use it.

App Store: There are a growing number of apps for the Edmodo community. One can browse the store, follow publishers and install a large variety of Apps to Edmodo groups. The apps vary from interactive games, study guides, etc.

2.3 Teacher’s Task

The task of the teacher is to post Notes, Quizzes, Assignments, and more to the group and initiate the learning process of this virtual classroom. The teacher can also attach files or website links and other resources, such as classroom notes or didactic instructions.The teacher can provide the students with the last date of the submission and thus can lock it. The teacher can assess the assignments after they are submitted and can give the feedback. The teacher can also see the progress of the students in the ‘Progress Bar’.

Advantages of Edmodo

· It is user friendly: It is a new concept, but similar to Facebook, therefore easy for learners to use. Plus, there are dozens of videos and guides on Edmodo available online, and the support staff responds within 24 hours to every email.

A very secure environment: As every student and parent have their group code; it cannot be used by outer members. The students do not have private messaging facility and all student posts are visible by teachers and parents. The classroom is in the control of the teacher as he /she can manage student passwords, delete inappropriate posts from students, or even make the class read-only.

1. It helps with going paperless: As the assignments are online, it saves stacking and taking care of bundles of papers.

· Its mobile friendly: As majority of students have android phones, it is highly beneficial because Edmodo has free apps for Android and Apple products. Thus students can solve the activities 24x7.

· It helps with differentiation: Edmodo allows you to create small groups in an instant, which is great for differentiation in the classroom. You can make smaller groups such as, Communicative English, Reading Skills, Vocabulary Building, etc and students can join according to their requisites wherein the individualise learning lessons will have distinctive learning goals.

2. Disadvantages

· Being an online activity only those students who have access to internet can use it.

· Students can copy answers from others. Thus the authenticity of the user is at stake.

3. Objectives of the Study: To focus on the use of Blended Learning Method to teach English Language.

4. Hypothesis: Edmodo is a beneficial ICT classroom collaborative tool for learning language.

5. Scope and Limitations of the Study:

· The present research study was tested only for BS c – I students.

· Prose, Poetry, Grammar and Vocabulary from the syllabus were covered for the research.

6. Research Procedure

Both survey and experimental .The research which was in the form of an experiment has used Edmodo website as an ICT tool. Experimental design is meant to determine effects of Edmodo on student’s language efficiency and their comprehension ability in English Language. A questionnaire was used to gather the data on their opinion about using Edmodo.

8.1 Lesson Plan

· The students were initially taught topics from the syllabus such as Prose, Poetry, Grammar, and Vocabulary through Lecture Method.

· The assignments were prepared on the basis of these topics and were posted to the students to solve. The assignments were according to the University Paper pattern which also helped them in understating the question pattern.

· Students solved the exercises online.

· Feedback was given on the assignments.

7. Discussion and Conclusion

Innovations in the ICT field are a rapidly taking place and it is difficult to adopt online teaching tools where the basic ICT infrastructure is not easily accessible. In spite of that role of computers in language teaching cannot be neglected. It has definitely taken a uplift from performing mere drill and exercises to becoming an authentic communication tool. Thus we should stop asking how computers are beneficial for language teaching and ask instead how you can teach Language through computers.

For the activity 71 students registered while 35 of them actually solved the exercises. 34 of them said that it motivated them to practice grammar, which otherwise is considered as a boring and fearful task. 25 students responded that initially they were apprehensive to use the public portal but gradually they gained confidence. 33 of them consented that it helped them to revise their syllabus in a playful manner. 32 of them commented they engaged themselves in Edmodo exercises in their free time thus utilised it in a positive way. However for 5 of them accessing internet was a difficult task which hampered their regularity .It is interesting to know that Edmodo exercises kept 34 of them enthusiastic and inspired with the new teaching-learning technique.

1. Recommendations

Using online resources for teaching purpose is useful when the use is limited. As the students tend to get bored with a monotonous activity, any innovative teaching technique should have a short term teaching –learning goal. The Yerkes –Dodson Law states that people need only a certain amount of motivation, however excess of it can lead to stress. It also postulates that there is an upper limit to stimulation and one should use a certain level of arousal in order to achieve the required goals. Thus it is advised to follow the Yerkes –Dodson Law when using Edmodo, as the monotonous nature of the website may debilitate learner’s enthusiasm. The teacher need to take care that they should not use too much of it where the arousal of the students will turn into anxiety and boredom. The learning zone created for the learners should be anxious free where they are involved in learning by centring in on the task to be learned.