Community College Journal - April/May 2013

The tools have encouraged several instructors to rethink how they teach. Many of the college’s language instructors have, in a sense, flipped their classrooms, posting lectures and presentations online and using class time for more workshop-oriented exercises and one-on-one instruction.

“Language instructors will spend most of their valuable class time guiding students’ oral performances, as this is best done face to face,” explains CTC’s Volle.

Instructors acknowledge that speaking up in class is sometimes difficult for students, especially those who don’t yet have a firm grasp of their newfound language skills.

In the past, this often meant that questions went unanswered or that students didn’t get individual help in certain problem areas. But proponents of technology-based language instruction say the communication that online tools facilitate between students and teachers helps overcome these barriers.

Doris Meng, adjunct instructor at
DCCC, posts her e-mail address at the
beginning of each semester so that she
can connect with students outside of
class. “There is always a group of stu-
dents who are just more comfortable
e-mailing their questions,” she says.
“We often have e-mail conversations
throughout the course where they are
getting clarifications in a way that’s
nonthreatening.”
Beyond standard communica-
tion, teachers says technology-based
language tools also offer access to
important digital audio functions that
isolate sounds so students can pick
up on nuances of the language and
improve pronunciation.

Students can also view video record-
ings of class lectures to help them
comprehend key concepts. In addition,
community colleges use online videos
Instructors use customized reporting
and analytics tools to chart student
progress and build tailor-made lesson
plans. Teachers can drill down further
to see each student’s performance and
quickly identify those learners who
may be falling behind. “I can look at
a report and by the next class period
intervene where necessary,” Meng
says. “That’s important because the
diagnosis of a problem is critical. I can
also keep all of my students’ course-
work online so they can access their
grades anytime to get immediate
feedback on their progress. That’s espe-
cially helpful for students who are less
organized than others—they see what
assignments they haven’t completed or
what projects they did poorly on.”
The flexibility of online courses also
pays off through improved course
enrollments. Prior to DCCC’s large-
scale commitment to online courses,
area students had fewer options for
balancing their personal, professional,
and student lives. DCCC saw an enroll-
ment decline in its French classes—at
one point, the college had only a hand-
ful of students. But when the college
introduced a selection of traditional,
online, and blended classes, registra-
tions peaked. “Students have more
classes to choose from that are all at
different times and in different set-
tings,” Long explains. “Now, students
have better choices.”
Long and other community col-
lege instructors point to these and
other examples as a growing body of
evidence that technology, when used
effectively, can enliven and enrich col-
lege language courses.

PERCENTAGE OF
CCBC BEGINNING
SPANISH STUDENTS
OUT OF 500 WHO IMPROVED
THEIR COMPREHENSION
AND OTHER SKILLS
BY TAKING A BLENDED
COURSE.

to help students better understand cultures and current events in countries where the language is spoken. “These resources help make our students better global citizens and teach them a little more about what’s happening outside of our country,” Long explains.

There’s one additional advantage for cost-conscious students: Fees for online learning may be lower than for traditional courses. At CTC’s online center, for example, students can pay $113 per semester for access to digital materials. In the past, the cost was nearly twice that for a traditional textbook, workbook, and CDs, Volle says.