module specification

This module offers a practical, hands-on course in Arabic language teaching materials development which adopts a pedagogical rather than a technical approach to materials development with an emphasis on developing relevant, pedagogically and linguistically sound materials rather than high level technical skills.
Multimedia is a term which is often understood as referring solely to digital media. However, on this course, it is taken to refer to all types of media from traditional media such as pictures and printed texts to the use of contemporary media which draws on digital technology. It is important to point out that this module combines analysis and evaluation of existing materials including professionally developed course books, websites, worksheets and teacher designed activities with practical design exercises for the students to work with. Attention is drawn to a range of crucial design issues which enhance students’ linguistic, pedagogical and methodological understanding and hence their understanding of what constitutes effective, relevant and meaningful Arabic language teaching materials.
Throughout the module, students are introduced to a range of different design options developing a variety of different interactive spaces (e.g. webpages, blogs, wikis) which allow for a variety of hyperlinked resources (e.g. radio/tv, YouTube, newspapers) and embedded activities, either digitally interactive or as downloadable work sheets. The students are also involved in designing conventional paper-based, PowerPoint and interactive whiteboard materials. In this way the module combines the development of technical confidence, skill and design judgements (e.g. regarding content, level of language, complexity of task) with a consideration of wider pedagogic and cultural issues such as: the integration of multimedia within an Arabic course programme/classroom teaching; cultural bias in certain materials versus the culture-free nature or potential internationalism of other applications; the practical applicability of multimedia in certain teaching locations; the use of technology by Arabic language learners themselves in creative work.
The module is taught through a highly interactive approach involving a mix of teacher led input, group discussion and collaborative practical activities.  There is a single final assignment which involves producing multimedia Arabic language teaching materials along with a theorised rational explaining the design decisions made.

The module will be taught in Arabic and assessed in Arabic or English, except for the designed material which will be in Arabic.

This module aims to provide students with a firm understanding of the complexities involved in materials design for teaching Arabic and the knowledge and skills to be able to produce sound, relevant and useful Arabic materials which draw on a variety of media, both ‘traditional’ and ‘contemporary’. The practical skills, technical confidence and the pedagogical understanding that the module develops is intended to empower students when dealing with institutional and educational challenges that they may encounter in teaching Arabic.

Specifically it aims to:

• provide students with the knowledge and skills that will help them produce well designed, pedagogically sound and relevant Arabic language teaching materials
• enable students to contribute at different institutional levels (classrooms, departments, institutions and even policy) in decisions about choice and design of syllabuses and materials for teaching Arabic
• enable students to recognise and understand the potentials of existing and new  multimedia resources in developing innovative and pedagogically informed methodologies and materials for teaching Arabic
• enable students to apply theoretical knowledge to practical tasks
• develop students’ creativity, ICT skills and technological confidence.

The module covers topics such as the role and function of materials in Arabic language teaching, the principles of good design, using and adapting Arabic coursebook materials, ICT in Arabic language teaching and using the Internet for teaching Arabic.

The module is organised around a series of workshops combining content input, discussion/analytical activities, practical tasks and presentations. The approach is interactive and students participate throughout.   PowerPoint is used to present the content input (also posted on WebLearn), websites and blogs are used to demonstrate design options and students carry out in-class design activities. Students move between digital design and conventional paper design, working either independently out of class, in small groups out of class or in-class, working with peers.  Work in progress or completed (exercises, tasks, websites, etc) is presented informally via the relevant ‘platform’ and discussed and evaluated by the whole group.

On successful completion of this module students will:

1. have a systematic and critical understanding of the pedagogical principles and design factors involved in the development of multimedia Arabic language teaching materials
2. Be able to produce well designed, relevant and usable multimedia Arabic teaching materials
3. Be able to make informed and persuasive decisions about institutional choice and development of resources for Arabic language teaching and learning
4. Be able to work creatively and effectively with a variety of ICT resources and have the confidence and adaptability to learn new skills as necessary
5. Have demonstrated that they can work flexibly and effectively both independently and with others.

There is one formal assessment for this module involving the design of Arabic language teaching materials for 8 – 10 hours teaching, comprising three components:
      the Arabic teaching materials themselves
      a guide to how the materials should be used (i.e. a teachers’ guide)
      a clear rationale about why they  have designed the materials in that way – including discussion of the theoretical perspectives that inform their  approach (e.g. language awareness, modes of communication, etc.)

Books
– Buckingham, D. (2003) Media Education: literacy, learning and contemporary culture. Cambridge: Polity Press
- Diouri, M. (2012) Internet Arabic: Essential Middle Eastern Vocabulary. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press (In Arabic and in English)
- Diouri, M. (2012) e-Arabic Flashcards Resources. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University (In Arabic and in English)
– Johnson, K. (2003) Designing Language Teaching Tasks. Hampshire: Macmillan
– Mishan, F. & Chambers, A. (eds) (2010) Perspectives on Language Learning Materials Development. London: Peter Lang
- Ryding, K. C. (2013) Teaching and learning Arabic as a foreign language. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press
– Snyder, I. (ed) (2002) Silicon literacies: communication, innovation and education in the electronic age. London: Routledge
– Tomlinson, B (ed) (2003) Developing Materials for Language Teaching. London: Continuum
– Tomlinson, B. & Masuhara, H., (eds) (2010) Research for Materials Development in Language Learning: Evidence For Best Practice. London: Continuum
Wahba, K. M., Taha, Z. A., & England, L. (2006) Handbook for Arabic language teaching professionals in the 21st century. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
– Warschauer, M. (ed) (2000) Network-based language teaching: concepts and practices. Cambridge:  Cambridge University Press
e-Journals
– Australian Journal of Eductional Technology - http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet.html
– Canadian Games Studies - http://journals.sfu.ca/loading/index.php/loading/index
– Computer Assisted Language Learning (library resource)
– Language, Culture and Curriculum (library resource)
– Language Learning and Technology Journal - http://llt.msu.edu/default.html
– New Literacies On-line Journal -  http://www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/action/index.html
– 'Wired magazine' articles - http://wired-vig.wired.com

Websites (e.g.)
– http://www.arabiconline.eu/resources/
- http://larc.sdsu.edu/arabic/
- http://larc.sdsu.edu/arabic/
– http://secondlife.com/
– http://www.google.com/sites/help/intl/en_GB/overview.html
– http://www.blogger.com/home?pli=1