LANGUAGE TEACHER TRAINING AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF COURSE MATERIALS AND COMPUTER MEDIATED COMMUNICATIONS

Abstract

An action research framework is used to describe a project that uses the same methodology, i.e. action research, to implement electronic course delivery for 'off-campus', or 'flexible mode', post-graduate students, and computer mediated communications (CMC) for all the post-graduate students enrolled in the TESOL/TLOTE programs at Deakin University, Australia.

At the commencement of this project in 1996, a questionnaire about student access to and use of the Internet was conducted. This questionnaire was repeated in 1997. Analysis of the questionnaires is presented. One result indicated that before the use of CMC and the electronic delivery of course materials would be successful for students, a training program in the use of CMC would need to be developed and implemented. The development, implementation and the outcomes of the training program, started in March 1997, are discussed. The training program and the development of course materials for an electronic format suggested a relationship between the principles of language teaching and the development of course materials, and introducing and using CMC. The paper concludes with questions that will require further research.