Geoff Lawrence
York University, Toronto, Canada
glawrenc@yorku.ca
The ‘Visioning’ Dilemma in Expl
oratory CALL Research
Bio data
Geoff’s
research explores technology-mediated language teaching and learning, online
social presence, identity, teacher beliefs towards educational innovation and integrating
intercultural learning and telecollaborations into language and teacher education. He has
extensive experience designing and teaching in face-to-face, online and blended
ESL/EAP, TESOL and graduate programs in second language education. Geoff teaches
ESL, TESOL and graduate studies in Applied Linguistics in the Department of Languages,
Literatures and Linguistics at York University in Toronto, Canada.
Abstract
Given the increasing potential and demand for technology-mediated approaches in
second/additional language teaching, researchers are often called upon to explore the
‘feasibility’ of CALL approaches in contexts where technology
-mediated approaches may
have never been used. Outcomes of such research often include defining ‘visions’ of
technology use and pedagogy in specific contexts with instructors and learners who may
have had little or no exposure to CALL approaches or potential. This paper will explore
this visioning dilemma in research methodology and its constraining outcomes,
particularly when CALL affordances are increasingly dynamic and where CALL visions
depend on timely knowledge of technological options and pedagogical implications
(Hubbard, 2008; Levy & Stockwell, 2006).
The author will share details on a mixed methods research methodology used in a
government-funded Canadian study to examine the feasibility of integrating e-learning
into province-wide adult, non-credit ESL programs where many of the teacher, learner
and administrator participants had little or no exposure to CALL approaches. In this
study, many participants appeare
d dramatically constrained in their ability to ‘envision’
CALL pedagogy and affordances
–
a primary goal of this research. The author will
discuss the factors contributing to this lack of participant visioning ability along with a
critical assessment of the research methodologies used in this study. The impacts of
such inhibited visioning on research outcomes and buy-in to this and related studies will
be outlined. This will be followed by an exploration of proposed research methods for a
follow-up feasibility study to work more effectively with the teaching and learning
experiences of CALL-naïve research participants to define CALL visions and pedagogical
options.
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