1) What is the technology/ What does it do?
what: Jing is a basic tool to capture your screen for up to 5 minutes. It allows you to upload your video to a video e-portfolio screencast.com. Via this website, you got a link that can be sent to anywhere and also got a code used for embedding to web page or blog.
how: go to Jing, download it for free. After installing, it will appear at the central top of your screen. What you should do afterwards is choosing a scale you want and select capture image or video. Done!
2) Why is this particular tool or technology relevant to language learning? What approaches to language learning or research underpin the use of this technology?
As far as I am concerned, if this tool is used in a connected classroom (first raised by my tutor Russell Stannard), it is really a good 'shot' to lower anxiety. In detail, Ss can use it at home either receiving tutor's video feedback (assume it's negative), being less face-threatening, compared with receiving it in person; or pointed to the given feedback, Ss can record their own reflections and practice before sending, to their tutors without worrying about e.g. ineffective retrieval of vocabulary.
You might argue if your students is a group of people with high language proficiency, then there is no need for anxiety reduction. Might be WRONG. A study conduced by Onwuegbuzie et al (1999), found that there is no considerable relationship between the anxiety and language level. However, there is a negative correlation between anxiety and L2 performance. That is to say, all L2 learners are more or less influenced by language anxiety, from perspectives of input, processing and output (MacIntypre and Gurdner, 1991).
As with input, high anxiety will lead to problems of TL (Target Language) receiving and encoding. Krashen's effective filter (1982) can explain this idea. some of the information fails to entre the cognitive processing system, with high effective filter. In terms of processing, understanding L2 could be problematic, due to disorder of storing, organizing and assimilating L2. As to output, learners might use inappropriate vocabulary, wrong grammar or even can't respond when writing or speaking the L2.
BACK TO OUR JING, therefore, Jing is a great facilitator, which helps Ss charge themselves in the greenroom e.g. at home and facilitate them to performing well in the front-stage e.g. classroom.
3) How might you use it to foster language learning in class/outside class?
You can use it to give feedback on writing. You can send your feedback of a particular piece of Ss' work and send it via email to your Ss. Then, your students can also give their views about your feedback via the same way. This is really good form of feedback delivery that is friendly to Ss.
Firstly, by watching your video, they can look back and forth and repeatedly review the point they want. In that case, it avoids the embarrassment that Ss ask tutors for repetition more than once in face-to-face feedback tutorial. Secondly, Ss can mediate their language and organize their thoughts before sending tutors their opinions. On the one hand, this is a good way for students to get rid of anxiety. On the other hand, it is also a good chance to practicing speaking.
4) What limitations can you see with the use of this technology?
The time limit could be a big concern (5 mins)
References:
MacIntypre, P. D., and Gurdner, R. C. 1991. 'Language anxiety: Its relationship to other anxieties and to processing in native and second languages'. Language Learning 41: 513-534.
Onwuegbuzie, A. J., Bailey, P., and Daley, C. E. 1999. 'Factors associated with foreign language anxiety'. Applied Linguistics 20: 217-239.
If you like, you can check my JING Video, talking about my writing plans before the deadline:
http://www.screencast.com/t/tXmB2b4m2PR
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