Assessment information
Essay (2500 words), Portfolio (equivalent to 1500 words)
At the end of the module, you will submit a 2500-word written assignment and, in addition, a portfolio of
materials from a range of media, accompanied by lesson plans, designed for particular language teaching
and learning purposes (equivalent to 1500 words). The written part of the assignment relates to learning
outcome (LO) 1 and learning outcome (LO) 2. The practical (portfolio) part relates more closely to LO2.
LO1. Students will gain knowledge about theoretical perspectives underpinning the use of
technology for language learning and teaching.
LO2. They will also gain knowledge of a range of digital tools that may be used to support language
learning and teaching.
The portfolio will demonstrate the skills you have developed during the module. It should contain examples
of different uses of digital technology for language education, as illustrated and practised in the sessions,
together with a brief lesson plan including the use of these digital tools. These uses of technology will take
the form of materials and activities for language lessons for one particular group of students you might have
taught or might teach in the future.
Some examples: an activity which explores resources on the web; an activity designed around an audio
recording you have made; a game designed using authoring software; use of photography or video for
teaching; a blog set up for language learners; a role-play activity for online learning using digitally-mediated
communication; activities developed from language corpora; etc.
The accompanying essay should:
1. Contextualise the materials and activities you have designed, by describing for example, who the
students are, what their language proficiency is, and what their learning purposes are. These might be
students in a class you have taught in the past or may teach in the future.
2. Discuss possible advantages and possible problems of using digital technology in language teaching,
with close reference to the context for which you have developed your materials and activities.
3. Give a detailed rationale for your approach to teaching for your lesson plan, including
a. an explanation of why and how you have chosen and designed your materials/activities that
demonstrate the uses of digital technology.
b. an explanation of why each set of materials would be effective in promoting language
development in your lesson.
These should be described and supported with reference to your reading and theories of language and
learning as appropriate that we have covered in sessions of the module.
You will have the opportunity of a mid-semester assignment tutorial (Week 7). A session at the end of the
module (Week 11) will be devoted to providing drop-in assignment tutorials about your plan for your
assignment. To make the tutorials productive, you need to submit your assignment outlines by 6th December to Minerva including:
one page of outline: e.g. targeted learner group, teaching objectives and digital tools, theories that
support your lesson design, etc. one page of portfolio materials: the tasks you design for your lesson
three questions you wish to ask
Students need to submit the Essay and Portfolio as one assignment, which will be marked as one piece of
work (100%)
Assignment tutorial 1: Week 6, w/b 06 November 2023 (time and venue to be decided)
