As educators we see many of our students in class every day with their smart devices. A great many of our students are connected. They may be what Prensky (2001) has aptly called, “digital natives,” or those who have been raised in an environment in which digital technology is ubiquitous. Educators in all fields are in a position to utilize this technology to help their students learn, discover, and create in ways that could not have been imagined just a few decades ago.
In the field of language teaching, technology has been integral since the beginnings of the field of applied linguistics in the early 1950s. The first type of technology experiencing widespread use in the context of language instruction was audio recordings. The use of audio recordings naturally complemented the accepted method of language instruction of the time, the audio-lingual method, which was characterized by listening to and repeating recorded phrases and sentences. Since the time of the audio-lingual method, both language pedagogy and its associated technology have undergone enormous transformations. Audio-recordings, although still frequently used, are no longer the cornerstone technology in the language classroom. Computer technology has brought with it programs developed to assist learners with not only their listening and speaking skills, but also their reading and writing skills. Although educational technology is now being used in all skill areas and levels of language learning, in the area of writing, ESL academic writing in particular, educational technology can and should be leveraged to promote learner understanding of both the fundamental and advanced elements of written academic discourse.
Educational technology can address several critical issues that concern the area of ESL academic writing instruction. The most significant of these issues facing ESL writers and writing instructors today is likely plagiarism. Although plagiarism has always to some degree been an issue in higher education in general, it is even more salient in ESL writing instruction possibly because of differing cultural views regarding the abstract notions of intellectual property and academic integrity (Russikoff et al., 2003; Lund, 2004). Robyler (2015) points out that instructors can utilize technology based solutions for issues such as teaching abstract concepts. The concept of plagiarism or stealing an idea is one that learners who are unfamiliar with the conventions of western academic discourse often times struggle with. Its abstract nature requires constant review and practice on the part of the learner. Given the ever-present time constraint on class time, it is neither practical or feasible to expect either the instructor or student to devote valuable class time to studying and reviewing plagiarism to the extent that is needed. This is where educational technology can be applied. Websites such as Plagiarism.org and programs such a Turnitin.com can enhance student understanding of plagiarism and even prevent it while saving in-class time for other more course-specific material. Turnitin.com, in addition, also increases instructor productivity and effectiveness by assisting in identifying plagiarism and increasing the turn around rate for graded work.
Many ESL language classrooms focus on a communicative approach to language learning. This approach finds its foundations in constructivist learning theories such as Vygotsky’s (1978) Zone of Proximal Development. Students learn through communication and co-construction of knowledge rather than through the standard teacher-led lecture. Educational technology can be utilized to facilitate the communicative approach to language learning both inside and outside of the classroom via online interaction and collaboration using shared cloud-based platforms such as Google Docs, threaded discussions offered through course management systems, social networking sites, and even simple presentation programs such as Power Point.
In the context of the ESL writing classroom, educational technology is indispensable. It addresses not only field-specific pedagogical issues but also issues such as plagiarism which affect the academic community at large. Moreover, it reinforces currently accepted language pedagogy by creating more opportunities for novel, engaging, and collaborative communicative language use. These are only two of the many possibilities that educational technology holds.
References
Lund, J. (2004). Plagiarism: A cultural perspective. Journal of Religious and Theological
Information, 6(3/4), pp. 93-101.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), pp.1-6.
Robyler, M. D. (2016). Integrating educational technology into teaching. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson.
Rusikoff, K., Fucaloro, L., & Salkauskiene, D. (2003). Plagiarism as a cross-cultural
phenomenon. The Cal Poly Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 16, pp. 109-120.
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