ABSTRACT:
This two-semester project will enhance and expand the level of innovative and technology-based instruction that occurs in RVCC’s ESL Computer Lab. Both the hardware and software in the lab were purchased through an ambitious grant program designed to bring state of the art computer assisted learning to the growing numbers of ESL students at the college. In Fall 2002, 4 full-time faculty and 8 of 18 adjuncts are teaching in the lab, and 17 sections of ESL include some lab instruction. However, instructors have not utilized the lab to its full capability, nor have we explored ways to incorporate lab instruction into all aspects of the academic ESL program. I surveyed adjunct instructors and found that most are reluctant to teach in the lab because of lack of training and lack of time to develop appropriate lesson plans. Moreover, even those who do teach in the lab are at times uncomfortable with the technology.

This project will address those gaps in the following ways: first, I will explore the under-used or never-used potential of the current software. This includes the authoring and student tracking capabilities of English Mastery, and the advanced modules of the Daedalus Writing Environment. Second, I will explore software options that will bring reading instruction into the lab, in addition to writing and grammar. With the help of Instructional Technology resources and staff members, we will develop an orientation package to help instructors make use of all these resources. Finally, I will work with others in Instructional Resources to develop a Teacher Resource link for the ESL web-page, containing instructions for specific software applications, an index correlating software to course learning objectives for the Reading/Writing and Grammar classes, and a compendium of best practices and lesson plans for the lab.

OUTCOMES:
In this project, I plan to investigate ways to enhance instruction through technology. Measurable outcomes will include the following:

PREVIOUS WORK:
I was a part of the initial team to implement technology in the ESL lab through the ELMS grant. As a part of that team, I explored many of the current software programs, and I taught several sections of ESL in the lab. I developed lab-based syllabi for ESL I and ESL II, which were included in the grant’s final report. In the spring of 2002, I was in the lab for ESL classes every day, and I have worked informally with other instructors to find ways to use the lab effectively in teaching. I have also worked to incorporate Pipeline into the syllabi for all my classes, with the result that my students at levels II, III, and IV are adept at using Pipeline to enhance their study of English. I am currently teaching in the lab 4 days a week, and I am working as a faculty liaison between MIS staff and the ESL lab assistants.

DISSEMINATION:
Applications of software, sample lessons, and correlation of lessons to course learning objectives will be made available on-line. In addition, I will schedule monthly training sessions with adjunct instructors to introduce software and interactive teaching methods in the lab. A recent of survey of adjuncts suggests that afternoon, evening, or Saturday sessions would be well-attended. I would also be available to mentor instructors who have little or no lab experience.

COURSE DEVELOPMENT:
This project does not involve redesigning a course. Rather, I propose to develop resources linked to the academic ESL reading/writing course objectives, which are currently under revision. Ultimately, this project should strengthen the technological component of ESL instruction for Reading and Writing, as well as offer a technological option for other ESL courses.

APPROACH TO TEACHING AND LEARNING:
I believe that teaching is “causing to learn” (as in Hebrew, where the verb “teach” is actually the causative form of the verb “learn”). I believe that responsibility on my part obtains whether I am in front of a whiteboard, sitting in a circle of desks, or working in a computer lab. After teaching for 3 years in the lab, I am convinced that technology does not teach; I do. I am also convinced that if I am willing to try new things with technology, my teaching can succeed in ways I had never imagined before. But the “labor” in laboratory falls to a great extent on the teacher: it takes time and energy to develop workable plans for teaching with computers. Without those plans, the lab becomes a center for individualized practice, but not for effective teaching. An accessible and organized web resource may offer a bridge to busy adjuncts and time-pressed instructors who would like to use the lab, but do not know where to begin.