DOI: 10.5176/2251-3566_L312108
Authors: Esther Smidt, James Schumann, Karen Clement, Jesse Greenleaf, Mandy Nelson, Nhon Dang, Laura Funke and Youssouf Magassouba
Abstract: The involvement of institutions of higher learning in distance education has increased dramatically in the last decade. However, there is still room for participation in distance education at the programmatic level, including participation by language teacher education programs. One of the most important decisions made by universities seeking to offer online courses is the choice of a course management system (CMS), and in a field that emphasizes student-centered learning, it is important to study the affordances of a CMS for such student-centered learning. The CMS affordances in this study were analyzed through the RAT framework, which categorizes use of technology into replacement, amplification, and transformation. This paper focuses on the data obtained from one of nine professors identified as integrating technology in exemplary ways in his totally online graduate level education course at a Midwestern US university. Data sources included a pre-interview, observation field notes, and a post-interview. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted. Preliminary findings suggest that most CMS affordances fell within the amplification category with some affordances having the potential for transformation. There were also instances of the replacement use of technology but none of the transformative use of technology. This paper ends with implications for language teacher education.
Keywords: course management system; CMS; learning management system; LMS; Desire2Learn; D2L; RAT Framework; replacement; amplification; transformation; distance education; online learning; language teacher education
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