Web 2.

0 technologies as
a Business English catalyst:
an overview

Cleve Miller - English360

What’s web 2.0?

How can web 2.0 help our students learn?

What’s English360? What are its goals?

 “It’s not the
technology.

It’s what you do with it.”

 social constructivism:
foundation for eclectic
approach
 Before Now
gram-tran, audio-lingual, cognitive social constructivist

process information construct meaning

product process

isolated social

memorize interpret, make sense

passive active

sage-on-stage guide-on-side

blank slate build on experience

habits, drilling communication

social constructivism:
foundation for eclectic approach

“now”

classroom tasks

“before”

learner brain

communicative approach

social constructivism
What’s web 2.0?

How can web 2.0 help our students learn?

What’s English360? What are its goals?

 Web 1.0
network of connected computers
 Web 1.0 Web 2.0
network of connected computers platform of connected people
 Web 1.0 Web 2.0
content produced by someone else content produced by the user
 Web 1.0 Web 2.0
content organized by someone else content organized by the user
 Web 1.0 Web 2.0
architecture of passive consumption architecture of active participation
 Web 1.0 Web 2.0
attempts to create walled gardens build value through open fields
 Web 1.0 Web 2.0
attempts to create walled gardens build value through open fields

Britannica Online Wikipedia

€ 51 per year Free

expert authors anyone is an author

123 errors (42 articles) 162 errors (42 articles)

20 x
larger
450 x the
traffic
Web 1.0 Web 2.0
download culture remix culture
 Web 1.0 Web 2.0
common denominator long tail
 Web 1.0 Web 2.0
common denominator long tail

The Long
Tail
# sold

Bestsellers Tiny Sellers

Web 1.0 Web 2.0
read-only read-write
Web 2.0: platform of connected people
summary

strong community,

shared experiences,

building things together for others to view and use
Definition of social constructivism
from the Moodle FAQ:

“strong community,

shared experiences,

building things together for others to view and use.”
What’s web 2.0?

How can web 2.0 help our students learn?

What’s English360? What are its goals?

 “It’s not the
technology.

It’s what you do with it.”

 Baber 2007

Dudeney and Hockly

2007

Sharma and Barrett 2007

 Web 1.0 Web 2.0
common denominator long tail

Use the long tail to deliver

personalized content to learners:

+ professional performance
+ personal interests
 Web 1.0 Web 2.0
architecture of passive consumption architecture of active participation

Use blogs, forums, and wikis to drive

meaning-based interaction
 Web 1.0 Web 2.0
content organized by someone else content organized by the user

Use radical personalization to power

“bottom up training” for corporate
programs
(emancipation from top-down training departments)

(emancipation from coursebooks)

social constructivism:
foundation for eclectic approach

“now”

classroom tasks

“before”

learner brain

communicative approach

social constructivism
real world
web 2.0 tasks
“now”

classroom tasks

“before”

learner brain

communicative approach

social constructivism
Pete Sharma and Barney
Barrett:

There are benefits to be gained when

these...are brought together in one
system...it is a unifier of tools...all under
one roof, with tools that have been
designed to work together and have the
same design ethos, both pedagogically
and visually. The effort in learning how to
use these tools is therefore much
reduced.
What’s web 2.0?

How can web 2.0 help our students learn?

What’s English360? What are its goals?

English360 goals

Integrated platform for web

2.0 tools applied to Business
English
English360 goals

“teacher-centric” / technology for

teachers
English360 goals

support classroom, blended and online

learning
English360 goals

based on social constructivist

learning theory
English360 goals

methodologically neutral,

not content driven,

not coursebook driven

English360 goals

provide collaborative
workspace

that focuses and aligns

energy of learning groups

English360 goals

provide potential for

personalization

and bottom-up program design

English360 goals

support performance-based
approaches and methods
English360 development pipeline

more content
contributors
forums, blogs,
wikis
more item
types
protocols, lesson
plans

e360 ARC

community of
commerce
Getting started: small in-company group

1. Create a Project (“BASF Group 3”)

2. Invite students as members, assign

NA

3. Design course, schedule classes

4. Search for, copy, modify, author

content
5. Manage results and performance
events
6. Ss: modify needs, Ts: adjust course -
repeat
Q&A