Foreign Language eLearning System Platform for DLIFLC

Foreign Language eLearning System Platform for DLIFLC
By
Saif Ataya
Jones International University
EDU 654: Developing and implementing eLearning systems
Professor S. Moore
Term: August/2010
Foreign Language eLearning System Platform for DLIFLC


Abstract
The proposal plan is introducing an effective foreign language eLearning system platform for the DLIFLC endeavor to enhance language skills, evaluation, and emphasize real practice as well as to include providing useful tools for teaching and evaluating to improve results and student performance with competence in the target language effectively. Understanding the stakeholders’ needs is a priority to their success as well as the system to include a construction of knowledge, and perform with motivation to achieve the objectives along with mission of the students, instructors, and organizations’ with content intended to deliver to our students using cutting edge technology as well as instruction to maintain and enhance the student performance results, with faculty instruction tools keeping our organization as world class leaders in foreign language training.


Introduction
The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) has its’ mission to support the objectives of the U.S. Government and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) “To provide education, evaluation, sustainment, and support for DoD foreign language requirements worldwide.”(The DLIFLC. 2010) Investing in eLearning offers the DoD personnel a long term asset to bring success for their mission anywhere in the world by maintaining and sustaining their language needs using the system for providing 24/7 training, and evaluation to include instant needs as well as requirements when facing new challenges abroad. In addition to attaining connections to the student mother ship constantly with confidence brings motivation by knowing students can advance in their language training level after graduation at any time and any where they request.

Creating and developing the new eLearning system in support of the vision statement states, “The acknowledged leader in all aspects of culturally based foreign language education; DLIFLC is an innovative and continuously adapting organization, operating on the cutting edge of language instruction, research, and technology.” Clearly creating and developing the new system can be a substantial investment in language training effectively providing a vast majority of audience with material and content intended to deliver to our students based on cultures, engagements, along with evaluation by using technology with hands-on instruction to maintain and enhance student results and performance.
Understanding an online program presented in detail needs analysis with justification and a rationale of the plan to include a critical decision analysis for the DLIFLC’s readiness and adopting a plan platform along with the stakeholders’ involvement in addition to satisfying their concerns and needs, along with a rollout plan explaining the key indicators for a plan of success and accessibility of the eLearning system with regards to online cheating, copyrights, and policies to avoid any significant issues such as lawsuits or infringements along with the contextual factors that will influence the selection of an LMS in the platform setting for the primary reason to create language experts in all aspects and situations.

In addition to equip learners with the proficiency as well as competence to meet the present and future requirements for our security as well as to establish a greater relationship around the world by understanding other cultures as well as communicating using language skills to negotiate and think at the same level of other countries traditions and values as well as react, including gestures, idioms, religions, and other factors combined to improve along with developing language learning, “to teach the target language as a vehicle of active communication.” (The DLIFLC. 2010).
The eLearning system takes a priority to create strong partnerships with our stakeholders by introducing valuable system modules and training with minimal costs with a, “one-size-fits-all model imposed by the classroom” (JIU, 2010, Module 8, Theme 1¶2) Connecting real world activities can also reach student needs and expectations with dedications as well as commitment ensuring their success with the ability to interact and react in complex issues along with challenges they may encounter with easy methods to understand yet deliver with convenience, flexibility, and fun as well as to provide student needs individually in case by case instructions and resources that can be done in this system.

Needs Analysis for a Distance Program at DLIFLC
Justification and rationale for an online program:
Opportunities:
DLIFLC is responsible for providing foreign language training under the Defense Foreign Language Program (DFLP). The organizations’ vision, “is to be the acknowledged leader in foreign language education throughout DoD and the federal government.” (DLI.2010). DLI was created prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The school currently teaches 24 languages with more than 3,000 students are taught by about 1,700 civilian faculty and staff. The courses are between 24 weeks to 64 weeks in length for the most difficult languages like Arabic and Chinese. The DLI also offers transportable instruction teams to teach languages throughout the world. Students are adult learners coming from diverse government agencies primarily the DoD personnel to learn foreign languages with multiple factors to influence their learning ability from cultural background to attitudes, influence, schedules, terms, determination, and other tasks as well as duties besides attending class.

The ultimate goal of the DLIFLC is to create language experts in all aspects and situations to equip learners with the proficiency as well as competence to meet the present and future requirements for our security to establish a greater relationship around the world by understanding and communicating when using the power of the languages’ skills “to teach the target language as a vehicle of active communication.” (DLI.2010). In order to accomplish this goal, we have to “build in” real language training capability. We’ve also taken full advantage of technology from smart boards to iPods and other instruments to improve our student capabilities along with increased competence. Our language learning program also incorporates cultural training to provide additional context and understanding. Using a variety of technology tools, materials, and instructional methods including immersion training, students gain a better understanding with a sense of communication skills and are given the freedom to express, create, and debate to improve language skills. As fluency increases, students explore the rich literary of foreign language.

The e-learning speaking skill program will benefit our organization to achieve its’ goals, mission, and our learners’ ability and confidantes to have the opportunity to:

 Be immersed in this type of environment.
 Students can take language training classes if they will be deploying.
 Graduates from past years who have taken the language familiarization classes.
 Involving daily interaction with native instructors.
 Become flexible, confident, and adaptable to the environment.
 Creating an environment where culture and language are a part of our core capabilities.
 Focus on conversational topics such as cultural awareness, social/political, historical, and religious issues.
 Continuously improve their language skills.
 Focus on learning to be able to use it functionally.
 Emphasizing both culture and basic language.

Gap in learning:
The curriculum module provides a vast variety of topics and activities to improve the students’ language skills and provide basic knowledge as well as understanding in the target language activities with concrete levels. The organization can accomplish its’ mission in learning language capabilities to direct its key personnel to conduct language/cultural constant training and not leaving our graduates to their own initiative to learn. The lack of cultural awareness and the inability to speak the language in early stage made the transition very difficult, to include the lack of time is the major obstacle from allowing them to continue to progress in a timeline that is adjustable based on training schedules, deployments, and other family as well as job related responsibilities.
Why is an e-learning system the optimal choice versus any other technology (or non-technology) platform?
Language training is not only about learning words and phrases; the learning experience must include some learning about interacting, communication, exchanging ideas, learning about other factors such as culture, beliefs, and customs of the country.

The organization needs to push and expand language training from the lowest levels to advance by using e-learning advantages to identify individuals in early language training in their careers. In addition, I suggested that the organization identifies our learners for long term schooling with a follow up on the assignment to reinforce the language and culture. Injected cultural education and training into every level of professional military education is a fully supported language education for our troops to study a language, but to have the ability to use it with update information, “online course materials, once developed, are easy to update, providing students access to current information.” (JIU,EDU654). E-learning training will able learners to balance family with deployment rotations, and to allow them to learn and use the language all the time because another language is a perishable skill in “Use it or lose it.”

Foreign language training is an extremely important requirement for officers and soldiers who are in direct contact with foreign cultures for extended periods of time. In order to benefit their primary mission, we need to be able to expand our active learning and continuing education in supporting the organization’s graduate in the states and abroad by using distance learning, specifically e-learning. “Promote active learning and facilitates student’s intellectual involvement with the course contents” (JIU,EDU654) To satisfy the needs of students-instructor interacting, evaluation, assessment, meetings, workshop, or a combination of all, and the needs to take the next step forward in learning and teaching by employing an important resource of technology to improve the educational field. .

Critical Decisions
Organizational readiness:
The DLIFLC provides state of the art technology in class using computers, smart boards, digital cameras, iPhones, internet, websites, online courses, as well as other hardware, broadband, and software applications to support the system already in place. The propose project will provide meaningful practice with a purpose to support learning by engagement as well as “learning by doing” with motivation and encouragement. The organization is ready not only by providing technology in the workplace but also faculty and IT staffs to improve learning environments, eLearning systems, and to bring methodology along with theories into practice with real world activities by using eLearning and moving forward in supporting creativity as well as implementing all tools needed to enhance teaching and learning a foreign language.

Funding and sustainability over time:
The (DLIFLC) has its’ mission to support and, “to provide education, evaluation, sustainment, and support for DoD foreign language requirements worldwide.” (DLIFLC-2010.) By implementing eLearning using visual interaction activities for maximum efficiency allowing the flow of conversation, the faculty’s responsibility is to participate and sustain the program for long-term in class as well as outside of class activities with the sharing of knowledge, and new ideas in collaborative environments. Designing the budget plan is critical to analyzing the cost verses benefit to ensure and measure success reflection along with the positive outcome that will enhance the best of the class learning and the use of technology that the organization has already provided. It is in need of a technology specialist to maintain, train, upgrade, and support to determine how well the use of technology is, what type, as well as the competence level to serve educators and students. Fortunately professional IT specialists are in our organization standing by to maintain and support the program with a minimal funding that our department continually will support and develop overtime. To present the program’s master plan and funding is in need for approval which can take time and a process through the management and chain of commands.

Purchase off-the-shelf, use open source, or proprietary:
The system is already in place, so there is no need to add networking or software seeing as there is proprietary systems such as the Blackboard and Transparent/SOFT programs with updates as well as creativity to develop and expand in feeding the purpose along with the need of learners. The organization’s IT infrastructure will be involved for improving the systems and technical maintenance, the propose program is based on some factors such as the number of enrolled students, faculty participation, and course materials to be developed. The current system is used for our students that are prior to graduating to monitor their achievements, evaluations, and tests. The project will add an additional use of the system to include students with a basic language course and after graduation programs, sharing, and participation, along with exchanging the student’s ideas as well as communication with students from basic courses to advance with instructor monitoring, feedback, as well as guidelines with flexibility to adjust accordantly.

Host or not host:
The current hosting service does provide this capability and is managed by an external service provider which does not need additional service and requirements for this model. The system runs on hardware that is owned and maintained by the external vendor contracted with the DoD (Department of Defense), the organization has a lot of multimedia assets along with capabilities with a server that manages such multimedia, video, recordings as well as live interaction.

E-Learning Platform
By allowing learners to live, act and react in face-to-face interactions with real situations to employ evaluating techniques including interviews, data collection, rating scales, analyzing, as well as proficiency language assessments with comparisons and observations using combinations of activities applying eLearning in visual models to engage participants into meaningful practices along with reality checks of what can and cannot be done in a language proficiency.

The plan (the hardware and the software):
1. Computer,166 Mhz PC or better ,32 Mg of RAM 28.8 baud modem
2. Web cam.
3. Microphone.
4. Speaker. Software:
5. Audio Recording.
6. Video Production.
7. Video Upload.
8. Test/Survey Design.
Related need requirements: 1. Internet service. 2. Internet Explorer. 3. Email Address.
1. Windows 98 or better. 2. Microsoft, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. 3. PDF. 4. Private Portal.

4. Account with username and password. Why is each one important? What does each one facilitate? 1. To elevate student levels in speaking skills. 2. Instructors need to be facilitators with the guidance and recommendations to not lose students when they use technology tools. 3. To serve the students needs’ with blended tools as well as styles in school and after graduation. 4. As a resource and instrument to students and instructors, influencing, along with supporting their learning and teaching with different styles as well as methods in a fast paced educational technological environment. 5. Establishing long-term, active teaching and learning. 6. To translate what we learn into practice and meaningful tasks.

How will the parts of the platform interface with each other?
1. Students will be able to search the organizations’ website. 2. Click the organization portal. 3. Log-in by using the username and password. 4.Students will be able to check, e-mail, messages, teacher-student comments, suggestions, course syllabus, schedule, and course materials to include authentic material such as video, audio, movies and other suggested and required materials. 5. Explore creativity and live communication with feedback. 6. Learning by patterns, as well as step by step instruction that will allow learners to use what they learned from training and experiencing to inject a new idea and information in providing to learners and advancing them to another level. 7. Teachers must ensure active learning.

Teachers principle is to seek, develop, and create online long term learning models to benefit our organization, with further comments and input to refine this model. The system is designed to make learning with a fun, visual and video, along with students putting input with flexibility and convenience. The current system does not offer all of that except scheduling to communicate with a specific instructor without additional needs that will be offered in this system. The system will have video as well as audio recording including student records in speaking skills from day one to see how well his/her has language developed.

Stakeholder Involvement
The key opinion leaders:
It is essential to implement this model with the support and approval of the organizations’ management as well as leaders. The key opinion leaders would be our chain of commands starting with the direct chairperson, dean, faculty development, provost and the commandant. Stakeholders with constant search of eLearning systems are to improve future DLIFLC results in DLPT5 and OPI tests and students advanced in functional foreign language are to reduce barriers and issues to accomplish the DLIFLCs’ success in the nation as well as globally.
The need of new ideas using eLearning is an essential tool that you can use to improve learning and elevate the levels along with skills. Deciding needs and concerns depends on several facts as well as processes. However, the most important factor is the students’ specific needs and concerns to satisfy their job requirements along with their missions needs. The key stakeholders students as well as postgraduate students need to involve themselves in the system constantly and follow-up on their own needs, recommendations, and challenges they may encounter along with new requirements in their job that can be in a common practice. Realizing a gap of the profession requires a change by identifying student needs rather than the needs of individual educational professors or management.
.

Stages of Concern:
Stage of Concern questionnaires has stages ranging from Stage 0 (Awareness), Stage 1 (Information), Stage 2 (Personal), Stage 3 (Management), Stage 4 (Consequence), Stage 5 (Collaboration), and Stage 6 (Refocusing) (Moore, 2010.)
Stage 6 Refocusing: The individual’s concern is in search of a new change to execute.
Stage 5 Collaboration:The faculty member’s main concern is how to make the program work better by actively working on it with colleagues and students.

Stage 5 Collaboration: “How can I relate what I am doing to what others are doing?” The concern is how to make the model improve by actively running with colleagues.

Stage 4 Consequences: “How is my use affecting learners, how can I refine it to have more of an impact?” The concern is how they will influence students or how the faculty member can make the program work for their learners.

Stage 3 Management: “I seem to be spending all my time getting materials ready.” The concern is about the management, scheduling, material approval, enrolment, and funding.

Stage 2 Personal: “How will using it affect me?” The concern is how this program will influence the member on a personal stage.

Stage 1 Informational: “I would like to know more about it.” The faculty member and students will need more information.

Stage 0 Awareness: “I am not concerned about it.” The faculty and students may not be aware of the change being planned or have no desire to learn it.

Table 1: Stakeholder and Activities Stakeholders Activities Data Needed Communication Channels Timeframe Students Access to information Feedback, assessments, collaboration and role plays.
Curriculums, progress and other related data. Open door policy to instructors and chain of commands. Meetings, phones, emails and in person. Weekly or daily if needed. Chairperson Observe advancement with suggestions and needs.Weekly agenda.Meetings, telephone, and email.

Relative advantage does it appear to offer some sort of advantage over current tools or practice Makes work harder or more complex Will require some modifications, no clear or immediate advantage Some slight advantages for efficiency effectiveness Immediately obvious that this will improve work or outcomes Compatibility
how well does the innovation mesh with adopters’ Clashes sharply with values or detracts Some people value it, but most see it as problematic.

It appears to meet some needs and doesn’t It meets a critical need and is strongly aligned with community perceived needs or values from mission and vision conflict with values or organizational values Complexity difficulty in understanding the innovation will slow the diffusion process Will require a lot of information and training and still not ensure ideal adoption; could lead to inadvertent bad practices Requires information and training but could be implemented well after such training Requires some information and training but not much Is immediately obvious how to use and supports ideal use from the beginning Trialability can adopters try the innovation in phases (e.g. pilot studies) to adopt it over time
Plan for Change
Evaluating Adoption of the E-learning System over time:
Successful Adoption
Successful adoption of the eLearning program is when instructors and students participate and enroll 100% to improve knowledge to our students of using functional communication capabilities, step by step procedures, as well as provide awareness in expectations of language skills and evaluations that can be essential to all DLIFLC instructors along with students to achieve higher results on the DLPT5 and OPI final exams.
The training setting will be delivered to groups of language instructors on the job site, class, or anywhere in the world. The size will consist of one to two learners using student-centered activities and role play. Record needs to all learners and online signup sheets must be provided for certification as a mandatory requirement to enforce as well as ensure training as a part of the faculty development department in the organization.
Proof of success when all students participate with faculty including the leaders’ support that can enhance the learners’ fluency and performance in their job as well as the final test, successful adoption will:
1. Improve the language fluency level and test results.
2. Provide flexible learning options.
3. Reduce cost.
4. Save time and materials.
5. Serve different learners with specific needs.
6. Increase learner enrolment.
7. Produce useful and authentic materials.
8. Implement evaluation standards.
9. Accessibility as well as reusability with the least effort.

Determining successful adoption:
The technology interaction-based model: Using computer, with organization and trainer materials as well as video, with technology in the training by employing all language skills to practice using evaluation methods, formal formats, along with rubrics to develop learning plans.
Consistency: Training will be conducted in class and or face to face activities.
Timing: The will be no training on weekends and holidays, and no overtime is acquired. Scheduling and signups will be three weeks prior to the actual class.
Content and Learning: Understanding the language evaluations, assessments transitions, along with OPI steps (Oral Proficiency Interview) are needed to be considered.
Support: The organization’s chain of commands is a major factor to approve and support training. The training will need to go through the chairperson to the dean of the school.
Weekly meeting: To discuss the agenda and new information with a sharing experience.
End of course survey: Feedback as well as comments will be considered to improve the system.
Design: Updated design and simplicity with fun can improve the system. The eLearning system would be used as a tool to improve learning but not educational adoption, and will need constant participation, coaching learners not only by accessing and browsing information, however using materials available as well. In addition, the instructors’ knowledge and experience is needed to provide the right and updated material considering his/her learners’ learning styles.

Gathering Data and Information:
Measurable techniques with understanding the language evaluation, assessments transitions, as well as requirements in the training needs to be considered, using materials that are developed and designed by the trainer’s and or by the organization with the guideline of the ILR (Interagency Language Roundtable.) Trainer expertise with blended learning methods along with styles will play a major role to enforce learning to include interviews and surveys. Performance

Support Plan
The search for best results and performance to support an eLearning system at the end of the day is to benefit the students as well as the organization. The eLearning system is a enormous proposal with crucial development and promising tools to improve, maintain, expand organization, and the students’ potential needs. It is vital in early stages of identifying sets of barriers or support for the desired performance plan depending on the numerous facts associated to job requirements and missions to include organization’s structure along with personnel that can affect the program, “Conversely, if you hire a lot of multimedia developers or graphic artists, you will likely have a lot of beautifully designed pieces that aren t as technically sophisticated as you want them to be or that are disconnected and lack a system to pull them together.” (JIU, 2010. EDU654. Module 4, Theme4 ¶ 4).

For complete shaping descriptions and expectations of performance support plans by using the following questions are:
a. What policies will impact your system or may be needed to change in supporting it?
Depending on the needs and requests of specific learning populations, management, staff, and Technical Support, the system requires self-paced eLearning. The content requires compliance with DoD standards and the organization’s guidelines needed to operate with specific systems and models with certain delivery as well as access with a number of complications mostly from workplace.

b. What resources and tools are available or have to be acquired?
The system will be available 24/7. Students need to work on:
 Desktop or laptop operating systems: Windows 2000, XP, 7, and Vista.
 Minimum of 56K connection, at least a LAN, ISDN, DSL, or Cable Modem connection.
 At least 512 MB recommended.
 Minimum Processor: P3 800 MHz.
 Browser plug-in: Flash Player 9 or later.
 Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0 or later.
 Microphone, headphones and webcam.
 Scheduling time in course with starting and ending sessions.
 Qualified hands on instructors.
 Completion status, feedback, along with assessment.
 Upgrades and regular maintenance are needed to be considered with the DLIFLC hosting support services that provide help services to secure data, resources, and records if experience of a system failure.
c. Will any job descriptions have to change to include expectations related to the eLearning initiative?
Future instructors’ job descriptions and qualifications have to modify as well as expectations related to the eLearning initiative to include IT support and involvement as a part of their daily job requirements with few change to scheduling and responsibility . The system designs to support the students’ performance and success, instructors are needed to be able to employ multiple techniques including interviews, data collection, rating scales, tests, and proficiency language assessments with comparisons as well as observations using combinations of activities, technology, and real life situations with authentic materials to engage participants into meaningful practice along with reality checks of what can and cannot be done in language proficiency.

d. What rewards or incentives are in place to support this?
The finest incentive and rewards are when eLearning program meet learning objectives, visions and the mission of our organization, maintain and enhance students’ language skills throughout real life tasks engagement and activities as well as any future language concerns, in addition to improve efficiency and productivity. Instructors also can incorporated traditional classroom into on-line classes using technology with increase of training and needs to conduct and perform instruction with technology integration that can change teacher attitude towards eLearning and move organization productivity forwards. Certificate of completion and teacher’s recognition as well as awards are may needed but not obligatory as motivations and encouragement.

Rollout Plan and Staffing Plan
There is planning, preparation, and factors that should be considered when rolling out the eLearning system. The plan can simply be placed to serve our organization as soon as obtaining the management, provost, and commands’ approval.
In the fall of 2010, the project can be put together and a plan of work is needed to consider the following factors:
1. The plan overview.
2. Course master plan.
Foreign Language eLearning System Platform for DLIFLC 22
3. Technology and system requirements.
4. Management, faculty, and staff are needed to be involved.
5. Place and scheduled time as well as faculty.
6. Training.
7. Budget.

In spring of 2011, the starting point will be considered to implement the plan into action and start rolling. One team will be developed from current team leaders to manage their faculty to schedule online speaking tasks with their students in and out school. The first language skills can be used in speaking abilities with live student-instructor interaction with current students in and out of class activities.
Training faculty team leaders and faculty will be held in a 2-5 days work shop. The process and knowledge to introduce the OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview) and DA (Diagnostic Assessments), is to employ the training into class along with teaching plans in ensuring the right practice as well as learning processes with a short training opportunity.
Workshops to advance necessary practices using the system and using efficient rating scales as well as checklists to produce effective reliable valid, and fair evaluation in speaking foreign languages to employ evaluating techniques including interviews, data collection, rating scales, analyzing, as well as proficiency language assessments with comparisons and observations using combinations of activities, along with engaging participants into meaningful practices.

In the summer of 2011, the plan can be expanded from current students to schedule our former graduate students who need to improve their performance in speaking and for speaking diagnostic assessments with 24/7 scheduling as well as timing, considering the global time zone difference. Creating one team from our faculty will be used to manage enrollment, schedules, students, and faculty with weekly briefing tasks, development, activities, and achievements.
In spring 2012, the time to move the plan forward in using the system to a full-scale improvement in teaching and learning foreign languages is employing all language skills (speaking, listening and reading), models, materials, along with resources to improve future DLIFLC results in DLPT5 tests and student advancement in a functional foreign language effectively to deal with efficiency in reducing barriers as well as issues to ensure the DLIFLCs’ success in the nation and globally.
Table 1: Rollout Plan. Phase Activities Expected timeframe Plan requirement and preparations.  Build network of the plan.  Communicate with faculty development and leadership.  Present and establish the goal along with objective of the program.  Establish timeline and resources by e-mail, meetings, briefing, as well as presentations.  Approval of the plan. October 2010 Design  Develop program content.  Design multiple templates with a professional yet fun look.  Activities with multimedia consideration need to include colors, images, and fonts for implementation. First week of April 2011. Blueprint  Finalize template improvements and corrections.  Adapt requirements.  Document local requirements and processes.  Final configuration is based on the organization requirements.  Approval. Third week of April 2011. Pilot Test  Set up test plan.  Apply standard test processes.  Assign testers.  Perform tests.  Collect test packages. First week of May 2011.

Training workshop  Setup professional training.  Assign roles, duties, and responsibilities to faculty team members.  Feedback and resources. Third week of May 2011. Management  Ensure the managers tasks and support. Fourth week of May 2011. Final setup  Create, develop, and prepare eLearning materials.  Categorize/classify materials.  Prepare eLearning materials for students. First week of June 2011. Delivery  Execute the project.  Distribute eLearning materials to students. Second week of June 2011. Feedback and evaluation.  Implement and collect feedback by surveys as well as interviews.  Analyze eLearning results & feedback. First week of July 2011. Modify  Apply developments and enhancement with faculty as well as students.  All material and records are automatically archived.  Adapt template to updated specific needs and processes. Fourth week of July 2011.

The system development and management team from the organization’s faculty as well as staff consists of six faculty team leaders to manage and supervise, twelve faculty members as a tester/instructor to develop and collect material along with resources among the support of two faculty development, two IT supporters, in addition to one web designer. Identifying every one of the issues and challenges from all thoughts along with comments to improve the system depends on the needs with continuing development. “Continuous improvement is a fundamental tenet of the performance support and improvement models” (JIU, 2010. EDU654. Module 4, Theme2 ¶ 2).

Addressing Online Cheating
“Cheating can largely be addressed as undesirable behavior that results from the system design.” (JIU, 2010. EDU654. Module 5, Theme5 ¶3.) Fortunately the system design will not be an issue addressing online cheating. The program ultimately tends to increase the learners’ communication skills to express, create, and debate in improving the languages’ speaking skills visually along with face to face focusing on fluency with cultural factors. As a matter of fact, the system will allow students to learn vocabulary, sentences, and paragraphs from the news or other resources to practice with confidence as well as use all available materials to improve their language skills.

Policies and procedures already exist to handle cases of cheating, every student and faculty member is required to attend courses and workshops in ethics, cheating, and so forth annually must present a certificate of completion to their supervisors. Handling cases of cheating depends on the case by case, particularly in a formal test or (OPI) interview which will be used in the program. Learners understand the consequences of cheating and can lose their job as well as career. Before any official interview using the system, the instructor is required to read the rules and regulations of the test including cheating. Assessment Activities and Key Indicators of Success
The project presents learning factors with efficient rating scales, and checklists to ensure validity, reliability, as well as fairness. Using multiple ratings along with assessment methods to evaluate speaking skills in real practice and communication effectively promotes the needs of learners also increasing scoring and updating skills to maximize new knowledge to seeking better test results. The system allows learners to live, as well as act and react in face-to-face interactions considering real situations with engagements, and complicated issues. In evaluating techniques using interviews, data collection, rating scales, analyzing, and proficiency language assessments along with observations using combinations of activities through authentic materials to engage participants into meaningful practices and reality checks of what can and cannot be done in language proficiencies.

The evaluation plan is based on tasks and topics to evaluate learners in foreign language skills to ultimately focus on the speaking area and will gradually expand to reading and listening skills. The activities elevated increasingly from basic foundations of warm-up processes, in order to give the instructor a clear starting point of student levels with self and quick assessment to develop tasks according to the information collected, with constructive feedback on the performance and progress with the aim to evaluate the learners’ strengths and weaknesses to improve foreign language speaking.

Formative and summative evaluations will be present in the eLearning system to measure the students, instructors, program, curriculum, and skills related at the end of the course to measure how the learners demonstrate as well as understand the skills acquired using numerous methods and data collections such as tests, interviews, questionnaires, along with surveys in order to determine the objectives and goals that have been met.
The ILR (Interagency Language Roundtable) provides guiding, measurements, and scoring criteria that the rater can use to evaluate and enhance the quality of class activities or in the test to ensure evaluation objectives. Summative assessment tasks commonly are at the end of the chapter, course, or final test. An example in speaking activities initiate with basic information accumulated from learners and is collected throughout the evaluation such as:

 Collecting basic information from learners.
 Questioning and responses.
 Role-play with authentic practice and activities.
 Concrete tasks.
 Highest level tasks.
 Level checks.
Formative assessment is a process that can be used to improve the students’ skills and knowledge based on daily practices to include learning activities with ongoing exercises. Teachers, as facilitators, are to provide instructions and guidance requirements doing the tasks to allow the students’ creativity as well as critical thinking to do the tasks with the right practices and right activities, followed by feedback along with assessments to modify, revise, and refine learners on the spot to drive into next steps of action.

Relative Emphasis:
 Student’s participation and feedback to each other’s with the trainers’ input.
 Sharing and exchanges ideas.
 Learner’s engagement and participation in class activities.
 Homework.
 Communications and discussions in pairs or groups.
 Cultural awareness and understanding in a classroom practice.
 Questioning, quizzes, brainstorming and responses.
 Teachers’ feedback, instructions and recommendations day-to-day.

The authenticity of assessments using real world practice and activities used by the system are the core of measuring language skills, communications, including role-play tasks that can provide better understanding in the learner’s performance. Applying a variety of assessment techniques are required and mandatory to ensure learning to decide the level that the learners are at and grades with analyses and feedback. It is crucial in the learning climate, specifically in teaching foreign languages to employ formative and summative in order to measure the progress and achievements in the learning process that should be based on learning objectives as well as goals.

Holistic and analytic: Giving detailed comments within the overall evaluation provides scoring points and behavioral criteria for each topic based on responses along with performance characteristics, and quality including the ability to perform as well as maintain the task such as pronunciation, grammar, narration, competence, coherence, confidence, and other relevant information as one entity. Holistic scoring methods will serve each level and benefit the tester to establish basic understanding and explore higher leveled topics. Analytic scoring rubrics are required scoring in each task and component independently focusing on detailed performance elements to take a longer time than the holistic method.

Assessment instruments body of the evaluation present in eLearning system:

 ILR (Interagency Language Roundtable) measurement scales.
 Proficiency test rubric.
 OPI Chart (Oral Proficiency Interview)
 Levels rubric. The key indicators of success: Various benefits can be accomplish by using eLearning systems with center of attention on students’ success to achieve mission requires for the job, instructors using assessment tools with supportive resources will be used on the system can be available to give key instruction along with rating techniques,  The system offers learning opportunities to practice and or to evaluate a participants’ speaking language skills by ILR scales from DLI’s diagnostic profile in speaking skills that students and instructors cannot do without it.

 Enhances and enforces the teachers’ responsibility, clarity, as well as promote the potential improvement and instructional goals and can impact their future teaching and promotions to include moving up within DoD and eventfully increase salary.  Advances the students’ standards, cultural awareness, and expectations, with professional feedback to increase satisfactory that students cannot achieve prior to this program.  Improve students test results and achieve objectives.  Introduce what they can expect in real life practice with complications to expand their knowledge and skills to fulfill their success in performing well in their jobs.  The programs’ technological infrastructure will reduce technology maintenance and management cost by using students computers and other tools need.  Satisfy the needs of the organization that can take place in our class with minimal cost formulas needed to justify the eLearning which is designed to improve the learners’ and faculty inputs; productivity in final result is to rationalize the investments’ need to identify tangible benefits. Accessibility Planning

Universal design:
Internet and eLearning has become a major part of the society along with other technological innovations. Universal design/accessibility is needed to take into consideration the members of people challenged with imperfect physical accessibility to ensure compliance with section 508 act requirements. Designing high-quality web templates and courses are not only a compliance with section 508, as a legal requirement with disabilities to access information, online resources, and knowledge, but also toward benefiting the site/program with regards to learning styles along with instructional techniques to reach out to the diversity of users regardless of their level of ability or disability.
Designs should incorporate the basis and principles of the universal design to include “Equitable use, flexibility in use, simple and intuitive use, perceptible information, tolerance for error, low physical effort, and size and space for approach and use” theme2 8. (JIU, 2010. EDU654. Module 6, Theme2 ¶8.) Adapting these principles into eLearning systems is a critical practice with accessible, flexible, and uncomplicated learning opportunities effectively to a vast audience that can impact the success of the program.

Accessibility:
The organizations’ standards and guidance related to web/eLearning practices that require all developers complied with ethics codes and the section 508 act is mandatory to advance learning experiences as well as accomplish its’ mission through accessibility by creating documents and content with easy to access to simplicity, and not rely on specific hardware or complications as well as availability to almost all browsing devices and to nearly all users.
Using the organizations’ existing technology infrastructure and networks that can offer instructional along with learning materials in accessible digital formats makes materials accessible to all students and incorporates universal design strategies into digital learning resources with a variety of formats, and contents including audio, video, and accessible internet pages, addresses the need for foreign language attainment. Multiple methods and strategies of instruction a used orally, visually and in writing formats as well as speaking the entire content louder only if requested, and the questions can be repeated more than once. Presenting information in order of plain, calm, along with polite tones allows opportunities for addressing particular concerns or questions. Designing accessibility to the project is a necessity that complies with section 508 and the organizations’ regulations approve by faculty development and the dean of department with recommendations and approval, by doing that professionally can save time and effort along with less complexity as well as reducing the cost of modifying the infrastructure after a rollout.

E-Learning Plan Policies
Copyright and intellectual property for the organization:

The DLIFLC language materials, curriculums, and resources to be used by students and instructors are available by the website to present the learning/teaching tools. The system should be protected, using government computer systems to include personal as well as private information with software programs determining technical designs and related system performances or problem areas. The system will prevent unauthorized users from accessing the course materials and will be controlled by usernames and passwords as a property of the organization. It will be protected under its’ policy and copyright as stated, “Unauthorized attempts to upload information or change information on this service are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act.” (DLIFLC.2010).

The online courses’ learning and instruction materials prevents users from giving course content to others such as the protector s printing controls can limit the number of prints that can be made, the protector subscription license, and own-server licenses are available. Course policies refer in the system, posting detailed policy documents in a prominent section of the course site such as course policy, an intellectual property rights policy and permission to use statements as well as copyright notices that are attached to the work and the statement addresses cheating and plagiarism giving the rules and the penalties related with violating these rules. An intellectual property rights policy helps students be aware of what and what no to do to avoid the unacceptable use of the intellectual property rights of others that can be easy to attain by using work produced by others that can violate their rights to this work. Resources and material to develop the system comply with copyright and references that place everything obtained from the Web such as images, text, videos, audio, books, publications, and further resources. Posting detailed policy statements will save time, provide protection, and benefit each person concerned.

External impact of the program:
The eLearning speaking skills program will benefit our organization to achieve its’ goals and mission by student language enhancement with online training along with evaluation, in addition to our learners’ ability to have the opportunity by using, engaging, and practicing with live immersion learning environments with the opportunities to exercise the language in closer real life situations as well as provide students not only basic language practice but also presenting cultural awareness effectively with varieties of settings leading to student success as well as the organization objectives.

The programs’ fundamental impact at all organizational levels changes roles and functions by using practical learning environments with interactive and engaging materials. Integrated online information tools help learning environments and changes teaching as well as learning structure roles, skills, and practice in the course of long term learning in context or through problem solving by leading to increase participation as well as reducing future costs.
The system design is a choice of tools with total isolation from the English language fully focusing on the target language to produce, address, as well as deliver the needs of our students to involve a realistic environment and interact continually required while in training. Pre-deployment and deployment includes the significant value of resources to the nation’s defense by providing vital support to help our troops in field needs as well understanding other religions, cultures, economies, and social issues along with geo-political climates of the mother land language on a more profound level. The systems’ online learning program wills incessantly by assessing new ways to enhance the students’ language learning skills as well as experiences. Moreover it is a way by using the next step of learning with the digital world through originality and future expansion within the program as language training is entirely incorporated into a central component of the professional military linguist’s training.
.
References:
Defense Language Institute. Retrieved January 25, 2010 from http://www.dliflc.edu/Academics/academic_affairs/dli_catalog/mission.htm

Defense Language Institute. Retrieved August 16, 2010 from http://www.dliflc.edu/Privacy.htm1

JIU. EDU654(2010). Developing and Implementing e-Learning Systems (custom text), Internet-Based Distance Education, Chapter 1 (pp.9-10.) Person Learning Solution. Boston, MA.

Jones International University (2010). EDU654: Developing and Implementing e-Learning Systems, Module 6, Theme2. Accessibility as a Design Ethic. Retrieved August 14, 2010, from http://www.courses.jonesinternational.edu.

Jones International University (2010). EDU654: Developing and Implementing e-Learning Systems, Module 4, Theme2. Performance Support Systems-Systemic Planning. Retrieved July 31, 2010, from http://www.courses.jonesinternational.edu.

Jones International University (2010). EDU654: Developing and Implementing e-Learning Systems, Module 5, Theme5. To Proctor or Not to Proctor: Concerns over e-Cheating. Retrieved July 31, 2010, from http://www.courses.jonesinternational.edu.

Jones International University (2010). EDU654: Developing and Implementing e-Learning Systems, Module 4, Theme1. Performance Support Systems-Systemic Planning. Retrieved July 31, 2010, from http://www.courses.jonesinternational.edu.

Jones International University (2010). EDU654: Developing and Implementing e-Learning Systems, Module 4, Theme4. Staff Plan- Who Is Going to Support All This. Retrieved July 31, 2010, from http://www.courses.jonesinternational.edu.

Jones International University (2010). EDU654: Developing and Implementing e-Learning Systems, Module 8, Theme1: Gaining Support for a New System. Retrieved August 26, 2010, from http://www.courses.jonesinternational.edu.

Moore, S. (2010). Developing and Implementing e-Learning Systems. Retrieved July 22, 2010, from http://www.jiu.edu.
.
E-Learning opportunities
e-learning
Student-Instructor Activity
Resources
Coaching
Assignments
Evaluation


Foreign Language eLearning System Platform for DLIFLC
By
Saif Ataya
Jones International University
Dr. S. Moore
Term: August/2010

Rate the article
Bad	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Very good
Result : 61%							Participated in the vote : 16