Using Amathuba for teaching in-class and between classes

Dr Gwyndolen Ortner
"I do in-class teaching using Amathuba, with embedded audio, texts linked to textbook and my course slides. Students get the feel that what happens in the class is part of the course site, and then they can move seamlessly from class to home to continue learning and do their own reading."

ABOUT THE COURSE

  • First-year German Studies course in the Humanities faculty;
  • Class size: 15-40 students (offered in First and Second semester and Winter Term);
  • Session types: Language and topics (lecture), Text work (lecture), Language lab (independent); Conversation class (tutorial);
  • Language learning modalities: listening, reading, speaking, and writing.

ENABLE APPLIED

Gwyn Ortner’s approach to responsive teaching and online engagement is exemplified by her innovative use of the Amathuba course site showing how she leverages both online and in-person elements to create a responsive and engaging learning environment that addresses diverse student needs and learning styles.

Responsive teaching is an approach that tailors teaching, facilitation, student support, and/or online engagement design to feasibly assist and scaffold (Bruner, 1966) students according to their specific needs, abilities, interests, and constraints in a German Studies first year course.

HOW

Gwyn adopts Guided Instruction as a pedagogic strategy, providing direct support and guidance to students as they learn a new concept or skill. Based on scaffolding learning, guided instruction requires lecturers break tasks, skills or concepts that need learning into smaller, more manageable steps, providing assistance and feedback as the students work through each step.

Blended is a complex system, with the pedagogic goals driving what technology to use. Language learning focuses on four areas - reading, writing, speaking, reading. Some of those are better suited to the online space (for example, the audio or listening activities). Students can listen to audio recordings, access the recordings more than once, and recap using an embedded quiz. Lecturer explains and demonstrates in the classroom and expects students to practice online. Vocabulary learning is another huge part of language learning, lists of words with audio recordings are shared on the learning platform to assist.

Gwyn’s approach to responsive teaching and online engagement is exemplified by her innovative use of the Amathuba course site in the following ways:

  • Utilises materials from her Amathuba course site alongside classroom activities during face-to-face teaching, allowing easy transitioning between digital and physical resources as required;
  • Integrates her Amathuba course site into daily teaching, eliminating the need for separate orientation sessions and ensuring students become naturally familiar with its use;
  • Employs language labs to provide students with opportunities to practice listening and speaking skills, complemented by additional listening exercises which are offered as needed on the Amathuba course site.

LINKS