LD SIG Forums 2018

LD SIG Forums in 2018

The LD SIG Programme Team organized forums at the following JALT conferences in 2018:

  • PanSIG 2018 – Toyo Gakuen University, Tokyo, May 19-20, 2018
  • JALTCALL 2018 – Meijo University, Nagoya, June 8-10, 2018
  • JALT2018 – International Conference at Shizuoka Convention & Arts Center (Granship), Shizuoka City, November 23-26, 2018

Many thanks to those able to join us at the Learner Development SIG Forums in May, June, and November 2018.

JALT2018 Learner Development SIG Forum: Bringing Learners Together

  • Day: Saturday, November 24th
  • Time: 12:45 PM – 2:15 PM (90 minutes)
  • Room: 1003

at Shizuoka Convention & Arts Center (Granship) Shizuoka City, Shizuoka

Keeping with the 2018 JALT International Conference theme of “Diversity and Inclusion,” this year’s LD SIG Forum on “Bringing Learners Together” focused on what happens when learners take the opportunity to interact and connect with others both inside and out of the classroom. This year’s topics included learner explorations of diversity, student fieldwork abroad, peer assessment and feedback, social learning spaces, sociocultural approaches to understanding culture, and other challenges and possibilities with learner development. Timed rounds of poster presentations were followed by a discussion period where participants were given an opportunity to reflect on the presentations while sharing their own research experiences, puzzles, and narratives about learner growth coming from encounters and interaction with others.

Presenters

Lee Arnold: Issues, discoveries, and problem-solving in learner-centricity with peer learner assessment

Tim Ashwell: Structuring presentations, discussions and record-keeping for greater engagement in learning

Andy Barfield: Connecting with others through fieldwork and fieldwriting in Cambodia

Nicole Gallagher: Learner explorations of diversity and inclusion prior to study abroad

Hideo Kojima: Bringing learners together: A sociocultural approach to UK culture understanding

Sakae Onoda: New possibilities and challenges teachers and students are facing in L2 learning

Jenny Morgan: TBA

Jim Ronald: Social English: Creating social learning spaces within and beyond the classroom

Javier Salazar & Roxana Sandu: (Un)learning the “Learning Pyramid”: Students’ perspectives

JALTCALL 2018 (June 8-10)

Meijo University, Nagoya Dome-Mae Campus

Navigating Language Development: How Are Learners Evolving with Language Learning Technology?

Presenters: Blair Barr, Daniel Hougham, Brent Milliner

The Learner Development SIG Forum at JALTCALL 2018 was an interactive event featuring innovative approaches for facilitating independent learner development using technology in the classroom and beyond. First, Brett Milliner reported on student engagement with extensive listening exercises and listening logs. Next, Daniel Hougham presented survey findings on learners’ perceptions of a vocabulary-learning program incorporating Quizlet and online vocabulary quizzes (Google Forms and the Flubaroo add-on). Finally, Blair Barr demonstrated how one particular group of learners in a university Business & TOEIC class engaged in the co-development of Quizlet flashcard sets for both in-class gamification and independent-study for TOEIC. The three presentations were followed by a discussion period for participants to reflect and share their own research experiences, puzzles, and questions about learner development using technology.

LD Forum at PanSIG 2018 (May 18-19)

Saturday, May 19, 2018, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm

Toyo Gakuen University, Building 4/5, Room 4502

Presenters: Blair Barr, Kate Maher, Marnie Mayse, Sakae Onada, Joseph Tomei, Amanda Yoshida

The 2018 Learner Development SIG Forum offered a variety of research– and practice-based poster presentations. Presenters shared practical insights into encouraging student growth, touching upon areas such as increasing student autonomy (Onoda), the use of video projects on social issues (Yoshida and Mayse), and increasing independence from automated feedback (Barr). Others introduced theory and research related to metaphor pedagogy (Tomei), and understanding silent students (Maher). Attendees had a chance to interact with presenters during the forum, and then follow up in discussion groups to draw connections between the various topics covered in the forum as they relate to their own learner development interests and puzzles.