LANGUAGE LEARNING MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT CE92 EL 118

Lesson 1: Introduction to Materials Trends and Issues in Materials

Development Development
Outline PAST PRESENT
1. Materials and Materials Development
● Teachers would ● Publishers
2. Roles of Instructional Materials
put together a commission
3. Trends and Issues in Materials book from their books from
Development successful professional
4. Principles in Materials Development classroom writers.
materials and
5. Factors Affecting Materials Preparation
submit it to a
6. Framework of Materials and Methods publisher.
7. Guidelines and Procedures of Materials
● Published ● Published
Development
materials were materials are
1.Materials and Materials Development driven by the driven by the
—---Instructional Materials Definition writers’ publisher’s
experience, perceptions of
● Especially designed classroom tools
imagination what they can
which contain instructions to learners and intuitions. successfully sell.
and teachers, and which specify each
● Uncertain ● Market-led
increment of learning
global market ● Authenticity gets
● Serve as the basis for much of the ● Artificial texts more focused
language input learners receive and the and tasks ● English for
language practice that occurs in the ● English for its specific purpose
own sake
classroom
● An important element within the
curriculum and often the most tangible ● Little design ● Design rich
and visible aspect of it ● Single-volume ● Multicomponent/
titles multimedia
● Provide a detailed specification of
● Culture and ● International or
content, even in the absence of the methodology local culture
syllabus of origin
● Define the goals of the syllabus, and the
● UK/US publisher ● Rise in local
roles of the teachers and the learners dominance publishing
within the instructional process ● Sell what is ● Specific
published fragmental
—---Materials Development Definition
● Author- and markets
● Studies the principles and procedures of academic-cent ● Indigenous
the design, implementation and ered learning situation
evaluation of language teaching Basic Principles of Materials Development
materials -Materials should achieve impact.
● Involves production, evaluation, and -Materials should help learners feel at ease.
adaptation of language teaching -Materials should help learners develop
materials confidence.
Roles of Instructional Materials -Materials should require and facilitate
-Resource for presentation materials learner-investment.
-Source of activities for learner practice -What is being taught should be perceived by
and communicative interaction learners as useful and relevant.
-Reference for learners on different -Learners must be ready to acquire the points
language topics being taught.
-Source of stimulation and ideas for -Materials should expose the learners to
classroom activities language in authentic use.
-Syllabus
-Support for less experienced teachers
 LANGUAGE LEARNING MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT CE92 EL 118
-The learners’ attention should be drawn to
linguistic features of the input. Syllabus
-Materials should provide the learners with ● An expression of opinion on the nature
opportunities to use the target language. of language and learning
-Materials should take into account that the ● A guide for teacher and learner
positive effects of instruction are usually ● A statement of what is to be learnt
delayed. Types of Syllabus
-Materials should take into account that 1. Structural or Formal Syllabus
learners differ in learning styles. -A collection of forms and structures,
-Materials should take into account that usually grammatical, of the language being
learners differ in affective attitudes. taught
-Materials should permit a silent period at the 2. Notional or Functional Syllabus
beginning of the instruction. -A collection of the functions that are
-Materials should involve intellectual, aesthetic, performed when language is used or the
and emotional activities. notions that a language is used to express
-Materials should not rely too much on 3. Situational Syllabus
controlled practice. -A collection of real or imaginary
-Materials should provide opportunities for situations in which language occurs or is used.
outcome feedback. -Involves several participants who are
engaged in some activity
Factors Affecting Materials Preparation -Involves a number of functions,
● The curriculum, syllabus, and learning combined into a plausible segment of
competencies discourse
● Learners’ learning styles, aptitudes, -Aims to teach the language that
proficiency occurs in the specific situations
● Pedagogical principles held by the 4. Skill-based Syllabus
teachers -A collection of specific abilities that
● Societal demands may play a part using language
-Groups linguistic competencies
Frameworks of Materials and Methods together into generalized types of behavior
Context->Learners -> Implementation 5. Task-based Syllabus
->Educational Setting -> of Goals -A series of complex and purposeful
=Syllabus Instruction tasks
=Materials,Classroom Methods -Activities with a purpose other than
Contextual Factors language learning
1. Learner Factors -Integrate language and other skills in
-Age and interests specific settings of the language
-Level of proficiency in English 6. Content-based Syllabus
-Aptitude and attitudes in learning -Concerned with the teaching of information
-Motivation and personality through the use of the target language
-Learning styles Factors to Consider in Writing IMs
Academic and educational level 1. Understanding
2. Educational Setting 2. Structuring / Clarifying
-Role of English in the country and in the school 3. Sequencing
-Available resources and support personnel 4. Balancing
-Number of pupils 5. Explaining
-Physical and social environment 6. Pacing
-Types of test and procedures for monitoring 7. Reviewing
-Management and administration 8. Elaborating
9. Transfer of learning
 LANGUAGE LEARNING MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT CE92 EL 118
Design, Development & Dissemination of 1. The appeal of the materials to the learners.
Materials 2. The credibility of materials to learners,
Design Phase teachers, and administrators.
● Accumulated experience 3. The validity of the materials.
● Rationale for the design 4. The reliability of the materials.
● Conceptual framework 5. The ability of the materials to interest the
Detailed Writing of the Specification learners and the teachers.
● Goals of the materials 6. The ability of the materials to motivate the
● Subject matter learners.
● Modes of presentation 7. The value of the materials in terms of
● Format of the materials short-term learning (important, for example, for
● Technical details performance on tests and examinations.
Dissemination Phase 8. The value of the materials in terms of
● Extensive use of the new IM long-term learning (of both language and
● Field evaluation of the IM communication skills)
Developmental Phase 9. The learners’ perceptions of the value of the
● Writing the experimental materials materials.
● Internal evaluation of materials 10. The teachers’ perceptions of the value of
● Controlled tryout the materials.
Guidelines for Developing Materials 11. The assistance given to the teachers in
1. Needs Assessment terms of preparation, delivery, and assessment.
2. Development of Curriculum Grid 12. The flexibility of the materials.
3. Selection of Themes 13. The contribution made by the materials to
4. Setting Up Objectives teacher development.
5. Deciding on the Format 14. The match with administrative
6. Selection and Arrangement of Content requirements.
7. Titles and Captions Principles in Materials Evaluation
8. Scriptwriting There are two principles in materials
9. Illustrations evaluation: effectiveness and efficiency (Ellis
10. Editing 1998 in Tomlinson 1998).
Lesson 2: Materials Development and Effectiveness principle: Is a course book
Evaluation effective in meeting the needs of the learners?
Materials Evaluation Efficiency principle: Does a course book meet
● Principles in Materials Evaluation the needs of the learners more effectively than
● Types of Materials Evaluation some alternative course books?
Definition and Principles in Materials Evaluation Approaches to materials evaluation
● procedure or a systematic appraisal A. Ad hoc impressionistic evaluation vs.
measuring the potential value(s) of Systematic evaluation
materials on learners in relation to their - An ad hoc impressionistic evaluation is based
objectives (Tomlinson 1998, 2003) on intuitions, impressions, and experience of
● principled process of providing useful using materials.
information about the targeted -Systematic evaluation is based on a
materials in order to select and/or specification of objectives, principles and
develop them in a reliable and valid procedures adopted or embedded in
approach materials.
What is Materials Evaluation? B. Internal evaluation vs. external
It involves making judgments about the evaluation
effect of the materials on the people using In external evaluation, the organization of the
them and it tries to measure some or all of the materials as stated explicitly by the
following: author/publisher should be examined by
looking at:
 LANGUAGE LEARNING MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT CE92 EL 118
● the “blurb” or the claims made on the It stands for Communicative, Aims,
cover of the teacher’s/students’ book Teachability, Available add-ons, Level, Your
● the introduction and table of contents impression, Students interest and Tried and
“it asks questions about what the materials tested.
contain, what they aim to achieve and what Has 3 stages:
they ask learners to do.” ● Initial Evaluation: CATALYST,
-In internal evaluation, in-depth investigation ● Detailed Evaluation: Checklist,
into the materials is done. ● In-use Evaluation: Does it work in the
analyze the extent to which the classroom?
aforementioned factors stated in the external
evaluation stage match up with the internal 2) The second is Tanner and Green’s practical
consistency and organization of the materials assessment form (1998) based on Method,
(McDonough, et al., 2013, p. 58). Appearance, Teacher-friendliness, Extras,
Realism, Interestingness, Affordability, Level
Macro-evaluation--->Inappropriate/potentially and Skills, the initials of which collectively
appropriate----> make up the word MATERIALS.
(External) =exit 3) The third framework is that of Tomlinson
Micro-evaluation--->Inappropriate/appropriate (2003b); he suggests five categories of
-----> Adopt/select evaluation criteria, each of which can be used
(Internal) =exit to develop a number of specific criteria:
WHEN IS THE EVALUATION CARRIED OUT? ● universal (driven by SLA theory): e.g. are
In terms of the period the evaluation is carried the materials motivating?
out, Cunningsworth (1995) proposes pre-use, ● local (related to the context): e.g. are
in-use and post-use evaluations: the materials culturally acceptable in
1. Pre-use Evaluation: it is intended to predict the context?
the potential performance of a material ● media-specific (e.g. audio or
(predictive). computer): e.g. is the sound quality of
Example: when a teacher flicks through a book the audio materials good?
to gain a quick impression of its potential ● content-specific (e.g. exam or English
value. for Specific Purposes (ESP)): e.g. do the
2. In-use Evaluation: it is conducted while using materials replicate the types of
a coursebook “when a newly introduced real-world tasks the target group will
coursebook is being monitored or when a need to do? (content validity)
well-established but aging coursebook is being ● age-specific: e.g. are the visuals likely to
assessed to see whether it should be appeal to children?
considered for replacement” (Cunningsworth,
1995, p. 14). Adapting Materials
3. Post-use Evaluation: it provides retrospective Definitions of Material adaptation
assessment of a material and it is also used to ● The process of modification of the
decide whether to use the same material on original composition of the material to
future occasions or not. suit the content of the intended learners
The most valuable/informative type of ● Modifying primary source documents so
evaluation because it can measure the actual that all students can read and analyze
effects of the materials on the users (Tomlinson, them in their classrooms
2003). ● The application of some strategies to
Frameworks and checklists for materials make the learning materials more
evaluation effective and flexible
1) The first succinct evaluative
approach/framework is called CATALYST test
introduced by Grant (1987).
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Teacher-Centered and Learner Centered Learner-Centered Materials
Approach to Adaptation The focus of the materials in this
● Key Features in Materials Adaptation approach is on the students. The teachers will
● Materials and Digital Technology only facilitate the students for them to have a
better and efficient learning process and
1. Teacher-Centered and Learner Centered learning experience. The teacher will serve as
Approach to Adaptation a coach for the overall comprehension of the
● Teacher-Centered Approach material by the learners.
Taken to its most extreme interpretation,
teachers are the main authority figure in a Examples for student-centered materials
teacher-centered instruction model. Students ● Storybooks
are viewed as “empty vessels” who passively ● Coursebook/Textbook
receive knowledge from their teachers through ● Activity Sheets
lectures and direct instruction, with an end
goal of positive results from testing and Why do we need to adapt materials?
assessment. In this style, teaching and 2. Key Features in Materials Adaptation
assessment are viewed as two separate ● Learner-centeredness and critical
entities; student learning is measured through awareness development
objectively scored tests and assessments. 1. There are very few truly learner-centered,
● Learner-Centered Approach language teaching and learning materials.
While teachers are still an authority 2. The materials should put learners at the
figure in a student-centered teaching model, center of the learning process and make them
teachers and students play an equally active input providers.
role in the learning process. The teacher’s 3. Teachers should be facilitators and
primary role is to coach and facilitate student coordinators
learning and overall comprehension of 4. Materials adaptation should be shared
material, and to measure student learning between - materials developers - teachers and
through both formal and informal forms of - learners.
assessment, like group projects, student ● Flexibility and choice
portfolios, and class participation. In the ● Materials should be flexible and should
student-centered classroom, teaching and provide choice
assessment are connected because student ● should enable learners to develop a
learning is continuously measured during variety of skills and learning styles
teacher instruction. ● encourage them to experience a wide
● Teacher-Centered Materials range of tasks and approaches
In the spectrum of educational Open-endedness and aesthetic experience
materials, teacher-centered materials are the Originated from (the theory of Aesthetic
materials used in the classroom to have a Response by Rosenblatt (1995) and this refers
better teaching process. It is used only by the to the process of reacting spontaneously when
teachers and the students will listen while the reading literary texts (typically represents the
teacher is teaching with the help of the immediate response to language and
teacher-centered materials. literature), involves interaction between
Examples for Teacher-Centered materials readers, language and texts, Literature and
● PPT’s Aesthetic Experience, part of a subjective
● Visual Aids process and is created every time the text is
● Recorded Lectures read or written.
● Chart, Objects, Photographs
 LANGUAGE LEARNING MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT CE92 EL 118
● Aesthetic experience and Materials like ICT, educational technology,
adaptation computer-based education and
Aesthetic Experience promotes the Technology-Enhanced Learning
subjectivity of texts and their interpretations. ● Productivity Tools
Also, materials should promote an aesthetic Computer productivity tools are software
experience, they should not only be based on programs designed to make computer users
right/wrong testing and practice but, rather, more productive as they work.
they should also focus on open-ended tasks Productivity tools are programs that are
and texts. specifically created to be used by
● Relevance professionals in a specific field.
To draw a link between the adaptation Example: (MS Office Applications such as MS
process and reading open-ended materials, Word, Powerpoint, Excel, amd etc.)
have the potential to become relevant to the USES OF PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS
learners when they fill those gaps with their ● Creation of Materials
ideas, interpretations and discussions. It is only ● Reference
at this level that materials become relevant ● Collaboration
and potentially more effective for learning ● Planning
development. ● Archiving Purposes
● Universality ● New teaching methods are introduced.
Materials should be based on universally Instructional Software
appealing topics, culturally specific but, at the Instructional software are types of
same time, they are present in all cultures. A software that assists in the instruction of the
rich source of this type of topics comes from students.
Literature, life experiences, feelings, They generally provide the students the
relationships. Universality of topics enables information regarding the lesson and are
learners to focus and gain a better always followed-up with an assessment.
understanding of cultural differences and TYPES OF INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARES
commonalities (Jiang, 2000) ★ Applications
● Authentic and non-authentic input ★ Drill-and-Practice
In order to expose the learners to ★ Tutorials
realistic input. Materials should be based on ★ Simulation
authentic texts. In order to draw the learners’ ★ Instructional Games
attention to certain linguistic features with ★ Problem- Solving
activities based on texts selected from ★ Multimedia
authentic sources a combination of authentic ★ Teacher Utilities
and non-authentic tasks. Applications - A group of applications
● Provocative topics and tasks programs that is designed to automate
Materials should include topics and activities general- purpose and specific tasks such as
that can potentially provoke a reaction, word processing, database management,
provide an aesthetic experience, whether it be spreadsheet, attendance, accounting, grade
positive or negative, that is personal and reporting, scheduling and others.
subjective. Drill and Practice - Drill and practice software
3. Materials and Digital Technology provide exercises in which students work
● Digital Technology example items one at a time and receive
The term digital technology is used to feedback on their correctness.
refer to the ever-evolving suite of digital Tutorials - A tutorial exposes the learner to
software, hardware and architecture used in materials that are believed not to have been
learning and teaching in the school, the home, previously taught or learned. A tutorial often
and beyond. includes pre- test, post test and drill and
Is a term that is being increasingly used practice activities.
in education in a place of now dated terms
 LANGUAGE LEARNING MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT CE92 EL 118
Simulations - A simulation is a computerized ● Technology-Enhanced Learning - Any
model of a real or imagined system designed learning method that utilizes
to teach how a system works and allows technological resources falls under this
learners to create their own sequence for using category. They have the advantage of
simulation. being more interactive, cheaper and
Instructional Games - Instructional games are convenient.
courseware designed to motivate learning by Research Tools
adding game rules to learning activities. ● Research tools are resources mainly
Problem-Solving - Problem-solving software is a used for retrieving information from
type of program that places emphasis on several sources
critical thinking, analysis, logic and reasoning ● Most of these research tools use the
via the presentation of a set of data or internet to search information.
problematic events. They generally include search engines, wikis,
Multimedia Programs that support the blogs, internet archives, etc.
interactive use of text, audio, still images, video Example: Google
and graphics and manipulate them to support
learning.
Teachers Utilities Non- instructional or
administrative programs used to prepare
instructional materials or organize, store,
evaluate and report information on pupils’
achievement and progress.
Computer-Based Learning Technologies and
Instruction
Computer-based learning in education
refers to using computers as a central part of
the educational experience. Teachers use
educational websites and software to
enhance daily classroom curriculum.
Example of CBL/CBI: Spelling City
SpellingCity.com is a website where
students practice spelling and language skills.
Teachers input weekly spelling lists and
students play games and practice their words
during the week.

Types of Computer-Based Instruction

● Computer-Based Learning These are
materials that facilitate communication
and cooperation between students and
teachers. They utilize the computer's
network resources and the internet.
● Computer-supported Collaborative
Learning - CSCL can be implemented in
online and classroom learning
environments and can take place
synchronously or asynchronously.