Adapting the DIGA Method to the World Wide Web Final Project for SPAN 696 by Russell Nichols March 16, l999
AbstractThis paper describes the DIGA method of accelerated language instruction and how it can be augmented by utilizing an accompanying website on the Internet. This method incorporates specific grammatical exercises that are adaptable to the characteristics intrinsic to this medium, such as interactive self-tests, links to related websites, and use of the combined text, sound and visual modalities
IntroductionThe DIGA Method of accelerated language acquisition was developed over many years. I had taught Spanish and English as a Second Language and had frequently encountered students with much prior language study but with significant gaps in their knowledge and ability. When I taught them in the traditional manner, those gaps remained because my assignment often was to teach specific portions of the grammar without considering the whole. Frustrated by this reality, I began to experiment with a method that would allow the student to get through the entire grammar and basic vocabulary quickly. My experimentation has demonstrated that I could get that job done in as little as thirty-six hours of classroom instruction spread over three to six months. Why is it desirable to have an accelerated course in a language acquisition program? Research has shown that language acquisition takes place at individual and varying rates of speed. Therefore, the most ideal circumstance would be to provide individualized language instruction. Considering the economic reality of most educational institutions, providing an instructor for each individual student is not feasible. The computer does, however, make individualized instruction attainable by allowing students to get as much information as they have time to search out and as much experience as they have time to acquire. In the same manner, a method of learning and teaching that allows acquisition of the whole of the grammar at whatever pace the student can manage is equally valuable. By so doing, varying amounts of achievement can be measured, valuated, and rewarded on an individual basis. Those with the greatest individual achievement can be appropriately rewarded and placed at levels reflective of their achievement. Briefly, the goal of the DIGA Method is to facilitate speaking by focusing on vocabulary and grammar. Vocabulary is learned as the course moves progressively from concrete nouns, to verbs, to abstractions. Grammar is acquired principally through doing assigned written structures, the elements of which become internalized due to frequency of use. Lastly, speaking is accomplished by having learners use as much of the class meeting time as possible actively engaged in spontaneous situations and by doing unrehearsed exercises with material used exclusively during the meetings. The learner is challenged to quickly grasp the unfamiliar material and to interact with fellow participants.
THE RECIPE METHOD The principal accelerator of the DIGA Method is the "Recipe Method." This is comprised of sentences constructed in Spanish by inserting Spanish words (ingredients) into sentence structures (recipes) provided. As the course evolves, the learner is introduced to more and different ways of structuring sentences. The following is an example of the ingredients to be used in the accompanyint recipe:
Note: opc. = opcional (use or not), / = alternative (use one or the other) Recipe: S(det.[opc.] + sus./pron. + adj.[opc.]) - V(pre.) - C >( ) Doing a recipe always involves choices. The recipe above indicates that the learner may or may not use a determiner. If s/he does choose to have one, will it be possessive, an article, quantitative, demonstrative, or distributative? After the complete subject of this recipe comes the verb, which is always given in the infinitive form. The learner has to properly conjugate the verb, give the tense form indicated, and make it agree with the subject.
The final ingredient of this recipe is the complement (C). Anthing that follows the verb and makes sense can be used here (adjs., advs., prons., sus., etc.). The complement is added last because it rounds out the recipe, makes it whole, complete. Below, the recipe is again presented along with some sample solutions:
With the same limited amount of exposure I traditionally have had to the learner, I am now able to give him or her the widest exposure possible to the grammar and to the greatest possible amount of material. Therefore, depending on his or her individual ability, s/he ends up at varying levels (from absolute beginner through intermediate), with varying amounts of grammar (from the simple present through the past subjunctive), and with varying amounts of the 3,000 words of vocabulary s/he has been exposed to. Whenever the learner finds himself/herself dealing with the course material, the actual "doing" is the key to success. Through the doing, understanding comes. "Doing" yields results no matter for how limited a time. Five minutes a day produces a better outcome than longer but less frequent concentrations of effort. Obviously, five minutes per day is not enough to experience the entire Spanish grammar and attain the speaking level of someone who has studied a full year. That task can be done within the allotted thirty-six hours of classroom time; however, it requires the full committed attention of the learner. In spite of the difficulty of the above-described procedure, it is doable. The learner is advised to do his/her homework as thoroughly as a given moment's ability allows. By completing all work as best they can even though they do not fully understand some elements, learners begin the journey to understanding. They greatly assist the instructor by acquiring whatever pieces of the whole they can at a given moment. Besides, full comprehension for some elements only happens over time, when the individual learner's brain is ready to assimilate the targeted material. Additionally, the learner is alerted from the beginning that frustration is a by-product of intensive language study. It is my belief that this frustration can be eased by utilizing Website elements to diffuse the intensity of effort.
Statement of the IssueHow can the Web facilitate the goal of the DIGA Method? I have determined that an accelerated approach which focuses on acquisition of grammar results in the most thorough internalization of the language in the shortest possible time is a viable target to aim for. Also, I am convinced that the conscious use and repeition of the various "ingredients" of the various "recipes" does achieve that end. Therefore, if a means of motivating the learner to spend more time at the learning task were available, then that, too, should be utilized. Evidence has shown that using the internet to create an interactive website does have that capability. It can provide an endless amount of both visual and auditory stimuli that will motivate engaging the DIGA Method for longer periods. For the learner, the arduous undertaking of learning another language will even have an element of pleasure in it.
Literature ReviewTHE MEANING OF THE WEB, by Jim Falk The Web is based on a system of servers of information through which documents formatted in hyper-text markup language (HTML)can be read by means of general purpose browsers. The Internet on the other hand is defined as a matrix of networks that connects computers around the world. The Web is both an environment and a mode or set of modes in interaction between people, according to Jim Falk. "Because of its complexity, effective personal use of the Web requires us to interact socially." When one usesr discovers something that another individual has used, s/he can then incorporate it as part of his/her own road map. "The Web is thus embedded both in a technological web (the protocols, data lines, modems, computer hubs and computer terminals which constitute the Internet) and a web of social interactions which construct and shape the understanding, use, and thus usefulness of it." On the global state, the Web is proving to be an indispensable part of the rapidly developing world-wide system of communication. A global market requires an infrastructure capable of meeting its complex needs. Traditional national boundaries are finding themselves being expanded into increasingly larger communities. For example, the island nation of Britain is now an integral part of the European Common Market. The roots of these new communities are being formed from entirely new constructs. Even personal identities and relations are undergoing change.
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO TEACHING WITH THE WORLD WIDE WEB, by Susan Polyson, Steven Salzberg, and Robert Goodwin-Jones Susan Polyson, Steven Salzberg, and Robert Godwin-Jones collaborated on the article "A Practical Guide to Teaching with the Word Wide Web." According to them, the World Wide Web and the Internet have enticed faculty with promises of access, interactivity, ease of use and a potential universal presence in the lives of students and teachers. However, before committing oneself to this technology, they suggest knowing how the students will be accessing the course materials is an important first step because connection speed and availability are important considerations. The identification of campus labs that have Internet access and the necessary software, the provision of information about campus SLIP/PPP dial-in services, and information on how to obtain Internet access through a commercial Internet service provider is essential basic information. Other prerequisites include, identifying student computer hardware requirements, making certain that the Web features in the teaching materials are supported by the browser software that the students will be using, and providing technical help for the students. Faculty involvement in the process of creating course materials will vary widely. However, some familiarity with the use of HTML, the programming language of the Web, is essential. HTML-created material can be further enhanced with the use of CGI to add interactivity or animation. Fortunately, there are programs available to help faculty to create in HTML. Once the Web material is created, it must be "served" through a Web server. Then, because the student is free to choose the level of difficulty of material: graphs, audio, and video delivery, discussion forums, interactive software, chat sessions software, email, online drill and practice, or testing.
THE PAPERLESS CLASSROOM, by Thomas N. Robb Computers make it possible for students and professors to exchange work and evaluations over world-wide distances. Physical proximity is no longer a hindrance for either. Electronic exchanges make a paperless classroom possible, if not 100% preferable. There are distinct advantages and disadvantages for both a paper and a paperless classroom. Mr. Robb comments on paper's advantages as follows:
Aside from commenting on the advantages and disadvantages of using paper or not in classroom settings, the author gives a number of practical ways to get through the challenge of becoming a paperless classroom. For example, he gives a procedure for converting word processed text to ASCII.
MARKING STUDENT WORK ON THE COMPUTER, by Martin Holmes According to Martin Holmes in his article "Marking Student Work on the Computer, more and more student work submitted in word-processed form necessitates tools to mark and annotate written assignments quickly and clearly using word-processors. The students can produce work on both the Mac and PC and save it in Rich Text. The file is then attached to an e-mail message and sent to the instructor. After receiving the e-mail, s/he can then open the file and call up a special marking tool bar to begin the annotation process. After that step is completed, the file is again saved in Rich Text and sent back to the student. The advantages of using a computer to mark up papers follow:
To take advantage of the above, the instructor and his/her students must have access to a PC or Mac with word-processing capability in MS Word 5.1 for Mac, WordPerfect 6.1, AmiPro 3.0, MS Word 6.0 for PC. In addition, access to e-mail is required.
USING THE WORLD WIDE WEB TO INTEGRATE SPANISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE: A PILOT STUDY, by Martiza M. Osuna and Carla Meskill The authors explored the learning outcomes their Web assignments had on their students' attitudes toward learning Spanish. As the following partial summary of statistics obtained from the experiment indicate, the users themselves felt that the Web was a useful tool. They were queried about:
The experiment considered five topics: Planning a Family Trip to Madrid, Describing Photographs from Argentina, Comparing the University Autonoma de Mexico to the student's own college, Finding Places for Leisure Activities, and Creating an Authentic Mexican Meal. "Technology," the authors concluded, "seems to be especially beneficial in promoting cultural learning."
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTIPLE-CHOICE AND TRUE-FALSE TESTING ENVIRONMENT, by Rod Byrnes, Roger Debreceny, and Peter Gilmour As Rod Byrnes, et al. states in the introduction to their article, "The Development of a Multiple-Choice and True-False Testing Environment," his objective was to develop a testing environment with instant feedback to students and to staff which had the benefit of being able to be changed quickly and easily if problem areas were noted. The World Wide Web makes it possible to incorporate those tests (which can range from a single question within the teaching material to a complete "end of topic" test for credit) directly into teaching and background materials. The actual testing environment consisted of four separate modules: the Test Generator, the Interactive Question Editor, The Question Loader, and the Reporting Module. The Test Generator is at the heart of the entire WWW testing environment. "Tests in this context are computer generated lists of questions which the user may or may not choose to answer (in harmony with the user-driven navigational paradigm of the Web)," says Mr. Byrnes. "The user requests a test by invoking a URL that points to the test generator module." As presented, the project is only in the first stages of its development;however, it has the potential of being a full computer-managed learning environment which tracks and guides the performance of individual students. Discussion of the IssueI call the DIGA Method an accelerated method instead of an intensive one. Intensive instruction generally means that the instructor alters a full-semester course by cramming the course material into a much shorter time-span. I believe a true accelerated course seeks to effect faster learning. So, the DIGA Method has deliberately sought to speed up the learning process principally by offering a faster more efficient way of acquiring the grammar. Along with the visual capability of the computer and the Internet, equal results can be attained in vocabulary acquisition. Speaking and reading naturally keep pace if enough vocabulary and grammatical capability are present. To maximize the acceleration potential of the Method, the majority of in-class time is spent on material the student either has not seen. In other words, class time is treated as an opportunity to engage in face-to-face speaking. Students are either interacting with one another or listening and watching classmate interaction. In-class activities and materials always require that the student be actively thinking about and using the language s/he is acquiring. At this point one might ask, "If acceleration is the primary objective of the DIGA Method, then why not rely solely on the computer? Isn't the computer faster and more efficient?" It is fast but not necessarily more effective. I believe that all the human senses and all the modalities that might affect them should be brought into play.The computer can never replace the effect of fact-to-face interaction with another human being. The non-linguistic communication that goes on in a face-to-face conversation, I believe, will never be duplicated by a machine. Therefore, the machine (computer) can work along with a live teacher and student, but it cannot replace either one. Besides, user surveys had shown that reading from a computer screen is not viewed the same as reading from a piece of paper. The portability of a piece of paper allows for maximum reinforcement, consistency, and review opportunities. A small list of vocabulary words can be reviewed anywhere. New insight can be jotted down on a piece of paper any where, any time. Conclusion"The Meaning of the Web" for me is clearer after reading Jim Falk's article. I believe he is correct in categorizing the Internet as one of mankind's greatest achievements. It is a technological breakthrough that finally allows the entire world to be one. It is capable of going beyond traditional time constraints. Along with satellite communication, it allows all human beings access to the same information uninterpreted by intermediaries. The "Web" and the "Internet" are creating a new world order. It is now possible to sample the authentic taste of another culture without leaving the comfort and convenience of our own surroundings. In times past, to get the flavor of a culture other than one's own generally meant traveling to another country. The farther we go back, the more difficult the journey. Learning the language of other cultures was equally limited. With the computer, one of today's most important learning tools, we can instantly immerse ourselves in foreign cultures whenever the notion strikes us. However potent the computer, the Internet, and the Web might be, they cannot replace the value of face-to-face interaction. Much of learning still happens through the non-tangible inspiration and interaction that flows from one human heart to another. I believe that technology will never completely duplicate and replace that communion. Computers do, however, make many learning processes easier. For example, the "paperless classroom" is now absolutely possible. Nevertheless, for some activities, paper is still desirable. For both students and teachers taking part in an experiment with the Web in the process of acquiring Spanish culture, the Web proved a useful tool. The students found the experience beneficial as well as enjoyable. By combining the instantaneous capability of the Internet and the Web along with an accelerated method of learning, success is almost assured. At the very least, the learner can optimally challenge him/herself at every level. The DIGA Method merged with an accompanying website offers the following advantages:
Glossary of TermsASCII: American Code for Information Interchange (Robb 1997) CGI: Common Gateway Interface: (Polyson, et al 1996) applications that sit on a server and communicate with browser HTML: Hypertext Mark up Language: (Falk 1995) PC: personal computer: (Holmes 1996) PPP: Point to Point Protocol: (Polyson, et al 1996) Rich Text: (Holmes 1996) a format created by Microsoft to enable sharing of word-processed documents between different applications and platforms. It works like an HTML file. SLIP: Serial Line Internet Protocol (Polyson, et al 1996) URL: Uniform Resource Locator (Byrnes, et al 1995) WWW: World Wide Web (Byrnes, et al 1995) ReferencesPolyson, S. / Salzberg, S. and Godwin-Jones, R (1996). A Practical Guide to Teaching with the World Wide Web Holmes, M. (1996). Marking Work on the Computer <http//idra.call.uvic.ca/LangCen/Special/Martin.htm Byrnes, R. / Debreceny, R. and Gilmore, P. (1995). The Development of a Multiple-Choice and True-False Testing Environment on the Web Falk, J. (1995). The Meaning of the Web Robb, T. N. (1997). The Paperless Classroom? Osuna, M. M. / Meskill, C. (1998). Using the World Wide Web to Integrate Spanish Language and Culture: A Pilot Study
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