Week 5: Digital ESL Material Evaluation

Name of Website / Mobile Application: Khan Academy

1.      What does the website or MOOC or app or tool attempt to “teach”? Are exercises or activities included in the website? What are the types of exercise or activities included? Are there immediate feedbacks? Are there different levels of difficulty for different proficiency levels? (You can add any other comments you think is important to point out).

The website that I have chosen is Khan Academy website. Khan Academy is also available in form of mobile app. This is extremely handy for students as nowadays students opt to learn using the technology. This website is an educational website that intends to teach through detailed videos, exercise, explanation as well as making lessons easy. Some examples of subjects or lessons that are available via its website or mobile application are Math, Science, economics and finance, arts and humanities, computing and test preps. One of the advantages of learning with this web/app is it gives instant feedback feedbacks after the user has finished answering. Students are able to choose their education level but they cannot choose the difficulty level for available questions. Another downside of this application is it is only available in English language. It would be really helpful if this website can cater the needs for other speaker such as Malay speaker by providing a dual language exercises to improve their English language.

  

2.      What are the learners/visitors required to do with regards to learning the content of the website or MOOC or apps?

The learners are required to either download the mobile application for phone or tablet users or they can use desktop or laptop to browse this web/app. They would be required to have their own account. This can be made available by linking their email or social media account to this web/app.  The learning content in this web or app are all free. Thus, this would become handy for online learning but not online classes as the teacher or instructor are not connected to the students as in class group.

3.      Does the website or MOOC or app or tools present learners with something that cannot be done in a face-to-face classroom? If yes, how so?

This application provides learners with some features that cannot be done face-to-face. But sadly, this beautiful feature is not applicable for language learning. This web/app cannot replace language class as language practice or speaking activity is not doable with the assistance of this web/app.

4.      Can you pinpoint some theories of language learning and/or teaching underlying the application?

One theory that can be associated with this web/app is the theory of behaviourism. This theory centres on the belief that learning only occurs after there are observable evidence in changes of behaviour. In relation to this web/app, the awarding of badges to students encourage them to participate more. Thus, this keeps the students engaged with this web/app to gain the badges from Khan Academy.

5.      An important criterion for evaluating a CALL program, task or activity is the potential for language learning (i.e. will student learn something?) Does the website or MOOC or app fulfill this criterion? If yes, how so? If no, why?

Khan Academy fulfils the criterion of potential for language learning as proposed in CALL evaluation criteria to some extent but failed in two components of language. Khan Academy did well in assisting students’ needs for listening and reading but not writing and speaking. These two components are understandably not available due to their tedious assessment process that cannot be simply done by computer-generated programme.

6.      Would you like to use the application yourself in your future work? Yes? Provide reason(s), No? Provide (reason)

Khan Academy is available via website and mobile app thus, I find it extremely handy to assist me in my language class. I can also ask my students to do their grammar revision by asking them to peruse Khan Academy website or mobile application. On top of that, they can also do revision for other subjects with this one web/app.