A - Fundamental Issues in Language Teaching and Learning

Methodology

The programme does not consist simple of the delivery of content, but rather, just as in the case of face-to-face courses, it includes a series of pedagogical aspects aimed at promoting collaborative learning (between peers and tutors). All the courses are based on the following methodological concepts:

• Learning as a collaborative undertaking.
• A dynamic and constructivist concept of teaching and learning.
• Promotion of critical reflection on one’s own teaching practice and beliefs.
• An approach based within the framework of action-research.
• Cohesive and multicultural groups.

Course specific features

The main features of the programme are the individual flexibility and the continuous feedback provided by the tutors as well as the ample possibilities to communicate with both tutors and peers alike by means of the Virtual Campus. These aspects foster motivation and allow each student to adapt and plan the coursework according to his/her specific needs and available time. There are also a number of ways for students to communicate with each other, such as the Group Discussion Lists, the VC e-mail and the Coffee Shop.

Flexibility of study

Most people choose distance education programmes because they are looking for more flexibility than conventional, full-time study offers, so the Master, Diploma and Certificates in TEFL programmes are designed on the assumption that you may want to vary the time you spend on it. Tools such as the discussion groups, debates and chats, in addition to the tutor support, constitute motivational factors in the learning process.

Guidance

Another important feature of the courses is the continuous support and guidance offered by the tutors. The new system of tutor distribution where each tutor is responsible for one whole term also ensures that students have an added stability in their studies. In addition to the tutor guidance, the student will also find ample support by the other students on the course by means of the various means of communication that the programme offers. In this way, the student is never alone in the learning process, having access to both peers and tutors at all times. Collaborative learning is considered to be the essence of academic development, and in this case, also of the professional development the students take part in on the course. Following this same line, students are also encouraged to form study groups.

Despite contact between students and tutors being mainly via the Virtual Campus, if need be the tutors can also be reached by telephone and/or fax.

The Virtual Campus

As a pioneer in the field of distance education La Fundación Universitaria Iberoamericana, has set up a Virtual Campus, which is accessed via the Internet. The Virtual Campus offers you the possibility of making direct contact with peers working on the course at your own and other universities, and discussing issues and questions arising from the course materials. Tutors also regularly participate in discussions, monitoring and synthesising participants’ contributions on topics, and informing participants of websites where additional information (such as articles published in on-line ELT journals, or webcasts) may be found.

Apart from the enormous potential for making direct and continued contact with peers and tutors, you will be able to access the course materials themselves on-line, and to submit assignments via the Virtual Campus (VC).

The virtual campus has been developed following a definite pedagogical approach, according to the criteria detailed below:

• Students can use the Virtual Campus as a complement to the written material, as well as accessing the compulsory readings, with no additional cost.
• The Virtual Campus is a complement to the actual learning experience in that it provides access to a number of additional resources such as the course materials, bibliography, recommended web sites, self-evaluation and feedback, glossaries, etc.
• The Virtual Campus provides you with the means to exchange opinions and experience with students and tutors alike by means of the discussion lists, the VC e-mail and the Coffee Shop (a space provided for you to interact with the whole student community), consult the Events Calendar, where you can find information on which EFL events are taking place all over the world, and you also have the possibility to participate in the on-line chats and debates that are held for each subject and that will, without doubt, prove to be an enriching and useful experience.

At the beginning of the course, each student is provided with an individual password and a user name to allow access to the Virtual Campus.

In addition to this, the first two weeks before the course officially starts consist of an orientation period to the use the VC. Consequently, you do not need any previous IT-knowledge to enrol on the course.
During the Orientation Period, students take part in a series of socialization tasks in order to get to know each other while learning how to use the virtual campus (sending internal mails, opening and sending attachments, read on-line articles etc.). These two initial weeks of orientation have proved to be extremely useful, and at times even crucial for the establishment of group dynamics.

Finally, those students who do not have the possibility to access the internet on a regular basis, can still follow the course using the conventional written material in normal fashion and contacting the tutors by telephone, e-mail, fax or ordinary post. However, in order to get the most out of the programme we strongly advise that you try to use the Virtual Campus as far as possible since it allows you to get a more complete and immediate feedback from the tutors. Whichever the case, those students who have no means to access the Internet, will still be provided with a password and a username, in the event that they should get an opportunity to connect.

Feedback on assignments

In the context of distance education, feedback on written work is extremely important, as it provides direct contact with a tutor, and serves as an index of your progress on the course. As such, it is an essential part of the programme and one that we devote a lot of time and effort to.

Our aim in giving detailed feedback is to provide you with the opportunity to improve future assignments, and, in more general terms, to be able to grow and develop professionally via the course.

To summarise: these programmes in TEFL, aimed at further teacher development, allow for a flexible and autonomous learning experience while at the same time providing the student with a range of means to communicate and interact with tutors and peers on the course. All this is possible using the multimedia base of the Virtual Campus that not only provides an important access to the course content and academic resources, but also a means to bridge the geographical gaps between all the components on the course, providing the student with continuous support and guidance.

Without doubt, enrolling on any course in professional development will influence your career and expertise. If on top of that you can do so in your own time, at the place of your choice and allowing you to fuse your personal duties with your academic ones while still having access to quality material and qualified tutors, then the experience is bound to be a success!