Abstract:

VIR_TEACH - a VIRtual Solution for comprehensive and coordinated training for foreign language TEACHers in Europe, is an Erasmus+ funded project to create a digital tool to improve the postgraduate certificates on Masters on Education (Foreign Languages) and to provide teachers, researchers, student teachers and policy-makers with open-source tools and resources.

In order to move towards language teacher training homogenization, virtual learning environments seem to be particularly useful tools for sharing and learning successful teaching formulas specific to this field of higher education. However, a lack of coherence between teaching digital platforms that promote mobility and digital tools that guide the needs of students in their training and internship phases is problematic, as some studies already highlighted it (Fyfe&Dennett, 2014; Ruggiero&Boehm, 2016; Waters&Russell, 2016). As pointed out by Townsend and Bates (2007), it is a set of tensions and pressures, inherent in an unstoppable process of globalization, that makes a dent in the quality of teaching. This issue becomes more acute, if possible, in the training of language teachers, whose orientation towards communicative teaching requires the implementation of a series of strategies and predisposition to interaction and mutual understanding, namely, in most of the cases, an internship program.

It is necessary, therefore, the development of a multinational dynamic and lasting over time environment that offers useful tools for the training of future teachers of languages. In light of these reflections, a communicative approach seems a mandatory element to infuse in the training of 21st-century language teachers. For this to happen, prospective teachers must acquire a reflective and critical training (Barros-del Río, 2019), oriented towards social commitment (Yogev and Michaeli, 2011). This implies the construction of a critical teaching identity among the candidates during their training process (Dvir and Avissar, 2014).

When making a choice of technology platforms, it is equally important to analyze the general functional features of the platform as the more technical aspects. Sanz-Santamaría (2014) provide a comparative analysis of the major open-source MOOC platforms, providing insights to assist those responsible for educational institutions that will develop their own massive courses to make educated decisions on the platform to use. In this work are studied the following platforms: edX, Course Builder, OpenMOOC y Lernanta.

For VirTEACH project, implementation, edX delivers a set of basic functionalities present in most platforms: the possibility of using videos with subtitles and their indexing for later searches, the option of creating different types of online exercises (unique response, multiple responses, fill gaps, essay), discussion forums and a wiki for collaborative editing. In addition, edX has peer-to-peer assessment and self-assessment systems for the students perform on the platform.

On the pedagogical design, edX can implement two interesting learning proposals: EPOSTL (David Newby et al., 2007) and Language learning with technology (Graham 2013).

The presentation aims to explain the process of integration of an internship period inside a Virtual Learning Environment. Describing what were the positive and negative points, and the strategies that have worked and the ones that have failed, we will make public the results of the implementation.

Keywords:

Virteach project, VLE, Internship, edX.