Abstract:

In many countries around the world such as New Zealand and Vietnam, task-based language teaching has been propagated by national governments as a major pedagogical tool and a favored approach for second and foreign language teaching (Branden, 2016). Long (1985) argued that in many second and foreign language contexts, language was taught in a piecemeal and decontextualized fashion. This approach was argued to be superficial and not reflective of how individuals learn language. A possible solution lies in not only focusing on meaning alone when teaching a foreign language, but by focusing on language as object. Students should learn while experiencing problems as they work on communicative tasks that are driven by their own internal syllabus, current processing ability and ability to learn. Such an idea leads to task-based language teaching. Some East Asian education systems such as Japan are gradually adjusting to student populations who can communicate adequately in English, and the syllabi are incorporating principles of communicative language teaching (CLT) and task-based language teaching (TBLT) (Littlewood, 2007).

Task-based language teaching (TBLT) has heavily influenced syllabus design, classroom teaching and learner assessment in foreign language teaching contexts (Nunan, 2004; Skehan, 2009). This paper discusses an innovative English as Foreign Language (EFL) undergraduate course, which incorporated task-based assignments, design education, project management and technology-enhanced language learning. In this course, the language learning assignments centered on designing and analyzing objects using CAD software such as Autodesk 123D Design, BuildwithChrome and the Tinkercad. Following real in-class physical LEGO assembly, design software was used collaboratively to develop further design analysis and procedural understanding. Students met both individually and as group activities centered on technical document authoring. Google Drive, and Schoology (learning management system) were used extensively during the course. This paper outlines a task-based technical communication course and explains how students worked on real LEGO design, and then co-authored engineering reports detailing the structural and functional specifications documenting the assembly procedure. The paper also considers how LEGO-based 3D design principles can be taught in an EFL classroom. Students were not only taught design, but also how to author complex technical documents in English.

This article considers an innovative task-based language teaching approach where a context is built around active learning such that hands-on interaction with physical objects in a classroom is encouraged before theoretical instructions are incorporated. This project is an innovative attempt to incorporate collaborative design pedagogies using real and virtual LEGO design so that language learning coursework is developed that includes active learning (Blikstein, 2013). Data about individual and group assignment scores in the course will provide a summarized understanding of student performance. Incorporating collaborative design pedagogies using real (physical) and virtual (online) LEGO design, and DV (digital video) to develop language learning coursework that promotes active learning.

Keywords:

Computer-aided design (CAD), LEGO, assembly, task-based language learning (TBLL), communication, active learning, technical writing.