(806)EXPERIENCES WITH USE OF ACTIVITY BASED TRAININGMETHODS IN LANGUAGE TRAINING

摘要

Activity Based Training (ABT) environments, which were developed in the Leonardo da Vinci pilotproject Mecca (2005-07), are currently used in vocational education and training within mechanicalindustry in several European countries. The pedagogical practices are based up on the followinggeneral principles:- Specification of a product or a process, which is delivered to the students in the form of anorder from an external customer or organization. The order must be completed within apredefined deadline.- The product or process is divided into subcomponents and produced in an “industrial-like”production flow, in which theoretical training is immediately followed by practical work wherethe theoretical training is applied.- Use of multimedia material, modern learning tools and/or interactive mobile learning servicesthat highlight, demonstrate and initiate student discussions by addressing “Do’s” and “Don’ts”.- Introduction of quality assurance in the training path is obtained by checking if the quality ofthe subcomponents or sub processes follows the specifications in the order.- Customer verifies that the quality of the product or process is according to specifications in theorder, before product is taken over.ABT starts by receiving a technical and economical specification of the product (a pyramid in thisexample). The product constitutes of many small pieces (here: boxes) that is developed one by one,and put together into one product (here: the pyramid). In order to figure out how to construct theproduct, it is necessary to learn more theory, carry out practical investigations, and provide qualityassurance of the components during the production.During 2010 has the methodology been adapted for use in language training in Norway. This paper isgoing to outline the pedagogical reasons for the design of the new ABT innovative teaching andlearning environment that improve students’ learning of Norwegian and English languages. This wasbeen done by using problem-based learning where students in Norway produced information andpromotion material (a leaflet, web-site and a video) based up on an order from a university inRomania. The goal is to use the promo material to enhance exchange of Erasmus students fromRomania to Norway.The article will outline the results obtained so far (qualitative and quantitative). The results obtainedare based on observations, surveys and interviews of students attending the exemplified project. Ourresults and methods are generic, whereby they are applicable to European wide training practices.They include results like:- At the end of a course the students have produced a real physical product or designed aprocess based up on specifications provided through an external order.- Students participate in a practical problem-solving process where they must decide in whichsequence they are going to produce the components and afterwards assemble them, in orderto handle the specifications in the order.- During this process they develop an understanding for the importance of obtaining bothpractical and theoretical knowledge.- Engaged students that use an attractive learning framework.Our results show that ABT may be used in high schools, vocational education and training, as well asin higher education