Osaka JALT - Back to School 2017

 

Osaka JALT Back to School 2017
List of Presenters

Saturday, 27 May 2017 - 9:00am - 5:30pm

Keynote Speaker: Professor Gordon Bateson of Kochi University of Technology

Back to School 2017 is Osaka JALT's 7th annual spring mini-conference which aims to share ideas on a wide range of topics to help everyone in the new school year. With long and short presentations, poster sessions, and plenty of time to socialize (including a dinner party afterwards at a nearby restaurant), there is sure to be something for everyone.

RSVP here to reserve a spot at the dinner party and so we can have a better idea of how many to prepare for.

Please enter the Osaka Jogakuin campus via the south gate, just up the steep hill from the 7-11 near Tamatsukuri subway station. (map)

The list of presentations is here, and the schedule can be found here. (Please double-check closer to the 27th for any minor, last-minute changes.)

This year's Keynote speaker is Professor Gordon Bateson of Kochi University of Technology

Theory and Practice of Gamification in the Language Learning Classroom
This presentation will consider ways in which ideas from game theory and game design can be applied in education to improve students' motivation and engagement. These ideas will be illustrated with examples from the presenter’s own experience creating activities and courses for language learning.

Of central importance in these learning materials is making the goals of the course, and the steps to achieve those goals, clear to the students. To this end, the presenter has made use of the Moodle LMS (Learning Management System) to create blended learning environments that support students of varying ability and aptitude, and encourage active learning through collaborative work in pairs and groups. The result is a “flipped classroom” in which students prepare outside class for performances and assignments done in the classroom. Responses from student surveys show that students have found these courses useful and enjoyable.

The Moodle-supported courses employ various tools and techniques. Some of the technologies, such as conditional activities and digital badges, are available in standard Moodle, while others, such as the Scoreboard block and extended Reading activity, have been developed by the presenter and can be added to a Moodle site as 3rd-party plugins.

This presentation is intended for teachers from across the spectrum of computer literacy. Whether you have never used an LMS before, or use one every day, it is hoped that this presentation will improve your awareness of the versatility of a modern LMS, and how it can support you and your students in and out of the classroom.

Gordon Bateson has a B.Sc. degree in Software Engineering from Imperial College, London and a M.Sc. in Teaching English for Specific Purposes (TESP) from Aston University, Birmingham, U.K. He has lived and worked in Japan for the last 27 years. He teaches English at Kochi University of Technology (Japan) and develops add-ons for Moodle. He is currently enrolled as a doctoral student at Aizu university (Japan).

You can get a sense of what last year's Back to School event was like, as well as previous years.

We welcome many great students, teachers, and researcher presenters who submitted proposals but submissions are now closed. Presentations can be in Japanese, English, or any language.

Any questions can be directed to us at osakajalt AT yahoo.com .

Back to School 2017 is co-sponsored by Osaka Jogakuin University's Research Institute of International Collaboration and Coexistence Research on Language Learning, and by Cambridge Centre West Japan, and by englishbooks.jp

Location:

Osaka Jogakuin University main building, near JR and subway Tamatsukuri station

JALT members, OJC/OJU faculty, and undergraduate students: Free

One-day members: ￥2,000 (You can join JALT or renew your dues online or via postal furikomi, or at the event.)

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