Twelfth International Conference on e-Learning & Innovative Pedagogies

Abstract

Technology plays an increasingly important role in the teaching of languages. In a Distance Education context, it is imperative to ensure that the content students receive is engaging and current. Virtual tours, images, and reality can aid the learning of languages as it allows students to view the culture virtually rather than simply with pictures on a PowerPoint. As Lamb and Johnson (2010) argue, technologies such as Google Earth or Street View allow students to enrich their cultural and linguistic knowledge of a particular topic. Similarly, Godwin-Jones (2016) considers the different ways in which augmented reality can be used for language learning and acquisition. This presentation will focus on the use of Google Expeditions and Google Tours to create online tours for students to undertake in a Distance Education context. It will also address the usefulness of Virtual Reality tours in inquiry-based language learning. Peltekova and Stefanova (2016) discuss the effectiveness of Virtual Reality in inquiry-based learning, for example, by describing landscapes. Giving students the opportunity to complete tasks like this is particularly important in a Distance Education context as not all students will have travelled to and visited these areas.