“E-shop”: A Collaborative Learning Activity

Abstract

This paper deals with instructional design in a university context. It is a part of a project called “e-LATE” (e-Learning Activities for Technical English). These activities are designed as units of study for students in computer science in Algeria. “e-Shop” is designed using communicative language learning and collaborative learning approaches. Both obey to Piaget's cognitive theory & Vygotsky social constructivism. The scenario is built on role play as a learning situation. In «e-Shop », students play different roles: vendors, clients, and dealers - in a computer shop. The game may be run both in a face to face or distance mode. In recent years, language acquisition is focused on the learning process rather than language teaching. What is targeted is not only the learner's linguistic competence but the development of his communicative ability as well (Krish, 2001). Another approach, that practitioners use, is the collaborative approach as it increases the learners’ motivation (The Collaborative Learning Project). We designed an instructional activity named «e-Shop » that uses firstly, the communicative approach to enable learners get better language skills, then role-playing, as a learning situation, because it uses different communicative techniques and develops fluency in the language, promotes interaction in the classroom and increases motivation (Krish, 2001); finally collaborative work so as to run those approaches among peers. This latter implies a cognitive conflict between/among peers that calls for a debate on a given subject and therefore let students communicate and show/express their opinions.