Modification of Learning Objects for NESB Students

Abstract

Due to the increasingly diverse student population in multicultural nations such as Australia, the U.S., Canada, and the UK, educators are faced with the challenge of how to best meet the needs of students with limited English proficiency without ‘watering down’ the curriculum. The use of educational digital resources is one way of enhancing non-English speaking background (NESB) students’ academic skills and understandings, but without explicit English as a second language (ESL) support integrated into these resources, the benefits for NESB students are limited. This chapter documents a study of the content and format of a number of learning objects designed by The Le@arning Federation in an attempt to explore how specific learning objects can be modified to address the language needs of NESB students and unlock the value of their content. Design guidelines for ESL adaptation of digital learning content are provided based on current research and second language acquisition (SLA) principles.