Potential platforms for Internet-based CPD:

The following is an outline of Internet-based platforms which Libyan teachers may engage or be engaged in to promote CPD. Bearing in mind the low-resourced public school contexts, these platforms are presented in order of complexity and expenditure.

2.6.3.1 E-mail:

E-mail exchange is asynchronous and is the foundation of all forms of online interaction. 'It's easy to use, it's cheap, fast and reliable' (Dudeney, 2000: 10). Thus, in low-resourced environments, it is quite possible for a tutor to use nothing else but e-mail to communicate with learners (Kearsley, 2000). Working with minimum facilities and cost, file attachments containing study material, links to supplementary web resources, as well as feedback could all be sent by e-mail. Although a kind of threaded discussion can be kept as e-mails accumulate, the drawback is in the lack of a collective pool of single e-mails covering the topics discussed.

Hanson-Smith (2001: 10) points out that learners' interaction through e-mail and

discussion boards can create language encounters that are hardly possible face-to-face, in that communication can be supported by online grammar and spelling checks which provide a kind of "buffered" authenticity giving learners time to look up words and seek better ways of expressing themselves.

2.6.3.2 Real-time chat:

The simplest form of synchronous messaging is real-time chat, in which participants exchange instant messages on screen (Kearsley, 2000). Although abbreviations and slang (Netspeak - a mix of spoken and written language used in text-based communication) are more common in chat than e-mail, chat messages are automatically deleted at the end of a session. Thus, synchronous chat messaging may be viewed as an informal

unthreatening mode of communication, which might appeal to apprehensive and novice NNEST users of the technology before moving on to asynchronous communication in online discussion forums, a feature which is used to support online orientation (see the

Conclusion chapter, sub-section 7.3.1.6)

Moreover, synchronous chat, as pointed out by Almeida d'Eça, (2005: 30), makes

members feel 'related and connected to each other in a community, the next best thing to being with them face-to-face'. The author adds that two excellent features offered by Yahoo Messenger, voice and video, are useful for supporting and enhancing social bonding in online environments; „the sense of "belonging to a community of like-minded peers" has

always been very strong among us and is one of the essential characteristics of community building online‟ (p. 33).

2.6.3.3 Web-based groups:

Yahoo, Microsoft and other group-based messaging are open source Internet tools that facilitate the setting up of low-cost asynchronous online solutions appropriate for low-tech environments. As Russell (2001: 157) points out, the Yahoo Groups facility 'can be useful because of its web-based location', i.e. can be accessed from any computer linked to the Internet and does not require participants to log on to a particular ISP. These groups often offer discussion forums and file storage for uploading learning material and photos. Hunter (2006) notes that

Yahoo Group membership allows continual communication, enabling practitioners to seek advice, share experiences and resources, and set up student and cultural learning projects across the globe using Internet technologies (p. 18).

Webheads in Action, for example, was created in 2002 as a community of practice for TESOL professionals. Its purpose was to help participants appreciate the potential benefits of integrating Internet-based technology into their teaching practice, and to share open source Internet tools. The web-based group provided support for online development in non-threatening collaborative environments by enabling participants to self-direct their professional growth, motivated by their enthusiasm and the sense of belonging (Hunter, 2006). Eight years later, Webheads in Action has developed into an emerging new technology called Web 2, which integrates „wikis, blogs, podcasts, vodcasts, and other open, collaborative platforms‟; where users can „create content and interact and collaborate online… create their own learning spaces in the learning process‟ (Hunter, 2006: 17).

2.6.3.4 Online forums:

Online discussion is a developed form of e-mail, hence usually text-based, and can take the shape of discussion forums, online conferencing, online networking, mailing lists, news groups or simply online groups. As in e-mail, online messages include sender's name, subject header (useful for selecting important messages) and message text. In addition,

online discussions maintain a digital record of messages; a thread of exchanged messages within each topic area is saved on computer. Therefore, knowledge is not only presented or generated, but can also be shared, constructed and preserved as part of a learning community (Andrews and Haythornthwaite, 2007).

Online discussion forums thus have the capacity to invoke deliberative thought and facilitate critical reflection. According to Vygotsky's (1978) constructivist theory (see sub- section 2.10.1) , this fosters higher/ deeper levels of knowledge processing and hence promotes professional development. Harlen and Doubler (2007) emphasise that, through online discussion, teachers can share knowledge perceptions and concerns about their practice;

through online discussions they can apply their learning to the reality of their school, become familiar with perspectives of other teachers, and a wider range of practical applications for their learning (p. 458).

Moreover, constructively-oriented online discussion has the capacity to invoke deliberative thought through reflection afforded by the time delay between messages, and hence, according to Vygotsky's constructivist theory facilitates higher levels of cognitive processing. Lapadat (2002) explains that when participants endeavour to express their thoughts in electronic writing, they will take time to compose messages, thus are more likely to reflect, be more critical and apply higher order levels of thinking. For further discussion of the pedagogic concerns associated with the asynchronicity of online discussion, see sub-section 2.8.8.

FL Teach (Foreign Language Teaching Forum) is a typical example of an online discussion forum for FL teachers, which integrates Web resources, an e-mail list for academic discussion, access to list archives, and FL News. First Class is also an online text-

conferencing system, which was used by the University of London's Institute of Education's OET (Online Education and Training) programme (see section 7.7 about Reflections on personal development). As part of the present study, a Yahoo Group called la-tefl was created to support Libyan EFL teachers‟ online interaction (see sub-section 5.3.2.2).

2.6.3.5 Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs):

A VLE is an online study software designed to enhance the learning experience of participants both personally and within a social learning network (VLE, 2002). Virtual learning platforms are asynchronous and come under various categories: They can be referred to as Managed Learning Systems (MLS), Computer Supported Learning (CSL), Computer Mediated Conferencing (CMC) or Asynchronous Learning Networks (ALN). Accessed by a personal ID and password, a VLE offers combinations of learning and assessment material together with support for collaborative methods of communication with peers and tutor _{(VLE, 2002).}

Different VLE platforms have different features, but typical functions provide curriculum mapping, a notice board, e-mail communication, an online forum or threaded discussion, technical support and student tracking. Some VLEs also offer multimedia sharing

capabilities, self-assessment tools and web links to useful resources (CPD Centre, 2003). According to status, VLE users are assigned either a student ID or tutor ID. The tutor can see what students see, but the tutor is allowed to create or modify curriculum content and track student performance. Popular types of VLEs are WebCT, Blackboard, Lotus,

LearningSpace, eCollege, etc. The Merlin VLE, which has been used in the online part of this study, is described in more detail in sub-section 3.3.3.

The pedagogic purpose of a VLE is to create a community of learners and support asynchronous threaded discussion in learning networks where, by integrating social and technical aspects (Internet technology), „students and faculty [teachers] communicate and work together to build and share knowledge‟ (Hiltz, Turoff and Harasim, 2007: 57). Salmon (2000) however, rightly argues, as does Pincas (2002), that the availability of online platforms, however sophisticated, does not necessarily guarantee participation or collaborative learning; some sort of support strategies need to be in place, in addition to learners‟ motivation to contribute to the transformative process. A discussion of online scaffolding support strategies can be found in section 2.10.3.