Labs at Jagran Institute of Communication and Management, Bhopal

Dr (Prof) Vivek Khare, Principal
Type of labs deployed at the institute: Computer Lab and Language Lab
Lab solution provider: Learnsoft Language Lab

The objective of lab deployment is to help improve the language skills of students. It provides students with a high-tech learning environment and a knowledgeable tutoring staff to guidethem with any aspect of language and learning: from speaking, listening and pronunciation to reading, writing, grammar or punctuation.

Higher academic standards

It will lead to higher academic standards as students will have more opportunities for language learning, even though in a virtual environment, which definitely nevertheless provides them with substantial exposure.

Student evaluation

Students can be evaluated by assigning various projects where they are requiredto practice their target language in a real life situation. The teachers monitor the situation and provide the required feedback. Based on this feedback, the students rework their areas of weakness.

Smoothening the teaching learning process

Language teachers have been using technological aids for many years, some of which have been around from the beginning of the 20th century and so, even today, language teaching utilisesvarious forms of technology to enhance  learning in the classroom. In a language
lab, students listen to, and/or watch, multimedia materials in which native speakers talk in authentic contexts. They can also record themselves and listen to these recordings and compare their speaking skills in the target language with the original material. Audio, video and multimedia provide culturally appropriate resources with which students can interact.

Salient features

A language lab is a vital tool for enhancement of learning among students. Following are some of the features that would enable a language lab to work successfully. To begin with, it should have an auditory orientation, that is direct sound transmission should give a
step-by-step guidance from the teacher to the heads of students with crystal clarity, and it should be able to engage students with individual systems. It should also be able to increase the pace of comprehension of the students and be able to provide foreign language practise in a focussed setting that eliminates feelings of self-consciousness. Finally, it should use text, audio and video and easily integrate them with actual everyday situations.

Objective

  • To help improve the language skills of students
  • Labs provide students with a high-tech learning environment and a knowledgeable tutoring staff to guide them with any aspect of language and learning

Students’ feedback

Students appreciate the opportunity to learn through multimedia. With every session, they become more conscious of the fact and the simulations of authentic learning context can immensely help them in imbibing the target language.

Teachers’ training

Labs can be successfully implemented by giving proper training and orientation to teachers who can then help in facilitating an adequate learning environment. The students can also be made aware of the benefits they will get by using such modern facilities. Regular workshops can be conducted on the useof technology required in these setups.  A thorough check of the equipment should also be done on a regular basis which will ensure smooth functioning of the lab on any given point of time. Taking feedback from students can also contribute towards enhancement of the overall teaching learning process through these labs.

‘CALL’ for cooperative learning

Teacher-centric instruction is out and student-centred approaches are definitely in. Learner autonomy is being recognised more and it is time for cooperative learning where individualised instruction is becoming the norm. Student participation in their own learning is on the rise and will continue to be so. Along with CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning), MALL (Mobile Assisted Language Learning) would also gain much buzz. The challenge would be to allow them to do that and find the relevant technology and technology related projects to facilitate that.

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