Abstract
The main objective of this chapter is to carry out a study on the importance of educational software using micro-lessons in the study of English in compulsory secondary education. The authors will analyse the technological and economic development, and how it has influenced the mechanics when teaching, providing different implications. To achieve this objective, the authors will use a methodology that will consist of a bibliographical review of the subject matter, for which a historical perspective on information and communication technologies (ICTs) will be carried out in the first place. Subsequently, the concept of educational software will be discussed, and its relationship and use in English will be specified to be able to carry out an original proposal of activities. In conclusion, the results obtained show that the use of educational software in the English classroom can be used to improve classes through micro-lessons by teachers, interactivity between the teacher and the student, and can be an aid to motivate students and stimulate their interests.
TopIntroduction
The spread of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has brought about various social, economic, and technological changes. These changes involve the different levels of social life, from education to the world of work, from interpersonal relations to leisure time, from scientific research to the production of goods and services (Sahin, 2021). To live in this rapidly changing context, it is necessary to have new knowledge, to make better use of existing knowledge, to think about efficiency, and to have easy and flexible access to data, services, and information. Education and training are the two necessary contexts for the creation of a knowledge society, where social cohesion, interrelation, competitiveness, individual and collective growth depend more and more on the ability to benefit from the products of information and communication technologies in the field of learning.
Nowadays, we hear the demand for a new school, renewed in didactics, methods, contents, and organisations. This innovation is favoured by the collaboration between computers and education in the learning processes and educational habitat, which is why education must meet these needs. Texts, sounds, multimedia images, digital whiteboards, computers, and various installations are valid instruments for didactic mediation, integrating educational work and facilitating the acquisition of knowledge by students. Through multimedia technologies, the student is the protagonist and author of his or her learning and training processes, because he or she is involved and motivated by the creation and search for resources. Teachers, with the appropriate use of the different facilities, can promote, by monitoring, the personal trajectory of the students. The traditional method should not be erased but integrated with problem solving. There is the possibility to stimulate cognitive, spatial, explorative, and manipulative functions, which are included in the didactic curriculum as general educational and didactic objectives (Dwyer, 2017).
The sources of information to investigate this argument are varied and have been chosen based on different criteria such as relevance and topicality. So, firstly, the relevance-relevance factor has been considered with respect to the chosen study and with respect to the contributions related to it; furthermore, it has been considered that the contributions revolve around ICT in general and their application in the classroom. Secondly, consideration was given to the topicality of the sources and innovative ideas on the subject. They are all reliable and verifiable sources and are the work of reputable authors in the field in question.
The general aim of this chapter is to conduct a study on the importance of educative software in the study of English as a foreign language in Compulsory Secondary Education in a public centre in Spain. The following specific objectives will also be pursued:
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to describe the application of software in the classroom and its importance as an innovative and motivating medium
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to define the pros and cons of their use
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to describe the changes in the roles of teacher-student in relation to the use of these resources
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to propose activities for students in the secondary English classroom
Key Terms in this Chapter
English as a Foreign Language: English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is the term used to describe the study of English by non-native speakers in countries where English is not the dominant language.
ICTs: Information and communication technologies (ICT) is defined as a diverse set of technological tools and resources used to transmit, store, create, share, or exchange information.
Micro-lessons: A micro-lesson is a short, recorded audio or video presentation on a single, tightly defined topic. It is usually used as a component of online or face-to-face teaching. The time of the micro-lesson is often controlled at about 10 minutes.
Teaching-Learning Process: The teaching learning process, or the education process, has been defined as a systematic, sequential, planned course of action on the part of both the teacher and learner to achieve the outcomes of teaching and learning.
Educational Software: Educational software is a term used for any computer software which is made for an educational purpose. It encompasses different ranges from language learning software to classroom management software to reference software. The purpose of all this software is to make some part of education more effective and efficient.