English Teaching and Research Conference

Fukuoka Chapter

The main purpose of this conference is to begin an academic dialogue between teachers and researchers interested in improving the quality of their work in preparation for the fall conference season. Presentations will be symposium style, with two presentations on related topics for 20 minutes each followed by a 15-minute roundtable discussion led by a moderator.

Plenary Workshops:

Moodle for Language Teachers
Nicholas Bovee
Kyushu Sangyo University
Moodle is a free learning management system (LMS) used by many teachers to extend classroom activities and traditional pen-and-paper assignments. Moodle can also be a useful management tool for teachers in charge of large classes, or a large number of classes. This 90 minute workshop is geared toward the novice user who has had little or no prior experience with Moodle. Only a basic knowledge of computers is required (using a Web browser, saving files, creating folders, etc.). The presenter will explain in clear, jargon-free language. By the end of the workshop, participants will know how to create and maintain a fully-functional Moodle site, and learn about publications and free materials that will help them learn more about Moodle on their own.

An Introduction to Quantitative Methods for Classroom-Based Research
Gregory Sholdt
Kobe University
Getting started in action or classroom-based research can be a bewildering endeavor. The goal of this workshop is to provide novice teacher-researchers with a simple and versatile quantitative research design template that can be easily implemented in most language classroom settings. Participants will complete a set of worksheets that outline a clear research plan from research question to data analysis, run a sample data set through an on-line statistical analysis program, and leave the workshop with an easy-to-follow research plan tailored to their personal interests.