Organized by the IMS Global Learning Consortium
SpeakApps is a European research, development and innovation project coordinated by the UOC which focuses on creating a series of open-source tools for oral learning of languages. It has been chosen as a finalist for this year’s Learning Impact 2014 awards organized by the IMS Global Learning Consortium, a non-profit organization that strives to enable the growth and impact of learning technology in higher education.
The main aim of the Learning Impact awards is to recognize outstanding applications of technology that address the most significant challenges facing global education. This award recognizes both the product/service and the institution developing it. It rewards the synergy between them in the process of using the technology to create a positive learning impact.
The next steps that the UOC has to take to participate in the final of the Learning Impact awards include the preparation of a document detailing the challenge, solution, learning impact outcomes and return on investment, and a video pitch highlighting the main features and the benefits offered by the tools.
The applications selected for the awards will be made known during the Learning Impact Leadership Institute on 5 May in New Orleans, USA, where the UOC will have to present its submission.
The tools
SpeakApps covers a series of online tools for practising oral production and interaction in foreign language learning: videochat, langblog and tandem. Videochat is a videoconferencing system for small groups, Langblog is a tool for practising oral production and Tandem is a content manager for videoconferencing activities. As well as these tools, SpeakApps also develops the language teaching activities that can be found in the SpeakApps Open Educational Resources repository.
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The EU rates the UOC School of Languages’ tools for language e-learning highly