Online discussions as learning spaces: Active learning, community-building, and engagement. They provide new spaces to engage students, share information, acquire content knowledge, and develop valuable skills. This innovation presents challenges for faculty in designing, using, and managing relevant and meaningful educational experiences appropriate for students. This session will describe and discuss how to design better online discussions to support learning of new knowledge and skills for specific content areas, specifically in graduate education. It will discuss how the use of these communication technologies can empower students to achieve their academic goals. The presentation will appeal to individuals with professional interest in using specific online communication and collaboration tools, and faculty members who are thinking of using communication technologies as primary or complementary tools in their teaching. Anyone working with graduate students or anyone engaged in distance learning and teaching will also find the ideas presented in this session useful.

The present study proposes the integration of mobile audiobooks to help develop EFL students’ listening comprehension skills in English. It will give the following: (i) examples of English literature mobile audiobooks; (ii) the advantages of using mobile audiobooks; (iii) criteria for selecting audiobooks; (iv) listening comprehension, vocabulary and literary appreciation skills that can be developed with mobile audiobooks; (v) instructional stages with mobile audiobooks.

Mobile audiobooks can be used as extension activities or as a supplement to in-class instruction in ESL/EFL. They are free, easy and quick to download, update and delete, can be used anywhere, anytime and as many times as the students need.

Students can download an audiobook from children’s audiobooks, short classic audiobooks or Disney audiobooks by the students, whether simplified, authentic; children or adult audiobooks depending on the students’ proficiency level. The instructor can ask pre-questions that require the students to identify the main events of the story (plot), setting, characters and main theme. Questions can be posted in an online discussion forum. The students can post their responses to the questions in the online discussion forum. They can also summarize the novel or story and post their summary in the forum. They can post comments on each other’s’ responses. They can retell or summarize the story, discuss the elements of the novel under study in class (face to face).

The integration of mobile audiobooks showed improved listening comprehension, vocabulary and literary analysis skills among participating students and increased student engagement in listening activities.

The study investigated use of the iPad on Saudi young children as reported by their mothers. Specifically, (i) how long they use it; (ii) types of Apps they use; (iii) positive and negative effects of the ipad on the cognitive, psychological, physical, emotional, social development,. Results of a survey administered to a sample of mothers showed that half the children in the sample have their own ipad, and the other half share an ipad with their siblings. About 50% spend 1-2 hours a day using the ipad; 30% use it over the weekend and in holidays.

74% believe that use of the ipad has become a necessity. They like to introduce their kids to latest technologies. It is a good enjoyable educational and entertainment tool.

Mothers reported that their kids use Apps for learning the alphabet, numbers, games, cartoons, nursery rhymes, video clips, drawing, animals, classification and others.

Some of the advantages of using the ipad are: kids keep up with what’s new around the world; they learn quickly and easily; they learn the alphabet, words, animal names, the colors, shapes in both English and Arabic; in addition to entertaining the kid while the mother is busy or away.

The mothers reported several disadvantages such as: Distraction, social isolation; addiction to the ipad; losing their temper when the ipad is taken form them, when it is out of battery. The ipad’s glare affects the kids’ eyesight. They do not feel like moving or playing, socializing or communicating with others.

The mothers did not agree on the optimal age for using the ipad (ages 3, 4, and 5 years). The majority recommended setting a time limit for using the ipad under the parents’ supervision. Results and recommendations will be reported in detail.

Instructors are constantly thinking about how to enhance student learning and retention beyond the given classroom. Instructor-made videos (IMV) may be an option for instructors looking to scaffold learning in a just in time format. Additionally, the literature shows that IMVs placed in the course where students are struggling the most may assist students in understanding key concepts. This type of innovation also allows under resourced students, those students who have trouble understanding formal language register such as the language presented in textbooks, to better understand concepts. This presentation will give instructors ideas for when to offer timely IMVs to students as well as some video tools instructors can use in their courses to create videos of varying lengths. Furthermore, a brief discussion of language in videos to better serve the under resourced student will be presented.

Online faculty often report a challenge in setting reasonable boundaries and finding work-life balance. They are a first line of support for students and, well beyond faculty expectations, often have many demands on their time each day. However, many faculty members have been teaching online for over a decade and evidence does exist to support the idea that a manageable schedule while teaching online can be achieved.

Presenters have a combined 25+ years of experience teaching online and will discuss challenges, barriers, and strategies that have helped them to make a successful transition to teaching online while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.