Enhancing Professional Teaching Capacity using English as a Medium Instruction to Elevate RMUTL's International Excellent

OBEL Programme Details

Course Dates

Pre-sessional testing and orientation: Week of 9-13 December 2024

Classes: Saturday 4 January – Saturday 5 April 2025 (14 weeks)

Hours: 10am – 12:00pm, 1pm – 3pm

Note that the ELC will be happy to work with RMUTL to adjust the delivery dates if required.

Delivery Method

The course is delivered both synchronously and asynchronously. Students are expected to

be present for the zoom sessions (4 hours per week) and can expect to do 4 hours per week

of self-directed learning / homework.

To aid with the selection of participants for the on-campus component, there will be a mid

course assessment in early March.

Course Aim

At the end of the course participants will be able to demonstrate improved ability to use and

communicate effectively in English. By the end of the course students will have:

• Taught a 20-minute lesson in English

• Observed and participated in lessons taught by classmates

• Kept a reflective journal on what they have learned

• Reviewed a range of English expressions for teaching in the classroom

• Participated in weekly speaking and listening activities

• Completed a programme of self-study homework.

Course Description

• The course is an online virtual classroom (OVC) bringing together the best of

contemporary teaching and learning pedagogy and practice

• The course uses technology combined with the live face-to-face online interaction

• The course is interactive and participative with components that require interpersonal

exchange for meaningful engagement

• The course is a blend of communication, activities, collaboration and assessment

• The course is aligned to the identity and culture of the University of Otago English

Language Centre

• The OVC is conducted in a comprehensive but simple environment with a user-friendly

authoring system

• Curriculum design follows the constructive alignment model, i.e. course learning

objectives, teaching and learning activities and assessment tasks correspond with one

another

Content inventory:

• Integrated language skills – reading, listening, writing, speaking, pronunciation,

vocabulary and grammar (weekly)

• Resources are from print, online, audio, video, sound bites/ videos and lessons,

student’s own generated content

Teaching strategies:

• Learner-centric

• Largely self-directed

• Collaborative (discussion forum)

• Four hours of Zoom lessons per week (face-to-face/teacher-led/student-centred)

Online strategies:

• Assignment submission and handling

• Regular quizzes

• Feedback on writing and speaking

• Live Zoom classrooms