Task 5: Course Evaluation

When I started university I was really surprised how much knowledge some lecturers and courses expected me to have in regard to using a computer and its different functions. I have to admit that most of these functions where new for me and that it took me hours in the beginning to develop, for example, a proper presentation, to create a suitable format for papers, or to compile diagrams and graphs for survey analysis, etc. Furthermore, I was really lost when it came to the question how to use the internet properly for research and which websites were suitable as academic sources.

Looking back, I think that my school and my teachers missed out on teaching me the right handling of new media and I was never really confronted with it until I started studying at university.

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When I registered for the course “New Media in Foreign Language Education” I was hoping that I would receive thorough instructions how to use new media myself as well as how to use it in class as a future teacher.

Looking back at the New Media classes during the last semester I can definitely say that I have learned so many new and useful things and that the sessions were of great benefit for me. On the one hand, I feel like I have learned a lot about new media usage myself, which makes me feel much more confident in using the computer and its different tools than before. On the other hand, I gained many interesting teaching ideas regarding teaching with new media in a classroom.

Here is a more detailed evaluation about the course itself:

New Tools:	During the semester we got to know many useful tools and their functions. Personally, I have to say that the introduction to a number of new tools was of great benefit for me. Getting to know different tools and applications aroused my interest in using the internet more versatile in future. I really appreciated that the new tools actually helped me to gain a broader knowledge of the various possibilities provided by the internet to make things easier, more organized and more interesting.
Media Equipment in Schools:	Our field trip was a great chance to see to what extent schools are equipped with new media nowadays. The variety that was already given in the school we visited, as well as the conversation with the guiding teacher that there is much more equipment to come, revealed that teachers need to know how to work with new media in everyday school life. Therefore, I think as a future English teacher I am now well prepared and I learned throughout the course that it is always important to be curious about new developments and the handling of new media. As a critique, not for the course itself, but for the other subjects at our university I think that a similar new media course should be mandatory for all the different departments, since every future teacher should be aware of the things we learned during the course.
New Media in the Classroom:	The New Media course was a very good and balanced combination of being introduced to tools and functions for personal everyday usage of the internet, but also for the usage regarding my future profession as a teacher. In an introductory session about “mediakids” we heard many interesting facts about children and the frequency of their new media usage. Moreover, this session pointed out that you have to consider many aspects when using the internet in a classroom. It raised my awareness upon the fact that teachers have lay down some rules concerning the internet usage, for example, about publishing private information in respect on possible consequences. Developing my own lesson plan and to comment on others, helped me as well to get an idea how to involve new media in a classroom and to benefit from it in the teaching and learning situation. These tasks also revealed that using new media possibly prevents monotony within lessons and ensures more variations, as well as it encourages teachers and students to be more creative and curious.