Potencialidades de objetos de aprendizagem em repositório digital para o ensino da língua inglesa

Abstract

This study aims at analyzing Learning Objects created to teach English as a foreign language available in the repository BIOE in order to verify whether these Objects can be classified as Language Learning Objects and, thus, could be used as resources to develop the learner’s communicative competence. Besides, we also intend to investigate whether the Objects incorporate characteristics of interactivity and independent learning. To analyze the Objects, we use an instrument developed by Borges (2006) that was originally created to analyze whether ESL/EFL software incorporate principles of the Communicative Language Teaching. Since our object of study is much smaller than and educational software, the instrument had to be adapted. Yet, the original three parts of the instrument were used in this research in order to analyze the technical characteristics focusing on motivation; the pedagogical characteristics focusing on the development of the communicative competence; and characteristics of individualized learning focusing on the development of learner’s autonomy. The results show that there is a very small amount of Language Learning Objects available in the repository and that the Objects analyzed do have the potential to develop the communicative competence when used as resources, and since they have a significant level of interactivity, they motivate students to learn. However, this study displays that there is no concern about creating Language Learning Objects that incorporate characteristics of individualized learning that contributes to developing learner’s autonomy.