Website Evaluation

Salam and Hi! This is my first website evaluation and I chose the following website to be evaluated-

http://www.eslgamesplus.com/fun-games/

Have fun reading my evaluation and do drop your comments if you have anything to say or argue about! :)

1.    The website brings the teaching and learning of English as a second language to a whole different level. It covers almost all the aspects there are for someone to learn about English. Topics include reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary. The website too provides a range of fun and interactive learning games, activities and exercises. There are also printable worksheets and downloadable power point slides which are all for free! Both the teacher and the students could benefit a lot from this website as it gives ease to the teachers in terms of preparation and of course it brings in a tinge of fun to the students. Apart from that, the games included provide immediate response to the users making it easier for them to identify their mistakes. Reasons on why their answers are considered wrong are provided too. This will definitely enhance their understanding as they will be able to identify and analyze their mistakes through the explanations provided. Another good thing about this website is that it provides games with different level of proficiencies. Hence, users could either start from the easy one to a more complicated task or they could also jump to the levels which they think best suite them.

2.    Users could either first sign up or use the website straight away. The advantages of signing up are; the users will be updated with news regarding the website through their emails and they will also be notified with any programs or promotions made through the website. By signing up too, users can provide feedbacks or give any comments to the website. This will of course be really helpful in promoting to the betterment of the website. However, signing up is not compulsory to all the users, it is optional. Users can still play the games online, download power point slides and even print worksheets from the website even if they are not registered.

3.    I remember the days when I had my practicum. It was indeed a fortunate event for me as I was placed at one of the leading schools in Malaysia, KISAS. At KISAS, each class is provided with one computer and one LCD and the school too has a very stable internet connection!  It has definitely brought in ease to me in terms of the preparation and the implementation of the lessons. There was one day where I finished my lesson earlier than what has been planned so I thought to myself, what should I do? I grabbed the mouse and I instantly ‘googled’ fun activities or games to be done in class. I clicked on a game and started to play with the students as a whole class activity. At first, I thought it would be a bit difficult since everybody would be involved at one time but to my surprise all my students cooperated and they seemed to really enjoy the activity. I managed to get the sleepy heads up too! Online games turned to be my best friend and my saviour ever since.

4.    Sure! The website does provide learners with something that cannot be done in classroom. For example, playing the ladder game. If this were to be implemented/played in the classroom, it will require either a really big board of the ladder game or a number of small versions of the board to cater the needs of every student in the classroom. It will therefore consume a lot of money to do so. If it is done online however, student could just simply form small groups and play it together as a group. No harm done! I’ve tested this kind of game (online board games) with my students before and they seemed to be more engaged which might probably because of the following reasons-

a)    The ‘board game’ is big and is projected in front of the class where everyone can see.

b)    There are sound effects which makes the game even interesting.

c)    It reduces the level of anxiety among the students. Why? They work as a group hence the decisions are made together- No pressure/ Expectation from others.

5.    Most of the games or exercises provided in this website serve as a medium for self study as no notes or explanations were included. It is only a medium where users can exercise what they have understood from what they have been taught/ learned. According to Krashen (1985), comprehensible input is the only true way a learner has to acquire a second language. Comprehensible inputs are often channelled through comprehension questions that test on the learners understanding. They may be provoked with question which will consequently lead to the concept of comprehensible output which is also a theory of Krashen. The output hypothesis states that it is the action of producing language, speaking and writing, which develops part of the process of second language learning (how proficient learners become). This website explains everything about comprehensible output. The only that may be lacking of this website is that it does not provide any activities where learners can exercise their listening skills.

6.    The website shows a great potential of language learning. First of all, it covers almost every basic or principle there is in the teaching and learning of English as a second language. There are grammar exercises, vocabulary games that help user to build their language. Learners are also provided with levels of difficulty which I think is a very good way for the learners to explore the language. Personally, if I were to do activities on this website, I’ll choose to start with the easiest one and move to the complicated ones once I passed all the ‘easy’ levels and I would do the same to my students! This way, not only the teacher will be able to know at which levels his/her students are, the students themselves can check on their progress. They will be able to analyze their mistakes which to me is very important in a learning process, to be able to identify and rectify your mistakes.

7.    Yes. Based on the review I made above, it is clearly that this website or the approach which is to include online games in language learning and teaching provides a lot of advantages to the users. However, as we know, technology can sometimes fail. Hence, in my opinion if online games were to be used in a classroom, it should not be used as the main activity rather it should only be used as some kind of revision where students are reinforced with things that they have already learned. Better be ready than stuck in the middle of the road right! One last reason why I choose to use this application is that it can check on both; individual performance and whole class performance as I can choose to use it as a whole class activity or I can also conduct the activities individually which obviously I will need to do it in a computer lab.