The Effect of Web—based English Teaching on Traditional College English Teaching—Take MOOC as an Example

【Abstract】： Along with the rapid development of science and technology， great changes in education also appear. One of the most representative things is massive online open course （also MOOC）， a new kind learning model. The present essay presents a brief introduction of MOOC and then analyzes its possible effect on traditional college English teaching.

【Key words】： MOOC ；traditional teaching effects

Introduction

This essay aims to talk about the effect of web-based English on traditional college English teaching， including the history of the online education， the characteristics of MOOC and traditional teaching and mainly the possible effects.

I.The history of MOOC

With the development of science and technology， the education forms also present some new tendency. Computers had been popularized at the end of twenty century. The online education during this period took the media of radio. From 2010， there comes the era of massive online education， marked by the establishment of Khan Academy and later the massive open online course， known as MOOC. The massive instruction of MOOC in China started in 2013. In January 2013， Chinese University of Hong Kong announced its participation into Coursera. In April， Hong Kong University of Science and Technology enrolled Coursera.

II.The characteristics of both MOOC and traditional education

A.The characteristics of traditional education

Firstly， traditional English teaching show a clear or specific aim in class. Secondly， it is the teachers rather than students who take a central part in class. Thirdly， for traditional English teaching， textbooks will be the fundamental materials. And finally， the number of students in traditional teaching is always in a restricted range

B. The characteristics of MOOC

Firstly， the name of MOOC shows three obvious features ： massive， open and online. Secondly， MOOC also endows other specific features： the mini-course model， the emphasis of students’ subjectivity and the feature of interaction.

III.The effect of MOOC on traditional education

Although MOOC shows many advantages over traditional English teaching， it is not possible for MOOC to substitute the traditional teaching completely. Then what need to do is to find out the characteristics of MOOC and apply them to traditional teaching. The following will continue from three aspects.

A.The positive effect

MOOC cannot replace the real classroom teaching， but its emphasis on students has shed useful light on traditional teaching， the alteration of teachers’ role.

When it becomes learner-centered teaching models， to say that the power of teacher is shared will be better than it is cut. While there may be obstacles for teachers to change their original role to a less decisive one， whatever obstacles they may meet， all these will contribute to encourage teachers to change the role.

Secondly， its emphasis on students’ subjectivity also has reference value on traditional teaching， in which students are guided completely by their teachers. Students’ subjectivity can be developed mainly in two aspects. One is the novelty of material. Another aspect is the way of helping others. To wish to tell others the possible solution of questions contributes to lead students to ponder on questions independently and automatically.

Thirdly， the intrinsic property of MOOC that it is related to Internet also provide both teachers and students with tremendous treasures of learning material. As traditional English teaching mostly work around the reference books， it will be beneficial to teachers for preparing their lessons and to students for enlarging their range of learning. In MOOC， there are kinds of video course meeting the point.

However， as MOOC have shed many beneficial lights on traditional English teaching， there also exists some misleading.

Firstly， even though MOOC makes the possibility of interaction between students and students and also students and teachers available， all these are conducted on computer. When communicating， students’ emotional experience is ignored.

Secondly， though MOOC covers various resources of language learning， it is hard for learners to choose the appropriate one. According to Krashen’s input hypothesis， learners need to be exposed to the input knowledge at the stage of “i+1”in order to improve their language learning. As students have not constructed the complete system of a second language， when choosing courses online， they may select courses that are above or below their current stage heavily.

Conclusion

MOOC has been developing so quickly in the world. The tendency of the reformation of traditional teaching is rising. Both teachers and students need to prepare enough to welcome this great change. Scholars should take a critical and comprehensive attitude towards MOOC. Only by this can these new things serve human better.

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