Tien Mai is a lecturer of English at Ho Chi Minh City Open University and a teacher trainer at Vietnam National University HCM International Education Institute. He holds an M.A degree in Applied Linguistics. His professional interests include CALL, Continuous Professional Development, and Intercultural Communication. Email: tienmaielt@gmail.com

Tien Mai is a lecturer of English at Ho Chi Minh City Open University and a teacher trainer at Vietnam National University HCM International Education Institute. He holds an M.A degree in Applied Linguistics. His professional interests include CALL, Continuous Professional Development, and Intercultural Communication. Email: tienmaielt@gmail.com

Background: A TKT training course

The action research is conducted on a Teaching Knowledge Test (TKT) training course, in which the author is one of the 3 co-instructors. Divided into in 2 classes, participants in the course are 71 core teachers from various primary and secondary schools in a province in the south of Vietnam. They are veteran in-service teachers, with years of teaching experience ranging from 5 to 26. It is important to note that participation in the training is made compulsory by the English Academic Division of the Department of Education and Training of the province (DOET). The practice is ubiquitous in all DOETs in Vietnam: teachers are required to participate in training programs regardless of their teaching experience or qualifications. Even teachers who hold Master’s degrees in TESOL or Applied Linguistics have to attend training courses which are seemingly aimed at entry-level professionals.

Although they have been sitting through a large number of annual training sessions such as language proficiency development, teaching approaches, and technology in education, this is the first time the trainees have been involved in an intensive TKT preparation course. Many participants, especially the cohort who is working in primary schools, have problems with recognizing and understanding TKT terms.

The course aims are originally drafted by DOET, expecting participants to achieve dual purposes: By the end of the course, participants will be ready to take the TKT exam with a passing grade of at least band 2 in all three modules, and in doing so, participants will pick up useful teaching strategies that can be immediately and appropriately applied to their teaching contexts.

Classes meet once a week with 7 hours of face-to-face instruction. The whole course lasts 13 weeks, from mid-September to mid-December, 2016, totaling 91 hours including practice test sessions. From the course instructors’ perspectives, we strictly follow the unit sequence listed the course main text book, The TKT Course Modules 1, 2 and 3 (2nd Edition) by Mary Spratt, Alan Pulverness, and Melanie Williams. Module 1 covers language and background to language learning and teaching, Module 2 lesson planning and use of resources for language teaching, and Module 3 managing the teaching and learning process.

The training venue is located in one of the main streets of the province, about 40km from Ho Chi Minh City where I am currently based. Some teachers have to travel up to 60km by motorbike to reach the place. The classroom offers limited technological tools, namely a speaker and a projector. Because Wi-Fi connection is not available, I have to bring my own laptop, using my smartphone as a hotspot hub via 3G connection when we need to access online resources or materials. Beyond the training setting, all teachers have reliable home Internet connections on their PCs or laptops. Not surprisingly, many own a decent smartphone. At the participants’ own teaching contexts, each school is equipped with at least one technology-enhanced classroom that has speakers, PCs and projectors. Sadly, such facilities are mainly active on the occasion of semester teaching demonstrations that evaluate teachers' performances. All teachers can be easily reached via email.

The attendance issue

One critical issue with the aforementioned TKT trainees is attendance. While participating in this intensive course, many of them have to undertake another training program overseas, which seriously conflicts the TKT schedule. In particularly, approximately 80% of the course participants (streamed into groups A, B and C) are sent abroad by DOET for three weeks for teacher development at three different timetables. Group A would depart and return in October, and Group B and C in November and December respectively. While they are absent, the parallel TKT training course’s agenda still takes place as planned. Having asked group A about the content of the overseas training sessions, I have learned that such sessions involve general teaching approaches, which do not put a heavy emphasis on acquiring or familiarizing with TKT terms. In other words, although there are some overlapping areas concerning classroom activities, the overseas training content is not directly related to this TKT exam preparation course.

Besides that, some teachers have to attend on-site concurrent workshops, provided by DOET on the new school year’s policies or new learning assessment standards in September, while others cannot attend classes because they are overwhelmed with the workload at school: many are teaching 31 periods/week (each period last 45 minutes) towards November. In addition, a few teachers have asked for absence on particular days of the training program due to personal reasons.

In short, given that participants will miss about 25% of the in-class sessions across all three modules in the training course for different reasons, other modes of training delivery have to be taken into consideration to prepare them for the official TKT exam in late December, 2016.

Technology solution: Creating TKT training videos with Screen Recording

As one major aim of the course is to familiarize participants with TKT exam-like tasks, attending the face-to-face training sessions is pragmatic. During the first sessions of the training, I have realized that the primary teachers have been discouraged after achieving unsatisfactory grades of TKT sample tasks. Many areas of knowledge and terms are not relevant to their setting of young learners. In-class participation, therefore, is crucial to expose the teachers to such a novel realm.

For the past few years, I have produced several videos of classroom activities, using Windows Movie Maker to share with my colleagues on my YouTube channel. My impression is that the process is both time-consuming and tedious. I do not feel confident to record myself lecturing and am not convinced of its practicality: “Will learners sit patiently and watch my lectures?” After all, it was not my responsibility to deliver the training beyond the brick-and-mortar setting. That being said, I am providing recorded presentations integrated with assessment tools so that the trainees can view at their own disposal.

The American English State website (See Resource for links) recommends different tools that can offer interactivity in online learning, with Nearpod being a strong contender. To use Nearpod, students will input a specific code to enter the class. They can interact with my presentation, for example, answering questions or watching videos. Nevertheless, using Nearpod would require teachers’ sign-in as well as my own additional study time to familiarize myself with the tools. Despite being quite a new player in the screen-casting realm, Office Mix’s ease of use and interactive functionality clearly make it stand out. I have first heard of the tool thanks to my membership in the Microsoft Innovative Educators Facebook Group. The group is initiated by practicing Vietnamese K-12 teachers who are willing to share their experience using tech tools such as Skype, OneNote, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Setting up Mix is no-brainer. I can easily install Mix by downloading the plugin to my current PowerPoint 2016 (See the Resources section for a useful guide). Following the installation, a new tab called Mix is ready to function (See screenshot 1 below).

Screenshot 1: An example of the installed Mix plugin screen (after recording the slide).

With Mix, I can record my PowerPoint presentations by clicking on Slide Recording. Another amazing feature is the Inking tool, which enables me to draw and take notes directly on the slide (See Screenshot 2). The Quizzes Video Apps, featuring popular test types like Multiple-choice or Free Responses, is another important function that convinces me to adopt the tool. The participants need knowledge application and immediate feedback after listening to my lectures; hence, the integrated quizzes will first test their understanding, reinforce the learning process, and then motivate them to review the materials if they make mistakes.

Screenshot 2: Using the inking tool while recording.

After creating recordings with embedded quizzes and uploading to my online Office Mix account, I can invite learners to access those presentations. This has facilitated ubiquitous learning when learners can watch the lectures or review the materials anytime they want, either before the lesson or after the lesson.

To summarize, incorporating the TKT training course with Office Mix/Screen Recording presentations will mitigate the issue of attendance. Distant trainees will have opportunities to view the lecture videos with integrated assessment to make up for missing in-class instructions.

Response and reflection

I have made the first attempts integrating recorded videos into traditional teaching by making recorded presentations for Group B learners who are taking another training course abroad. After having covered TKT Unit 23 (on reference resources) and Unit 25 (on supplementary materials) in the classroom, I reflected on the learning outcomes and problematic areas, and then designed the first three lecture videos (See the Resource section to access those Office Mixes). It is noteworthy that I have made the videos after teaching the lesson in the classroom, which enables me to clarify problematic areas of knowledge.

The experience making such videos is both revealing and tedious. As these are my first videos, I feel a bit awkward talking to the screen although I have taught the lesson in the classroom. For each video, several versions have been created, with the latter being a bit more improved than the previous one concerning my narration, the illustration, and the integrated quiz. Although the third video is created with much more ease, the overall experience is associated with hard work.

Together with the video, I have also designed a survey (using Google Form) to study trainees’ reaction to those videos. Email is sent to all teachers in the course. Given the scope of this action research, I am going to report results of Group B who are currently training overseas. Of 16 teachers in Group B, six have completed their feedback before the deadline. Taking part in the survey is optional, and it does not affect assessment of trainees’ participation in the course. The questions in the survey (See the Resource section) are mostly open-ended, encouraging respondents to fill in qualitative data. The survey results will be analyzed in the following parts.

• Overall impression
  Except Teacher 1 who only viewed the TKT Unit 1 part I video, all other five teachers viewed all three recorded presentations. I am very glad to learn that 5 respondents found the recorded presentations valuable while Teacher 2 found it very valuable.
• Technical difficulties
  All teachers in the survey indicated that they did not have any problems accessing the videos or encountering any technical bugs.
• Pace of delivery
  Teacher 3 and 4 commented that I had spoken a bit fast while others did not have any problems listening to my narration. I think the problem can be linked to the third recorded presentation (TKT unit 25). I was trying to stuff the whole unit into one 15-minute session rather than breaking it into two shorter parts like those of unit 23. Their comments affirm my previous intuition that I was speaking in a rush after I had completed the video production for unit 25.
  
  Another surprising response relates to my screen interaction. Teacher 5 advised me to look directly at the webcam while I was presenting! In fact, I was so immersed in explaining terms in the slides that I forgot I was interacting with teachers whose distant learning modes had been activated.
• Relevance to TKT exams
  Three teachers found the content in recorded presentations relevant to TKT. Teacher 3 did not leave any comments. More importantly, the effectiveness of the quiz function is identified by Teacher 5, who elaborated that the quiz and instant feedback are very valuable.
• Relevance to participants’ teaching contexts
  Teacher 5 also commented that there was a stark contrast between urban and rural learners, so there might be difficulty in the implementation of TKT knowledge in her own teaching context. Right from the first day of the training program I have admitted that I have been working in the city schools whose learners, facilities and materials are very different from rural areas. This means that I have not really addressed their teaching contexts upon delivering TKT sessions.
• Quiz
  Teacher 5 re-affirmed her strong like for the instant feedback after submitting the quiz. Others also agreed that the quiz feature was useful, with the exception of Teacher 3 being put off by the level of difficulty while taking the quiz.
• Suggestions for future presentations
  Four teachers recommended the addition of extra quizzes and practice tests. The two remaining comments are also insightful. Firstly, Teacher 2 expressed that “There were some confusing questions. You should explain answers rather than just giving away the answer key.” Actually, I assumed that teachers might find the answer key self-explanatory, hence not clarifying the answers. A valuable lesson learned! Secondly, Teacher 3 reminded me to provide a more in-depth analysis of TKT terms, reminding me to “Give more examples for each term.”

Changes to make

Based on teachers’ useful recommendations and personal reflections, I would like to put forward several implementations for my future online video production.

• Content should be modified. For example, more relevant and useful teaching strategies that address learners in rural areas (large classes, exam-based). In addition to that, explanations of answers in the course book and more specific examples for each TKT terms will be given.
• Pace is important. When new concepts are introduced, the language should be delivered with clarity. Video producers should break a long video into shorter, more manageable chunks.
• Screen interaction matters. I should have addressed the presence of online viewers by maintaining eye contact (occasionally looking at cameras) instead of a total reliance on slide presenting.
• Quiz should be upgraded: more items added and carefully positioned to help quiz takers have a clearer sense of progress.
• Access should be double-checked. To make sure that the links work well, I should try accessing the videos via a different email account apart from my Office Mix’s.
• Other features like the comment section below each Office Mix video should also be exploited to facilitate collaboration. Viewers might be asked to leave a comment or ask a question after they have watched the video.

 

Such improvements will lay foundation for a shift in my future training approach by implementing a full-scaled blended training sessions. One useful model is flipped learning, which requires trainees to view the lectures before they enter the classroom, leaving valuable class time for discussions or tasks that involve higher-order thinking skills. To achieve that flipped sequence, Office Mix instructional videos, together with other online discussion tasks or projects, could be integrated into a fully-functioning Learning Management System such as Moodle, Edmodo or Schoology.

Conclusion

At first glance, the scope of the action research does not cover a full-scaled blended learning project whose other components such as online discussions or writing tasks are utilized. However, my first attempt of integrating the normal face-to-face sessions with online instructions are beneficial. In fact, it sheds light on the effectiveness of the incorporation of digital lectures. Survey findings demonstrate that such recorded presentations are valuable resources when trainees cannot attend the face-to-face training sessions. Accordingly, the positive result will encourage me to adopt a blended learning approach in future training courses.

An important lesson I have learned is that apart from technical proficiency, making recorded presentations requires a skill set which is somehow similar to effective classroom pedagogies, namely, clarity, interactivity, and pace. Practice definitely makes perfect. The more educational videos I produce, the more confidence I will gain. What really matters is the willingness to seek feedback before making adjustments.

When it comes to technological tools, the reason I have adopted Office Mix/PowerPoint Screen Recording is that it is well-built into PowerPoint 2016, a software which I am totally familiar with. The result proves that Office Mix offers powerful affordances, for example, a well-executed quiz feature. Educators who have used PowerPoint comfortably will find online presentations with Mix rewarding.

By way of conclusion, the experience of being a virtual teacher is an eye-opening journey. Prior to this, I was a hesitant instructor who could not overcome the fear of making original instructional videos. The project completion, personally speaking, is a great step forward. I have left my comfort zone to affirm the role of an online learning facilitator.

Resources

This part will describe various resources used and created, including three original recorded presentations, TKT resources, Office Mix/Screen Recording guides, and relevant online training projects.

 

Original videos produced in the final project
TKT Unit 23 Part 1 (approx. 10 min)	https://mix.office.com/watch/1mz99x5q6khk or https://goo.gl/72QVRD
TKT Unit 23 Part 2 (approx. 10 min)	https://mix.office.com/watch/sfg2m0szbcfa or https://goo.gl/72QVRD
TKT Unit 25 (approx. 15 min)	https://mix.office.com/watch/1lgdlqc2zv6v8 or https://goo.gl/72QVRD
Introduction to TKT
The site gives general information about the TKT exam. Test-takers can also download the TKT glossary and the sample TKT tests on the site.	TKT: About the tests http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/teaching-english/teaching-qualifications/tkt/about-tkt/
The site gives lots of useful supplementary as well as reference resources beyond the TKT exam. The site also curates valuable handouts/activities/quizzes that trainers can use in their training sessions.	TKT Workshop with Dr. Finch http://www.finchpark.com/courses/tkt/index.html
Online learning and teaching tools
The site provides a useful description of terms relating to online learning, including blended learning and flipped classrooms. Specific tools are recommended, e.g. Nearpod (https://nearpod.com/) and PowerPoint.	Teachers’ Corner: Online Learning https://americanenglish.state.gov/resources/teachers-corner-online-learning#child-2056
The article provides practical tips on how to produce catching videos for e-learning.	https://elearningindustry.com/producing-high-quality-elearning-videos-ultimate-guide
Continuing professional development
The volume exemplifies innovative approaches in professional development across the world. Chapter 9 of the volume entitled Charting new territory: the introduction of online continuing professional development opportunities for primary and secondary English teachers in Oman by Sarah Rich, Stephen Monteith, Salima Al-Sinani, Maryam Al-Jardani and Hilal Al-Amri narrates the effectiveness of a completely online TKT training course for school teachers in Oman.	Innovations in the Continuing Professional Development of English language teachers https://englishagenda.britishcouncil.org/continuing-professional-development/cpd-teacher-trainers/innovations-continuing-professional-development-english-language-teachers
The volume especially devotes part II to teacher development, with various blended projects clearly being reported. I found the works Creating a blended Delta Module One (Sally Hirst and Tom Godfrey) and The Cambridge CELTA course online (Jacqueline Douglas and Colin Paton) extremely relevant as Celta, Delta and TKT are all Cambridge certifications.	Blended Learning in English Language Teaching: Course Design and Implementation (British Council, Edited by Brian Tomlinson and Claire Whittaker, British Council, 2013) https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/blended-learning-english-language-teaching-course-design-implementation
How to use PowerPoint Screen Recording function
From May 1, 2018, Office Mix Preview will be discontinued and integrated into PowerPoint. Teachers can still utilize the Screen Recording Feature described in this article. This video provides a useful walk-through. Please note that the Quiz function will not be available in the Screen Recording Feature.	Microsoft PowerPoint 2016 Screen Recording Feature https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdWDGW-mvuA
I am introduced to Office Mix/PowerPoint Recording Feature thanks to this open group. Local Vietnamese teachers can post questions regarding tech tools usage here.	Vietnam’s MIE Experts Facebook group MIE Experts Vietnam https://www.facebook.com/groups/598522740324959/

 

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