Online communicative activities: Teaching practices and students’ learning experiences in second grade at a primary school in Acacias, Meta.

Abstract

This research describes the teacher’s practices and students’ learning experiences that result from implementing online communicative activities in English classes at Oasis of Bendicion School with a group of 11-second-grade students with ages ranging from 7 to 9 years old; this research was carried out by a pre-service teacher-researcher through 7 sessions; data collected were analyzed using the Qualitative Content Analysis method. The implementation findings allowed to evidence the importance and challenges of using online communicative activities at school; as a way to engage and create a dynamic learning environment. This research reveals that teacher needs more time for planning activities to achieve the objectives, and promote the students’ interaction, the interaction between the learner and the task because the task can enrich students’ behavior. Besides, pair group and work groups not only promote oral skills, but also improve the online experience and communicative activities. Moreover, communicative activities were first a new experience for students because was in nontraditional settings as a classroom at school; second, students’ learning experience that result was the good response to activities, motivation, participation, interest in activities inside and outside class, and improvement on their oral skills. Results from this research should not be generalized, but they could be a guide concerning to the improvement of the pedagogical practice in terms of usefulness and support found on online communicative practices.