1. Learning another Language with Duolingo
Nkenze Jones
ITEC 7445
Dr. Beeland
April 4, 2016
Emerging Technology

2. What is Duolingo? Free online language learning platform.
Turns language learning into a game to make it fun and effective.
About 13 languages are available.
Has distinct advantages from the research point of view compared to other language learning software packages.

3. Introduction to Duolingo
Click on the image below to watch a short video about Duolingo.

4. How does Duolingo support the Vision for Technology Use in our District?
Coffee County Schools vision is to provide: An Equitable and Excellent Education for Every Student
Our vision describes a future state to which we aspire as a school system
Duolingo is aligned to help us meet one of our objective mentioned in out Strategic Plan.
Objective 3.1: Continue integration of technology into classroom instruction to expand the use of student-provided technology.
This technology supports the vision for technology use in our schools, because it allows the students to work at their own pace and gives them some responsibility for their learning experiences inside and outside the classroom.

5. How does Duolingo support the Vision for Technology Use in our District? (cont’d)
Guiding Principles for Teaching and Learning in Coffee County Schools:
Higher levels of learning are attainable for all students
A viable curriculum is comprehensive in scope, balanced, continually improved, connected to the real world, and based on a common set of learning expectations
Instructional strategies have a significant influence on student learning
Balanced assessments are an integral component of effective teaching
Integration of technology enhances student engagement
Learning is a function of accessibility to information and the ability to make judgments about the quality of the information
Learning is enhanced when the learning environment is flexible and adaptable
People need a combination of real and virtual places for learning

6. How does Duolingo support the Vision for Technology Use in our District? (cont’d)
In connection with the guiding principles, Duolingo provides a high level of learning by effectively teaching students other languages.
Duolingo provides a viable curriculum that is balanced and connected to the real world. Students are able to learn a different language which helps them to be ready for a career, entrance into college, or life.
Duolingo can have a significant influence on student learning because students have responsibility for their own learning at their own pace and provides a learning environment that is flexible and adaptable.
Duolingo integration technology that enhances student engagement through the use of gamification (game-based learning) and a virtual learning environment.

7. Objectives
The main objective in using Duolingo in the classroom is to enhance students’ learning through an innovating game-based learning platform that boost student’s foreign language skill.
Duolingo for Schools can be used as a valuable learning tool at the Career Academy or as part of Virtual School platform.
Duolingo can ensure all students learn when we as educators use it to understand the culture and language of our English as a second language students.

8. Key Benefits
Duolingo differentiates instruction by providing personalized lessons that help students retain the content taught.
Provides opportunity for a culturally responsive environment.
Duolingo has a variety of features, designed to keep learners interested. Here are some of the motivational features:
Points- get extra points as you progress through the lessons.
Leaderboards – a friendly competition with learning buddies.
Gold – refresh your knowledge and keep your tree golden.
Checkpoint – quick placement tests puts you where you need to be.
Encouragement – automatic teacher practice reminder on student’s sidebar.
Fluency Score – uses lesson data to measure language learning.
Trophy – the satisfaction of reaching a learning goal.

9. Target Population
This system serves approximately 7,400 students in kindergarten through grade twelve. Fifty percent of the students are White, thirty percent are Black, sixteen percent are Hispanic, and the remaining are multi-racial, Asian, or American Indian. The pre-kindergarten program serves 442 students or about two-thirds of the four-year-old population. Seventy-six percent of the students receive free or reduced-price lunch services
As our community continues to grow diversely, the need for us to speak and understand varies languages has also grown. If we want to better meet the needs of all students in the Coffee County School System, Duolingo is the program for us.
With the implementation of BYOD (bring your own device), Duolingo could be easily implemented in our classrooms.

10. Target Population (cont’d)
Because of the discipline required and the technology skills needed to navigate, the target population would most-likely be upper elementary and above.
Most schools have at least one computer lab; a class set of Chromebooks, laptops, or tablets; and every classroom has approximately 7 Chrome boxes.

11. Equipment and Software
Duolingo is a free web-based tool. It can be accessed through the app or website.
Computers with web access are needed.
Coffee County Schools provides free Wi-Fi with some restrictions. If restricted, the students will have to be granted access to use Duolingo.
Students are required to have an address in other to create an account with Duolingo.
Every student in the school system has an Google account because we are Google Apps for Education school district.
Headphones are necessary so not distract others.

12. Technical Support
Duolingo provides technical support through the help tab find on their page.
Duolingo also has a step-by-step guide for teachers to create a classroom account and how to add and invite students.
Duolingo allows users to connect using Google Apps (such as: Google + and Google Classroom).
The IT department can assist with any Google account problems.

13. Limitations
In order for teachers to be able to track individual students’ progress, the students have to grant the teacher permission to track them. They will not show up on your schools dashboard until then.
Duolingo has set guidelines for students to follow, if not followed students can be restricted from program.
Students should be cautious when sharing data on Duolingo. Duolingo is a global community. Personal information should not be shared. Instructors can use privacy settings to control students’ access to social features and exposure to certain words.
Students also should be very respectful of others culture since the Duolingo has diverse users.

14. Cost of the Technology This technology is completely free.
Since we have a BOYD policy in place, students can use their own devices when all of the school provided devices are taken.
Duolingo can also be utilized during flexible grouping times to maximize computer use.
Due to the abundance of technology we have in place, no new purchases are needed to implement this technology.
Teachers can use the guide to learn more about program and the forum is a good resource to use to learn from other educators.

15. Potential Funding Sources
Additional funding sources are not necessary at this time.
Teachers could use DonorsChoose.org if they see the need for more computers or tablets as the implementation progresses.

16. Use of Technology
Duolingo can be used to help students learn another language.
Student learning increases when they are exposed to culturally responsive activities.
English learners will benefit from this technology because teachers can also use it to provide sheltered instruction.
Teachers can track individual student data and progress through the dashboard.

17. Use of Technology (cont’d)
Easy Classroom Ideas for use of Duolingo:
Offered as a reward time or early finisher activity.
Use as a game for learning.
Use as a reinforcement tool.
Use as a warm-up (bell ringer).
Assign as homework.
Extra Credit for use at home.
Use as remediation or acceleration during breaks.

18. Use of Technology (cont’d)
Several of the student technology standards are met through the use of this technology.
Use models and simulations to explore complex language.
Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.
Manage activities to complete a task.
Digital Citizenship

19. How Does This Technology Promote Student Learning Goals?
Duolingo provides authentic learning. The students can use the learned knowledge to communicate affectively with other students and a global audience outside the classroom through oral and written language.
Students can collaboratively learn through the global community of language learners provide through the use of this technology.

20. How Could This Technology be used to Differentiate Instruction?
Student learning is differentiated because students have responsibility for their own learning at their own pace and are provided a learning environment that is flexible and adaptable.
Students can assess this program from anywhere at anytime.
Duolingo provides different motivational tools to differentiate the interest levels of the all students.
Assignments can be skill or point based.

21. How Could This Technology Promote Communication?
Students can use their new language to communicate with other students in the classroom and in the school.
Students can create a collaborative learning group by invite other students to compete reach goals.
Research suggests students learn more when friendly competition is presented.
Duolingo is a global community of language learners.
Communication between teacher and student increase when appropriate feedback is given.

22. Evaluation of Research
An eight week research study of Duolingo effectiveness was independently conducted.
A random representative sample was selected from Duolingo users who studied Spanish.
The participant were at least 18 years of age and willing to participate.
Native English speakers. Not from Hispanic origin.
Not advanced users of Spanish.
All participants resided in the US.

23. Evaluation of Research (cont’d)
The participants took one college placement Spanish language test in the beginning of the study and one test at the end of the study.
The test results were measured in points.
The improvement of language abilities was measured as the difference between the final and the initial language test results.
The effectiveness of Duolingo was measured as language improvement per one hour of study.

24. Evaluation of Research (cont’d)
Main results of the study:
Overall average improvement in language abilities was 91.4 points.
The effectiveness measure showed that on average participants gained 8.1 points per one hour study with Duolingo.
Student using Duolingo for an average of 34 hours learn the equivalent of one university semester of language instruction.

25. Evaluation of Research (cont’d)
Limitations of the Study
No other languages other then Spanish was used.
Many people had difficulties keeping up with the study, their use of Duolingo was very uneven.
Motivation to participate was low for some.

26. Implementation Plan
Academic Coaches will utilize designated collaborative and professional learning times to introduce Duolingo and demonstrate creating an account.
No extra professional learning time needed.
Teachers should create an account within a two week time period.

27. Reflection
My initial purpose for using Duolingo was for me to learn Spanish so that I could better serve my ELL students. The more I read, the more convinced I became that this technology could really help other teachers learn enough Spanish or any other language to help all English as a second language students.
This exercise made me more aware of the emerging technologies available for free to help all diverse learners.
After completing this exercise, I am now more confident that I can train my colleagues on the new and upcoming technologies my school district is implementing called Illuminate. Illuminate is an web-based assessment tool and I am currently being trained so that I can train other teachers at my school. I can wait to use these same guidelines.

28. References
Ahalt, S. & Fecho, K. (2015): Ten Emerging Technologies for Higher Education. RENCI, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Text. Retrieved on March 28, 2016 from (2016). Guide for leaders in education. Vesselinov, R. & Grego, J. (2012) Duolingo Effectiveness Study. City University of New York, USA. Retrieved on March 28, 2016 from .