A Lesson Plan for Advanced Learners Using Google Hangouts

Since this week's topic is on Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication, I decided to further explore my latest favorite SCMC app, Google Hangouts. In my last blog entry, my evaluation concluded that Google Hangouts is more suitable for advanced learners. Therefore, I have designed a lesson specifically for this group. Since this lesson has not been implemented yet, I welcome any suggestions and criticisms. I hope to try it out in the near future!

A Lesson Plan on Career Analysis Using Google Hangouts

Targeted learners: advanced/highly-advanced ESL learners, preferably students who are conditionally admitted to graduate school.

Lesson background: The students are working on a group project called “Career Analysis”. They are required to interview a senior student/expert in their chosen career and use the information from the interview to write a paper analyzing the different aspects of the career. This could be a collaborative project in an advanced research writing class that offers in many ESL programs. Ideal class size should not exceed 15 students. This particular lesson only covers the interview part of the project.

1. Goal:
Students will comprehend and perform formal conversations.

2. Objectives:
Terminal objectives:
1) Students will request information on a topic that they are not familiar with.
2) Students will comment on information provided by others and engage in a formal conversation.
Enabling objectives:
1) Students will comprehend a formal interview conversation between the instructor and an invited speaker.
2) In the interview, students will identify the key questions asked by the instructor and how to initiate new topics.
3) Students will comprehend necessary words, phrases, and expressions in the interview conversation.
4) Students will brainstorm interview questions together and discuss interview plans on Google Video Hangouts. (A detailed instructional manual on how to use video call via Google can be found via this link )
5) Students will conduct an interview with a senior student/expert in their chosen career and broadcast their interview on Youtube via Hangouts on Air.
(A detailed instructional manual on how to do live broadcast using Hangouts on Air can be found via this link)

3. Materials and equipment
• Projecting equipment with amplifiers
• A computer connected to the internet and projector
• Computers for students to use (with microphone & camera embedded)

4. Procedures
1) Warm-up: As a whole class, brainstorm future career paths that the students want to pursue. List all career choices on the board.
2) Demo video watching: Introduce the demo video, a formal interview between the instructor and an invited speaker. Tell the students the background and purpose of this video. Watch the video once and then during the second showing, ask students to take notes of the key questions asked in the interview. Hand out a transcript of the interview, and ask students to underline words/phrases the instructor said to shift topics.
3) Technology training: Ask students to sit by their computers and create a Google account if they don’t have one: https://accounts.google.com/signup?service=mail

Once this is done, ask students to share their Google address with the instructor on the same Word document, which is then projected on the big screen. Afterwards, students should be directly to follow the instructions on the following webpage to get prepared for making a video call: https://support.google.com/hangouts/answer/3110347?hl=en

Finally, students should be introduced to the features of Hangouts on Air, a broadcasting tool to publish their video interviews. The following is a detailed instructional manual: https://support.google.com/plus/answer/2553119?hl=en&ref_topic=2553242&rd=1

The following is a video tutorial of how to broadcast google hangouts:

4) Video hangout trial: Students add two other class members and their instructor to their circle of video hangouts and practice making a video call and doing a live broadcasting.

5. A follow-up class activity:
Students, in small groups, reserve a time slot with the instructor and do a practice session using Google Hangouts and Hangouts on Air. During this session, students should discuss their interview plans with the instructor.

6. Assignment:
Students, in small groups, make appointment with a senior student/expert in their designated career to do a video interview. All group members will participate equally in the video interview, record, edit and publish the interview session on Youtube channel and share it with the whole class.