Why Course Layout Matters: A model For Beginners' Level Foreign Languages

In the Internet era, course books are being replaced by course sites thanks to Learning Management Systems such as Moodle. The availability of Web-based materials suitable for teaching foreign languages raises the important question of how these resources should be organized and used effectively for classroom instruction. Technology by itself does not constitute a methodology, and it is the teacher with a clear pedagogy who plays the most crucial role in creating a successful Web-based language curriculum (Blake, 2008). Course layout ? the way in which teaching materials are arranged and presented on the homepage ? reflects the underlying pedagogical objectives of the course. It is an integral part of curriculum design and as such, has implications for teaching. According to previous studies, poor instructional design can have a negative effect on the learning experience (Callopy& Arnold, 2009). Furthermore, research shows that learning on a digital platform is more successful when students accept the system and are willing to use it (Tsai, 2014). It is therefore worthwhile for teachers to invest in the layout of their course sites. This poster presents a pedagogically sound, user-friendly course layout for teaching beginners' level foreign languages on the Moodle platform. An integrated course layout consisting of monthly chronological units combined with thematic ones and displayed in the grid format of Moodle raises the students' motivation and enhances teaching and learning. Teachers are encouraged to take this model as a conceptual framework for further development according to their preferences and the needs of their students.