Scaffolding Teacher-Trainees’ Reflective Observations about Utilizing Emerging Technologies in Teaching Luganda Language

Abstract

Although many young learners of the 21st century have grown up with, and generally prefer to learn using Emerging Technologies, and while pedagogically sound use of ETs has potential to transform students’ learning, a few teachers of Luganda language graduate with learning experiences of integrating ETs in teaching. One of the most crucial stages of gaining experience is to make Reflective Observations (ROs) about an s object or subject of interest. This paper emerges from a Design Based Research in which 68 teacher-trainees at Makerere University were enrolled in a semester-long (17 weeks) blended learning course aimed at cultivating their experiences of integrating ETs in teaching to revitalize Luganda language (Kabugo, 2015). The larger study was informed by Kolb’s (1984) Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) and Reeves’ (2006) model of conducting research in authentic elearning contexts. Towards end of the semester, trainees were tasked to make presentations demonstrating their acquired knowledge of utilizing ETs in teaching Luganda language. Trainees’ presentations were video-recorded and vodcasted on YouTube. In effect, trainees were tasked to view vodcasts of their presentations and make written ROs about them. This paper deploys Discourse Analysis as an anlytic lens to analyze trainees’ ROs.