Академический Документы
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Muhammad Farooq
Professor Farrington
Table of Contents
Implementing Flipped & Open Architecture Approaches in DLI Urdu Classes ................ 4
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 4
Analysis............................................................................................................................... 5
Design ................................................................................................................................11
Agenda ...................................................................................................................... 14
Evaluation ......................................................................................................................... 17
References ......................................................................................................................... 19
Appendices ........................................................................................................................ 20
Appendix A ....................................................................................................................... 20
Appendix B ....................................................................................................................... 21
Appendix C ....................................................................................................................... 22
Appendix D ....................................................................................................................... 23
Introduction
The Defense Language Institute (DLI) has been striving to achieve 2+/2+/2 ILR
proficiency levels in reading, listening and speaking skills to meet the language related security
needs of the US military in a constantly changing world. Previously, the standard for the military
students to graduate from the DLI was 2/2/1+. There were slight exceptions for their speaking
skills as some of the forces, such as the US Army, required soldiers to get at least a 2 in
speaking. The US Army soldiers are deployed on the ground and are required to interact with the
local population on a daily basis, so this standard caters to the mission requirements. One of the
steps the DLI management took in order to achieve the new standard of 2+/2+/2 was to lay out a
comprehensive plan, phasing out the implementation of the new standard over a five-year period
which also included critical changes to the language curricula, particularly in the third semester,
with increased focus on higher order thinking skills. Subsequently, an Urdu curriculum team was
created to work with the DLI Curriculum Support Division to restructure Urdu third semester
course in line with the DLI-wide efforts to achieve this new standard. Within four to six months,
a new curriculum based on flipped classroom and open architecture approaches was developed.
The purpose of the open architecture was to give more freedom to the teaching teams to make
necessary changes to the curriculum according to (the) needs of (the) students. After three
different classes of students took the course during the year-and-a-half period, the Urdu program
was not able to achieve the desired results, instead, the listening results dropped a little bit. Upon
receiving the students’ feedback and holding informal discussions with the teachers, it turned out
that the teachers never really accepted the new approach, as they had decided not to implement
all the components of this course such as (the) flipped part of the homework assignments,
FLIPPED & OPEN ARCHITECTURE APPROACHES 5
scaffolding activities, and the parts focusing on higher order thinking. They believed if the
students were able to translate the core content of each lesson with their help, then the objective
Analysis
Need Assessment
The DLI Urdu students will be required by 2020 to get at least 2+/2+/2 to pass the DLPT;
therefore, the management at the DLI had decided to make radical changes to the way the things
are done at the institute. Implementing flipped and open architecture approaches were one of
them, as the management felt there was a potential in these approaches to achieve or get closer to
Last year, with the old curriculum, 40.5% of the Urdu students scored 2+ in listening
skills and 45.9% achieved 2+ in reading skills. These scores exceeded the goal of 31% for
listening skills and 38% for reading skills. This year the DLI was aiming for 40% at 2+ or higher
in listening skills and 50% at 2+ or higher in reading skills. The results; however, this year were
not up to the goal, as 33% of the students got 2+ in listening and reading skills each. It is highly
critical for the Urdu program to meet the new criteria in order to produce the military linguists
who are equipped to fulfil newly required national security needs of the United States.
The data collected through various means showed that the Urdu teachers were not
adequately trained to implement this new student-centered curriculum, they; as a result, still
apply lecture-based approaches to the components of this new curriculum where they can. They
need more assistance to adjust to their new roles. It also appeared that current teaching is
comprised of the teachers with (the) same age group and skillsets, which, according to the
teachers, lacks the necessary diversity. At least, one teacher said if the teaching team is
FLIPPED & OPEN ARCHITECTURE APPROACHES 6
reshuffled, bringing in some teachers, who currently teach the first semester and are believed to
have (a) sound understanding (of) the language pedagogy, may help with implementing these
new changes.
Besides, the DLI constantly expands and downsizes some languages based on the
national security needs of the country. With the US focus shifting away from Afghanistan and
the region, the number of Urdu students have dropped significantly in recent years; as a result,
some language instructors lost their jobs in recent months. There is a sense of uncertainty among
the Urdu teachers regarding their job security, making it more difficult for them to show more
passion and motivation on a day-to-day basis. This can be addressed at the higher level if the
In order to understand the issues that emerged during the implementation process of the
newly designed Urdu curriculum, data was collected through questionnaires circulated among
the Urdu teachers and the military students separately. The teaching team is comprised of four
teachers while there are six students at the moment (students’ number at DLI always fluctuates
When asked whether the faculty understands the standards they are expected to meet in
light of the new and revised goal, all the teachers said they understand their role very well in
achieving 2+/2+/2. They all agreed that the management has clearly spelled out the expectations
of them and they are doing their best to meet the new standards.
Answering a question whether the management has put the best teaching team together
and has made adequate materials and sources available to them, almost every teacher said this is
not the best team; at least 50% of the teachers said they think the current team lacks basic skills
FLIPPED & OPEN ARCHITECTURE APPROACHES 7
to work at this level. When asked whether they were given adequate training to implement (the)
new curriculum, 80% of the teachers said they had a couple of orientation sessions for the new
curriculum, though they believed there was nothing new for them to learn.
To a question about how they view the role of their supervisors, they were also of the
opinion that non-native management of the Urdu program does not understand the complexities
of the language, they; therefore, are not the best people to make decisions about the program.
Sixty percent of the teachers believe if the students can translate the target language content into
English, they; as a result, should be able to answer the questions in the Defense Language
Proficiency Test (DLPT). According to them, their approach will help achieve the desired results
for the Urdu program, so why bother about these “fancy” theories.
However, all of the Urdu students, as it appeared in the data study, liked the new
curriculum a lot. They thought flipped homework and scaffolding activities are very helpful for
them. Eighty five percent of the students thought that the activities are designed to promote
higher order thinking skills in the classroom, which really helps them to cope with more complex
When asked whether the teachers’ input was taken before developing and designing the
new curriculum, the Urdu department chairs said they had consulted the teachers they deemed
necessary and also put some teachers in the committee that was responsible for creating a new
scope and sequence. They also maintained that key teaching, curriculum development, testing
teams and academic specialists were given a chance to provide the core committee with their
feedback about its outline and scope and sequence before the committee had finalized it and the
The management feels there is a potential in the newly designed curriculum to achieve or
get closer to the desired results. It realizes the teachers and students should have been provided
with more training on how to implement this new curriculum and clarity of vision as to why the
flipped classroom and open architecture approaches are a better way to achieve 2+/2+/2.
A short training session might be helpful to address the teachers’ reservations about this
new system with the explanation of how it can make their job easier if implemented properly.
The session may include success stories of similar approaches in other language programs in
DLI. There will be a PowerPoint presentation followed by a production session where teachers
will create a model lesson using flipped classroom and open architecture approaches. As
mentioned above, reshuffling the teaching team can change things for the better.
The goal of the DLI is to provide culturally based language education, training, and
evaluation to enhance to national security of the United States. In order to meet the new national
security needs of the united states in an ever-changing world, the new language proficiency
requirement for the US military linguists in intermediate courses will be 2+/2+/2 by 2020. The
Urdu department made key changes to the curriculum to make sure the Urdu students get at least
(a) minimum of 2+/2+/2 in listening, reading, and speaking by 2020. The Urdu students will
have the language proficiency beyond (the) narration level, which will help them do their jobs
better and above all, retain their jobs in the US military because a soldier can lose his/her job if
he/she does not pass the DLPT. This training session will help the teachers and students
understand why this new curriculum is important to achieve the 2+/2+/2 goal, and also it will try
to find a consensus among the stakeholders with regard to the steps that are important for the
implementation phase.
FLIPPED & OPEN ARCHITECTURE APPROACHES 9
Learner Analysis
The focus of this training will be two groups, Urdu teachers and the military students.
Most of the teachers do not have the prior language teaching experience, as their biggest strength
is that they are the native speakers of the Urdu language. Though the basic recruitment
requirement for the teachers (is) to at least have a bachelor’s degree, the terms flipped classroom
and open architecture are new to a number of teachers. The military uses a lot of different
technological tools and online resources, which causes a lot of problem for some teachers.
However, the DLI management holds periodic trainings and refreshers to keep the faculty abreast
of (the) latest changes and developments. Similarly, a majority (of) the students come to the DLI
without any prior langue learning experience, except the little exposure to Spanish that they get
in their high schools. Most of them did not know a lot about Pakistan, where Urdu is spoken,
before coming to the DLI. The students, however, have no problem with learning and operating
new technological tools; they learn it very fast if they are not familiar with a particular tool.
Teachers are required to get ILR level 3 during the Oral Proficiency Interview which
they take during the process of their hiring. They have to pass the Instructor Certification Course
(ICC) which is mandatory for every language instructor at the DLI to be able to continue the job
beyond a one year period. It is a 160-hour training offered by DLI followed by an observation
session to get officially certified. The DLI students go through an extensive process, which is
called the Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) to test their potential for language
learning. They are required to get at least 120 points in the DLAB test to get selected as military
linguists. In most cases, their DLAB scores correlate with the grades they get at the DLI. The
study of the Urdu students’ DLAB scores shows that most of the current Urdu students have a
Generally, the Urdu students’ extra military duties and drills in some cases do not allow
them to have plenty of time to learn Urdu in the evening. They also do not get enough chances
to immerse with the native people outside the DLI and they cannot visit Pakistan due to security
concerns, which is a potential barrier to their learning. However, most of the students are highly
motivated by their national duty and also they get paid (an) extra amount each month if they pass
the DLPT. The teachers’ motivation, on the other hand, has been slightly on the downside due to
I have been working at the DLI for last five years so most of the knowledge I have about
the workplace environment comes through observations, teaching experiences, discussions with
students and teachers on (a) daily basis, and access to the organizational records. There are
plenty of well-equipped rooms for a one-hour training in the Urdu department, which can easily
host 4 teachers and 10 students. All the rooms, at least, have a computer and a smartboard, Apple
TV, about a dozen chairs, six tables, and a cupboard that carries a coffeemaker and other
refreshment snacks. Since it is (a) 47-week course, which is very intense for the students and the
teachers, they may find it difficult to take time out for this training.
Content Analysis
Col. Deppert, Commandant DLIFLC (2016) said: “Our whole organization and thus our
priorities are pointed at our ultimate shared goal of producing the best, culturally based,
professional military linguist possible.” (p2) The DLI has been pushing very hard for achieving
2+/2+/2 for last few years, which is why there is a need for the Urdu faculty to figure out a way
to achieve these goals sooner than later. The overall goal is to explain to the teachers and the
students why it is important to implement the flipped approach fully in order to achieve the
FLIPPED & OPEN ARCHITECTURE APPROACHES 11
desired results. Each activity is designed to have the teachers and students think about what was
the thought process behind flipped approach and how it can enhance the students’ language
proficiencies. The component topics for the participants will be combined as follows:
The participants will refresh their knowledge about the 2+/2+/2 plan
The participants will learn or refresh their knowledge about flipped and open
architecture approaches
The participants will learn about the challenges they face in achieving higher
proficiency in Urdu
The participants will learn how implementing flipped and open architecture
The participants will be provided with a chance to create a model lesson plan
outline
flipped and open architecture concepts. Their success will be determined by the model
Design
Learning Objectives
There is one terminal objective and three enabling objectives to break down content into
different segments so that each section has a particular role in order to achieve the main
objective.
Terminal Objective: Given the DLI guidelines for a model lesson, the participants
address all of the challenges they are facing during the implementation phase.
Enabling Objectives: From memory, the Urdu teachers and students will be able
Roundtable (ILR 2+/2+/2) by 2020. Their descriptions will be consistent with the
Enabling Objective: From memory, the group of DLI Urdu teachers experienced
these approaches made their job easier to the other teachers with enough clarity
Enabling Objective: Given the checklist for a DLI model lesson for 2+/2+/2 goal,
the Urdu teachers and students will be able to create an outline for a model lesson
based on the flipped/open architecture approaches that conforms (to) the DLI
Test Instruments
There will be multiple choice questions during the warm-up phase of the third activity
titled “Let’s Talk Solution” to activate their background knowledge about the DLI’s policy on
flipped and open architecture approaches. This test item will help assess the participants’
understating about the flipped/open architecture approaches, providing the trainer a chance to
clarify any misunderstandings they have and laying a solid foundation for the discussion on how
flipped and open architecture approaches can be a solution to their problems. Similarly, after
each section of enabling objectives, testing will occur to test the participants’ understanding and
FLIPPED & OPEN ARCHITECTURE APPROACHES 13
feedback will also be provided to them by showing (the) correct answers. The hands-on exercise
will occur towards the end of the training during the phase “Let’s Create” in which the
participants will select the model outline from the outlines they will create. The process will not
only allow them to give each feedback but also provide the trainer with an opportunity to assess
I will use a classroom for this training session. This training workshop will be based on
the flipped classroom approach as the Urdu teachers and students will be given some material in
advance to study. It is also (a) good way to model how effective the flipped and open
architecture approaches can be if conducted in a correct manner. They will have mostly hands-on
activities and the trainer will facilitate the learning. Since some teachers have reservations about
this new approach while other teachers have applied this approach and found it effective, the
classroom setting provides a great opportunity for an effective discussion on the topic.
I will use videos, visual aids, hands-on activities (handouts), (a) flip chart, smartboard,
and print materials. Using visual aids for training stimulates thinking and improves the learning
environment as it always helps to do away with the monotonous learning environment. Videos
and hands-on activities also increase interactivity in the classroom because students develop and
increase their personal understanding of the topic when they find learning environment pleasant
and interactive.
There will be one main instructor in the room to conduct the training while two other
teachers who have implemented the flipped and open architecture concepts will also provide help
when necessary. The instructor will play (the) role of a facilitator as this will be a participant-led
FLIPPED & OPEN ARCHITECTURE APPROACHES 14
training session. The participants will engage in group discussions and hands-on activities to
understand the DLI’s vision for achieving 2+/2+/2 through flipped and open architecture
approaches.
Agenda
1. Introduction (5 mins.)
2. Let Us Know: Learning Challenges Students and Teachers Face in Obtaining 2+/2+/2 (10
mins.)
A. Discuss in groups discuss the challenges they face to achieve 2+/2+/2 goal
3. Let’s Talk Solution: Why Flipped & Open Architecture Approaches a Solution (10 mins.)
C. Discuss how flipped and open architecture approaches can help achieve 2+/2/2
4. Let’s Find Out “Me” Aspect: Group Discussion Teaches Who Know Vs Who (Teaches &
B. What is in it for ‘me’ (teachers experienced with flipped classroom share their
C. Discuss in groups how flipped classroom and open architecture can reduce
reduced
5. Let’s Create It Together: Teachers Create A Model Lesson Plan Outline (20)
6. Summary (5 mins.)
7. References
8. Wrap up
PowerPoint Presentation
Development Plan
Since (the) 47-week Urdu course is very intense, both for the students and teachers, this
training workshop will be only an hour-long to make sure each participant is able to attend the
session. There will be one main instructor who will be helped by two teachers experienced with
implementing the flipped and open architecture approaches. There will be no additional cost for
this session, as all the equipment we need for this training is provided by the DLI for
that fits within an hour, yet fulfills all the needs. A three-member team that includes the
instructor and two experienced teachers with the flipped and open architecture approaches will
be made to develop the plan for training. The entire process should not take more than a year.
Timeline:
9. Implementation – 15 days
Implementation Plan
requirements for the instructors and Urdu teachers who conduct the session. They are familiar
with the UCAT as they have been using it for a while, therefore, they will not have any problem
developing the module or implementing (it) during the session. Once (the) module is finalized,
Evaluation
Summative Evaluation
A questionnaire/survey is included at the end of the course to evaluate the learning of the
participants in the course. Besides assessing their learning, the purpose of this survey is to find
out what they think was helpful, what was not helpful, and what one thing they will take away
with them. As mentioned above, the students’ DLPT scores dropped this year, therefore, looking
at the students’ score after 20 weeks when they take the DLPT will give (a) good idea about how
Formative Evaluation
The way this training is set up, as it includes group discussions, pair work, hands on
activities, and quizzes, it gives the instructor plenty of room for formative assessment during the
training. The purpose of these activities to give the instructor and participants a chance to
FLIPPED & OPEN ARCHITECTURE APPROACHES 18
improve the ongoing learning process. The course will be considered successful if the
participants are able to create an outline for a model lesson that is fully in line with the DLI
guidelines.
FLIPPED & OPEN ARCHITECTURE APPROACHES 19
References
Appendices
Appendix A
Appendix B
1. Do you understand the standards you are expected to meet to achieve 2+/2+/2?
2. Were you given adequate training to implement the curriculum based on flipped and
open architecture concepts?
A. Yes
B. No
80 percent selected B
3. Do you think the current teaching team have the necessary skills to implement the
new curriculum?
A. Yes
B. No
50 percent selected B
4. Do you get the necessary help from the management to implement the new
curriculum?
All the teachers believe their supervisor do not know Urdu and it’s not helpful in
addressing the language-specific issue.
FLIPPED & OPEN ARCHITECTURE APPROACHES 22
Appendix C
This survey was given in form of hard copies to Urdu students who had studied the new
curriculum.
A. Strongly Agree
B. Agree
C. Neutral
D. Disagree
E. Strongly Disagree
A. Strongly Agree
B. Agree
C. Neutral
D. Disagree
E. Strongly Disagree
A. Strongly Agree
B. Agree
C. Neutral
D. Disagree
E. Strongly Disagree
4. Do you think the new curriculum prepares you to achieve 2+/2+/2 goal?
Appendix D
Test Instruments
1. Which of the following statements reflect the DLI’s vision for the flipped/open
improve the quality of their work to meet the new goal of ILR
instructions with the DLPT so that the students can improve their
2. Write at least three things, which you think, can make your job easier should you apply
the flipped and open architecture approaches and still improve the Urdu students’
language proficiency?
Key
1. b
2.
a. Students do most of the work and teachers are there just to facilitate them, which
also means the teachers will have to speak less in the classroom.
b. The teachers will have to create material such as video lectures for the flipped
homework only once and they can use it for the future classes as well.
FLIPPED & OPEN ARCHITECTURE APPROACHES 25
c. The recent date at DLI shows that flipped classroom has increased the students’
grades, which means more awards and better ratings for teacher that will help
3. Based on their understanding of the flipped and open architecture approaches, the
teachers and students in groups will create outlines for a model lesson. They will share
these outlines with one another and briefly discuss the rationale for their outlines. In the
end, they, together, will finalize an outline for a model lesson and check off the
items/activities from their outline that conform the DLI guidelines for a model lesson.