Student reactions to the grammar

Student reactions to the grammar lessons I created for at-home viewing.

German 112, Spring Term 2013.*

1. Have the Kontakte Grammar Videos been helpful for your learning? Please explain.

· Absolutely! It's really an amazing idea to be able to walk students through their homework, and not by just giving out answers, but fully explaining why each sentence is written the way it is.

· Yes, they help me understand the translations and also sentence structure.

· Yes, very helpful. I read the grammar explanation in the text, then I do the exercise, and then I watch the video. This way I get an explanation of the correct answer after I have tried to figure it out myself. It works beautifully!

· Absolutely! It's really an amazing idea to be able to walk students through their homework, and not by just giving out answers, but fully explaining why each sentence is written the way it is.

· They have been extremely helpful in my learning. I use the videos the night before class to have the material fresh in my mind, and to study before tests. I watch the videos, write down what is given, and bring that assignment to class the next day. I use them as homework and study tools.

· Yes, they have been helpful. They allow Fr. Mark to spend more time in class building upon the lessons taught in the videos.

2. How does access to these videos differ from learning the same material in a class lecture on the same topic?

· Unlike a lecture in a classroom setting, I'm able to stop the videos, try to figure out something on my own, or rewind, and go back and look at something I might not have understood the first time.

· It helps vary the learning to accommodate all learning styles, also by learning the material in different ways will help us retain it better.

· I can watch the video right after trying to do the exercises – this helps to explain my mistakes while I still remember why I made the choice that I made. When we review the same grammar points in class, I have already struggled to figure it out, already had a chance to get some suggestions and improve my understanding – then in class I can ask questions and perhaps better understand some subtleties.

· It makes doing the homework much less frustrating because I basically can get a lesson taught outside of class as well as in the classroom the next day. I get the lesson with the videos, then can practice that lesson in class without having to waste class time doing what the video has already done.

· It seems to be a sort of "inverted classroom." If we learned these lessons in the classroom, it would take time away from speaking the language.

· With these videos you can go at your own pace and if you didn't understand something you can replay the video and if you still didn't know it then you could just ask in class.

3. Did you use the videos to review material for midterm or end-of term tests?

· I looked back on them for the midterms. In addition to the exercises, he goes over the key grammar concepts within each chapter, so it's always great to have that as a refresher.

· Yes, I was able to review material I had difficulty with

· No – but I am just auditing the class so test grades are less important for me. I have heard other students comment that they love the videos because they can go back and listen more than once. MY real test will come in Salzburg when I try and speak to my landlady. It is a good thing that she is so patient and understanding, because I think that the correct grammar won’t come out of my mouth that often – I’ll just figure out how many ways I did it wrong later.

· I looked back on them for the midterms. In addition to the exercises, he goes over the key grammar concepts within each chapter, so it's always great to have that as a refresher.

· Yes, I watched the recommended videos for midterm.

· I did not. And it was to my detriment, for the class is organized around these lessons and their content plays a central role in our exams.

4. Do these videos make grammar learning more enjoyable or more efficient for you?

· Yes. Because they are so comprehensive, I feel like I've learned so much more than just showing up to class and hoping I did the homework right, and being much more shaky on the grammar concepts.

· Yes, it gives me a break from they normal memorizations and therefore I don't get bored or need a break as often.

· They definitely make learning grammar more efficient. Having the explanation WHILE doing the homework is a huge asset. Even if I take good notes during in-class explanations, with good examples, I always find that I missed something when I try to do the homework and I am kind of stuck. In my case, I can ask my husband to help me out, but most students don’t have such easy access to someone who can answer all sorts of questions.

· Yes. Because they are so comprehensive, I feel like I've learned so much more than just showing up to class and hoping I did the homework right, and being much more shaky on the grammar concepts.

· They make them both more enjoyable and more efficient.

· Is learning grammar fun? I would use the word FRUSTRATNG. However, Pater Mark creates a very fun atmosphere in his classroom and going to class is usually fun.

· I would say it does make it more efficient but only because of the extra instruction Fr. Mark is able to give while he is in class.

5. Do you have any recommendations for me as I consider creating more such videos?

· Just continue to do what you do!

· I’m sorry, I can’t think of a thing. Just keep making them. It is great to have them in your voice and not just a commercially produced textbook add-on.

· I don't have much else I can add to the lesson. I enjoy coming to class and always feel prepared because of the material and tools that are given to us.

· Normally, I abhor the idea of moving toward an "inverted classroom," but in this case, i.e., learning a language, it makes perfect sense. For it gives the students more time to speak in the class and the instructor more flexibility to teach what is necessary. I think your format is working; I have learned more German in two months than I have in two years.

* Not everyone in the class answered this questionnaire, but these are the students who did