Jamie Fowlie, Universidade da Coruña / OISE/UT, Canada

Combining theory and practice in a study of news media, whether specifically for a course in Journalism or as a unit of study in a typical ESL classroom, has become more accessible and cost effective thanks to recent developments in computer hardware and software or more popularly, "Information technologies" (IT). The image of the journalist – out in the field, with notebook and pencil, typing brilliant prose onto paper at the last minute, rushing it off to print while the presses are held - is just that, an image. Today students interested the field of Journalism must have IT skills. They must know that most of what passes for news is generated through technology: computer, telephone, fax, Internet, e-mail, satellite, word-processing etc. Why not provide them with a simulation of that future experience?

In this article I describe how the study of news was accomplished largely through a hands-on production of a news publication using IT. The course, English and Media, focussed entirely on news media, was offered to second and third year English philology students, mostly with minimal technical experience. I shall describe the topics and processes I used in taking the students form the analysis of news (theory) to collectively producing their own magazines (practice). My interest in developing this unit was on how using computers, Internet (for researching and graphics collection), scanners, printers, word-processing, digital graphic manipulation software, and various desktop publishing programs (Microsoft Publisher, Word, and PageMaker) can facilitate an excellent introduction to English vocabulary related to Journalism and IT, and conversation practice through simulation of a news organisation.

My classes had approximately 100 students and in the two years that I offered this course, fewer than 30% of them had access to, or knowledge about working with a PC or MAC. I decided to introduce a complex assignment in terms of scope, in order that they would immediately see the need to work in large (about 20) rather than small (fewer than eight persons) groups. I broke my teaching planning down into several categories based on their needs, with additional subtopics being explored as needed. The assignment was very open: Form a group and produce a newspaper or magazine of your choice.

We worked together on all the areas of instruction (See Appendix A for a detailed list of topics/vocabulary related to Journalism and IT taught) as we moved through the school year, starting with the most relevant needs first (Journalism skills) and then on to computing skills and finally DTP skills. For desktop publishing programs, I gave very specific information about three popular approaches, and their limitations. I started with Word and Word Perfect, which are easy to use and can produce a reasonably good product for a modest project (small groups and a simple design). I then moved "upwards" to Microsoft Publisher, introducing the wizards concept for setting the publication template, and lastly PageMaker as an example of a program with a lot of power but a longer learning curve. Students were given samples I produced from each of the three levels of software, to see how a choice in software has important implications for planning. They learned that it was important to think about design and layout issues early on in order to decide on the best program and to give their layout editors ample time to explore design issues with the software.

As in any real news organisation, I met frequently with the senior editors regularly to discuss and share issues they were facing, and ways to solve them. I invited the layout and senior editors from all the groups to special sessions on using software, allowing any other interested students to join. In terms of social interaction, then, students are engaged in close work with their newspaper/magazine group, but also interacting with other groups in the phases of learning applications associated with their role on the publication.

Most of the writing issues were integrated into the 'theory' classes using authentic materials - actual newspapers, magazine features, headlines etc. - to understand their form and function.. While we didn't have a student lab in which to work through the technical learning, I did have access to a large screen computer projector, which, in conjunction with a laptop computer, made demonstrating software and how to use them much easier. However, nothing can replace hands-on learning when it comes to acquiring skills in the use of software, particularly complex programs such as PageMaker. So it was clearly important to get those students who would be responsible for the final design and layout on computers quickly, to practice, play around with, and manipulate the software, long before the deadline of their publication.

Evaluating the process and product is not something that comes easily in this assignment. The process is by far the most important aspect from the perspective of language teaching, but I have to acknowledge that the students themselves were far more interested in what they were able to produce as a team. I will finish this paper by talking about specific educational issues, mostly the problems related to implementation and evaluation that emerges from this unit of study.

The products of assignments like the one I have described above are often quite aesthetically pleasing. This makes traditional forms of evaluation also difficult to use. Language teachers are not exactly experienced to assess graphic design, layout, and juxtaposition in their student's work. (We need to start having coffee with our colleagues in art departments!) Moreover, it is often true that, if the assignment was successful for the students, that the teacher cannot 'separate' the role of the student from the advantages in the technology! How do you award or recognise the effort that the group went into trying tackle design and layout issues that require them to make all the decisions, from one that leads them mechanically (e.g. Microsoft Word templates or wizards) through a set of options guaranteed to produce a 'seductive' look? The closer the teacher works with the students along the process of the production, the better grasp he or she can have of the skills and creative applications that are student derived.

This activity has at its core, the need for individuals and groups to come together effectively, it encourages our students to reconsider their role and the role of teachers in the learning process. It is designed to produce problems, at time failure, in order to develop higher level skills in students, especially those genuinely seeking work in Journalism. It develops, not just simultaneously, but in an integrated way, a variety of learning skills which include:

• Co-operative learning (group work, co-ordinating activities)
• Collaborative learning (socially shared knowledge in learning)
• Autonomous learning (prioritising, decision making, non-hierarchical learning)
• Self-Access learning (using IT to achieve personal and group objectives)
• Social development (working and communicating in a variety of social contexts)
• Social Autonomy (introduces the concept of shared social responsibilities)

Because I believe all the above learning styles are being put into practice during the process of newspaper production, much like in the real world (without the daily deadlines that news media are faced with!) I encourage teachers, who are trying to capture evidence of these processes, to utilise a number of mechanisms for ‘feedback’ and ‘feedforward’ all along the process of the completion of the assignment.

I gained important information from the groups by having them indicate the responsibilities of all members, and continued to solicit feedback from them collectively, in much the same way that real editors do in their meetings with the various ‘departments’ of a newspaper or magazine. Only by building in constant written and verbal situations for feedback can the teacher keep track of the ongoing process. But, that said, it falls upon the teacher to try to present these mechanisms in a creative way that organisers their activities along the lines of the project, moving them forward so to speak, and not just as more ‘work’ to be done.

Having worked through this project with a large number of students twice now, I am left with three general questions that I think would be useful for a dialogue among others in your department or area before embarking on integrating IT with English language students:

The third question invites teachers who are reluctant to tackle such a project, to think of how this assignment can be used to articulate a ‘whole school’ approach as per the reform curriculum, and furthermore, increase the possibility of it happening by connecting with colleagues from other areas who might have an enthusiasm for such a project. In other words, I believe, that in the end, one of the most successful outcomes of Doing Desktop Publishing in classrooms today is that it is not only our students who need to collaborate, but ourselves, as we connect with others in trying to put into circulation, not just language in use, but a more global message: we and our students can interpret, change, question, share, communicate our concerns, individually and collectively. We can become better readers of news, and we can also become active social agents in our own contexts, and make our mark, however limited the circulation of our work. What matters is that it is ours

Comments and questions are most welcome: jamie@udc.es

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Remacha Esteras, Santiago. 1996. Infotech: English for Computer Users. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

• Diskettes, Drives, backup systems
• ‘Zip drives’
• Printers and their specific features
• Scanners

• Opening and closing a file
• Cut and paste
• Spelling and grammar checking
• Inserting graphics and textboxes
• Font, size and headings
• Using newspaper columns
• Using newsletter templates

• Text Boxes
• Justification
• Tracking and kerning
• Borders and shading
• Captions
• Font (style, size, colour)
• Templates
• Import / Export
• Graphic placement

Manipulation (Graphic & Text) Software 'Off-line'

• Printing quality
• Pixels and densities
• Digital manipulation vocabulary, special effects, etc.
• Scanning, selecting, compressing images

• Browsers and search engines
• Internet graphics web sites
• Clip art (on and off-line)
• Saving and downloading web pages
• Text-based on-line research / databases
• Using Email attachments

• Assigning a variety of Roles (Editor, art director, layout editor etc.)
• Deadlines and organising and working in groups
• Parts of a magazine/newspaper, their divisions, themes etc.
• Linking product to audience
• editorial position

• Feature articles
• Hard news vs. Soft news
• Columns vs. Editorials
• Interviewing techniques
• Criticism vs. Reviewing
• Journalism ethics / Non-biased Language issues
• Editing copy and Proof-reading
• Writing headlines to meet the concept of audience