abstract: With the increase of academic courses moving to online instruction (Blake, 2011), it is only natural language education also would make the leap to online platforms. Following Vygotsky's (1978) Sociocultural Theory (SCT), the purpose of this study is to test the differential effect of the presence of a language learning orientation module in online environments as well as exploring the possible variables affecting student success in module and non-module containing courses. The effectiveness of the module is measured by triangulating student success as defined and tested by Kerr et al. (2006) using their quantitative TOOLS (Test of Online Learning Success) instrument and collecting qualitative data in the form of journal entries and surveys. Data were collected from 1st year university Spanish courses from both a control group (no module use), as well as an experimental group (module use). Case study data from both control and experimental groups showed trends related to student success and may help to shed light on the pedagogical implications of language orientation modules in both online and face-to-face language learning environments while providing avenues for future research designs to explore the effectiveness of the aforementioned modules in online environments. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Spanish 2016

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This study had as objective to verify the effectiveness of the information about the language and the directed speaking development to a group of parents of children with alterations in these areas. The sample was composed of 23 children who were in the wait list of the Phonoaudiology sector in the City department of Health and Environment from Rosario do Sul-RS , they were between 4 and 8 years old, divided in two groups: a study group composed of 11 children and a control group composed of 12 children. The children were submitted to a speaking evaluation and to a language evaluation. The parents the eleven children from the study group participated of informative meetings that occurred fortnightly, for one hour, totalizing eight meetings, in a period of four months, in other words, from August to November of 2005. During these meetings they received information about how the communication process happens and the factors that influence it, beyond activities of language and speaking stimulation to be done at home with the child. The parents the twelve children from the control group didn't have access to these information. In the end of the meetings, the children from the two groups were again submitted to a speaking evaluation and to a language evaluation using the same instruments from the initial evaluation. For analysis of the collected data, the results of the initial valuation were compared with the ones from the final evaluation of each group and also the results between the groups, verifying the interaction between evaluation and group. This analysis was made through the Variance Analysis, using the delineation in repeated measures, accomplished through the Proc Mixed of software SAS version 9.1 - Type 3 Tests of Fixed Effects, complemented by the Multiple Comparisons Test of Tukey, to the significance level of 5%. The results showed that only the language comprehension ability and the total of words evoked during the phonological evaluation didn't present significant interaction between evaluation and group. However, the abilities of conceptualization and expression of language, the joint examination and the phonological evaluation, demonstrated significant interaction between evaluation and group, indicating through the comparison between the initial and final evaluations experienced in the children, that the aspects referring to the language improved significantly in the study group, where the parents received orientations, evidencing that these orientations influenced the results. In the control group, where the parents didn't receive orientations, this improvement was not significant. It was also possible to take care of a bigger number of people, reducing the waiting time for an attendance, controlling the demand. / Este estudo teve por objetivo verificar a eficácia da informação sobre desenvolvimento da linguagem e da fala direcionada a um grupo de pais de crianças com alterações nestas áreas. A amostra foi composta por 23 crianças que se encontravam na lista de espera do setor de Fonoaudiologia da Secretaria Municipal de Saúde e Meio Ambiente de Rosário do Sul-RS, com idade entre 4 e 8 anos, divididas em dois grupos: um grupo estudo composto por 11 crianças e um grupo controle composto por 12 crianças. As crianças foram submetidas à avaliação de fala e de linguagem. Os pais das onze crianças do grupo estudo participaram das reuniões informativas que ocorreram de quinze em quinze dias, com duração de uma hora, totalizando oito encontros, num período de quatro meses. Durante essas reuniões, eles receberam informações sobre como se realiza o processo de comunicação e os fatores que o influenciam e sobre atividades de estimulação de linguagem e de fala a serem realizadas em casa com a criança. Os pais das doze crianças do grupo controle não tiveram acesso a estas informações. Ao término dos encontros, as crianças dos dois grupos foram novamente submetidas à avaliação de linguagem e de fala, com utilização dos mesmos instrumentos da avaliação inicial. Para análise dos dados coletados, compararam-se os resultados da avaliação inicial com os da avaliação final de cada grupo e também os resultados entre os grupos, verificando a interação entre avaliação e grupo. Esta análise foi feita através da Análise de Variância, utilizando o delineamento em medidas repetidas, realizado através do Proc Mixed do software SAS versão 9.1 -Type 3 Tests of Fixed Effects, complementada pelo Teste de Comparações Múltiplas de Tukey, ao nível de significância de 5%. Os resultados mostraram que somente a habilidade de compreensão de linguagem e o total de palavras evocadas durante a avaliação fonológica não apresentaram interação significativa entre avaliação e grupo. As habilidades de conceituação e expressão de linguagem, o exame de articulação e a avaliação fonológica demonstraram interação significativa entre avaliação e grupo e indicaram, através da comparação entre as avaliações iniciais e finais realizadas com as crianças, que os aspectos referentes à linguagem, melhoraram significativamente no grupo estudo. No grupo controle esta melhora não foi significativa, o que evidenciou que o recebimento de orientações influenciou os resultados. Pelo procedimento adotado foi possível também atender a maior número de pessoas, reduzir o tempo de espera pelo atendimento e controlar a demanda.