‎"Application of Bax Normilasation in Saudi Arabia: The how!"‎

Stephan Bax argues that, "Our aim should be to attain a state of `normalisation' in which the technology is invisible and truly integrated"

    This article explains how was the CALL in the past, how it is now, and how it will be in the future. It also explains the three phases of CALL which has been identified by Warschauer and Healey:  ‘‘Behaviouristic’’, ‘‘Communicative’’ and ‘‘Integrative.” Bax has some arguments about these phases and he made an alternative analysis of CALL. Then, he suggested three phases of CALL: Restricted, Open and Integrated CALL. Finally, he referred  to the term “Normalisation”, which is therefore the stage when a technology is invisible taken for granted in everyday life. He have identified the means of achieving this goal. He argued that we need more in-depth ethnographic studies of individual environments and he also argued that we also need action research in individual environments to identify barriers to normalisation and ways of overcoming them.

     
     In order  to apply these concepts in our Saudi context, we have to go over many steps:

1-      I suggested a mandatory course to be given for students in order to prepare them well for using technology, as well as teachers, such as how to use computers, projectors, smart boards, different types of social and academic networks..etc.  Some people may know how to deal with the technology but the majority don’t. So, we can prepare a placement test in order to know who really need such courses. Our course (EDU401) is an example of these courses.

2-      The second step is to prepare the schools and universities with the technological devices which is needed, such as; computers, laptops, smartboards, projectors, and a good networks. These devices must be provided with proper maintenance routinely.

     After these preparation steps, a great interaction will occur between the teacher and the students which based mostly on the technological devices. Each teacher can use her preferred ways and tools to communicate with her students, and she/he can take their suggestions. As we have learned in this course, there are different types of communicative networks that can be used, such as; Yahoo groups, Gmail groups, Twitter, Facebook, Wikis, and many different examples.

    We can take the Yahoo group as an example to apply in a real class, if we say that the students are prepared to use the Yahoo group, as well as the teacher. So, after creating and joining a group, the teacher may ask the students to introduce themselves. Then, she/he can upload the assignments there, and it depends on what the subject and the lesson needs.

     Finally, we can’t expect that all of the students and teachers will respond in a very quick time, sure we will take a time to reach this level of normalization, especially with people who never use these types of technology. This process needs high ambition and we have this factor, so we can reach this level , Inashallah.