Frequently Asked Questions

What is EVO?

The EVO is a creation of TESOL's CALL Interest Section. In this age of electronic communication it seems a natural way to bring the issues of our profession to the international stage. Our goal is to allow learning anywhere, anytime, with as little expense as possible for a global audience. Thus EVO moderators and trainers are all volunteers, and participants need only provide their own Internet access to take part in activities. Your contribution as a Moderator is a significant act of volunteerism, and forms an important service to our profession. We on the Coordination Team also hope it will be a valuable professional development experience for you. Want to know more? Read What is EVO?

What is the EVO Moderator training about?

EVO isn't just a collection of online courses. It is a unique experience in that your "students" are also teachers and peers. And because everything about EVO is volunteer, you will have to treat them a little differently than paying customers. EVO Moderator training thus has two goals: to get you familiar with several free and easy-to-use online tools that will make your course work successfully; and to help you create a warm, hospitable online environment for your participants. The training will help you understand what to expect in a six-week session, give you time to polish up your syllabus, and make you an expert in the tools and techniques that lead to a successful experience for both you and your participants. See How EVO Differs for more details.

Why is EVO different?

The Electronic Village Online reflects the strong thread of volunteerism that runs through TESOL's Computer-assisted Language Learning Interest Section. For more about the CALL-IS, see What's CALL IS?  For more about the Electronic Village Online see How EVO Differs.

See also the article: Hanson-Smith, E. & Bauer-Ramazani, C., with Robb, T. & Gaer, S. (2004). Professional Development: The Electronic Village Online of the TESOL CALL-Interest Section, TESL-EJ, 8(2).