The English as a foreign language writing classroom and weblog :the effect of computer-mediated communication on attitudes of students and implication for EFL learning

PhD ThesisInnovative forms of communication technology have generated new educational models and learning environments. Existing literature includes much discussion concerning the consequences of using communication technology in the context of second language learning. However, recent research has not reached any convincing conclusion about the effects of communication technology in EFL teaching and learning. There are still many variables that need to be accounted for when the use of technology occurs in real-life educational environments, particularly when the adoption of a newly developed communication technology - the Weblog - could / may work better for language learners under specific circumstances. This empirical study focused on whether the use of Weblogs positively changes the learners' attitudes towards EFL writing and their informal use of the English language. Once the focus of this study had been established, the research questions and hypotheses were then addressed as a means of examining the effect of Weblogs. A quasi-experimentarl esearchd esignw as applied with a mixed-methodsa pproacht o elicit data from 119 EFL students in two universities in Taiwan. The collected data included 112p re- and 102 post- GEPT exam papers,1 19 questionnairer esponsesa nd the qualitative data of interviews with 24 research participants. These data were then analysed using inductive (qualitative logic) and deductive (quantitative logic) methods to find out the consequences of the research assumptions. The results corroborate the theoretical findings on the significance of computer-mediated communication in learners' affective learning. In other words, the use of Weblogs influenced the learners' attitudes towards EFL writing. The combination of quantitative and qualitative findings suggested that Weblog technology engages learners in active reading and encourages learners' reflectivity, collaboration, and participation in EFL writing. Finally, the results also echo the theoretical concerns about the learners' self-efficacy and language register in the context of second language writin

Social Presence in Computer-mediated Communication of Thai EFL Learners

Master of Arts (Teaching English as an International Language), 2023According to previous research, computer-mediated communication (CMC) via social media such as Facebook can provide non-threatening learning atmosphere to foster a more relaxed and condusive learning environment to EFL learners hence enhancing EFL learners’ engagement through increased social contact. Understanding Social Presence (SP) indicators can assist in improving the quality of learning through rich interaction and greater engagement. This helps to maximize the potential of CMC for English laanguge learning. Despite previous studies that have looked at interactions in Thai contexts through the lens of SP, there is still much to be discovered. In addition, the value of Social Presence in CMC for language learners, as well as for online learning, has been previously explored in previous study. Though there are few studies on this subject in Thai EFL contexts, there is a lack of research concerning out-of-class activities that can engage students by helping them to overcome the anxiety they feel in a virtual learning environment. The aim of this study was to investigate the ways Thai EFL learners interacted in a computer-mediated communication (CMC) environment based on Social Presence (SP) and to explore learners’ perception on their interaction on Facebook Messenger Group Chat. A mixed-method design was adopted. Fifty-two undergraduate learners in a university in Southern Thailand were selected and divided into groups of four to five to partake in the exchange of Facebook Messenger group messages for 7 weeks. Exchanged messages were collected and analyzed using quantitative counting to find out the frequency of SP indicators in the group chat. A set of questionnaire with open-ended questions was distributed to obtain learners’ 2 vi perception. The former was subjected to descriptive analysis while the latter was subjected to thematic analysis. Results showed that 40% of the messages were interactive responses, followed by affective and cohesive ones, indicating that when Thai EFL learners were virtually present and to appreciate others, they tended to put forward to contribute in the discussion. Furthermore, the learners demonstrated their SP by exhibiting acknowledgement, using paralanguage, using greetings and salutations respectively. Two indicators gained the least: emotion and personal advice. Surprisingly, one indicator, course reflection, was not observed in the text messages. It was found from the questionnaire that cohesive category had the highest total mean score (M = 4.29, SD = .400), followed by affective and interactive ones. The results indicated that the learners strongly agreed that the “sense of belongingness” was felt throughout the online interaction. In addition, as qualitative results, three themes emerged: building group cohesion, immediacy, and an opportunity for English interaction, suggesting that English language use via CMC was valued by the learners beyond the classroom environment. This mixed method study shed light on how Thai EFL learners communicated and interacted digitally using English via Facebook Messenger Group Chat as a designed CMC learning environment with the meaningful negotiation. By understanding their interaction online through SP, the results of this study provided the empirical evidence of how Thai EFL learners socially and emotionally presented themselves online with the exposure to English outside of the classroom as a necessity of language input for EFL learners to build an online community. It concludes with the discussion of the SP implications, limitation and recommendations for EFL educators, learners and stakeholders

Social Mathworking: The Effects of Online Reflection on Algebra I Students\u27 Sense of Community and Perceived Learning

The purpose of this study was to determine if online reflections through social networking affect students\u27 sense of community and levels of perceived conceptual learning in Algebra I courses. Social constructivism, connectivism, and computer-mediated communication in relation to reflective practices form the theoretical and practical framework for the use of Web 2.0 technologies in this investigation. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design was used to examine Algebra I students\u27 sense of community as measured by the Sense of Classroom Community Index, and perceived learning as measured by Perceived Learning Instrument. The sample consisted of 27 Algebra I students at a Central Florida middle school. There were 14 participants in the experimental group and 13 students in the control group. Both groups completed pre and posttest survey instruments for the independent variables of sense of community and perceived learning. The tests were separated by four weeks of instruction on Algebra 1 course content and participation in discourse through face-to-face and discussion board formats. Independent t-tests were employed in data analysis. The results of the study revealed no significant differences between experimental and control groups in relation to students\u27 sense of community and perceived learning. However, the findings support curriculum design targeted to those concepts Algebra I students have the most difficulty with, and advance the understanding of students\u27 cognitive development and feelings regarding comfort when communicating their mathematical thinking through Web 2.0 technologies

Towards the Situated Engagement Evaluation Model (SEEM) : making the invisible visible

This thesis explores the multifaceted concept of engagement within online learning environments. Key research aims are to suggest approaches and an extendable model for evaluating, monitoring and developing understanding of online learner engagement. The overall intention is to offer educators insight, practical guidance and tools for supporting timely intervention in fostering learner engagement. This thesis reviews the major theoretical perspectives on learning and highlights the role of student engagement in relation to the research literature. It discusses the limitations of the methods applied in current research and attempts to address this problem by crossing the disciplinary boundaries to draw together a range of perspectives and methodologies. A review of the literature provides a foundation for a learner engagement evaluation model that employs a variety of evaluation methods and accommodates the possible diversity of learning experiences. The proposed ‘Situated Engagement Evaluation Model’ (SEEM) is positioned to reflect the wide theoretical perspective of social learning. It constitutes a comprehensive system of intertwined components (Learning Content; Pedagogical Design Elements; Learning Profiles; and Dialogue and Communication) that learners may interact with, and integrates dynamically changing preferences and predispositions (e.g. cultural, emotional, cognitive) potentially informative in engagement studies. Prior to (and independently of) the development of SEEM, four empirical studies were conducted and reported here. These explored patterns of online engagement with respect to learning content, learning profiles, patterns of communication and elements of pedagogical design. Studies were then revisited to evaluate the usefulness of SEEM for monitoring and evaluating student engagement, and to discuss its potential for guiding intervention to improve learning experiences. The practical relevance for integrated and automated implementation of SEEM in online learning is considered further

Teaching Strategies Used to Promote EFL Autonomous Learning in Distance Education Undergraduate Students: An Initial Approach in the Framework of the Colombian Research Context

Este trabajo de naturaleza cualitativa se ocupa de las estrategias docentes utilizadas para promover el aprendizaje autónomo del inglés como lengua extranjera en la educación a distancia. Esto cobra sentido en el contexto colombiano donde la mayor parte de los estudiantes de educación superior son aprendices heterónomos y no alcanzan el nivel esperado como usuarios independientes de esta lengua extranjera. Este trabajo consiste en una investigación documental de las revistas colombianas sobre la investigación de la enseñanza de las lenguas extranjeras, con el propósito de recopilar estrategias de enseñanza que brinden los fundamentos para promover el aprendizaje autónomo del EFL en este contexto. Para lograr el propósito, se analizó una muestra de nueve (9) de 70 artículos de investigación contenidos en las revistas y fueron seleccionados siguiendo varios criterios de búsqueda. Durante este proceso se compilaron los datos torno a los tres principales constructos: educación a distancia en Colombia, las características del aprendizaje autónomo del inglés como lengua extranjera y las estrategias docentes aplicadas. Los hallazgos en torno al primer constructo muestran que el modelo educativo a distancia sobre el cual hay evidencia empírica se caracteriza por el componente a distancia sumado al presencial; del segundo constructo, el aprendizaje autónomo del inglés cuenta con una amplia cantidad de características psicológicas, cognitivas, metacognitivas y sociales; y del tercer constructo, la investigación-acción y casos estudios muestran que la promoción del aprendizaje autónomo requiere tener en cuenta la naturaleza y condiciones de la educación a distancia, el concepto de aprendizaje autónomo de EFL, los papeles de los instructores, la función de tutoría, el temario, materiales de auto-acceso, contenidos, herramientas, apoyo institucional, entre otros.This qualitative work deals with the teaching strategies used to promote English as a foreign language (EFL) autonomous learning in distance education. This makes sense within the Colombian context where most of the higher education students are heteronomous learners and do not reach the expected level as independent users of this foreign language. This work consists of a documentary investigation which takes data from Colombian research journals about teaching and learning foreign languages, to compile teaching strategies that provide the foundations to promote the EFL autonomous learning in undergraduate distance education students. To achieve this purpose, exploration, and analysis using a sample of nine (9) from 70 research articles according to various searching criteria were developed. During this process, data was compiled around three main constructs: distance education in Colombia, the characteristics of autonomous learning of English as a foreign language, and the teaching strategies applied. The findings around the first construct show that the Colombian distance education model used is characterized by the distance component added to the face-to-face component; about the second construct, autonomous English learning has a large number of psychological, cognitive, metacognitive, and social features; and the third construct, action-research and case studies show that promoting autonomous learning demands taking into account the nature and conditions of distance education, the concept of EFL autonomous learning, the roles of instructors, the tutoring function, the planning, and the syllabus, self-access materials, contents, tools, institutional support, among others

We don't have the liberty of being brainless: exploring pre-service teachers' use of weblogs for informal reflection

Pre-service teachers enter teacher education programs with a working practical theory formed from personal experience, knowledge and values. By engaging in reflective thinking, pre-service teachers reaffirm, reassess and recreate the practical theory that guides their actions and beliefs on teaching and learning. Weblogs, an emerging technology in teacher education, offer a new medium for reflective practice. This dissertation explores the tripartite elements of practical theory, reflective practice and weblogs as explored through a qualitative research study conducted in a secondary MAT program at a large southeastern university. Through the qualitative content analysis of weblog postings, focus group interviews and individual interviews, a grounded theory emerged to support weblogs as a forum for informal reflection. The research undertaken in this qualitative study reveals the positive potential of weblogs in pre-service teachers' reflective practice. The informality of weblogs, their accessibility through the Internet and their ability to support communal interactions on-line are positive features of weblogs. These features, in turn, support informal reflection, a component of reflective practice produced by the interaction of practical theory, flexible structure, personal expression and communal interaction. Informal reflection is not a substitute for the formal, hierarchical (and necessary) reflection frequently found in teacher education but a facet of the reflective process that, with further study, may prove to be a valuable component of reflective practice for pre-service and practicing teachers

Effects Of Explicit Reading Comprehension Strategy Instruction For English Learners With Specific Learning Disabilities

In this intervention study, I engaged principles of culturally responsive research to examine the effectiveness of explicit reading comprehension strategy instruction for English Learners (ELs) with specific learning disabilities (SLD). This study replicated and extended previous research (Jitendra, Hoppes, & Xin, 2000) by modifying instruction found to be effective for native English speakers (i.e., explicit reading comprehension strategy instruction with a self-monitoring procedure). Modifications included: (a) integrating culturally relevant text, (b) providing native language support, and (c) melding strategies from the fields of teaching English as a second language and special education. Through a co-teaching model, I provided instruction to four participants during a 135-min literacy block in a fifth-grade general education classroom for 13 weeks. A multiple probe across participants design (Gast & Ledford, 2010) evaluated effects of instruction on two dependent variables: (a) participants\u27 sophistication with applying comprehension thinking strategies while reading, as measured by comprehension thinking strategy rubrics (Keene, 2006) and (b) participants\u27 comprehension, as measured through percentage accuracy with responding to verbally-posed, researcher-developed literal and inferential comprehension questions. I assessed maintenance of effects for up to 8 weeks after participants exited the intervention. I assessed generalization to on-grade-level text and to a standardized achievement test (Woodcock Johnson Tests of Academic Achievement III-R; Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2001). Additionally, I examined participants\u27 self-efficacy as readers at pre- and postintervention by collecting information from the Motivation to Read Profile survey and interview (Gambrell, Palmer, Coddling, & Mazzoni, 1996). Finally, I measured participants\u27 perceptions of the social acceptability of intervention procedures and outcomes through a researcher-developed, 9-item, Likert-scale survey. Results of this study show a functional relation for accuracy with answering literal and inferential comprehension questions and for sophistication with applying comprehension thinking strategies to read instructional-level text. All four participants performed within a similar range on on-grade-level probes as compared to instructional-level probes before and after the intervention. Participants improved or maintained scores on a standardized achievement test. Intervention effects maintained at the end of a 2- to 8-week period at a level above respective baseline performance. Moreover, participants\u27 attitudes toward reading and their motivation toward reading increased or maintained at high levels. Results from social validation questionnaires showed favorable impressions of the intervention\u27s procedures and outcomes. Findings are discussed with regard to the need for future research and the implications for practice

Changes in Perceived Teacher Self-Efficacy and Burnout as a Result of Facilitated Discussion and Self-Reflection in an Online Course Designed to Prepare Teachers to Work with Students with Autism

A growing number of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who display complex learning needs present challenges to educators who struggle to meet their educational needs. Teaching is stressful and additional instructional challenges may increase teacher vulnerability to burnout, leading to a greater likelihood of attrition. Increasing teachers\u27 knowledge of strategies specific to students with ASD within online professional development may create needed support networks increasing self-efficacy and decreasing perceived stress. The purpose of this study was to examine the changes special and general education teachers\u27 perceived self-efficacy and burnout as a result of facilitated discussion and self-reflection embedded in an online learning environment. This mixed-methods research design explored teachers\u27 perceptions of self-efficacy and burnout as a result of participation in online course designed to address the competencies of the California Added Autism Authorization Certificate. To address the quantitative portions of the study, the teachers\u27 perceived self-efficacy was assessed at the beginning and end of the course using the Teacher Self-Efficacy Survey, and burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Educator Survey. Data from transcripts of 25 participants\u27 responses in facilitated online discussion and self-reflection assignments served as the basis to investigate qualitative results. A follow-up focus group of seven teacher volunteers provided additional support for perceived differences in self-efficacy, as well as burnout results. Study results revealed statistically significant differences in teachers\u27 perceived self-efficacy from beginning to end of a 16-week course. Differences in teachers\u27 perception of burnout where not found to be statistically significant based on analysis of results from survey data from Maslach Burnout Inventory - Educator Survey. Qualitative analysis revealed four themes from this study, preparedness, confidence to implement strategies, community of support, and stress, in addition to core ideas from the focus-group discussion. Analysis of focus-group data gave the researcher a rich understanding of how special education and general education teachers expressed perceptions of the process of online facilitated discussion and self-reflection influenced changes in self-efficacy and burnout. Study implications include the importance of professional discourse opportunities embedded in online professional development for teachers\u27 to improve implementation of evidence-based intervention practices with students with ASD and learning challenges