Vernacular Digital Games as English Language Learning Tools: An Exploratory Study in the Syrian Context

The popularity of Vernacular or Commercial-off-the-Shelf games in Syria is a given. This research is the first step to harness and utilize the affordances of such games in English language learning. To this end, an exploratory questionnaire was devised to collect data about the gaming habits of a group of Syrians and to explore whether digital games are positively perceived as instrumental in the development of English language. It particularly sheds light on the players’ self-reported interactions during and around the game, their progression throughout the game, their opinions about the ideal combination of multimedia elements games should afford. The research finally invites their suggestions as to how to maximize the efficacy of digital games in English language learning. In sum, participants particularly stressed the importance of structuring spaces for language use as precondition to progressing in a vernacular game, without compromising the entertainment that characterizes such game genre.

An Edutainment Implementation in an English Vocational Training Class

Edutainment ha sido definido como la unión entre la educación y el entretenimiento, aspectos que todo profesor querría tener en sus clases. Sin embargo, todavía no hay una implementación suficiente del enfoque para afirmar de una forma clara si es útil utilizarlo en las clases de aprendizaje de segundas lenguas o lenguas extranjeras. Este estudio tiene la ambición de contribuir a la comunidad educativa con un caso que podría ser un punto de partida para futuras investigaciones. En este trabajo se describe una investigación que duró 2 semanas en dos grupos de alumnos de 1º de un curso superior de formación profesional, donde se implementó el Edutainment en el grupo experimental y se implementaron las metodologías de Aprendizaje basado en tareas y Focus on Form en el grupo de control con la intención de comparar el desarrollo de ambos grupos e indicar cuál muestra una mayor evolución. El primer objetivo de esta investigación es averiguar si el Edutainment es una herramienta pedagógica válida para enseñar contenidos gramaticales como: comparativos y superlativos, estructuras para dar opiniones y adjetivos que terminan en -ed y -ing. El segundo objetivo es conocer la opinión de los alumnos sobre el enfoque. Los tests previos y posteriores sobre los contenidos gramaticales mostraron que el método más eficaz para aprenderlos era el Aprendizaje basado en tareas y los cuestionarios iniciales y finales revelaron que los estudiantes disfrutaban y tenían una opinión positiva sobre el Edutainment.Edutainment is defined as the marriage between education and entertainment, aspects that every teacher would like to incorporate in their lessons. However, there is still not enough implementation of this approach to conclude if it is useful when teaching a foreign language. This study aims to contribute to the educational community with a case that could be a starting point for further experimentation. This research was carried out during 2 weeks involving two groups of students from the 1st year of High Vocational Training class. Edutainment was exercised in the experimental group and Task-Based Learning and Focus on Form methodologies were implemented in a control group to compare the evolution of both groups and indicate which group shows better improvements. The first objective of this research is to find out if Edutainment is a valid pedagogical tool to teach grammar contents such as comparatives and superlatives, giving opinion structures and adjectives that end in -ed and -ing. The second objective is to gain feedback from the students about the approach. Pretests and posttests about the grammar contents showed that the most effective learning method was Task-Based Learning and the initial and final questionnaires revealed that the students enjoyed the Edutainment approach and had a positive opinion about it

Benefits and barriers: A case study to explore teaching and learning in physics using a collaborative learning platform

This is professionally focused case study research (Stake, 2005) which demonstrates pupil perceptions of the benefits and barriers to the collaborative learning of physics using a teacher-designed online learning platform. ‘The case’ is the researcher’s professional setting: a physics department in a fee paying private college (secondary school) in southern England, with the qualitative approach and data sample formed from online questionnaires then participant interviews completed by year seven (Y7, age 11-12) pupils – new to studying the subject and this approach, and year twelve (Y12, age 16-17) learners who had opted to follow examination level physics courses, and whose past schooling had mixed ‘traditional’ learning and current learning was based on an innovative ICT based collaborative learning platform. Some sampling of selected teachers’ views via individual interviews was also gathered as a way of ascertaining how well informed ‘the adults’ were of the children’s experience and of their positionality.Literature consider include methodology, methods, pedagogy and pupil voice focused research as well as an outline analysis if ICT policy at local (institutional) and national level. Data gathered was subjected to close scrutiny and thematic analysis (King, 2014) the first stage was using the online questionnaire data, followed by a second stage of the interviews/ transcripts which had been shaped in part by first stage analysis. Full anonymity for participants cannot be claimed as a simple web-search using the researcher’s name would identify the setting, although individual respondents cannot be identified from the material and an ethical stance has been followed in line with UWE-BERA ethical guidance. (UWE, 2020).The findings demonstrate younger pupils’ early anxieties about whether working together is ‘allowed’ or is ‘cheating’. There is growing awareness of the benefits of collaborative learning and the development of subject knowledge and skills. Older learners have been inculcated into seeing online materials as ‘normal’ and group working as routine - bringing gains and also challenges which they find easier to articulate.The findings, data analysis and conclusions lead to a series of professional recommendations for teacher training and in-service practise around ICT based CLP as a learning tool

Explaining why teachers use ICT for teaching and learning : a case study of English as a foreign language teachers in a university in Indonesia

This thesis explores factors influencing teachers’ decision-making in respect to technology adoption. The scope of the study was EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers in Indonesia who teach in a higher education institution. An ecological framework was used as a lens to understand these different patterns of ICT uptake and the study describes the influence of teachers, the institution, and beyond the institution. This thesis describes a single case study with a qualitative approach, in which two main methods were used to collect data: interviews and observations. A total of 34 interviews were carried out with 31 teachers and 3 leaders. There were also 33 classroom observations (i.e. non-participant observations) from 14 purposively selected teachers as well as field observations (i.e. participant observations) of institution’s events, teachers’ WhatsApp groups, and institution’s resources. This study indicated three patterns of teachers’ ICT adoption: innovative, pragmatic, and restricted. Innovative adopters showed regular and creative use of technology in teaching even when faced with tension such as a lack of resources and the absence of regulation). The pragmatic adopters were also regular users of technology but less creative in its pedagogical application. They tended to filter through the technology which they felt was easier and more accessible. Finally, restricted adopters tended to show irregular use of technology in teaching, even if they might still be creative in their teaching. The presence of support might not be an encourager for ICT use given their scepticism of the contribution of ICT to teaching