Productive cooperation or solitary nuisance? How pre-service teachers assess the usefulness of internship-accompanying weblogs

Weblogs werden an Hochschulen vermehrt zur Unterstützung von Lern- und Reflexionsprozessen eingesetzt, in der Lehrer/innenbildung auch zunehmend während der berufspraktischen Ausbildung. Die Studierenden beurteilen den Einsatz von Weblogs jedoch unterschiedlich. Dabei ist wenig bekannt, welchen Einfluss die Vergabe und das Erhalten von Peerfeedback auf den Beurteilungsprozess von praktikumsbegleitenden Weblogs sowie auf den Umfang von Blogpostings haben. Im folgenden Beitrag wird dieser Frage mittels einer Befragung von 74 angehenden Lehrpersonen nachgegangen, die praktikumsbegleitende Weblogs mit oder ohne Peerfeedback nutzten, um über herausfordernde Ereignisse im Praktikum zu reflektieren. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Studierende, die Peerfeedback erhielten und andere Blogbeiträge kommentierten, den Weblogeinsatz nützlicher einschätzen sowie eine höhere Motivation und positivere Einstellung gegenüber den Einsatz von Weblogs aufweisen als Studierende, die ohne Peerfeedback bloggen. Keinen Einfluss hat Peerfeedback auf den Umfang der Blogbeiträge und auf die dafür aufgewendete Zeit.Weblogs are being increasingly used in higher education to support the learning and reflection processes of students. In teacher training, they are often employed in school internships or practical training phases. Students assess the usefulness of weblogs differently. However, little is known regarding the influence of peer feedback on the quantity and quality of blog postings and the perceived value of weblogs for students. In the present study, a sample of 74 students enrolled in teacher preparation programs used weblogs during a 4-week school internship to write about and reflect on stressful situations experienced during classroom teaching – one group with, and one without peer feedback. The results show that students who had received peer feedback and had commented on other blog posts themselves, judged weblog use to be more valuable and reported a more positive attitude and a higher motivation towards using them. However, no difference was found between groups with and without peer feedback regarding the length of blog postings or the time spent on writing them

English for Specific Purpose: Revitalizing Climate Change Awareness Using Digital Literacy and Gamification for Engineering Faculty in Papua

The air quality index (AQI) in Papua has the best index among other provinces in Indonesia. Papua has different geographical and social conditions than western Indonesia. In particular, forests in Papua are more numerous with fewer industries and automobiles than provinces in western Indonesia. The article aims to determine respondents' perceptions related to climate change awareness and pro-environmental behavior (PEB) in regions that have AQI in Indonesia, namely Papua. This study uses a survey strategy through a questionnaire instrument for students who have received the application of digital literacy and gamification in the English for Specific Purposes class. The questionnaire was distributed to be filled in by respondents with a total number of responses totaling 164 responses from students of engineering faculty. This study identified that respondents' awareness of climate change was in the moderately aware category (M = 3.8). These findings are directly proportional to PEB respondents who are at the middle level (M = 3.9). Furthermore, analysis of the data shows that respondents are highly aware (M = 4.3) that humans have a responsibility for climate change, and respondents are highly concern (M = 4.4) to carry out forestation both by individuals and community. The finding implication of this study is learning through digital literacy and gamification has a positive potential to be applied through policy and developed into a learning model to increase awareness of climate change and PEB. Keywords:  Climate Change, Pro-environmental Behavior, Digital Literacy, Englsih for Specific Puprpose

Exploring the Role of Training in Promoting Students’ Peer-Feedback Including Critical Peer-Feedback

The question of how critical-thinking skills could be integrated into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) pedagogy has been one of the main concerns in the field of language teaching and learning as they have a great potential to increase the quality of learning and teaching. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether training based on peer feedback, including critical feedback, contributes to participants’ peer feedback and critical feedback performances. The participants, who were undergraduate English Language Teaching (ELT) students (n = 40), were exposed to an 8-week training program in which several feedback criteria, including critical ones, were introduced to them. Data obtained from the participants’ pre-test and post-test peer feedback performances and semi-structured interviews were analyzed by using SPSS and content analysis, respectively. The results revealed that the training improved performance in providing peer feedback, including critical peer feedback. Finally, learners reported satisfaction with the training program, although some challenges were encountered in the process

Teaching critical thinking to Chinese students in English as a foreign language writing class: A review

Critical thinking (CT) is important for English as a foreign language (EFL) writing. However, the EFL writings of Chinese students are usually negatively commented on in terms of CT in writing. The study reviewed relevant studies on how CT in writing was taught to Chinese EFL learners at the tertiary education level. It shows most EFL writing teachers adopted existing western CT definitions in a general knowledge background and mainly used teacher-centered assessment techniques to teach CT. Students’ CT development was mostly assessed by self-designed CT assessments. Facing the globalization of CT teaching, the study thus updates the assessment techniques to meet the increasing needs of CT teaching in EFL writing in China. Relevant suggestions are also given to education practitioners

The Use of Blog Activities to Promote Reflection in an ELT Practicum

Informed by the theories of critical reflection and community of practice, this study aimed to explore the integration of blogs to promote reflection among eighteen pre-service English language teachers registered in a practicum course at a public university in Turkey. Fourteen blog activities were designed and implemented to guide the reflective process of student teachers. Data were collected through archival documents of participants’ blog entries, two focus group interviews and two surveys. A total of 457 entries were analysed in terms of depth of reflection and the analysis revealed evidence of medium or high level reflection in most (61%) of the entries and highest level of reflection in 12% of the entries. The results indicated that the blog activities guided and systematically promoted reflectivity among pre-service teachers and thus have given them an opportunity to engage in deeper levels of reflection

LA RETROALIMENTACIÓN ENTRE PARES A TRAVÉS DEL BLOG EN LA CLASE DE INGLÉS LENGUA SEGUNDA AL SERVICIO DE UNA EDUCACIÓN INCLUSIVA

La inclusión constituye un imperativo en todo el sistema educativo del cual la enseñanza de una lengua segunda (L2) en contexto universitario no está exento. La retroalimentación entre pares a través del blog en clases de escritura tiene el potencial de contribuir a dicha inclusión pues responde a las diferentes características, intereses, capacidades y necesidades de aprendizaje de los educandos. El presente artículo está dividido en dos secciones. En la primera se presenta una revisión de la literatura sobre la retroalimentación correctiva entre pares a través del blog en clases de escritura de inglés L2. En la segunda sección se presenta un estudio empírico realizado por Lira Gonzales y Nassaji (2019) sobre la retroalimentación entre pares a través del blog versus papel y se discuten los resultados de dicho estudio a la luz de la inclusión educativa

A review of literature on the potentials and problems of face-to-face and online peer feedback and the patterns of interaction among ESL/EFL learners in a peer feedback environment

Peer feedback is one of the many elements that contribute to the mastery of the English language writing skills. However, ESL/EFL learners often faced difficulties in giving and receiving peer feedback as they often are not able to give or understand feedback from their peers. In uncovering the potentials and problems with peer feedback amongst ESL/EFL learners in developing their writing performance, this review provides a description on the nature and elements in face-to-face and online peer feedback, and report a review of literature on the patterns of interaction showcased by ESL/EFL students during the peer feedback sessions. Subsequently, the research gaps are identified and recommendations for future research are highlighted. The authors found that although some problems occurred when the peer feedback sessions are implemented, such as the preferences for teacher feedback and negative patterns of interaction, generally it is effective in improving ESL/EFL students’ writing performance as both face-to-face and online peer feedback provides multiple benefits in their writing process (e.g., provides opportunities to discuss critical elements in writing, benefit from sense of anonymity in online platform and seize the opportunity for collaborative learning). However, the authors discovered that studies on the patterns of interaction are limited especially in an online peer feedback environment among ESL learners. Thus, this review recommends for future research to close this gap to uncover the potentials of the peer feedback (especially online peer feedback) in developing ESL learners’ writing performance. As a whole, this review of literature brings great significance because it provides inputs to teachers on the strengths and weaknesses of the peer feedback approach (both face-to-face and online) and the best patterns of interaction developing the students’ writing performance. These inputs can also benefit educational institutions and curriculum developers in introducing effective learning activities or tasks that involve the face-to-face and online peer feedback approach in the curriculum

Weblogs in Higher Education. Opportunities and Challenges: A systematic literature analysis of mandatory and voluntary student blogging

Weblogs sind ein etabliertes Instrument in der Hochschullehre, das heutzutage in vielen Anwendungsbereichen zum Einsatz kommt. Mittlerweile gibt es eine Vielzahl empirischer Studien, die sich mit dem studentischen Einsatz von Weblogs in der Hochschullehre auseinandersetzen. Ziel dieser Literaturanalyse ist es, verpflichtendes und freiwilliges Bloggen von Studierenden im Rahmen ihrer universitären Ausbildung systematisch zu untersuchen. Dabei wird der Frage nachgegangen, welche Auseinandersetzung in empirischen Studien dazu erfolgt und welche Chancen und Herausforderungen sich bezüglich des verpflichtenden und freiwilligen studentischen Einsatzes von Weblogs in der Hochschullehre ergeben. Die ausgewählten Artikel werden dabei inhaltlich mittels eines induktiven Kategoriensystems analysiert. Chancen und Herausforderungen des jeweiligen Blogeinsatzes werden aufgezeigt und praktische Implikationen zusammengefasst. Anhand formaler Merkmale des Bloggens und des Studiums wird der studentische Blogeinsatz weiter charakterisiert. Abschliessend werden die Chancen und Herausforderungen gegenübergestellt und die in den empirischen Studien dargestellte theoretische Rahmung des studentischen Blogeinsatzes in einem mediendidaktischen Kontext erörtert.Nowadays, weblogs are an established tool in higher education, and are being utilized in a wide field of applications. At the same time, one can find numerous empirical studies investigating student blogging in higher education. The aim of this literature review is to systematically investigate mandatory and voluntary student blogging in higher education. This paper considers the question of whether empirical studies discuss obligatory and voluntary student blogging and which opportunities and challenges arise in the context of the different use. Towards this goal, the content of the selected articles will be analysed using an inductive category system. Challenges and opportunities of the respective blog use are pointed out and practical implications are summarized. Student blogging is further characterised by formal elements involved in the blogging activities and in the respective study curriculum. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of blogging will be compared, and the theoretical framing of the student blogging, as this occurs in the original empirical studies will be discussed in a media didactic context