Dissertations and theses on technology and L2 LEARNING (2000-2015)

This list has been updated with an eye towards providing working links to actual dissertation texts. Permanent links available free of charge through university databases have been privileged; for-profit enterprises that sell dissertation manuscripts have been listed when universities do not provide for the electronic dissemination of these documents. Manuscripts that are not available by either of these means are nevertheless listed as we hope to provide the most complete coverage of dissertations in the field of CALL that is possible. You will notice that the reference list style is somewhat different than what is suggested by APA. We decided upon a format that includes the name of the institution where the dissertation was completed such that a quick scan of the list reveals where people are studying CALL related themes—and which universities are field leaders in terms of freely distributing dissertations. If you notice that dissertations completed at your institution have not been included, please send us the references, so we can update this list yearly

ENRICHING CRITICAL THINKING AND LANGUAGE LEARNING WITH EDUCATIONAL DIGITAL LIBRARIES

As the amount of information available in online digital libraries increases exponentially, questions arise concerning the most productive way to use that information to advance learning. Applying the earlier information seeking theories advocated by Kelly (1963), Taylor (1968), and Belkin (1980) to the digital libraries experience, Carol Kuhlthau created the inquiry-based information search process (ISP) model. This ISP model describes thoughts, actions and feelings in six stages of inquiry: initiation, selection, exploration, formulation, collection, and presentation. This study investigated the value of an organized educational digital library in supporting and improving English Foreign Language (EFL) student's critical thinking skills. The study also considered if critical thinking skills and English language skills can be improved simultaneously in the appropriate learning environment. A quasi-experimental pretest/posttest design was utilized. Participants were 98 Taiwanese freshmen majoring in Applied English. Two groups were compared in their ability to cultivate critical thinking. One approach used traditional open access to information plus training in critical thinking. The other used a structured approach to accessing and organizing information from an online digital library as well as training in critical thinking. A One-Way ANCOVA and an Independent-Samples t-test were used to examine the two groups on their 1) critical thinking skills, 2) English reading comprehension, and 3) attitudes in EFL classrooms. Bivariate correlation was employed to evaluate the relation between critical thinking and English reading comprehension. Results indicated that the experimental digital library group (M=11.69) significantly outperformed the traditional group (M=10.61) in critical thinking; F (1, 95) = 4.10, p<.05. The digital library group (M=11.69) also outperformed the traditional group (M=10.23) on English reading comprehension; F (1, 95) =14.72, p<.05. There was a positive relationship between critical thinking and English reading comprehension (r=.212), p<.05. Also, students in the digital library group (M=38.57), had better learning attitudes toward the intervention training program than did the control group (M=35.59); t (96) =2.48, p<.05. Students who used structured search strategies with digital libraries had higher critical thinking performance and more positive attitudes toward their learning experience. Educators should adopt training strategies that engage learners in every stage of inquiry process, from identifying a topic and selecting what to investigate, to formulating a focused perspective and presenting their final product. Further studies are needed to determine if the benefits of structured search strategies with digital libraries extends to other settings, cultures and grade levels. Collecting and analyzing examples of student projects may provide additional insights into the development of critical thinking skills

Developing Social Networks and Language Learning: Japanese ESL Students in a Study Abroad Context

The current study investigates the relationship between the English language proficiency of Japanese students in a short term study abroad (SA) context and the structure of their social networks. Their personal social networks were investigated through individual interviews. Analyzing their investment in English along with examining their construction of social networks, the purpose of this study is to investigate if there are any relationships between their type of social network and their English proficiency. The data was collected through individual interviews. Their oral English proficiency was evaluated by the Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) developed by the Educational Testing Services (ETS). The study first shothat the students who had invested their cultural capital or had improved their cultural capital seemed to have had multi social networks, and their final score on the SPEAK test improved. Second, the students who stayed mostly within Japanese social networks had less improvement in their scores than those mentioned above. Third, all three students whose score had negative growth were in the group that scored higher than others at the beginning of the semester. There were two students whose social networks were close-knit among Japanese, yet their score shothe most improvement. Therefore, the result indicated that there probably was a relationship between English language proficiency of Japanese students in a short-term SA context and the structure of their social networks. The further research may be needed to capture such relationship

Innovative Techniques for Inspiring EFL Students\u27 Enthusiasm and Participating in English Classroom Activities

Since 1990, the government of Taiwan has sought to position the country as an international economic and trading center. As a result, English became a compulsory subject for Taiwanese students in 2005 (Lu, 2011). The Taiwan Ministry of Education (MOE) is promoting communicative language teaching (CLT) and encouraging learners to develop and increased desire to improve their language skills. However, many Taiwanese English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers still focus on memorization and the grammar translation method (Chung & Huang, 2009). The author discovered two major issues related to English language teaching in Taiwan. The first issue was many Taiwanese English as EFL teachers do not provide meaningful and authentic communication opportunities for their students (Chung & Huang, 2009). The second issue was many Taiwanese EFL learners focus more on extrinsic motivation than intrinsic motivation (Hernandez, 2008). The other primary issue discussed involved the relationship between learning and motivation. The primary purpose of this project was to design a research-based curriculum for EFL teachers working with Taiwanese university students. It outlines a framework for how an instructor can integrate various new techniques and activities to motivate students to utilize English in their daily lives. Furthermore, this project focuses on the importance of the characteristics and qualities of an effective Taiwanese EFL instructor and how they can integrate innovative techniques into their language instruction such as Google Forms, Quizlet, YouTube, and Snapchat. This curriculum does not merely focus on dispensing information; instead, it focuses on encouraging learners to be completely involved and to realize how what they acquire linguistically is can be applied in practical situations

The Effects of Technology on Learning English as a Foreign Language Among Female EFL Students at Effatt College: An Exploratory Study

Technology offers modern educational tools for learning English as a foreign language. For the current study, the effects of technology on learning English as a foreign language among female EFL students at Effatt College were investigated. To achieve this aim, questionnaires with Likert scale questions were used in the study. The questionnaire was divided into two parts. The first part began with two general questions about age and educational level. The second part included four specific questions regarding technology tools that enhance learning the English language. Thirty-Six participants were included in this study. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to obtain accurate results. The findings clearly indicate that computer software, social networking websites, online videos, audio tools (i.e., YouTube, Skype, MP3 players), and smart phone and tablet apps have a positive impact on learning English as a foreign language. Therefore, technology tools can clearly be effective in improving the students’ language and communication skills

Improving Pupils’ Attitude to English Learning and Cultural Understanding through Email Exchange: an Action Research Project in a Secondary School in Taiwan

Electronic mail (e-mail) has been widely used in communication for many years. The main purpose of this action research was to explore whether utilizing an email exchange project can enhance secondary school pupils’ motivation and attitude to language learning and improve their intercultural learning. This was a collaborative intercultural email exchange project between two secondary schools, one in north east of Taiwan and another one in the USA. The researcher sought to identify the attitudes of and concepts of learners and teachers towards the email exchange. This study adopted qualitative and quantitative methods. However, there was more focus on qualitative data in order to determine if the project improved the pupils’ attitude to learning English and develop their intercultural communicative competence. In order to ensure trustworthiness, multiple data collection instruments were employed in this study. The findings show that using e-mail can benefit pupils in their language and intercultural learning. The study examines outcomes and factors that made the project successful. It sets the research in the context of a theoretical framework and Taiwan education policy and suggestions for further work and research of this kind. The limitations of this study are also discussed