Social and communication skills in english through virtual or simulated environment

Virtual world or environment such as MOO (MUD- Multi-User Domain,Object Oriented) is one of the predominantly text-based synchronous Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) tools. Since early 1990s, MOO has generated much interest among second language researchers. However, to date, not many studies have focused on the impact of using MOO on face-to-face communication skills. For the purpose of this research, in UTM, a full-fledged virtual university called UniTekMOO, was developed and regularly updated to benefit the students in their English communication skills and specific areas of study. With the construction of the virtual campus of UnitekMOO, this study began investigating on the effects of MOO on learners’ communication skills and on their attitudes towards English language learning. Data were gathered through participant observation (done virtually), classroom observation, questionnaire and online interview. Content and conversational analysis were also done on the MOO chatlogs. Through interviews and questionnaires, learners believed that their interaction experiences within the MOO had improved their communication skills. In particular, more than half of the students felt that their interactions within the MOO environment have i) boosted their interest in learning English, ii) helped improve their spelling, and iii) increased their confidence in face-to-face interactions in English. We would recommend that the UnitekMOO be made available to students to practice using the target language as activities to complement their regular English proficiency classes

Common features in popular android vocabulary learning apps

For the last two decades, mobile learning has significantly made its way in English language learning and teaching process. Some common devices use in mobile learning are smartphones, tablets and laptops. These devices, combined with Internet access, open new and ample opportunities for teachers, technologists and learners to facilitate language acquisition. In the context of English as a second language (ESL) teaching and learning, most adult ESL learners attend classes with the aim of improving their language proficiency as they need to communicate effectively especially in work and social settings. They can certainly obtain this from the formal classroom setting. However, according to Kukulske-Hulme (2012), foreign language mastery requires frequent informal practice. Therefore, learners can extend their language learning outside of classroom time by utilizing mobile learning applications (apps). By having language apps installed in their mobile devices, ESL learners would have the chances to enhance their language acquisition especially vocabulary development. In this study, ten most popular Android vocabulary learning apps for adult learners available in 2017 were chosen and reviewed. They were selected based on the number of downloads and ratings. This study looks into the common and distinctive features of the top vocabulary learning apps and their strengths and weaknesses. Based on the findings, this paper will provide a comprehensive view of features that assist learners in their language learning and discusses its relevance from the pedagogical aspect to further improve vocabulary learning app

Evaluation of English vocabulary mobile apps to help Malaysian secondary school students

Since the teaching of English vocabulary items is not heavily emphasized inschoolsanymore, Malaysian secondary school students need other sources to learn English vocabulary. In today’s context, where many Malaysian secondary school students own smartphones, lessons provided by English vocabulary apps could be a perfect solution to the problem. However, as there are way too many vocabulary apps available for download in the market, there needs to be a way to identify the right apps that students should use based on several important factors such as their CEFR levels, usability, fun factor, and effectiveness. In order to separate the wheat from the chaffand find high quality apps out of the thousands of mediocre vocabulary apps available on the market, we adapted a comprehensive educational app evaluation rubric to be used in our search. From our findings, we recommend five English vocabulary apps which could be effectively used by Malaysian secondary school students in order to broaden their knowledge of English vocabular

The concept of technology supported face-to-face collaborative learning via digital interactive audio capturing tool

This paper shares the researcher’s experience in employing the technology supported face-to-face collaborative learning. In achieving this, a digital interactive audio capturing tool (DIACT) was used to digitally capture the interactive event of collaborative learning among English as second language (ESL) teacher trainees in a “Computer Integrated Classroom” (CiC) environment. Having merely online learning of computer support which ignores the elements of face-to-face (F2F), the impact of “collaboration” seems seriously lacking. With the emergence of DIACT in a CiC environment, the researcher attempts to see how those co-located ESL teacher trainees manage to effectively communicate face-to-face and collaborate among themselves to build knowledge. The interaction was captured and transferred to computer assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) to be analyzed for evidence of impactful knowledge building. Findings indicated that the use of DIACT in a F2F CiC environment has significantly helped students in collaborative knowledge building

The concept of technology supported face-to-face collaborative learning via digital interactive audio capturing tool

This paper shares the researcher’s experience in employing the technology supported face-to-face collaborative learning. In achieving this, a digital interactive audio capturing tool (DIACT) was used to digitally capture the interactive event of collaborative learning among English as second language (ESL) teacher trainees in a “Computer Integrated Classroom” (CiC) environment. Having merely online learning of computer support which ignores the elements of face-to-face (F2F), the impact of “collaboration” seems seriously lacking. With the emergence of DIACT in a CiC environment, the researcher attempts to see how those co-located ESL teacher trainees manage to effectively communicate face-to-face and collaborate among themselves to build knowledge. The interaction was captured and transferred to computer assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) to be analyzed for evidence of impactful knowledge building. Findings indicated that the use of DIACT in a F2F CiC environment has significantly helped students in collaborative knowledge building

Literature review of educational app evaluation rubrics

Statistics have shown that in the first quarter of 2018, there were about 2 million apps available for download for IOS devices while there were about 3.8 million Android apps which were available for download (Statista, 2018a). Out of these millions of apps, tens of thousands of them are educational apps. Some of these apps can help both educators and students in their teaching and learning activities. However, because of the sheer number of apps available to be downloaded for free in the market, it has become hard for educators and students to choose which ones are right for them to fulfil their needs. In order to help them determine the overall quality of these educational apps and gauge their specific strengths and weaknesses, several educational app evaluation rubrics have been proposed by researchers. This study aims to analyse these evaluation rubrics for their comprehensiveness and usefulness to users, especially for educators who want to choose applications which could complement their formal or informal teaching activitie

Learning citation conventions through teaching application: from students' perspective

Undergraduates’ writings are found to be deficient in the sense of citation conventions. This lacking engages students in an inadvertent plagiarism which causes them to have no academic integrity. Therefore, an effective intervention is required to address this problem. Teaching application is believed to be the best answer that would fit 21st-century teaching and learning. This study is conducted in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). Since UTM uses APA citation conventions in their academic writing, this study developed an APA citation application (ACA). The application contains nine modules in which each consists of an instructional video, assessment, and questionnaire. Students need to complete the first module, as a prerequisite for unlocking the subsequent modules. The purpose of this study is to investigate the undergraduates’ perception of using ACA in helping them to use correct citation conventions in their academic writing. The respondents were 67 undergraduates from five Advanced Academic Writing classes. Findings suggest that students found ACA to be helpful for them to understand the correct way of writing citations and to apply the skills in their term paper writing. This study is believed to equip students with necessary citing skills when writing their Undergraduate Final Project which is a compulsory university exit requirement