Turning a multimedia language lab into a powerful learner-centred tool

In a learner-centred approach, lecturers constantly adapt their teaching methods to better suit their students‟ goals and needs. Ideally, the gathering of information relies on three channels: questionnaires and surveys, learners‟ log book and course evaluation. However, these methods can be time consuming or even impossible considering the nature and size of the class or even the constraints of limited contact hours

Using flash games to stimulate cooperative communication

The benefits of using games in the language class are numerous (Godwin-Jones, 2005). Playing computer games have become a popular form of relaxation for many learners (Yang, 2001). Can this phenomenon be utilized to support foreign language teaching at the tertiary level? In this research, a group of 15 Malaysian students were asked to solve a puzzle in a Flash game. Their task was simple: exit from a virtual room without a door. The computer/language lab used for this task was the Sanako Lab 300. Each learner had access to a single computer as well as a microphone and a headphone. The class had been divided into three groups of four students each and one group of three. In order to create an information gap task, four different audio instructions were available to each group. Each member of a group was required to communicate with the other three groups in order to complete the tas

Raising exposure and interactions in French through computer-supported collaborative learning.

This case study is part of an action research conducted in a Malaysian public university aiming to develop a computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) interface for learners of French as a foreign language at the bachelor level. A real task-based CSCL assignment was implemented in a blended learning setting with online activities added to the curriculum without reducing face-to-face contact hours. In line with engaged learning and learner-led theories, 24 learners were asked to collaborate to carry out a complex task that challenges their linguistic and communication skills as well as their organisational aptitude. This study focuses on an analysis of the learners’ perceptions of the CSCL assignment. Questionnaires and guided interviews were carried out to assess the learners’ evaluation of the online support, the relevance of CSCL in a foreign language acquisition and the benefits of real task based assignments. The increased exposure and interactions in the target language and culture resulted in learners’ higher motivation, confidence, and participation. The majority of learners enjoyed this assignment and admitted the benefits of being increasingly challenged. The tutorial was very well received. However, some learners also confided having suffered from too much stress due to zealous team leaders. The learners’ comments and suggestions provided precious feedback on how to improve the implementation of CSCL in the future

Trustworthiness in Sampling Selection: Remedies Against Introspective Chaos

The ethical dimension pertaining to protecting participants from psychological harm due to the in-depth nature of the inquiry and to the intimacy resulting from prolonged engagement is well-documented. This is laudable, but very few studies focused on guiding the researchers against chaotic emotions arising from introspectively questioning their beliefs and motivations and inspiring their judgments underlying their decisions. In our involvement with masters’ students’ thesis writing and research management training, supervision, and examination, we became aware of recurring cases of novice researchers silently disappearing from the program, eventually reappearing, continuously struggling with their thesis. Investigating this process, we identified the difficulty of becoming trustworthy researcher-instruments as the central issue leading to students disconnecting from their research. Students would disclose their anxiety of being accused of bias when defending their purposeful sampling. Therefore, we decided to equip them pre-emptively, helping them build their researchers’ expertise and confidence. Firstly, we disclosed our vulnerability from the perspective of the researchers’ awareness. Secondly, we exposed an intricate sampling case in terms of methodical considerations. Lastly, we provided a step-by-step demonstration of the initial, purposeful, and theoretical sampling selection process, illustrating the constant comparative analysis method, peer discussions and member reflections as safeguarding procedures towards trustworthiness

Shooting short videos in French with mobile phones

In Malaysia, the use of French language is virtually nonexistent. Furthermore, students who major in French frequently do not choose this program voluntarily; often it is chosen for them by a national clearing agency. In this context, how can we boost learners’ participation and motivation in a course they have not selected? In a blended approach of e-learning, and m-learning, students were asked to use both the internet and their mobile phones to produce multimedia documents. These resources were then shared and evaluated on an e-learning platform. Evaluations were both self-and peer conducted. During and after this project, quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Our findings reveal that participation and motivation were mutually increased. This was achieved by implicating the students in the learning process, from the conception to the distribution and finally evaluation of resources. As a result, communication skills were boosted and an online community was forged. Could these results have been obtained without the use of technology? It is probable that an activity where messages were pinned on a board could also have enhanced the learning process. However, it seems unlikely that learners would have attained such a rich level of communication without employing ICTs. Mobile phones are important in the learners’ culture and including this technology proved more effective than expected

Course note delivery on mobile facebook / Serge Gabarre, Cecile Gabarre and Rosseni Din

The present study reports on a longitudinal research which sought to explore how Facebook on smartphones could be used to replace an institutional learning management system. A review of the literature revealed that very little articles had been published on the incorporation of both technologies in education. A grounded action research method was employed over a period of one and a half year in three French as a foreign language courses. The action research implementation was two-fold as it included the delivery of course notes and the sharing of learner-created documents. Data collection was conducted through online observations and interviews. A systematic grounded theory approach was used during the six cycles of analysis. Findings revealed issues with the implementation which were corrected over time. Overall, students positively responded to the new platform of delivery. A working model describing learning a foreign language with Facebook on smartphones was constructed, and best practices guidelines were identified. These are discussed in the perspectives of mobile assisted language learning, task-based learning, and social networking learning

iPads in the foreign language classroom: a learner’s perspective

This research paper presents the findings from the pilot study of a project exploring the potential of tablet computers in the foreign language classroom in a Malaysian public university. This article focuses on the technical amazements and challenges as experienced by a learner discovering her iPad 2 over four weeks. In-depth knowledge about the device’s user-friendliness and language learning potential was gathered through a narrative qualitative approach using classroom observations, field notes and interviews. The objectives were to unveil the learner’s perceptions toward the device as a novice user and to discover her strategies when handling the device for language learning. This study describes the learner’s intentions for adopting the iPad as a learning tool and how she overcame technological obstacles. It provides educators with hints on the learner’s tools and strategies for learning languages with the iPad as well as insights and recommendations to educators willing to venture into teaching languages with tablet computers

Using mobile facebook as an LMS: exploring impeding factors

The present article describes exploratory research conducted in two French language courses to identify the impeding factors of using a social networking site (SNS) on smartphones. Following the replacement of the faculty‟s learning management system (LMS) by a unified platform, there were difficulties in conducting the same class activities that the researchers and students had grown accustomed to. Students were no longer able to initiate discussions in the target language in online forums nor were they able to use their mobile devices to access and share resources directly from the classroom. Current literature emphasises (1) the benefits of learning on SNS and (2) the advantages of mobile learning, which suggests these technologies as possible solutions to the issue discussed in the present study. The opportunities afforded by these technologies were first explored with a survey and deeper knowledge was gained with group interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the survey data while computer aided qualitative analysis software was used to categorise the themes which emerged from the interviews. Smartphone ownership and SNS membership were not identified as impeding factors to adopt these tools for learning. However, several impeding factors were identified with each technology. Inhibiting issues with SNS were: the lack of privacy, the dichotomy in the notion of friendship, and paradoxically the lack of stimulus to communicate. The constraints from the mobile phones stemmed from their intrusive nature and their inability to perform the same tasks as laptops. These findings are assessed and discussed in light of other research before an SNS and smartphone system is implemented to supersede or replace the LMS

Designing, developing and evaluating professional language and intercultural competencies with phone simulations.

With the development of call centers to handle customer services, many tour operators have adopted the technique of recruitment by simulation where the candidates are judged on their ability to respond to working scenarios. To facilitate the school-to-work transition, we sought to increase the learners’ exposure to professional tasks and to challenge their communication skills in real situations. This chapter specifically relates to the design, implementation and assessment of a phone conversation simulation introduced in the evaluation scheme within the French for Tourism and Hospitality course. The 22 participants were Malaysian learners majoring in French. The analysis of examination results, phone conversation recordings as well as surveys on the learners’ perceptions of the new evaluation format provided a complete feedback on the experience. This chapter aims to present practitioners with a reference guide with step by step explanations and solutions easily transferable to any course with a communication component

A step-by-step guide to design and delivery of mobile learning content.

Mobile learning is more than a trend that follows today’s lifestyle. Learning on the go with mobile internet offers advantages that were not even thought of a few years ago. Current literature on the topic has demonstrated its usefulness as well as its limitations. In a context where learners do not have access to mobile internet it is still possible to deliver course notes in a mobile format. The authors created portable lecture notes that were distributed to their students via the multimedia messaging service (MMS). With these notes, the students were able to take advantage of the ubiquitous nature of their mobile devices and thus started to learn anywhere and anytime. This chapter proposes a simple method to create lecture notes for mobile devices and suggests several methods of delivery