Computing laboratory classes as language learning environments

Whereas most research on computer-assisted language learning (CALL) tends to rely heavily on the assessment of academic achievement and language learning outcomes, this study involved an evaluation of the psychosocial learning environment in computing laboratories. The What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) and Attitude to Computers and Computing Courses (ACCC) questionnaires were administered to 152 university students undertaking 1-year compulsory education courses in English at the Centre for Foreign Languages (YADIM) at Çukurova University in Turkey. Analysis of data illuminated students’ perceptions of the computer laboratory class as a language learning environment and paved the way for further learning environment studies involving both students and teachers.     

An examination of digital game-based situated learning applied to Chinese language poetry education

By gradually placing more importance on game-based education and changing learning motivation by applying game-playing characteristics, students’ learning experiences can be enhanced and a better learning effect can be achieved. When teaching the content of Chinese poetry in Taiwanese junior high schools, most teachers only explain the meaning of Chinese poetry, while it is difficult for students to understand why poets write these poems, resulting in learning confusion. This paper implemented a digital game-based situated learning system based on Tang Dynasty poems for learning Chinese poetry to simulate the situations of hardship encountered by poets when writing poetry in animated form to help junior high school students in Taiwan to have greater understanding when learning the content of Chinese poetry. The research results show that students who used the Gourd Tang Dynasty system in game-based instruction had significantly better learning achievements than students who underwent traditional narrative instruction. Among them, students in the low learning ability group improved in their grades significantly more than students in the high learning ability group in terms of their Tang Dynasty poetry learning. Furthermore, the authors examined the predictive relationships between perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and behavioural intention related to the digital game-based situated learning system for Chinese language poetry. The factor of perceived usefulness was a key factor in the students’ positive attitudes towards the digital game-based situated learning system. There were no significant differences with respect to individual characteristics (i.e. gender, online game experience and digital learning experience). The results demonstrate that this type of system can be widely accepted by students with different learning experiences.     

The effects of robot-assisted language learning: A meta-analysis

Given the importance of learner–interlocutor interactions, social robots have received considerable attention in the field of language learning, as this technology can physically accompany learners, is equipped with common social behaviors, and can effectively communicate with learners for language acquisition. In line with the continuous efforts to examine the effects of using social robots in language learning, this study is a meta-analysis aiming to integrate the findings of previous experimental studies on robot-assisted language learning (RALL), focusing on language learning achievement. To this end, we selected 12 independent samples (N = 522) from the initial pool of 16 empirical studies—including 23 independent samples (N = 1147)—and computed effect sizes along with their standard errors. The results indicated that RALL had a medium-sized average effect (d = 0.59, SE = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.41–0.76) compared to non-RALL conditions, such as traditional learning conditions without technology (e.g., teacher-only) or other technology-mediated conditions (e.g., virtual agents and tablet PCs). We further identified several moderator variables (i.e., age group, target language, language domain, robots’ role, interaction type, type of non-RALL condition), and provided an in-depth discussion on how these variables were related to the effectiveness of using robots for language learning.     

A reciprocal test of perceptions of teaching quality and approaches to learning: A longitudinal examination of teaching-learning connections

Abstract

Biggs' Presage–Process–Product (3P) model provides a flexible model for testing hypotheses about intra-psychic and contextual effects on student learning processes and outcomes; however, few empirical studies have effectively tested the longitudinal and reciprocal effects implied by the model. The current study provides an empirical test of theorised reciprocal relationships operating over time implied by the 3P model between perceived teaching quality and approaches to learning. The current study examines a longitudinal sample of Japanese university students (n = 1348; female = 404) from 18 degree programmes. Data from a reciprocal latent model were analysed using structural equation modelling. Modelling identified significant reciprocal effects between teaching quality and deep approaches to learning. Deep (positively) and surface (negatively) predicted annualised GPA (moderate and large effects, respectively). Consistent with a systems theory perspective on teaching and learning, longitudinal results supported hypothesised reciprocal relationships between perceptions of teaching quality and approaches. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

测验次数对高职学生学习成绩的影响

测验是在教学过程中实施的一种形成性测量和评价，是一种重要的教学手段。通过提出假设：教学测验的次数对学习成绩有影响，然后经过两次教学实践，比较不同教学测验次数的同一年级的两个班学生的学习成绩，应用数理统计的知识，经过假设检验来判断测验次数对学习成绩的影响。     

Student attitudes toward learning,level of pre-knowledge and instruction type in a computer-simulation: effects on flow experiences and perceived learning outcomes

Attitudes toward learning (ATL) have been shown to influence students’ learning outcomes. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the ways in which the interaction between ATL, the learning situation, and the level of students’ prior knowledge influence affective reactions and conceptual change. In this study, a simulation of acid-base titrations was examined to assess the impact of instruction format, level of prior knowledge and students’ ATL on university-level students, with respect to flow experiences (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990) and perceived conceptual change. Results show that the use of guiding instructions was correlated with a perceived conceptual change and high levels of “Challenge,” “Enjoyment,” and “Concentration,” but low sense of control during the exercise. Students who used the open instructions scored highly on the “Control flow” component, but their perceived learning score was lower than that for the students who used the guiding instructions. In neither case did students’ ATL or their pre-test results contribute strongly to students’ flow experiences or their perceived learning in the two different learning situations.     

Understanding collaborative language learning in novice-level foreign language classrooms: perceptions of teachers and students

This study explored the congruence and disparities among three groups of foreign language (Chinese, French, and German) students’ and teachers’ perceptions of collaborative/cooperative language learning (CLL) strategies in novice-level classroom contexts. A total of 168 participants from a university in the USA took part in this mixed-method study. The quantitative findings from a 10-item CLL questionnaire suggested that while the students’ and teachers’ perceptions of CLL strategies were generally consistent and positive, some disparities emerged in terms of their perceptions towards pair work, 3–6 as a group work, interview, and role playing. The qualitative findings from interviews and classroom observations provided some possible explanations to the differences discovered. The quantitative findings also revealed that foreign language type was not a factor differentiating students’ and teachers’ perceptions of CLL strategies. Some practical implications are provided for the effective implementation of CLL strategies in novice-level foreign language classrooms.     

The role of language and culture in open learning in international collaborative programmes

In the context of internationalisation, the delivery of higher education programmes increasingly combines open learning with collaborations among people of diverse languages and cultures. In this paper we argue that while the literature on international education focuses on mapping modes of delivery in international education, there is also a need to recognise that it is these modes, together with language and culture, which mediate the delivery of programmes. Drawing on data from a case study of collaboration between an Australian university and an educational institution in Malaysia, we argue that international education per force involves collaboration and that this collaboration is mediated.     

英语专业一年级学生学习策略与学习成绩的相关性研究

近年来,学习策略的研究逐渐发展成熟,学习策略的使用可以提高语言学习的成效。本文调查了英语专业一年级105名学生的学习策略择用状况,分析了学习策略运用与学习成绩的相关性。研究主要采用问卷调查,并将学习策略的运用与各科英语课程的学年期末考试成绩作相关分析,其结果表明学生使用频率最高的是情感策略,性别在单词记忆、词语运用、寻求帮助和英语提问等方面的策略择用上具有显著差异,学习策略运用仅与综合英语成绩有相关性,而对其他课程没有任何影响。本研究结果将为教师的教学改革提供参考和启示。     

Socio‐economic background,parental involvement and teacher perceptions of these in relation to pupil achievement

Parental involvement and teacher perceptions of parental involvement in the education of children were studied in relation to level of parental education and pupil achievement. A questionnaire was administered to 218 parents and 60 teachers. Correlational analyses and paired‐sample analyses showed teacher perceptions to be weakly related to parental reports of their own involvement and to operate at a different level. Regression analyses and analyses of variance showed teacher perceptions of parental involvement to affect pupil achievement more strongly than parental reports. The results suggest that teacher perceptions of parents may be stereotyped and that such stereotypes can clearly affect academic results.     

浅析中国外语教学与学习自主性

外语教学的成功与否不只是一个教的问题,在很大程度上取决于学生的学习态度和方法。本文在综合近年来国内外学习者自主研究的基础上,提出了在中国培养学习者自主性的必要性和可行性,并针对就如何提高中国学生的外语自主学习能力,提出了一些建设性意见。     

Secondary school students’ perceptions of teacher–student interaction and students’ attitudes towards project work

Project work (PW) provides one of the pathways for students’ self-inquiry learning and collaboration in Singapore schools. In this context, PW teachers function as facilitators. This study investigated quantitatively how a group of 270 secondary-school students (aged 14 years) perceived their seven PW teacher-facilitators’ face-to-face interactions with students based on the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI), and whether their perceptions of teacher–student interaction during PW classrooms were related with their attitudes towards PW learning as a whole. Seven out of eight QTI scales were associated with Enjoyment of Project Work Lessons and two QTI scales were associated with Attitude to Inquiry in Project Work. The findings are discussed in terms of how teachers who function as facilitators can translate their interpersonal behaviours into effective teaching strategies for communicating with students and facilitating students’ learning in PW classrooms.     

Influence of an integrated learning diagnosis and formative assessment-based personalized web learning approach on students learning performances and perceptions

The advancement of computer and communication technologies has enabled students to learn across various real-world contexts with supports from the learning system. In the meantime, researchers have emphasized the necessity of providing personalized learning guidance or support by considering individual students’ status and needs in order to improve their learning performance. Based on this perspective, this study proposes a formative assessment-based approach for improving the learning performance of students in a personalized learning environment. An integrated learning diagnosis and formative assessment-based personalized web learning system was developed based on this approach. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, an experiment was conducted in an elementary school mathematics course in Thailand. The experimental results showed that (1) the students learning with the proposed system revealed significantly better learning achievement and learning perceptions than those learning with the conventional learning system and (2) students’ learning perceptions of the system had significant relationships with their learning achievement.     

An examination of the values and perceptions of parents and teachers in relation to parental involvement in school policy formation

Abstract

In the last decade access initiatives have been designed to facilitate greater access and participation for people from marginalised groups who have traditionally been excluded from higher education. In common with international trends, young people with disabilities in Ireland have been included in this process. However, people with disabilities remain under‐represented in higher education. This study explored the quality of access to higher education for young people with disabilities through existing access routes. Both the young people and the professionals (career guidance teachers) agreed that access routes lack transparency. There was a dearth of professional knowledge about the options available to young people with disabilities leaving school. This lack of professional knowledge combined with the opaqueness of access routes forced the young people to rely on parental support and/or disability agencies for information and guidance. It can be concluded that goodwill and compassion are no substitute for an informed system that ensures equitable access for young people with disabilities to higher education.     

Learning outdoors or with a computer: the contribution of the learning setting to learning and to environmental perceptions

ABSTRACT

Background: Outdoor learning and computer-based learning are two different alternatives to in-class conventional teacher-centered learning.

Purpose: This study compares the outdoor learning setting with computer-based learning in class. It examines the influence of the two different learning settings on academic achievements, the learning experience, and pro-environmental perceptions.

Sample: A total of 90 elementary school students (third and fourth-grade classes) participated in the study.

Design and methods: The academic knowledge of the study participants was tested through identical exams for both learning settings. In addition, in each group the students’ perceptions were examined by means of a questionnaire about environmental values and the learning experience.

Results: The study demonstrates that academic achievements in the two settings were similar, but the students expressed more enthusiasm about the outdoor learning experience than about in-class learning. In addition, the outdoor learning setting contributed more to promoting positive environmental perceptions even though students did not learn directly about environmental issues and sustainability.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that learning in the natural environment is valuable: Alongside the fostering of computerized learning, it is also important to promoteoutdoor learning settings and integrate both settings by implementing mobile technologies in the outdoor teaching.     

Improving second language skills of immigrant students: A field trial study evaluating the effects of a summer learning program

Immigrant students’ school success is often hampered by limited second language (L2) proficiency, yet the effectiveness of different approaches to L2 support is unclear. Using a summer camp setting, we tested effects of (1) implicit support focusing on meaning of language by engaging students in language-intensive activities without drawing their attention to rules (operationalization: theatre program) and (2) combined implicit and explicit support focusing students’ attention on both meaning and form of language (operationalization: theatre program and instruction in German as L2). A baseline group received no support. N = 149 third-graders with German as L2 participated. There was no effect for the implicit condition on L2, yet children in the combined condition performed significantly better in grammar and reading after the treatment than the baseline group. The difference for vocabulary did not reach significance. Three months later, a significant effect for the combined condition was only found for reading.     

Effects of active learning classrooms on student learning: a two-year empirical investigation on student perceptions and academic performance

Recent studies on active learning classrooms (ACLs) have demonstrated their positive influence on student learning. However, most of the research evidence is derived from a few subject-specific courses or limited student enrolment. Empirical studies on this topic involving large student populations are rare. The present work involved a large-scale two-year study that examined the effects of ACL on student perceptions of their learning experience and the relationship with academic performance in a General Education programme. An institutional survey was used to gather more than 35,000 units of student perception data from all 306 courses in the programme. Our empirical findings show that students thought courses that adopted an ACL as the key learning environment were significantly better designed and more encouraging of student creativity and innovation than courses which used regular classrooms; thus, student perceptions were improved. We are also the first to report that this positive effect on creativity and innovation is statistically unaffected by academic performance, with high, middle and low achievers all benefiting from the use of the facility. The results suggest that ACLs are better environments for nurturing innovation for all students, regardless of their academic ability.     

Comprehension in disciplinary learning: An examination of elementary readers' processing and recall

The authors explored elementary students' comprehension of informational text in disciplinary learning. Forty on-grade-level readers in Grades 2–5 participated. A priori and emergent coding was used to analyze 120 verbal protocols and 120 oral recalls. Analyses of variance and correlations showed students' processing and recall of procedural text contrasted with their processing and recall of biography or persuasive text. Also, second-grade students did not process informational text as actively or recall informational text as well as third- through fifth-grade students did. An expanded focus on students' comprehension of informational text in disciplinary learning and further study of the relationships among students' text use, text processing and recall, and development are warranted.     

基于二语学习方法研究的英语教学

外语学习与第二语言学习是不同的。第二语言学习是指学习者大量接受可理解的语言输入,自然而然的习得语言。本文根据学习者对二语的学习方法等,针对英语教学中出现的问题提出具体的解决对策,具有一定的借鉴意义。