The effects of presenting different types of vocabulary clusters on very young learners’ foreign language learning

The main aim of this study was to find out which type of vocabulary cluster – semantic, thematic and unrelated – very young learners benefit from the most while learning foreign language vocabulary. The study also aimed at shedding light on the effects of these three vocabulary clusters on the immediate and delayed recall of foreign language vocabulary. In accordance with the aims, 51 very young English as a Foreign Language learners participated in the study. A pre-test was administered to determine the target words in the three clusters so that all target words were new to all participants. The participants received immediate recall tests immediately after the instruction of L2 words in each cluster. Delayed recall tests were also administered for each cluster after three days of reviews of the words in the clusters The analysis of the quantitative data results of the study revealed that the presenting L2 words in different type of clusters have a significant effect on very young EFL learners' L2 vocabulary retention, and the subjects remembered significantly more L2 words when the words were grouped in unrelated clusters.     

Do social regulation strategies predict learning engagement and learning outcomes? A study of English language learners in wiki-supported literature circles activities

Educational technology research and development - Combining wiki technology with the literature circles could be powerful and beneficial for promoting the learning of English as a foreign language...     

A review of empirical studies of social media on language learners’ willingness to communicate

Education and Information Technologies - Many studies have explored educational and pedagogical affordances of social media, but few studies have investigated their impact on emotional and...     

Facilitating learning with web conferencing recommendations based on learners’ experiences

This paper reports some of the findings from a study undertaken to obtain an insight into the experiences of learners engaging with web conferencing. A small group of work-based adult learners with substantial experience of learning in a virtual classroom provided accounts of and reflections on their experiences using a blog and group interview. Qualitative analysis of data led to findings which support some existing best practice guidelines for facilitators and also provide additional insight into issues that impact on learners’ experiences. This paper presents recommendations for facilitators and explores some of the issues raised by learners which are not commonly addressed in other guidelines, including the effective use of breakout rooms, the management of minimalist learners and the need to respect learners’ privacy. A facilitation approach which allows learners to develop autonomy and exert control in the virtual classroom and which acknowledges diversity of learning preferences is suggested. Whilst the recommendations made may not be appropriate in all learning contexts, they are presented as a starting point to help other facilitators review and develop their own practice.     

A role for technology in enhancing students’ engagement with feedback

This paper explores the potential of technology-enabled feedback to improve student learning. ‘Technology, Feedback, Action!: The impact of learning technology upon students’ engagement with their feedback’ aimed to evaluate how a range of technical interventions might encourage students to engage with feedback and formulate actions to improve future learning. The study used qualitative methods and worked in partnership with 23 undergraduate students to explore their experiences of receiving different forms of feedback with varying degrees of technical intervention including, but not limited to, electronic feedback with grades withheld; online grade publication; criteria-based feedback; and more traditional feedback methods. Through a series of semi-structured interviews, student participants were encouraged to articulate their experiences of feedback. The online publication of grades and feedback and the adaptive release of grades were found to significantly enhance students’ engagement with their feedback. Data were analysed using a thematic approach, and the main themes were used to inform the development of a series of good practice guides. The findings are discussed in the context of current literature.     

Tutors’ influence on distance language students’ learning motivation: voices from learners and tutors

Teachers’ influence on students’ learning motivation is a well-researched topic. Nevertheless, the majority of such studies are situated in the conventional learning context despite the rapid growth of distance language learning. This study set out to investigate tutors’ influence on students’ learning motivation in the Chinese distance language learning context. It attempted to gain a balanced picture of the issue under study by taking both student and tutor views into account. Findings from this study indicate that teaching competence, personal characteristics, subject matter expertise, and tutor–student relationship were four tutor-related factors which affected students’ learning motivation, reinforcing results of previous studies. Nevertheless, mismatches were found between students and tutors in relation to the influence of particular aspects of teaching competence, personal characteristics, and subject matter expertise. Implications from the study are considered in this article.     

‘Feedback interpreters’: the role of learning development professionals in facilitating university students’ engagement with feedback

Understanding how students engage with assessment feedback is a key concern of higher education professionals. Research commonly represents the perspectives of students and academic staff, yet little consideration is given to the role of learning development staff, despite these individuals supporting students when interpreting and implementing feedback. We report the findings from interviews with learning developers working in a UK University, exploring their insights into the barriers students confront when engaging with feedback, and into the role of learning developers within the feedback landscape. This study suggests that, while many challenges exist for staff and students in the context of assessment feedback, learning development professionals are able to provide a meaningful source of guidance, in partnership with academic staff, and are able to promote students’ development through dialogic interactions. Hitherto these interactions have not been fully explored, yet they provide powerful insight into the hidden processes of feedback recipience.     

A model for self‐regulated distance language learning

The role of learner autonomy and self‐regulated learning in distance education has received much attention. The application of these concepts impacts course design and, potentially, learner achievement. In the case of distance language learning, course designers must consider not only how to help learners gain communicative competence but also language learner strategies that support success. Although the concepts of autonomy and self‐regulated learning share some similarities, they have been variously defined and applied to distance education. Current research and discussion has not synthesized the ways in which these factors can be more fully utilized to improve distance education. Based on a critical review and synthesis of the literature on autonomy and self‐regulation, this article contributes a new model for distance language learning. The model provides guidance for course designers and assists instructors in supporting their students.     

Analyzing learners’ engagement and behavior in MOOCs on programming with the Codeboard IDE

Educational technology research and development - Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) can be enhanced with the so-called learning-by-doing, designing the courses in a way that the learners are...     

Effects of different evaluative feedback on students’ self-efficacy in learning

Two studies examined the effects of four types of teachers’ evaluative feedback on Chinese students’ self-efficacy in English vocabulary acquisition. In Study 1, a random sample of Grade 8 students (N = 79) learned prefixes and received either formative or summative feedback after failure in test. The results showed that students who received summative feedback showed a larger decrease in their self-efficacy than those who received formative feedback. In Study 2, a random sample of Grade 7 students (N = 77) went through similar procedures as in Study 1 except that students received either self-referenced or norm-referenced feedback. The results showed that self-referenced feedback was more beneficial to students’ self-efficacy than norm-referenced feedback. The influences of teachers’ evaluation and feedback on students’ self-efficacy are discussed.     

Feedback on feedback: eliciting learners’ responses to written feedback through student-generated screencasts

Despite the potential benefits of assignment feedback, learners often fail to use it effectively. This study examines the ways in which adult distance learners engage with written feedback on one of their assignments. Participants were 10 undergraduates studying Spanish at the Open University, UK. Their responses to feedback were elicited by means of student-generated screencast (Jing®) recordings in which students talked through the feedback written by their tutors. The recordings were analysed in terms of the students’ cognitive, affective and metacognitive responses to the tutors’ feedback. Results show that, while students do engage with tutor feedback and make active efforts to integrate it, they sometimes use ineffective strategies, especially when tutor and student make different assumptions about the role of feedback. The richness of the data obtained from the Feedback on feedback (F on F) method suggests that it has the potential to promote much needed feedback dialogue between students and tutors.     

Psychology students’ perception of and engagement with feedback as a function of year of study

Undergraduate students’ perception of feedback and level of engagement with the feedback they receive have gained increasing attention in the educational literature recently to identify areas which require educators’ attention. However, research in this area has generally been based on limited self-selecting samples, and has not considered how students’ relationship with feedback may alter depending on their year of study. To address this, a survey measuring students’ views and practices regarding feedback was completed at a higher education institution by 447 first-, second- and third-year psychology students, representing 77% of the cohort. Findings revealed that third years responded more negatively in both areas than their first- and second-year counterparts, whose ratings on these aspects themselves were far from optimal. These findings highlight the need for early interventions to improve students’ perception of and engagement with feedback in the earlier years, and to prevent the recorded deterioration later on in the degree course.     

Understanding learners’ use of augmented reality in language learning: insights from a case study

The case study aimed to provide a deeper understanding of learners’ perception and experience of using augmented reality (AR) for language learning. Seven university students were recruited in this study, and they were provided access to an AR-based stroke-by-stroke animation guide for learning Japanese orthography with their own mobile computing devices. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and direct observations. Subsequent thematic analysis showed that, overall, learners had positive perception and attitude towards the immersive language learning experience afforded by the AR programme. However, challenges pertinent to technology and user experience were also revealed. The findings accentuate the role of teachers in the implementation process and point out possible directions for more effective uptake of AR in this field.     

Effectiveness of digital education shifting model on high school students’ engagement

Education and Information Technologies - Digital learning has often been criticized due to its lack of student engagement, which results from the physical absence of teachers and the lack of direct...     

Understanding student engagement with peer feedback on master’s theses: a Macau study

While research on peer feedback in second language (L2) writing at university/college level has proliferated, scholars have conducted less research on peer feedback in L2 academic and scholarly writing. Drawing upon multiple sources of data including semi-structured interviews, stimulated recalls, online interviews via WeChat, first and revised drafts of master’s theses, peer written feedback, audio-recordings of oral peer feedback conferences and the finalised master’s theses, this case study examines how three master’s students affectively, behaviourally and cognitively engaged with peer feedback on drafts of their thesis in a Master of Education programme at a Macau university. The findings show that the relationship between sub-constructs within each dimension and the relationships between the three dimensions of student engagement were interconnected in a dynamic and complex way. While there were individual differences among the three students’ engagement, their affective engagement could promote or negatively influence their behavioural and cognitive engagement. This study builds our understanding of the multifaceted nature of master’s students’ engagement with peer feedback. It provides pedagogical implications about how peer feedback can enhance the quality of master’s students’ academic writing and sheds light on how to guide students to establish scholarly learning communities in higher education.     

Students’ engagement across a typology of teacher feedback practices

Educational Research for Policy and Practice - The provision of feedback is widely practised as part of formative assessment. However, studies that examine the impact of feedback are usually from...     

Evaluation of the ‘Feedback Engagement Enhancement Tool’ to examine and enhance students’ engagement with feedback on their writing

Research demonstrates that the effectiveness of feedback depends on how students engage with it, and that effective engagement with feedback is challenging for many students. To address this problem, the Feedback Engagement Enhancement Tool (FEET) was designed and evaluated. The study incorporated a three-week trial focused on writing with one secondary English class group. The tool was evaluated through teacher interviews, student focus groups, and FEET booklet document analysis. The results showed that the FEET components achieved the theoretical aims of enhancing student engagement with feedback on their writing, although not to the same extent for all students. Students in the trial who reported positive experiences with the FEET used it as intended, indicating the FEET’s potential to enhance student engagement with feedback. The results highlight various potential future modifications and procedural aspects to consider in future FEET use.     

An investigation of factors impacting on mainstream teachers’ beliefs about teaching students with learning difficulties

The relationship between teacher experience, further professional development training, and beliefs and attributions about teaching students with additional learning support needs was studied in a sample of 199 mainstream general class primary school teachers. Using multiple regression, it was found that none of the teacher experience or professional training variables were significant predictors of locus of causality, stability, or controllability attributions, or of teacher self‐efficacy with students with difficulties in learning. Self‐efficacy, however, was a positive predictor of attributions, and sympathy a negative predictor. Multivariate analysis of variance found no relationship between teacher experience, further professional development training, and dependent outcome variables: self‐efficacy with learning difficulties, coping with learning difficulties, interactions with people with disabilities, or general optimism. Implications for continued professional development are discussed.     

To do or not to do with feedback. A study of undergraduate students’ engagement and use of feedback within a portfolio assessment design

Feedback is important for student learning; however, research shows that students can have a number of difficulties when attempting to learn from feedback. Based on an in-depth analysis of undergraduate students’ self-reported reflection logs, we present findings about students’ experiences with oral and written feedback and how they act upon this feedback when a portfolio is the main assessment and learning tool. Our findings indicate that, within our context, students’ overall experiences with receiving feedback are positive. Oral feedback was perceived as particularly valuable to the students while written feedback challenged their understanding. We identified four specific actions the students engaged in to create meaning from the feedback: internal feedback, using oral feedback, initiating dialogue and interacting with peers. The findings indicate that the students take responsibility in the feedback process. The findings are discussed in relation to current perspectives on feedback in higher education.     

Mathematics learning with multiple solution methods: effects of types of solutions and learners’ activity

It is commonly suggested to mathematics teachers to present learners different methods in order to solve one problem. This so-called “learning with multiple solution methods” is also recommended from a psychological point of view. However, existing research leaves many questions unanswered, particularly concerning the effects of different types of solution methods and different degrees of learner’s activity. In this context, two experiments were conducted. In Experiment 1, a 2 × 3-factorial design was implemented, with the first factor concerning multiple versus uniform solutions and the second factor addressing different combinations of formal and informal solution methods. No “multiple solutions effect” was found. An integration of informal methods did not affect learning outcomes; however, it significantly reduced the subjective difficulty of the problems. Then, in Experiment 2, the effectiveness of multiple versus uniform solutions and of measures to foster an active processing was examined using a 2 × 3-factorial design (“number of solutions”: multiple versus uniform; “activity”: complete examples versus incomplete examples versus example-problem pairs). The “multiple” conditions significantly outperformed the “uniform” conditions, and complete examples and example-problem pairs significantly outperformed incomplete examples. Based on the results of Experiment 1 and 2, preconditions under which multiple solutions can improve learning outcomes are discussed.