Research Summary Articles

An Investigation of Student Teachers’ Attitudes to the Use of Media Triggered Problem Based Learning

Angela Kit Fong Ma

The Hong Kong Institute of Education

John O'Toole

The University of Newcastle

Michael Keppell

Charles Sturt University

http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet24/ma.pdf

The result of the investigation of student teachers’ attitudes to the use of media provided insights for teachers in problem based learning. Media rich educational software can provide student teachers with the knowledge they need before going out in the field of student teaching. This would justify the gap between theory and practice. The major objective of PBL (Problem Based Learning) is to promote independent learning and ultimately lifelong learning.

Analytic and Systemic Analyses of Computer-Supported Language Learning Environments

Joy L. Egbert
Center for English Language Training
Indiana University
Leonard M. Jessup
School of Business
Indiana University

http://www.cc.kyoto-su.ac.jp/information/tesl-ej/ej06/a1.html

This article focuses on how to incorporate the use of technology to support language learning in the classroom. The classroom environment is where learning takes place. It is crucial for teachers to provide the knowledge and skills in today’s technological era. Every student is at a different level, depending on their language interaction, computing needs, motivation/ affect, and opportunity. Educators of first language L1 and Second language L2 should use computer technology to implement interaction, exposure, opportunities, and an ideal atmosphere in the classroom.

Assessment of Online Reflections: Engaging English Second Language (ESL) Students

Dawn Birch and Michael Volkov
University of Southern Queensland

http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet23/birch.html

This research paper discusses the assessments of online reflections of second language students through online discussion boards. Online discussion boards are widely used at all universities. Online discussions allow students to interact at their own pace by providing an opportunity to think through their contributions and edit them prior to engaging in the discussion. It provides all students with an equal opportunity to participate. Dominant students cannot control the discussion, as in a face to face discussion.

Children’s Learning Processes using Unsupervised “Hole in the Wall” Computers in Shared Public Spaces

Ritu Dangwal and Preeti Kapur

NIIT Institute of Information Technology, India

http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet24/dangwal.pdf

This research focuses on computer learning stations around India. Computers are placed in certain areas for children to use. The computers are placed in a hole in the wall. The wall is designed to hold a computer. It is more student centered than teacher centered. There are no teachers to facilitate over the children. Curiosity accompanied with peer interaction fueled the motivation to learn the technology at hand.

Effects of a Computer Based Beginning Reading Program on Young Children

Tara Watson and Kerry Hempenstall

RMIT University

http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet24/watson.pdf

Funnix is a computer based beginning program that was used in this research to determine the effects it had on young children. The research showed that Kindergarten students who completed the Funnix program made greater gains in phonemic awareness, letter-sound and oral reading fluency, and non-word decoding. Funnix would be most useful with children in their first year of formal schooling. Through supportive measures, its value may extend to those beginners or pre-school students identified as at risk for future reading difficulties, and also to older non-readers.

Five Steps to Creating an Effective Team-Teaching Relationship

Yuan Yuan
Kobe University (Kobe, Japan)

http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Yuan-TeamTeaching.html

The research focuses on creating a good team-teaching relationship. The five steps are to help each teacher in effective communication in and out of class. The five steps also set the teaching environment. Both teachers know what is expected of each other. Effective team teaching is acquired through these five steps.

From Experience to Learning: An Appraisal of the Questionnaire and Workshop as Research Methods in ESL

Premakumari Dheram
English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, India
Nitya Rani

http://tesl-ej.org/ej47/a5.html

This research is about using the questionnaire and workshop as research methods in ESL. In India, most researchers prefer to use the questionnaire to any other tool for collecting the data. In second language acquisition research, questionnaires are used mostly to collect data on phenomena which are not easily observed, such as attitudes, motivation, and self-concepts. The reasons to low turn out rate in questionnaires are that respondents are reluctant to fill in the questionnaire when the questions demand quite a bit of writing. The teacher is the best judge when it comes to assessing the students’ conceptual and linguistic abilities. These should be the criterion for the choice of the research method that supports reflection. Given the situation, the workshop is a good choice. The fact that it can be conducted with the whole class during class hours and the teacher can identify the problems students may have in trying to learn from the experience.

Investigating Design and Technology Students' Participation and Learning in a Technology Mediated Learning Environment

Tiong Meng Yeo
Marsiling Secondary School, Singapore
Choon Lang Quek
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet24/yeo.html

The research is based on students learning how to be flexible, responding with resources, and time to reflect on their messages through mediated online interaction. Students learn how to interact with their peers and teachers. The social and cognitive processes involved in online interaction are significant in creating a community of learners. Effective participation occurs where communication facilitates the development of a deep understanding of the material through sharing and critically evaluating ideas, and where connections are made between elements of the learning material. The outcome of this research showed that students agreed that online discussion improved communication skills, provided useful social interaction, a great chance to share opinions with other participants and was useful to learning. The students agreed that they enjoyed online discussion more than traditional methods of learning.

Learning about Problem Based Learning: Student Teachers Integrating Technology, Pedagogy and Content Knowledge

Hyo-Jeong So

Nanyang Technological University

Bosung Kim

University of Missouri

http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet25/so.pdf

This study found that preservice teachers are having problems balancing technology with pedagogy and content knowledge. Through this study, preservice teachers were engaged in a Collaborative Lesson Design project. They designed a content specific lesson based on their understanding of problem based learning and information and communications technology integration. The main goal of this design project was to help students make intimate connections among content, pedagogy, and technology by designing a concrete lesson artifact with a partner. In order to resolve conflicts in content, pedagogical, and technological knowledge, pre-service teachers should be continuously exposed to new and innovative teaching practices with technology throughout their teacher training.

Learning Styles: A Focus upon E-Learning Practices and their Implications for Successful Instructional Design

Morris Cooze

Centre for Distance Learning and Innovation

Memorial University of Newfoundland

Michael Barbour

University of Georgia

http://www.eduquery.com/jaet/JAET4-1_Cooze.pdf

This study focuses upon technology and what it enables in terms of learning. The e-learning styles of students vary due to how much interaction the students have with the technology at hand. The teacher plays an important part of designing instruction. This will foster and enhance learning for each student regardless of their individual differences and irrespective of the setting for learning.

Narrative Strategies in an EFL Classroom: An Experiment

Champa Tickoo
Osmania University, Hyderabad, India

http://tesl-ej.org/ej47/a7.html

This research was an experiment in implementing strategies in dealing with certain situations in teaching English to an EFL class (age group 14-15) inside a state-run high school. The problem was that although the class had learnt English for eight years, they could neither speak nor write it. The aim of the study was to use the most appropriate classroom strategies to bring about the required changes. The Instructor used appropriate genres of English, narratives, short plays, dialogues, and news items. He also included everyday situations faced by the students, popular songs, and simple poems.

Role Play in Blended Learning: A Case Study Exploring the Impact of Story and Other Elements

Mary Dracup

Deakin University

http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet24/dracup.pdf

Role playing in blended learning give students an array of important aspects in learning how to manage change from a range of factors. Role playing is to enter into an imaginary world and explore possibilities there with other players. In doing so, players take a character part in developing a dramatic story, with a sense of freedom and play, to create an experience from which meaning can be drawn. Role playing in blending can take place through online and face to face modes. The online activity made a useful contribution in helping participants understand the complex nature of the setting and a start to commit to their group and character role. This gave the face to face component of the role play to start with a strong level of energy and interest.

Simulations: Bringing the Benefits of Situated Learning to the Traditional Classroom

Les M. Lunce

Doctoral Student

Department of Technology & Cognition, College of Education

University of North Texas

http://www.eduquery.com/jaet/JAET3-1_Lunce.pdf

This research explains how simulations can provide a meaningful learning experience to teachers and students. Simulations bring in real life contexts into a tradition classroom. Simulations through technological media need to be discussed with students. The educational stimulants can provide the students with feedback throughout the learning process.

Supporting Peer Assessment of Individual Contributions in Groupwork

Richard Raban and Andrew Litchfield
University of Technology, Sydney

http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet23/raban.html

Supporting peer assessment of individual contributions in group work through a group work support tool called Team Contribution Tracking (TeCTra). Peer assessment has been shown to support not only students' learning but also improve their understanding of the assessment processes themselves. Peer assessment is also required to assess individual contributions to group assignments. TeCTra supports peer evaluation, feedback and review - both a quantitative rating and qualitative comment - throughout the duration of the project and thus formatively and positively influences individual contributions and behaviors within the team.

Talking Books for Children's Home use in a Minority Indigenous Australian Language Context

Glenn Auld
Monash University

http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet23/auld.html

This study reports the children's access to Ndjébbana Talking Books (NTB) on touch screen computers at home. The focus of this study, however, was to use the technology to improve Kunibídji children's access to Ndjébbana texts. The Ndjébbana printed texts and digital photos provided the basis for the Ndjébbana Talking Books (NTB). The Ndjébbana Talking Books (NTB) purpose of the technology is to support the threatened language. An important feature of the technological transformation was that access to the texts supported the everyday social practices that the children were using around their homes.

Teacher Conceptions of Blended Learning, Blended Teaching and Associations with Approaches to Design

Robert A. Ellis
The University of Sydney
Aliya F. Steed
The Australian National University
Andrelyn C. Applebee
The University of Sydney

http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet22/ellis.html

This article focuses on the teacher’s strength and experiences of concepts in blended learning, blended learning and associations with approaches to design. This is a cumulative research on understanding what teachers think students learn, how teachers think they teach, and how these understandings are related in blended contexts to the ways teachers prepare student learning through design. The results show that conceptions of blended learning focusing on critical investigation of the environment that student find themselves in. Teachers that see technological media as one way of helping students to achieve the intended learning outcomes of course design, tend to be associated with helping students to develop new ideas and understanding.

Towards the Creation of Appropriate Teaching Materials for High Proficiency ESL Learners: The Case of Indian Management Students

Catherine Nickerson

Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

http://tesl-ej.org/ej47/a3.pdf

This study takes place in India. In India, the language used for business is strictly English. India accounts for a large number of the world's ESL speakers. Information on cultural differences in business in India would help them acquire teaching materials to establish what is needed to be taught for intra-Indian communication. It would also include the comparison and contrast of India with business cultures elsewhere.

Using Online Grammar Quizzes for Language Learning

Thevy Rajaretnam
MARA University of Technology (Shah Alam, Malaysia)

http://iteslj.org/Articles/Rajaretnam-OnlineQuizzes.html

This research used online grammar quizzes for students to prepare them for the Preparatory English Program. This article is based on using online grammar quizzes as a tool in teaching grammar to a class of 30 low proficiency ESL learners in the first semester of their Diploma in Mechanical Engineering course. The quizzes are developed by ESL/EFL teachers from all over the world. It can be found at one easily accessible and user-friendly web site is The Internet TESL Journalâs Self-Study Quizzes for ESL students at http://a4esl.org. Despite the low entry qualifications in English, these students completed the Preparatory English Program and 29 out of the 30 students passed.

Using Presentation Software to Enhance Language Learning

Miriam Schcolnik
Tel Aviv University (Israel)

Sara Kol
Tel Aviv University (Israel)

http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Schcolnik-PresSoft.html

This research focuses on using PowerPoint presentation to enhance learning in English as a Foreign Language. This paper report on two uses of PowerPoint that was used in the classroom: one as a presentation tool in an innovative skill integration task, and the other as a novel writing tool. Students can use language actively for speaking, reading, writing and listening. PowerPoint allows students to experience a world of real language opportunity. Students read source materials, articulate and crystallize their ideas through interaction with their peers and teacher and write them on computer slides and share their writing with others. Students derive great satisfaction from this task and take pride in their creations.

Utilizing Film to Enhance Student Discussion of Sociocultural Issues

Richard J. Sampson
Gunma Prefectural Women’s University (Gunma Prefecture, Japan)

http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Sampson-Film.html

Film making has inspired students from a university in Japan to develop their second language abilities. This film making of sociocultural issues was divided into two sections within the 15 week semester. Students also have a deeper understanding and thinking about sociocultural issues through discussion. They developed the ability to apply critical thinking skills to discuss issues that relate not only to cultures and societies foreign to their own, but indeed in many aspects to the society around them.