Salam.
This is another assessment to be evaluated. Task 2 is as follows:
Web
2.0 and Language Learners’ Motivation: An Action Research Study
Canadian
Journal of Action Research – Volume 14, Issue 1, 2013, pg 51-68
Sardar M.
Anwaruddin, North South University, Bangladesh
This action research intends to seek
the understanding of the effects of a CALL (Computer Assisted Language
Learning) curriculum on students’ motivation. For comprehension to take place,
the researcher applies an action research method to his inquiry in which he
uses his own experience as the fundamental base of the study therefore making him
a participant observer. It adopts a mixed-method means of data collection,
involving experimental conduct of classes and the researcher uses “I” to
deliver his findings for the result takes the form of his personal research
story. The research instrument used to
back up the study include observation of students’ behaviour and attitudes in
CALL classes in contrast to that of them in non-CALL classes. Apart from that,
the researcher also collects data from responses elicited by students through
an open-ended questionnaire. To meet his objective of the research, the
researcher had designed CALL and non-CALL lessons to teach English to his ENG
102 class of 33 first-year undergraduate students at the North South University
in Dhaka, Bangladesh. ENG 102 is a compulsory language course for
undergraduates and mainly focuses on students’ college level composition skills
with great emphasis placed on writing coherent and well-developed paragraphs. The
sample is comprised of 18 male and 15 female students with varying
socio-economic status and language proficiency, but all of them use
computer-based technologies for communication and entertainment purposes. The
study had spanned over a semester with classes being held for one and a half
hour per week. Among his activities for the CALL-infatuated syllabus are
creating a class website for discussion, reference and exercise, blogging, hyper
linking media sources as well as conducting interactive and collaborative
learning activities through one of the 2.0 websites, the Facebook. In collecting
his data, the researcher uses naturalistic observation aside from recording the
participants’ class attendance, punctuality and attentiveness in class. In addition to that, the students are
required to express their opinions regarding the CALL syllabus by completing an
open-ended questionnaire at the end of the semester. The data are then
categorised or triangulate into three primary sources; artifacts, observational
data and inquiry to retain its validity. The first source, artifacts are the
students-based data which provides insights to the participants’ perceptions of
the technology integration whereas the students’ record of attendance indicate
their motivation to attend classes. An artifact from teacher’s source on the
other hand is the researcher’s personal journal written after each teaching
lesson. The second one, observational data involves noticing behavioral
patterns of participants by observing students during his class and also
inviting visitors to observe the CALL and non-CALL classes and reevaluate the
earlier data. Lastly, the inquiry source incorporates the role of an open-ended
questionnaire to strengthen the data collected from the first two sources. The
researcher tabulates his data by identifying keywords and labeling topics. The
findings of the researcher’s action research project have demonstrated that the
use of web 2.0 have increased the participants’ motivation in language
learning. From the observation, it is noted that the students’ attention span
and ability to stay on task in CALL classes is longer than that during non-CALL
classes and the later sees students being fidgety and unable to sit still. Students’
attendance too during CALL classes is high in percentage, 99% whereas the
attendance for non-CALL classes is slightly lower by 10%, and their scores from
online tests to conventional test had increased tremendously. Finally, the
findings show that the integration of blended learning had increased students’ interaction
and therefore had helped students to grasp the course content and the students
through the open-ended questionnaire mutually agreed for the need of implementation
of CALL in learning a target language. The two main constructs for this
research are learning and motivation. The researcher places great emphasis on
sociocultural theory specifically Vygotsky who believes that learners learn by internalising
various cultural aspects such as cultural, physical tools and symbols. Furthermore,
he is inspired by one of the key principles of sociocultural theory of learning
which speaks about the idea of cultural tools and artifacts that people
encounter as they participate in the activities of daily life are critical to
the nature of learning and development that arises.
This action research has definitely
caught my interest. To begin with, the approach used to tackle the constructs
of research, the action research is very assuring; personalised but not biased.
I find it convincing for the researcher acts as a participant observer and it is
very appealing to me because educators are the primary resource of language
learning in class and therefore know and recognize students’ language learning
potential. Not just that, this research meets the need and quality vital to
instructed second language acquisition research. It is authentic, practical,
fit to all learners and most importantly had proven to be positively impactful
to students. It witnesses student’
complete control and conduct of his or her learning process and also acts as a
medium of integrated discussion and collaborative learning. Upon analysing and synthesizing
the research, I can deduce that it is well conducted. The findings are based on
the three sources and the observational data are further verified by visitors
of qualified academic personnel. To conclude, the research is significant for
it is aligned with other empirical studies that have documented meaningful
gains of students’ learning motivation when digital technologies are
incorporated into official curricula. The research further testifies and
prioritises the importance of technology-mediated L2 pedagogy making it a pioneer
to future CALL syllabus and therefore a source of reference if the education
system in Malaysia was to integrate this as part of its language learning
module in school. Last but not least, it shed light to the theories of
motivation and students’ learner agency, that students learn best by doing and internalising
information gathered hence accentuates the need for teachers to manipulate and
make the most of students’ motivation in learning.
The website from which the article is taken can be viewed
here and its pdf is accessible
if you click this.
Thank you :)
