ICT International Using Synchronous Technology to Enrich ... - ebsco

ICT International Using Synchronous Technology to Enrich Student Learning By Charles Xiaoxue Wang, David Jaeger, Florida Gulf Coast University and Jinxia Liu, Xiaoning Guo, Nan Xie, Linyi University, Shandong, P.R. China

Abstract To explore the potential applications of synchronous technology to enrich student learning, faculty members from an American regional state university and a Chinese regional university collaborated to find appropriate ways to integrate synchronous technology (e.g., Adobe Connect) into an educational technology program in the American university and in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) program in China. The paper reports the collaborative efforts in a project (from Fall 2010 to Spring 2012) using Adobe Connect to enrich student learning at both sites. The report includes the project overview, project implementation and its evaluation framework. Finally, the paper offers practical suggestions for using synchronous technologies such as Adobe Connect for instruction when implementing such an international project in two different countries. Keywords: Synchronous Technology, Web-conferencing, EFL Learning and Instruction, International Research Collaboration, Designbased Research

Introduction

W

ithin the field of computer-mediated communication (CMC) sits the web-conferencing platform, providing educators with

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synchronous, multimodal communication opportunities through products such as Adobe Connect, Blackboard Collaborate, and Big Blue Button. As an e-learning tool, where e-learning is defined very generally as any learning supported by electronic tools and media in a synchronous or asynchronous situation, web-conferencing platforms have gained popularity among educators during the past decade due to greater flexibility as a result of web technology and broadband connectivity improvements (Falloon, 2011; Dammers, 2009; Skylar, 2009). Sometimes they are used interchangeably with asynchronous technology because of their affordance of providing synchronous communications and interactions. Outside of academia, in government and corporate environments, these web-conferencing platforms are commonly referred to as webinar (web-based seminar) technology and have been adopted primarily as a productivity tool to bring together individuals separated by distance into synchronous meetings, but also as an event delivery tool (Wang & Hsu, 2008). Technology such as Adobe Connect (Adobe Systems Inc., 2012) offers desktop or wireless device users this instructor-student and student-student synchronous communication through audio, video, text chat, presentation display, breakout rooms, white board

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collaboration, polling, and desktop/ application sharing. Implementing a web-conferencing platform in an online course may improve students’ perceptions of the course and could increase participation and motivation (Hudson, Knight, & Collins, 2012). Synchronous communication can also have a positive impact on forming relationships within the course, adding to asynchronous discussions, dissolving barriers in online learning that tend to foster student isolation, and constructing a sense of community as a result of identity-building opportunities (Falloon, 2011). Inherent to learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is the challenge of identifying opportunities to interact with native speakers and become immersed in the native‑speaking culture (Wu & Marek, 2009). Chen (2005) suggests that through the use of synchronous CMC tools, EFL learners can receive an increase in the exposure to, and in the use of, the target language. Considering the ease at which web-conferencing technology can bridge distant countries, it is surprising that very few studies were found to focus on the use of web-conferencing to complete synchronous communication learning tasks involving students residing in different countries (Cunningham, Fägersten & Holmsten, 2010), or students attending different universities in different

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countries participating in the same learning activity (Jauregi & Banados, 2008). This paper reports a curriculum and research collaboration between an educational technology program in an American university with an English program in a Chinese university to explore the potential applications of synchronous technology to enrich student learning with suggestions for how to use synchronous technology such as Adobe Connect for instruction.

Project Rationale Three major aims facilitated this collaborative project for both instructional and research purposes. First, there was the strong need for EFL programs in China to find appropriate ways to integrate new technologies to enrich students’ EFL learning and to increase the exposure of the students to English speaking cultures. Second, there have been emerging discussions about the use of synchronous technologies to enrich EFL learning and instruction. Yet, little is known about how synchronous technologies such

as Adobe Connect impact the ways in which language learners improve their language proficiency, specifically in contexts of those countries and areas where English is not spoken in everyday life, but is often limited to the classroom (e.g., learning English in China). Third, there is a strong need to enrich the learning of synchronous technologies for educational technology students by engaging them in analyzing, designing, developing, implementing and evaluating real-life, synchronous instruction using technologies like Adobe Connect.

Project Overview The American university is a regional comprehensive state university that has six colleges offering 52 undergraduate degrees, 30 graduate degrees, one specialist program and three doctorate programs to over 12,000 undergraduate students and 1,500 graduate students in the southeast USA. The Chinese university is a regional university in east China. It is a comprehensive university with 19 academic colleges and schools and 9 research

institutes and centers on two campuses. It offers 62 degree programs and has an enrollment of nearly 35,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The project started in Fall 2010 and ran every spring and fall semester for two years with a total of 61 participants from the American university and 291 participants from the Chinese university. The participants from the American university were mostly graduate students in educational programs taking educational technology courses. The Chinese participants varied in their program of studies each semester with both undergraduate and graduate students. All the Chinese students were taking a required English listening and speaking course during this project. Table 1 summarizes the number of participants from both universities by semester and Figure 1 is screen capture of a synchronous meeting in Adobe Connect.

Project Goals The project has clear instructional goals for both sides and a clear research agenda. For the Chinese uni-

Figure 1. Screen capture of synchronous instruction in Adobe Connect

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Table 1. Number of Participants by Semester

Participants

Fall 2010

Spring 2011

Fall 2011

Spring 2012

Total

USA

3

20

16

22

61

China

88

81

25

97

291

Total

91

101

41

119

352

versity, the three major instructional goals include the following: (1) to improve communication abilities (with a focus on listening comprehension and speaking), (2) to enhance knowledge of cultures in English speaking countries, and (3) to enrich English learning contents through synchronous interactions with American students. For the American university, the instructional goals include the following: (1) to learn Adobe Connect as an e-learning tool for distance learning

and instruction, (2) to learn how to analyze, design, develop, implement, and evaluate online distance instruction, and (3) to learn different perspectives of technology uses from the Chinese students. Our research efforts to this point have been to explore the following: (1) perceptions and efficacy of students in using synchronous technology (e.g., Adobe Connect) for learning and instruction; (2) appropriate ways to integrate synchronous technology

into an online class; (3) the Chinese students’ technology readiness for using synchronous technology for EFL learning; (4) how synchronous technology might be a useful tool in mediating EFL learning; and (5) the effects of the project on Chinese students’ communication abilities in terms of listening and speaking.

Project Implementation The project was implemented online using Adobe Connect. The proj-

Table 2. Instructional Topics in the Project

Topic

Fall 2010

Spring 2011

Fall 2011

Spring 2012

Adobe Connect training

√

√

√

√

Shaking hands across the continents Self-introduction

√

√

√

√

Introducing my university

√

√

√

University student life on campus

√

My life outside the university

√

Tips and tricks for learning idioms

√

Suggestions to improve language skills

√

Comparing American and Chinese foods and drinks

√

How do American students enjoy their weekend life?

√

√ √

Traditional American holidays: Thanksgiving

√

√

Traditional American holidays: Christmas

√

√

Applying for the graduate schools in the USA

√

The internet and how it changes our lives

√

Technology uses in daily life

√

√

√

Technology uses for learning and instruction

√

√

√

Reflection and presentation on synchronous learning

√

√

√

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√

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ect lasted for four weeks in Fall 2010 and for 12 weeks in Spring 2011. During the project, students from both the American university and the Chinese university met online in Adobe Connect for approximately one hour, completing the given learning tasks collaboratively every week. The instruction covered a wide range of contents including language learning, cultural knowledge, and understanding of technology-related issues. Table 2 summarizes the instructional topics used in the project; and in Table 3, the

number of synchronous meeting/instructions, average and total recorded times in the project every semester by Spring 2012.

Project Evaluation Guided by the ultimate goal to integrate synchronous technologies to enrich learning for students on both sides, the evaluation of the project aimed at improving the project itself from both instructional and research aspects. Thus, the project took pri-

marily a formative approach towards evaluation with summative elements at the end of each semester. Professors and graduate research assistants at the American university and a professor of educational research and evaluation at the American university who did not participate in the project were involved in the project evaluation. The project used a number of instruments to collect data for evaluation. Table 4 lists important questions and instruments used to obtain information for the project evaluation.

Table 3. Project Meetings, Average and Total Recorded Time by Semester

Project

Fall 2010

Spring 2011

Fall 2011

Spring 2012

Total

Number of Meetings

4

12

8

10

34

Average Time/Meeting*

60

63

61

72

64

Total Recorded Time**

239

441

490

715

1885

* Time in minutes ** Some meetings were not recorded due to technical problems and human errors. The actual total meeting time in Adobe Connect should be a little over 2,000 minutes.

Table 4. Evaluation Questions and Instruments

Questions

Instruments

Notes

What is the students’ technology readiness for using synchronous technology (e.g., Adobe Connect) for learning?

• Project surveys • Interviews • Recorded synchronous sessions

Only Chinese students did both pre and post project surveys.

What are the learning outcomes the project is trying to achieve from both sides?

• English language tests • Interviews • Watching guide • Project documentation reviews

Only Chinese students did both pre and post project English language tests and watched the recorded session with a guide as an assignment.

What instructional strategies do American students employ when implementing the project?

• Project reports • Student reflections • Recorded synchronous sessions • Professor’s observation notes and comments

Only American students were required to write a project report and reflection paper on their synchronous instruction.

What instructional strategies do professors use when implementing this project?

• Interviews • Professor’s observation notes and comments

Observation notes were shared among American students weekly. (continued)

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Table 4. Evaluation Questions and Instruments (continued)

Questions

Instruments

What are the perceptions of the students on this project?

• Project surveys • Interviews • Project reports

What are the impacts of the project on student learning?

• Project surveys • Interviews • English language tests • Recorded synchronous sessions

What are the observed problems by the students and professors?

• Project surveys • Interviews • Project reports • Professor’s observation notes and comments • Recorded synchronous sessions

What suggestions do students and professors offer to improve the project in the future?

• Project surveys • Interviews • Project reports • Professor’s observation notes and comments

Among the above instruments used, the watching guide for the Chinese students, the project report from the American students, and the professors’ and teaching assistants’ observation notes and comments offered a series of dynamic data on using Adobe Connect for synchronous learning and instruction. The Chinese students were required to watch the recorded synchronous Adobe Connection instruction every week as their course task. The watching guide was designed to promote Chinese students’ learning by focusing on specific language learning points during their watching while soliciting their feedback and comments on the instruction. For the American students, after implementation of synchronous instructions, they were required to complete a project report reflecting on their instructional experiences with the Chinese students, synthesizing what they had learned, and offering suggestions for peers on using Adobe Connect for synchronous instruction.

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Professors and teaching assistants observed every synchronous instruction in Adobe Connect and then wrote weekly observation notes commenting on the performance of both the American and Chinese students together with suggestions to improve learning and instruction. The notes were shared with both the American and the Chinese students. Although some technical and communication problems occurred during the project, the preliminary project evaluation turned out to be very positive with enriched learning experiences, increased students learning and improved learning motivation and selfefficacy for student learning on both sides . Researchers are analyzing data collected in this project, which will be reported in another article.

Suggestions for using Adobe Connect After implementing this project for four semesters, we have collect-

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Notes Interviews with the Chinese students were done in groups.

ed many suggestions and feedback from students. The following lists contain suggestions for students using Adobe Connect for synchronous instruction (meeting). Prior to the meeting, instructors should: • Schedule online office hours to provide students opportunities to practice before a meeting. •

Use multiple channels (e.g., email, instant message, course announcements, etc.) to remind participants of meeting date, time, and URL.

•

Send the meeting directions or agenda to students ahead of time.

•

Select the best layout for the type of meeting (e.g., class presentation vs. small group discussion).

•

Upload presentation material before the meeting start times so they are readily available during the meeting.

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•

Practice your meeting before it starts.

•

Open the meeting at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time.

•

Have a Plan B (especially when having an internet access problem on the instructor’s part).

During the meeting, instructor should: • Use a headset with a built-in microphone to eliminate audio echoing. •

If you have access to a second computer, log in as a participant to monitor what they are experiencing.

•

Have music playing as students enter; this helps students with audio setup.

•

Display a set of instructions and meeting agenda that each student will see upon joining the session. General instructions include:



- Meeting start time



- Run audio and video setups



- Please raise your hand if you hear music playing



- Mute microphone when not speaking



- Use emoticons to assist with communication



- Submit questions through chat window

•

When audio echoing occurs, pause tactfully to wait for echoing to disappear.

•

To enhance social presence within synchronous instruction, display a picture of yourself when possible.

•

Always record the meeting to assess your facilitation skills, identify if improvements can be made, and for students to use as review.

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•

If possible, always have a teaching assistant monitoring the meeting because multi-channel communications occur simultaneously.

Post meeting, the instructor should: • Require students to provide feedback after each synchronous meeting to identify if improvements can be made. •

Invite peers to watch the recorded meeting to provide feedback on instruction.

•

Always review the recorded meeting to self-assess instruction for improvement.

Conclusion Synchronous technology affords opportunities for synchronous interactions and communications between teachers and students and among students. This great affordance becomes especially valuable in bridging the gaps among learners and teachers, not only geographically but also culturally. When appropriately applied, it improves online learning by enriching synchronous interactions in audio, video, and text formats, encouraging student collaborations, increasing both social and teaching presence of an online course, providing students with instant feedback from the instructors and peers, and boosting student motivation to learn and selfefficacy in online learning. With a fast development of the information technology and its complementary infrastructures, synchronous technology will certainly be widely used for online instruction in more and different educational arenas. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Charles Xiaoxue Wang, College of Education, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL 33965. E-mail: xxwang@ fgcu.edu

References Adobe Systems Inc. (2012). Adobe Connect. Retrieved on August 10, 2012, from http://www.adobe.com/products/adobeconnect.html Chen, H.Y. (2005). Computer mediated communication: The use of CMC to develop EFL learners’ communicative competence. The Asian EFL Journal, 7(1). Cunningham, U., Fägersten, K. B., & Holmsten, E. (2010). “Can you hear me, Hanoi?” Compensatory mechanisms employed in synchronous net-based English language learning. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 11(1). Dammers, R. (2009). Utilizing Internet-based videoconferencing for instrumental music lessons. Applications of Research in Music Education, 28(1), 17–24. Falloon, G. (2011). Making the connection: Moore’s theory of transactional distance and its relevance to the use of a virtual classroom in postgraduate online teacher education. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 43(3), 187–209. Hudson, T. M., Knight, V., & Collins, B. C. (2012). Perceived effectiveness of Web conferencing software in the digital environment to deliver a graduate course in applied behavior analysis. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 31(2), 27-39. Jauregi, K. & Banados, E. (2008). Virtual interaction through video-web communication: A step towards enriching and internationalizing language learning programs. European Association for Computer Assisted Language Learning, 20(2), 183-207. Skylar, A. A. (2009). A comparison of asynchronous online text-based lectures and synchronous interactive web conferencing lectures. Issues in Teacher Education, 18(2), 69-84. Wang, S., & Hsu, H. (2008). Use of the webinar tool (Elluminate) to support training: The effects of webinar-learning implementation from student-trainers’ perspective. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 7(3), 175-194. Wu, W. and Marek, M. (2009). The impact of teleconferencing with native English speakers on English learning by Taiwanese students. International Journal on e-Learning, 8(1), 107-126.

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