SITE 2017 - Austin, TX, United States, March 5-9, 2017
Project-Based Foreign Language Learning in a Mobile-Blended Collaborative Learning Setting: A Case Study of EFL Learners Hulya Avci Beykent University Istanbul, Turkey
[email protected] Tufan Adiguzel Bahcesehir University Istanbul, Turkey
[email protected] Abstract: This paper reports on a part of a case study of a set of English foreign language learners who participated in a project work involving both synchronous and asynchronous collaborative interactions mediated through a social messaging application, WhatsApp. The purpose of the study was to explore how the students who usually experience lack of exposure to the target language in real-life settings engaged in an outof-class activity as working in small groups and receiving instant feedback from their instructor, and as a result, improving their language skills. Following a range of interviews, peer evaluations, assessment of the students’ products and group conversations, the effects of the use of WhatsApp on the students’ language learning were analyzed. Finally, this paper discusses the implications for informal collaborative learning and instant feedback in relation to the outcomes of the study.
Introduction The growing popularity and functionality of mobile technology devices influence teaching and learning by offering learners a full range of facilities through authentic learning environments where they can learn anytime and anywhere. Mobile technology has a relationship with being mobile physically inside and outside, from formal to informal environments, enabling learners to guide a way (Kukulska-Hulme, 2009). Regarding the previous studies, mobile technologies have been acknowledged to promote learning both in formal and informal settings by means of collaborative activities (e.g., Sharples, Taylor, & Vavoula, 2005; Lai, Khaddage, & Knezek, 2013). The learning activities attributed to collaborative mobile learning can generate more commitment and motivation compared to more traditional, face-to-face, collaborative learning activities (Facer et al., 2004). On the other hand, although mobile learning is handled much more for the implementation in informal settings urged by individual learners as well as for their needs and interests (Jones, Scanlon & Clough, 2013), mobile learning driven by an instructor has been researched relatively less (Gikas & Grant, 2013). Furthermore, mobile applications (apps) are recognized as a well-known subject matter to a large student audience, their integration for educational purposes into educational settings can reinforce teaching and learning process as well as providing feedback to learners (Khaddage, Lattemann, & Bray, 2011). In the EFL context, one of the most common challenges EFL learners experience is their limited exposure to the target language in authentic learning environments. Therefore, they are in search of new ways to gain knowledge both inside and outside the classroom (Field, 2007). Another challenge is that as EFL learners are accustomed to the guidance and support of the instructor in formal settings, they may need instant feedback or responses to their question while learning outside the classroom. Regarding that, this study was structured by Mobile-Blended Collaborative Learning (MBCL) model, which puts stress on the efficiency of informal learning involving more collaboration and learner control over the process of learning (Lai et al., 2013). In a mobile-blended collaborative learning setting, students are required to be exposed to authentic activities in which they can actively participate. In this sense, project-based learning approach can combine traditional
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SITE 2017 - Austin, TX, United States, March 5-9, 2017 learning with informal learning through the medium of mobile technologies (Lai et al., 2013). While engaging with real-world activities or projects, students may need scaffolding from teachers and this is also necessary to encourage students to focus on the task, the setting and the community of learners (Hung et al., 2005). As a conclusion, this paper purports to introduce a part of research on the implementation of the mobile application into a project work carried out as an out-of-school activity in order to contribute to the language learning process of the EFL learners. Considering the previous studies which usually focus on the effectiveness of the mobile learning systems underemphasizing the mobile learning process (Wu, Wu, Chen, Kao Lin, & Huang, 2012), this study might suggest certain practical implications for foreign language education, especially in higher education. Methodology Educational Settings The participants of the study were selected from among the students enrolled in the English Preparatory School Program in a Turkish private university in Istanbul, Turkey. A total of 85 EFL students taking 20 hours of compulsory instruction per week were willing to participate in the project work and highly interested in using the mobile tool integrated into their own learning process. Furthermore, the participants’ language level was upper-intermediate which was determined through both formative and summative assessment focusing on such integrated language skills as reading, writing, listening and speaking. Overview of the Project Work The purpose of the project work was to provide the EFL students with the facility of practicing the target language in an authentic and collaborative learning environment based on the project-based learning approach. The students were instructed to create a class magazine during the seven-week period and given a set of guidelines to help them initiate the procedure. All in all, there were 22 WhatsApp chat groups set up by the instructor as an administrator, and subsequently the students voluntarily determined their group members. While the roles of the instructor were to facilitate the process supplying essential information about the project, responding any questions and giving timely feedback; the roles of the students were to choose a group leader at first, and manage to stay goal-oriented while working in cooperation with their group members. Concerning the instructional plan of the project, three sessions were conducted consisting of in-class, face to face and online sessions mediated through WhatsApp. Finally, after the submission of all of the products, the participants evaluated each other’s performances based on a peer evaluation form. Data Collection Data were collected from such sources as peer evaluation form, analytic rubric, log files of WhatsApp chats and semi-structured interviews. First, all of the participants evaluated the process of project work and performance of their group members completing the peer evaluation form which also consisted of a self-evaluation section. Secondly, after the submission of the magazines, for the evaluation, two instructors independently scored the products based on the analytic scoring rubric. Thirdly, 10 individual interviews were conducted with randomly selected two willing students from each class. Further, two focus group sessions involving 15 and 16 students respectively were held. The interviews were audiotaped and videotaped for the further analysis. Finally, WhatsApp chat log files were compiled systematically according to the group codes. Data Analysis Pearson correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationship between two continuous variables the participants gave each other as well as themselves in the peer evaluation form, thus identifying any statistically significant relationships between those variables. In the analysis of the analytic scoring rubric, inter-rater agreement analysis (Weber, 1990) was conducted to determine the degree of the agreement between two raters. By means of IBM SPSS Statistics 20.0 software, Pearson correlation coefficient analysis was applied to check the inter-rater reliability of the raters. Related to the analysis of the interviews, all were transcribed verbatim and
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SITE 2017 - Austin, TX, United States, March 5-9, 2017 the content analysis approach was conducted following such steps as coding, emerging themes, arranging the codes and interpreting them (Bryant & Thompson, 2002). Lastly, the content analysis was carried out in order to dissect 22 log files derived from WhatsApp chats in terms of linguistic features incorporating vocabulary usage, word formation, formal and informal language and certain particular expressions. Results and Discussion As a result of the qualitative analysis of the interview transcripts, the following major themes were identified: (a) management process of the project work, (b) reinforcement of various skills development, (c) facilitation of interpersonal learning, (d) group cooperation in formal and informal settings, (e) employment of goal-oriented strategies, (f) convenience of communicating through WhatsApp, (g) efficiency of instant feedback and (h) interrelated skills contribution to language proficiency. Overall, from the remarks of the participants, most were particularly positive about the implementation of mobile-blended learning associated with project-based approach, contrary to the constraints of traditional classbased instruction with the lack of authentic practices of language learning. In concern with the themes above, the students were able to identify multiple strengths of the project work, including taking responsibility of their own learning, managing time properly, developing interpersonal and communication skills, working in collaboration, for example one student remarked “… learnt how to make a group work, collaborate with people,” maintaining consistent communication, for instance one reported “… directly expressed my ideas without considering much via WhatsApp,” learning by interacting, receiving instant feedback and utilizing English for real-world purposes. Additionally, some students reported other strengths as experiencing the opportunity of texting in English for a common purpose and discovering colloquial English words and phrases. There were some concerns raised by few students, however, that one student reported “what I found bothering me was time management” suggesting the difficulty of using the time well. Another student commented “…it might kill sincerity among the groups…” indicating that the groups might have pretended to work hard due to the presence of their teacher in the WhatsApp conversations, therefore, the perception of some groups might have changed. The content analysis of the log files demonstrated that verb-noun and verb-preposition collocations were identified as commonly used lexical collocations such as “insist on,” “put forward,” “enquire about,” “figure out,” “write down,” and “make progress.” Further, phonetic replacements, abbreviations and acronyms were seen in the conversations. Based on the students’ experience of texting in the target language, the students began to differentiate formal language from colloquial language. Despite some minor mistakes in spelling, grammar and word formation, they mostly endeavored to write accurately and choose proper words. Consequently, text messaging appeared to have positive impact on their writing skills. As asserted by Crystal (2008), texting enhances the literacy of the student other than damaging it; thereby, the role of instant messaging in literacy would not be underestimated on the point of improving student writing skills. Further, the participants assessed their own performance and their peers’ during the project process in the peer evaluation form. Based on the outcomes of Pearson correlation coefficient analysis between self and peer ratings, it can be concluded that on the whole, there were strong positive correlations between most of the selfand peer ratings as well as weak correlations. The underlying reason for such poor correlations could be associated with having different opinions towards each group member. Lastly, according to the results from the evaluation scores of the project works, there was a strong agreement between two raters, thus ensuring that the raters shared common ground when grading the final products of each group. Conclusions Considering the findings of the study, the students were able to take the advantage of experiencing the target language in the real world setting by means of the project work. Therefore, they not only improved their vocabulary in terms of lexical collocations, certain subject-based words, but also recognized the differences between formal and informal language. In addition, the remarks of the students indicated they had positive attitudes towards the use of WhatsApp for an out-of-school activity since it was the most practical medium to
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SITE 2017 - Austin, TX, United States, March 5-9, 2017 maintain a smooth and consistent communication among the group members as well as with their instructor. Further, the EFL students gained the opportunity of actively performing a project work which supported their both integrated language skills and interpersonal skills by providing them with different learning experiences. In a broad sense, the idea of the use of mobile instant messaging system in an informal setting for educational purposes was endorsed by the EFL students owing to many premises among which the most distinguishable was the facility of maintaining collaboration anytime and anywhere throughout the project. To conclude, this study could be conducted in other courses with a wider range of participants in a mobile-blended learning environment. Moreover, further studies could investigate the social aspects of learning, motivation and attitudes of learners and instructors towards the use of mobile instant messaging system for educational purposes. References Bryant, J., & Thompson, S. (2002). Fundamentals of media effects. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Crystal, D. (2008). Texting, the gr8 db8. Oxford University Press. Facer. K., Stanton, D., Joiner, R., Reid, J., Hull, R., & Kirk, D. (2004). Savannah: a mobile gaming experience to support the development of children’s understanding of animal behaviour. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 21, 204-216. Field, J. (2007). Looking outwards, not inwards. ELT Journal, 61 (1), 30-38. Gikas, J., & Grant, M. M. (2013). Mobile computing devices in higher education: Student perspectives on learning with cell phones, smartphones & social media. The Internet and Higher Education, 19, 18-26. Hung, D., Chee, T.S., Hedberg, J.G., & Seng, K.T. (2005). A framework for fostering a community of practice: Scaffolding learners through an evolving continuum. British Journal of Education Technology, 36 (2), 159-76. Jones, A. C., Scanlon, E., & Clough, G. (2013). Mobile learning: Two case studies of supporting inquiry learning in informal and semiformal settings. Computers & Education, 61, 21-32. Khaddage, F., Lattemann, C., & Bray, E. (2011). Mobile apps integration for teaching and learning. (Are Teachers Ready to Re-blend?). In M. Koehler & P. Mishra (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2011 (pp.2545-2552). Chespeake, VA: AACE. Kukulska-Hulme, A., Sharples, M., Milrad, M., Arnedillo-Sanchez, I., & Vavoula, G. (2009). Innovation in mobile learning. A European perspective. International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning, 1 (1), 13-35. Lai, K. W., Khaddage, F., & Knezek, G. (2013). Blending student technology experiences in formal and informal learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 29 (5), 414-425. Sharples, M., Taylor, J., & Vavoula, G. (2005). Proceedings of mLearn 2005 Conference on Towards a Theory of Mobile Learning. Cape Town. Weber, RP. (1990). Basic content analysis. SAGE, Newbury Park CA. Wu, W., Wu, Y. J, Chen, C., Kao, H., Lin, C., & Huang, S. (2012). Review of trends from mobile learning studies: A metaanalysis. Computers & Education, 59 (2), 817-827.
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