The use of activity theory is considered in the evaluation of a web based academic writing course in a New Zealand university. Activity theory is an aspect of sociocultural theory and provides a model for the understanding of goal directed social activity. Like other recent developments in applied linguistics, research and evaluation in second language writing has been influenced by sociocultural theory, because it emphasises the social, rather than the individual, context of writing. The primary purpose in carrying out this study was to illuminate the use of activity theory as a formative evaluation technique for the improvement of large academic writing courses supported through the web conferencing features of a course management system, Web Crossing. Data were in the form of international student responses to prompts made in online diaries on a weekly basis throughout the course. An activity theory orientation guided the design of the prompts and the analysis of the data. Activity analysis allowed the researchers to appreciate the tensions and difficulties for students in managing the group processes that the web mediated instruction afforded or constrained. The study also suggests that the set of guiding questions derived from Jonassen and Rohrer-Murphy (1999) may be useful for future evaluations and research.
Throughout their public school education, Japanese students are socialized into cultural learning practices [1] that emphasize group-oriented tasks. Well-organized group work is paramount to successful EFL teaching in Japan. In this paper, we look at how Moodle an open-source learning management system, is used at a Japanese computer science university to organize both individual and group tasks. Examples are provided of freeware and open-source software tools, such as CmapTools for concept mapping and Praat for acoustic analysis that can be used within Moodle to enhance EFL reading, writing, and pronunciation courses. We also explore how Moodle can be integrated with collaborative document production tools, such as Google Docs and Spreadsheets. Finally, we demonstrate the use of Moodle as a tool for action research, enabling the teacher/researcher to tightly control the course content in two different courses while systematically varying aspects of the content to test hypotheses about language learning. An important aspect of our work is the systematization of group process in language and communication courses and the development of a context for experimentation.
The act of note-taking offloads cognitive pressure and note-taking applications could be used as an important tool for foreign language acquisition. Its use, importance, and efficacy in a foreign language learning context could be justifiably debated. However, existing computer-assisted language learning literature is almost silent on the topic. This article reports on a controlled experiment introducing usability of note-taking applications (namely, Evernote, Memonic, SpringPad, Ubernote, and Keeppy) in English as foreign language (EFL) learning context. For pilot testing, 25 students had to complete five scenarios (text editing, entering persuasive content, sharing content, searching, and organizing) using Twitter as a tool similar to note-taking applications. Results suggest that the majority were comfortable with the tasks, although they could not complete all the tasks in the stipulated time, and certain tasks and features in Twitter caused difficulty for some students. The actual testing involved the 10 best candidates (based on their performance, when using Twitter) completing tasks (five scenarios similar to pilot analysis) with any two assigned note-taking applications, from a set of five. Participants were observed, video-recorded, and interviewed concurrently and retrospectively. They also completed perception-based questionnaires on the usability of the software. Data suggested that participants were comfortable opening accounts, typing in text, with general navigation, choosing photos, etc. A few features, such as web clipping and file uploading, caused problems for some participants. Most participants reported having no prior experience with any note-taking applications and that resulted in longer task completion time and errors. This study examines how technically oriented students reflect on using note-taking applications in an EFL learning context.
In 2014, the University of Aizu was accepted for participation in Japan's national TOP Global University (TGU) initiative. In this paper, we describe our use of video interviewing to prepare Japanese students for our Global Experience Gateway study abroad TGU project. Our university specializes in computer science education at undergraduate and graduate levels. Our students are preparing for careers or further research in either software or hardware specializations, and it is expected that English will be required increasingly in computer-related research and business. Within Japanese education, there is a view that the youth are reluctant to speak English (King, 2013), and our students use English infrequently. We have created a study abroad programme, which is intended to motivate students to study more in their regular English language classes to improve language skills and attain higher TOEIC scores. However, improved course grades and test scores do not prepare students with interpersonal communication skills required to function in an Englishspeaking context. Recent literature on language learning outside of the classroom (Nunan & Richards, 2014) supports our use of video interviewing to prepare students for study abroad. We are teaching Japanese students to conduct and videorecord interviews with non-Japanese speakers in preparation for the conversational demands of study abroad. Practice with video equipment, interviewing techniques, simple camera work and editing helps our students to interact with our international
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