Affective aspects of student authoring for foreign language learning

Abstract

This study compares the attitude toward instruction of two groups of participants: control subjects who used a multimedia instructional module for French created by the researcher, and experimental subjects who created their own module. Quantitative data did not yield statistically significant differences in their attitudes. In the light of additional qualitative data, possible reasons for this result are discussed: high level of satisfaction with the novelty of instruction for both groups; computer problems, lack of adequate orientation, lack of real outlet for the module and difficulty of the texts for the experimental group. Included are conclusions and recommendations for further research.

The Impact of a Language Learning Task on Instructional Outcomes in Two Student Populations: High-Ability and Average-Ability Students

“…The reason for selecting this particular task was the evidence of its beneficial effects on student motivation and its positive impact on cognitive outcomes in vocabulary acquisition (Arnett, 1995;Kramsch, A'Ness, & Lam, 2000;Kubota, 1999;Nikolova 2000Nikolova , 2002. Although it is not frequently used because of its relative complexity, the practice of student authoring is largely informed by contemporary learning theories and, above all, by constructivist theory (Bednar, Cunningham, Duffy, & Perry, 1992;Zahorik, 1995).…”

Online Approaches to Learning Vocabulary

“…There is, in fact, very little research that looks at environments where learners themselves are involved in the authoring process itself. One researcher who investigated learner use of authoring software in vocabulary learning is Nikolova, who carried out two individual studies in French in 2000 and 2002. In her earlier study (Nikolova, 2000), learners were assigned into two groups that studied the same content, but in one group the learners were provided with multimedia materials already put together by the researcher while in the other group the learners were required to create their own multimedia materials using an authoring package called SmarTText. Although data regarding vocabulary acquisition and time on task were collected, this study examined only the difference in student opinions between the two groups.…”

“…One limitation with the studies by Nikolova was that the environment appeared to be of a relatively "artificial" nature. Although details of the timing of the first study (Nikolova, 2000) were not provided (i.e., whether the study was undertaken in a single session or across several sessions), the second study (Nikolova, 2002) was carried out in a single 90 minute session. Studies held under experimental conditions such as these obviously provide some insights into how learners engage with learning materials and the potential effects of variations, but longitudinal studies are necessary to get a more accurate picture of natural usage patterns.…”