Pedagogical applications of Vlogs: An investigation into ESP learners' perceptions

Abstract

This study set out to examine the implementation of a video blog (vlog) project in an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course that aimed to increase students' opportunities to use the target language. Specifically, it explored students' perceptions towards vlogs and analysed the advantages and disadvantages of vlogs as identified by the students. Data sources included an attitude survey, an open-ended questionnaire, student interviews, written peer feedback, video clips in vlogs and reflective journals. The results indicated that firstly, the students favourably perceived the vlog project because vlogs not only helped them organise and reflect on their learning products, but also allowed them to archive their learning processes. Second, they reported a number of advantages associated with vlogging, such as visual representation, relief from time constraints, self-evaluation, professional development, wider audience, peer learning and technical capability. Third, in the opinion of the students, the challenges compromising the effectiveness of the vlog project involved technical difficulties, affective interferences, weak linkage to real-time communication and time issues. In light of these findings, the researcher proposes two pedagogical implications for ESP instructional practices.

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“…This finding is significant because students no longer mostly compose traditional essays and articles in secondary settings. Rather, they are creating infographics, vlogs, and multimedia presentations, which all include aspects of media literacy that paper-based documents do not contain (Buckingham, 2013;Hung, 2011). Participants were also keen about how media literacy has the potential to impact an individual's behavior and beliefs about a topic.…”

Exploring the Benefits of ACMC for Speaking Development

“…Spoken ACMC practices seem to be flourishing as a fair alternative to oral SCMC. This situation is reflected by the numerous empirical studies emerging within the field (see Volle, 2005;Huang & Hung, 2009;Sun, 2009;and Hung, 2011). Consistent with these studies, technology-based oral asynchronous activities usually consist of unidirectional spoken output.…”

“…Nevertheless, the reality shows that, nowadays, SCMC-speaking practices do not exceed those of ACMC in number. Actually, emergent research in the field of CMC shows that a significant number of technology-based speaking activities take place asynchronically (see, for example, Huang & Hung, 2009;Sun, 2009;Hung, 2011). In essence, these practices typically involve learners producing spoken output that is subsequently evaluated by the educator (e.g.…”

Graduate Students’ Readiness and Perceptions of the Pedagogical Application of Collaborative Video Logs

“…Vlogging and its effectiveness in the undergraduate curriculum was examined by Hung (2011). Hung used vlogs in an English for Specific Purposes course and found a) students' learning benefited from the videos' visual representation; b) students benefited from a flexible schedule; c) students engaged in self-evaluation; d) students' professional development was enhanced; e) students engaged in reflective processes including reflecting on how a wide audience beyond the classroom would perceive them; and f) peer-to-peer learning was facilitated.…”