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Buy paperback (http://www.lulu.com/content/15737858) Read the book (/publication
CALL Design: Principles and Practice - Proceedings of the 2014 EUROCALLConference, Groningen, The NetherlandsEdited by Sake Jager, Linda Bradley, Estelle J. Meima, Sylvie Thouësny.
CALL Design: Principles and PracticeProceedings of the 2014 EUROCALL Conference, Groningen, The NetherlandsEdited by Sake Jager, Linda Bradley, Estelle J. Meima, and Sylvie Thouësny
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Foreword
The annual conference of the European Association for Computer-Assisted Language Learning (EUROCALL) was held from the 20th to the 23rd of August 2014 at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. In 2014, this second oldest university of the Netherlands celebrated its 400th anniversary, using the motto “For Infinity – 4∞” to underline its ambitions to work for and on the future of education, research and society in the Netherlands and beyond. The EUROCALL2014 conference was a good occasion for sharing these ambitions with colleagues from all over the world.
The theme of EUROCALL2014 was “CALL Design: Principles and Practice”, which attracted approximately 280 practitioners, researchers and students from CALL and related disciplines of more than 40 different nationalities. Over 170 presentations were delivered on topics related to this overarching theme. The topics included:
• Applying principles from SLA and TBLT in CALL• Applying specific instructional models in CALL• Preparing and delivering open educational resources, open courseware and open
online courses for language learning• Designing for open and independent online language learning• Using competence or outcome-based frameworks (CEFR, IATFL, etc.) in CALL
design• Designing, applying and evaluating computer-based language tests• Applying corpus-based designs and technologies• Learning analytics and CALL design• Synchronous and asynchronous CMC• Gaming and virtual worlds• Mobile apps for CALL• Telecollaboration and Online Intercultural Exchanges• Using NLP and AI-based designs and technologies• Using specific design tools for CALL• CALL for specific contexts and purposes (institutional setting, independent use)• CALL for specific skills• Successful CALL project designs• Developing strategies for teacher education and professional development
The conference programme consisted of workshops, symposia, and presentations and poster sessions on research, research and development, reflective practice and European projects relating to these areas. Besides colleagues working in CALL, several specialists and practitioners from outside the field of CALL –many of them first-time
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visitors to EUROCALL– contributed to the programme. These contributions helped to broaden the scope of CALL and it is hoped that the interdisciplinary content and contacts will suggest new ways forward for our field in the coming years.
The keynote presentations also shed light from different perspectives on developments in CALL. In an inspiring Graham Davies keynote address, Carol Chapelle (Iowa State University) presented five lines of argument for evaluating the use of technology in language learning and teaching. Bart Rienties (The Open University UK), in an entertaining keynote drawing on recent Dutch success (or failure) in the FIFA World Cup, discussed critical aspects of bringing learning analytics to the arena of formal education. And finally, in a very instructive session, John H.A.L. de Jong (VU University Amsterdam/Pearson Education) took the audience to the world of computer-based testing and recent advances in automatic scoring of student essays.
Recordings of these keynote addresses, as well as the full programme and session abstracts may be found at the conference website http://www.eurocall2014.nl, which will be kept online for the next few years.
We are also very pleased to include a total of 71 extended versions of papers presented at the conference in these proceedings. These were submitted by the authors just before the conference and edited and revised in the months following the conference. The papers are representative of the great variety of subjects presented at EUROCALL2014. In the conference evaluation survey, delegates indicated that they were very satisfied with the overall quality of the academic programme, and we hope readers will find this quality reflected in these proceedings.
There is one colleague whose contributions at EUROCALL conferences will be sadly missed. Our dear colleague, Dr Kenji Kitao, a full professor at Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan, passed away suddenly while attending EUROCALL2014. Kenji Kitao and his wife Kathleen Kitao were going to present two papers together at EUROCALL2014. Kenji Kitao will always be remembered for his remarkable personality and his dedicated membership of EUROCALL. We wish Kathleen, her family and friends great strength in bearing this sad loss.
Sake Jager, Estelle Meima, and Marjolijn VerspoorLocal organising team of EUROCALL2014
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Evaluation of a web conferencing tool and collaborative tasks in an online Chinese course
Sijia Guo1
Abstract. This case study aims to explore the best practice of applying task-based language teaching (TBLT) via the web conferencing tool Blackboard Collaborate in a beginners’ online Chinese course by evaluating the technical capacity of the software and the pedagogical values and limitations of the tasks designed. In this paper, Chapelle’s (2001) criteria for CALL task appropriateness are adopted and adapted to evaluate five tasks designed for an online environment in terms of practicality, language learning potential, learner fit, authenticity and positive impact. In the second semester, 2013, eight BA on-campus students who enrolled in an introductory Chinese language course agreed to participate in this project. Five fortnightly one-hour online sessions were conducted, which included two jigsaw tasks, two decision-making tasks and one information-gap task. Learners’ interaction in the online sessions has been recorded and transcribed for a deep investigation of learners’ negotiation actions in peer-peer interaction. Their experiences of using Blackboard Collaborate and tasks were recorded in in-depth interviews and pre and post-session questionnaires.
Keywords: CALL evaluation, TBLT, web conferencing, SLA, second language acquisition, online Chinese teaching.
1. Introduction
The popularity of task-based language teaching in the context of computer-mediated communication (CMC) has drawn increasing attention from both researchers and language teachers (Thomas & Reinders, 2010). A great number of studies have been conducted to investigate the use of audio/video or web conferencing tools and their
influence on learners’ interaction and task design (e.g. Hampel, 2006; Hampel & Stickler, 2012; Rosell-Aguilar, 2005). However, there is a lack of research into how to evaluate the appropriateness of web conferencing tools and tasks. This study was performed with the purpose of bridging the gap by proposing a set of criteria for web conferencing-based collaborative tools. The paper will present findings from an empirical study in this context.
1.1. Literature review
Creating optimal conditions to maximise the efficiency of task-based instructions has been one of the key concerns of second language acquisition (SLA) research (e.g., Hampel, 2006; Hampel & Stickler, 2012; Rosell-Aguilar, 2005). From a cognitive point of view, Skehan (1998) summarises and proposes five guidelines for implementing effective task-based instruction. Based on these guidelines, Chapelle (2001) proposes a set of criteria for CALL tasks evaluation.
1.2. Criteria for evaluating the appropriateness of web conference-based collaborative tasks
In the study, Chapelle’s (2001) six criteria for CALL tasks appropriateness and Wang’s (2008) criteria for evaluating meaning-focused videoconferencing tasks have been used as guidelines for evaluation.
Table 1. Criteria for evaluating web conferencing tools and collaborative tasks
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Evaluation of a web conferencing tool and collaborative tasks in an online Chinese course
The criteria for evaluating web conferencing tools and collaborative tasks in the current study are summarised in Table 1 above.
2. Method
In this study, the predominant purpose was to evaluate the appropriateness of the web conferencing tool and the collaborative tasks designed (Egbert, Chao, & Hanson-Smith, 1999; Larsen-Freeman & Long, 1991; Long, 1996; Pica, 1994; Spolsky, 1989). A case study approach was adopted to apply the proposed criteria to evaluate both software and pedagogical values of the tasks (Yin, 2009). As Jamieson and Chapelle (2010) state, today’s pressing question is “to what extent a particular type of CALL material can be argued to be appropriate for a given group of learners at a given point in time” (p. 2).
2.1. Context of the study
In the second semester (from August to November 2013), eight BA on-campus students who enrolled in an introductory level Chinese language course participated in the current study. Five fortnightly one-hour online sessions were conducted through the web conferencing tool Blackboard Collaborate (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. A screenshot of Blackboard Collaborate online session
Blackboard Collaborate is a web conferencing tool that enables users to communicate with each other via video, audio, text chat, feedback tools (e.g. emoticons, raise-up hand and polling) and whiteboard (see Guo, 2013 for more details).
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2.2. The tasks and data collection
Underpinned by interactionist SLA and sociocultural theories, the five collaborative tasks aimed at reinforcing vocabulary and grammar learning and at facilitating learners’ communicative competence. Following the task typology proposed by Pica, Kanagy, and Falodun (1993), the five tasks included: two jigsaw tasks, two decision-making tasks and one information-gap task (see Table 2). Figure 1 is a snapshot of the jigsaw task-describing an accident.
Table 2. Summary of tasks and data collection
The participants’ experiences of using Blackboard Collaborate and tasks were recorded through in-depth interviews, pre and post-session questionnaires.
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Practicality
According to Chapelle (2001), practicality refers to the degree of easy implementation of a CALL task in a certain language teaching setting, including the availability of hardware and software, and the assistance offered by knowledgeable personnel to deal with any unforeseen issues. Findings from the interviews indicated that the affordance of Blackboard Collaborate was satisfactory to support the collaborative tasks completion.
The audio and video quality during the online sessions received positive feedback from the participants. However, echoing the findings in Wang’s (2004) study, Internet bandwidth microphone quality was the major limitation. The installation and use of the software was easy and straightforward.
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3.2. Language learning potential
Following Chapelle (2001), language learning refers to “the extent to which the activity can be considered to be a language learning activity rather than simply an opportunity for language use” (p. 55). Further, she differentiates language learning and language use as “the extent to which the task promotes beneficial focus on form” (p. 55). In the current study, language learning potential is measured by both focus on form and learners’ improvement in Chinese and collaborative learning as below.
3.2.1. Focus on Form
In the follow-up questionnaires, the participants were asked to write down expressions, grammar structures and vocabulary they remembered in the online sessions. The answers primarily focused on grammar structures, vocabulary and certain expressions intensively used in the online sessions, such as “请再说一遍”(Please say it again); “…(English word) 中文怎么说”(How do you say … in Chinese?) “停,走错了!” Stop! You took the wrong way (in the 4th online session).
3.2.2. Improvement in Chinese
The data analysis of interviews and the follow-up survey indicated that the participants perceived that their Chinese proficiency had improved throughout the online sessions, particularly in listening and speaking. One student mentioned in the interview: “I think the fluency has been improved for certain. And also I’m being able to apply the grammar structures in practice. That’s just a big thing for me”.
3.2.3. Collaborative learning
Results from the interviews showed that the implementation of tasks in the web conferencing based online environment has great potential in stimulating collaborative learning. All the participants preferred collaborative learning rather than individual learning in the context of online language learning, which is contradictory to Wang’s (2008) findings.
3.2.4. Learner fit
The participants’ perceptions of task difficulty were varied depending on their Chinese proficiency, topic familiarity and task instructions. For example, Student
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5 said, “I like the 3rd and 5th online sessions were straightforward and we know what to do. No much thought in deciding things”. However, all of them admitted the tasks were challenging in a good way.
In terms of engagement, the majority of participants confirmed that they felt engaged in the online sessions. The participants’ feedback suggested that learners’ engagement increased when they were used to the online learning environment and higher academic rewards could make participation more attracting.
3.3. Authenticity
When designing the tasks, authenticity was one of the most important concerns. Certain topics, which might be closely related to the learners’ real life, were selected. For example, applying for a Chinese visa to participate in a language exchange program, how to fill out a Visa application form; how to ask and show directions, go shopping, etc. In the interviews, all the participants confirmed that the tasks were practical in different ways. Particularly, one student reported her experience of applying the expressions in the 3rd session (showing directions) to help a Chinese lady take a train in Sydney.
3.4. Positive impact
The online sessions have shown a number of positive impacts on the participants, including:
• it created a less pressured environment to learn and practice the target language;
• learners felt more confident to use the target language;• learners felt more confident to use technology to study a foreign language;• the positive feedback and encouragement received from peers and the
teacher made them feel more confident;• learners felt they had more opportunities to study between lectures and
tutorials.
4. Conclusions
This study proposed a set of criteria for evaluating the appropriateness of web conference-based collaborative tasks and provided empirical evidence of the implementation of the criteria from percipients’ perceptions. The findings, which are context specific, showed that the web conferencing tool Blackboard Collaborate, and the five collaborative tasks designed for the particular teaching environment,
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had great potential in stimulating learner-learner interaction, facilitating their SLA and learner fit.
We are aware of the limitations of the study. Firstly, the findings and arguments were based on the data collected from a small cohort. Secondly, all the participants were on-campus students. The results for distance learners might be different. Further studies should investigate a comparison of results of online tutorials for on-campus students and distance students.
Acknowledgements. We would like to thank the Faculty Partnership Project (FPP) team members from Learning and Teaching Centre (LTC) at Macquarie University who contributed to the online sessions’ design and implementation. We would also like to thank all the students who participated in the project. Thank you for your contribution and feedback.
References
Chapelle, C. (2001). Computer applications in second language acquisition: Foundations for teaching, testing and research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Egbert, J., Chao, C. C., & Hanson-Smith, E. (1999). Computer-enhanced language learning environment: An Overview. In J. Egbert & E. Hanson-Smith (Eds), Computer-enhanced language learning. Alexandria, VA: TESOL Publications.
Guo, S. (2013). Applying web-conferencing in a beginners’ Chinese class. Paper presented at the Electric Dreams, Proceedings ascilite 2013, Sydney.
Hampel, R. (2006). Rethinking task design for the digital age: A framework for language teaching and learning in a synchronous online environment. ReCALL, 18(1), 105-121. doi:10.1017/S0958344006000711
Hampel, R., & Stickler, U. (2012). The use of videoconferencing to support multimodal interaction in an online language classroom. ReCALL, 24(2), 116-137. doi:10.1017/S095834401200002X
Jamieson, J., & Chapelle, C. A. (2010). Evaluating CALL use across multiple contexts. System, 38(3), 357-369. doi:10.1016/j.system.2010.06.014
Larsen-Freeman, D., & Long, M. H. (1991). An introduction to second language acquisition research. London: Longman.
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Pica, T., Kanagy, R., & Falodun, J. (1993). Choosing and using communication tasks for second language instruction and research. In G. Grookes & S. M. Gass (Eds), Tasks Language Learning: Integrating Theory and Practice (pp. 9-34). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
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videoconferencing. Language Learning & Technology, 8(3), 90-121.Wang, Y. (2008). Distance language learning and desktop videoconferencing: A Chinese
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