Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-5g6vh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T06:11:23.870Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

An analysis of student engagement patterns in language learning facilitated by Web 2.0 technologies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 February 2016

Chen-Chung Liu ,
Pin-Ching Wang  and
Shu-Ju Diana Tai
Chen-Chung Liu
Affiliation:
National Central University, Taiwan (email: ccliu@cl.ncu.edu.tw)
Pin-Ching Wang
Affiliation:
National Central University, Taiwan (email: happydoraemon123@gmail.com)
Shu-Ju Diana Tai*
Affiliation:
Beijing University of Chemical Technology, China (email: shujutai@gmail.com)
*
*Corresponding author.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Recent research indicates that Web 2.0 applications contribute to supporting a social constructivist approach for language learning. However, students encounter different types of barrier associated with technologies and learning tasks, which can cause disengagement during different phases of learning. Thus, based on flow theory and the strategic motivation framework, this study aims to investigate students’ motivation and their engagement patterns while participating in Web 2.0 digital storytelling activities. The participants are 24 elementary school students of a suburban school in northern Taiwan. Over 19 weeks of observations on students aged 9–10 years in a third-grade classroom, data were collected through three sources: surveys, students’ digital stories, and English tests. The analysis of the data showed that motivation was a dynamic process, initially low but increasing in later phases. A dynamic pattern was also identified in the students’ flow perceptions, which included two cycles of disengagement and reengagement. Students encountered different challenges that led to disengagement phases, which highlighted the need for specific types of learning support in elementary school contexts. In addition, the participants’ vocabulary and oral fluency were found to have been enhanced by the end of the study. The implications for educational practice are discussed and the direction for future studies addressed.

Keywords

Web 2.0language learningengagementflowmotivationEFL
Type
Regular papers
Information
ReCALL , Volume 28 , Issue 2 , May 2016 , pp. 104 - 122
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © European Association for Computer Assisted Language Learning 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Arslan, S. S. and Sahin-Kizil, A. (2010) How can the use of blog software facilitate the writing process of English language learners? Computer Assisted Language Learning, 23(3): 183–197.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Asoodar, M., Atai, M. R., Vaezi, S. and Marandi, S. S. (2014) Examining effectiveness of communities of practice in online English for academic purposes (EAP) assessment in virtual classes. Computers & Education, 70: 291–300.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blumenfeld, P. C., Marx, R. W., Soloway, E. and Krajcik, J. (1996) Learning with peers: From small pair cooperation to collaborative communities. Educational Researcher, 25(8): 37–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, D. P. S., Lambert, D. A. and Guidry, R. K. (2010) Engaging online learners: The impact of web-based learning technology on college student engagement. Computers & Education, 54(4): 1222–1232.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cheng, G. and Chau, J. (2012) Exploring the relationship between students’ self-regulated learning ability and their ePortfolio achievement. The Internet and Higher Education, 17: 9–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chung, C. W., Lee, C. C. and Liu, C. C. (2013) Investigating face-to-face peer interaction patterns in a collaborative web discovery task: The benefits of a shared display. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 29: 188–206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clark, R. E. (1983) Reconsidering research on learning from media. Review of Educational Research, 53(4): 445–459.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1975) Beyond boredom and anxiety. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.Google Scholar
Ducate, L. C., Anderson, L. L. and Moreno, N. (2011) Wading through the world of wikis: An analysis of three wiki projects. Foreign Language Annals, 44(3): 495–524.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ducate, L. C. and Lomicka, L. L. (2008) Adventures in the blogosphere: From blog readers to blog writers. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 21(1): 9–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ertmer, P. A., Newby, T. J., Liu, W., Tomory, A., Yu, J. H. and Lee, Y. M. (2011) Students’ confidence and perceived value for participating in cross-cultural wiki-based collaborations. Educational Technology Research and Development, 59(2): 213–228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hampel, R. and Pleines, C. (2013) Fostering student interaction and engagement in a virtual learning environment: An investigation into activity design and implementation. Calico Journal, 30(3): 342–370.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harel, I. and Papert, S. (1991) Constructionism. Norwood, NY: Ablex Publishing Corporation.Google Scholar
Hedman, L. and Sharafi, P. (2004) Early use of Internet-based educational resources: Effects on students’ engagement modes and flow experience. Behaviour & Information Technology, 23(2): 137–146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herrington, J., Oliver, R. and Reeves, C. T. (2003) Patterns of engagement in authentic online learning environments. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 19(1): 59–71.Google Scholar
Hoffman, D. and Novak, T. P. (1996) Marketing in hypermedia computer-mediated environments: Conceptual foundations. Journal of Marketing, 60: 50–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoffman, B. and Ritchie, D. (1997) Using multimedia to overcome the problems with problem based learning. Instructional Science, 25(2): 97–115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hsu, H.-Y., Wang, S.-K. and Comac, L. (2008) Using audioblogs to assist English-language learning: An investigation into student perception. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 21(2): 181–198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hur, J. and Oh, J. (2012) Learning, engagement, and technology: Middle school students’ three-year experience in pervasive technology environments in South Korea. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 46(3): 295–312.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kiili, K. (2005) Digital game-based learning: Towards an experiential gaming model. The Internet and Higher Education, 8(1): 13–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kuh, G. D. (2009) What student affairs professionals need to know about student engagement. Journal of College Student Development, 50: 683–706.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, L. (2010) Exploring Wiki-mediated collaborative writing: A case study in an elementary Spanish course. Calico Journal, 27(2): 260–272.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Littleton, K. and Häkkinen, P. (1999) Learning together: Understanding the processes of computer-based collaborative learning. In Dillenbourg, P. (ed.), Collaborative learning: Cognitive and computational approaches. Amsterdam: Pergamon.Google Scholar
Liu, C. C., Cheng, Y. B. and Huang, C. W. (2011) The effect of simulation games on the learning of computational problem solving. Computers & Education, 57(3): 1907–1918.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, C. C., Wu, L. Y., Chen, Z. M., Tsai, C. C. and Lin, H. M. (2014) The effect of story grammars on creative self-efficacy and digital storytelling. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 30: 450–464.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacIntyre, P. D. and Blackie, R. A. (2012) Action control, motivated strategies, and integrative motivation as predictors of language learning affect and the intention to continue learning French. System, 36(4): 533–543.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murray, L., Hourigan, T. and Jeanneau, C. (2007) Blog writing integration for academic language learning purposes: Towards an assessment framework. Ibérica, 14: 9–32.Google Scholar
O’Brien, H. L. and Toms, E. G. (2008) What is user engagement? A conceptual framework for defining user engagement with technology. Journal of The Association for Information Science and Technology, 59(6): 938–955.Google Scholar
Pawan, F. (2003) Online learning: Patterns of engagement and interaction among in-service teachers. Language Learning & Technology, 7(3): 119–140.Google Scholar
Pearce, J. M., Ainley, M. and Howard, S. (2005) The ebb and flow of online learning. Computers in Human Behavior, 21(5): 745–771.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pintrich, P. R. and Schrauben, B. (1992) Students’ motivational beliefs and their cognitive engagement in classroom tasks. In Schunk, D. and Meece, J. (eds.), Student perceptions in the classroom: Causes and consequences. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Pintrich, P. R., Smith, D., Garcia, T. and McKeachie, W. (1991) A manual for the use of the motivated strategies for learning questionnaire (MSLQ). Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan.Google Scholar
Rivens Mompean, A. (2010) The development of meaningful interactions on a blog used for the learning of English as a foreign language. ReCALL, 22(3): 376–395.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salvo, M. J. (2002) Critical engagement with technology in the computer classroom. Technical Communication Quarterly, 11(3): 317–337.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shih, R. C. (2011) Can Web 2.0 technology assist college students in learning English writing? Integrating Facebook and peer assessment with blended learning. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 27(5): 829–845.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shinn, M. R. (1989) Curriculum-based measurement: Assessing special children. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Sun, Y. C. (2009) Voice blog: An exploratory study of language learning. Language Learning & Technology, 13(2): 88–103.Google Scholar
Sun, Y. C. (2010) Extensive writing in foreign‐language classrooms: A blogging approach. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 47(3): 327–339.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taplin, M. (2000) Problem-based learning in distance education: Practitioners’ beliefs about an action learning project. Distance Education, 21(2): 284–307.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Terumi, M. T. and Anderson, T. (2010) Learning outcomes and students’ perceptions of online writing: Simultaneous implementation of a forum, blog, and wiki in an EFL blended learning setting. System, 38(2): 185–199.Google Scholar
Trevino, L. K. and Webster, J. (1992) Flow in computer-mediated communication: Electronic mail and voice mail evaluation and impacts. Communication Research, 19(5): 539–573.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webster, J. and Ho, H. (1997) Audience engagement in multimedia presentations. The Data Base for Advances in Information Systems, 28(2): 63–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woo, M., Chu, S., Ho, A. and Li, X. (2011) Using a wiki to scaffold primary-school students’ collaborative writing. Educational Technology and Society, 14(1): 43–54.Google Scholar
Zorko, V. (2009) Factors affecting the way students collaborate in a wiki for English language learning. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 25(5): 645–665.CrossRefGoogle Scholar