BLOGS IN THE GREEK EFL CLASSROOM:

STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES, PARTICIPATION

AND MOTIVATION Ginα Paschalidou

EFL Teacher, State Secondary Education

Making Research in Second Language Acquisition Usable for Instruction and Instructors

November 1-2, 2014New York College, Athens

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

New literaciesBlended learning

SocioconstructivismAffective parametres

Blogging

AFFECTIVE VARIABLESMotivation

Performers with high motivation generally do

better

Self-confidence Performers with self-confidence and a good self-image tend to do

betterAnxiety Low anxiety encourages learning,

whether it is personal or classroom anxiety. Krashen, 1982)

SOCIOCONSTRUCTIVISM• the theory of learning where knowledge is constructed in social settings putting emphasis on/through interaction, negotiation and collaboration

• (Vygotski, 1978)

definition

• learner-centred• active role of learner decision-making• meaningful learning• authentic tasks and settings• ownership and authorship (Jonassen, 1994)

• critical and reflective thinking• feedback and response• learning takes time, so opportunities to learn should be many

• (Bonk & King, 1998; Kanselaar, 2002; Palincsar, 1998)

its principles/considerations for the teacher

TRADITIONAL VS NEW LITERACYtraditional concept of literacy multiple literacies

(Leu, Kinzer, Coiro, Cammack, 2004)

Foundational literacies

New literacies

phonemic awareness digitalword recognition technologicalvocabulary visualcomprehension mediagrammar informationsyntax globaletc… etc…

BLENDED LEARNING

• a hybrid format of face-to-face and on-line learningdefinition

• setting specific learning goals and objectives

• design pedagogically sound material

• the delivery mode should be a servant to the goals

its principles/considerations for

the teacher

BLENDED LEARNINGdifferent types and toolsLearning Management Systems (LMS), blogs, wikis, video-conferencing, forums, social networking, curation tools, digital dictionaries, concordancers

benefits/reasons for its implementation to motivate (Guilloteaux & Dornyei, 2007)

to cater for learners’ individual pace and style

to provide extra learning time at home to reduce face-to-face learning time by compensating it with on-line learning time

BLOGS IN EDUCATION• journal-like web pages frequently updated by the author’s entries, which appear in chronological order and can be commented on by readers

definition

• practice reading, writing and listening/viewing and improve language skills

• manipulation of authentic resources• provide a potential real audience• double role of audience and author• authorship and creativity• enhance critical thinking• facilitate interaction, reflection and personal expression

(Vlachos, 2009)

benefits/reason for their use

THE LEARNING SITUATION

The learning context and students’ profile

The problemThe aims

The proposed solution

LEARNING CONTEXT & STUDENTS’ PROFILE Large highly-esteemed Junior High School

In a provincial town near Athens No possibility of using the computer lab due to school schedule restrictions

Age 12-13 years old Grade A’ Level of competence B1-B2 Number 24

THE PROBLEM

textbook: quite easy and unchallenging for the students, its level below the average student

in-class time: limited, especially after its recent reduction from 3 to 2 hours/week

THE AIMS interacting at a more appropriate level

interacting through more relevant and interesting material

meeting more often

THE PROPOSED SOLUTION

where and how could the above come true?

in the digital spacethrough a blog

THE RESEARCHThe research hypotheses

The instrumentsThe procedure

THE RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

What are the students’ attitudes about blogging before and after the use of the blog?

How can blogs enhance participation?

How can blogs motivate and engage learners?

INSTRUMENTS

pre-test: informal oral questionnaire

teacher’s observations and record keeping

post-test questionnaire

BLOG’S PROFILE

optional use duration: 2 months the home page, the suggestions tab, the stories tab and the poems tab

20 posts & suggestions & an obligatory activity

http://www.ourflippedclassroom.blogspot.gr/2014_03_01_archive.html

BLOG’S PROFILE Types of activities/posts

obligatory activity

festivals and celebrations

opinion-personal expression

video–viewing comprehension

word games

open-ended questions

students’ suggestions for improvement

expanding class material

THE FINDINGS

Pre-test resultsObservations and record keeping

Post-test results

THE PRE-TEST What’s your opinion of the textbook?easy too easy, boring, it’s great, I like it

Would you like to supplement it with other activities?

23/24 What about using our personal computers and internet access at home and have a class blog?

20

4Chart Title

yesI don't know

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES:COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS 64 comments in total 25 teacher comments 39 student comments

9 distinct learners 7/9 were “regular participants” 3/7 regular participants provided suggestions

25

39

teacher'sstudents'

OBLIGATORY ACTIVITY: STORY

5/7 of regular participants + 7 new students

12 stories were submitted/24 expected

PARTICIPATION: FREQUENCY OF STUDENTS’ COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONSRegular participants No. of

commentsNo. of suggestions

total

Student1 3 1 4Student2 5 0 5Student3 5 0 5Student4 4 2 6Student5 7 0 7Student6 7 0 7Student7 1 2 3

37average 5,2

8

PROGRESS OF REGULAR PARTICIPANTS’ COMMENTS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112131415161718192021222324250123456789

10

no of comments

POST-TEST QUESTIONNAIRE

RESULTS

STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES BEFORE AND AFTER

yes no I don'... I don'...02468101214161820

20

0

4

0

15

3

0

5

attitude before

FREQUENCY OF PARTICIPATION

many times a ...

once or twice a ...

once a week

once or twice in to...

never0

2

4

6

8

10

12

1

5

11

0

6

0 0

7

5

11

readingwriting

REASONS FOR LIMITED PARTICIPATION

not enough time

forgot it couldn't find it

don’t know how to use

it

012345678

7

34

2

REASONS FOR AVOIDANCE-DISCOURAGEMENT

always

sometimes

never

I haven' tried it

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

98 8

0

5

Did you find the blog easy to use?

yes, definitely

quite comfor...

not at all0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

7

9

7

Did you feel comfortable using the blog?

ENGAGEMENT

I can't remember

I haven't visited it

poems, stories

about Easter01234567

65

4

2

What was the most memorable thing that you’ve read?

DISCUSSIONConclusions

A principled model of effective blog use in EFL

CONCLUSIONS the initial positive attitude weakened the majority did not participate - the novelty did not motivate

for the ones that did participate there was not intense participation

their participation and motivation gradually declined and for some students vanished

engagement was quite non-existent or superficial-they could not identify with the blog and have a sense of ownership

they were engaged deeply with what they created

compulsory activities motivated them more

CONCLUSIONS cannot take responsibility of their own learning-excuses

they lack the technological skills we attribute to them

they prefer games, pleasant news, stories to read or write

they prefer interacting and sharing with classmates rather than with others/strangers

the ones who do prefer it, feel quite strongly about it therefore they mention it in their preferences

A MODEL FOR EFFECTIVE BLOG USE IN EFL

technological

enhancement

compulsory nature

time frame responsibility &

creativity

optimal students’ profile

TECHNOLOGICAL ENHANCEMENT enhancement of technological literacy - some of the lessons should be held in the lab for hands-on practice learn how to create avatars create a Gmail account how to write a comment, select a profile (google or name/url) and submit it

how to reply how to get notifications how to join the site

infuse digital citizenship awareness of digital footprint (protection of real identity)

respect to copyright laws and creative commons

 

TIME FRAME initiation in the first term

longer duration

COMPULSORY NATURE incorporation into the core subject of English as an integral part

setting minimum number of posts each week

setting minimum number of comments to others students’ posts each week

setting some specific deadlines for posts/projects

RESPONSIBILITY & CREATIVITY

assigning specific roles to some students, e.g. administrators mentors

contributing ideas and suggestions for future application on the blog

selecting some of the topics of the contributions and/or the modes of deliverance

Thank you

theo_paschali@yahoo.com theo.paschali@gmail.com

http://www.ourflippedclassroom.blogspot.gr

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ro_3XONxw82WYZsu4SW6xDKLpaaxkIuBPkYLZK0tDp4/viewform

BIBLIOGRAPHY Bonk, C. & King, K. (eds). (1998). Electronic collaborators. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence

Erlbaum. Fellner, T & Apple, M. (2006). ‘Developing writing fluency and lexical complexity

with blogs’. The JALT CALL Journal, 2/1: 15-26. Friesen (2011). Friesen, N. (2011). The Place of the Classroom and the Space of the

Screen: Relational Pedagogy and Internet Technology. New York: Peter Lang. Godwin-Jones, B. (2003). ‘Blogs and Wikis Environments for On-line Collaboration’.

Language Learning & Technology, 7/2: 12-16. At http://Ilt.msu.edu/vol7num2/emerging/default.html, accessed 22 February 2014.

Graham, C.R. (2006). Blended learning systems: Definition, current trends, and future directions. In C.J. Bonk & C.R. Graham (Eds.), The handbook of blended learning: Global perspectives, local designs (pp. 3–21). San Francisco: JosseyBass/Pfeiffer.

Guilloteaux, M. J., & Dörnyei, Z. (2008). Motivating language learners: A classroom-oriented investigation of the effects of motivational strategies on student motivation. TESOL Quarterly, 42(1), 55-77.

Hall, A. & Davidson, R. (2007). ‘The value of a blog as a tool for reflective learning and peer support’. Library of Information Science Research, 29: 163-187.

Jonassen, D. H. (1994). Technology as cognitive tools: Learners as designers. IT Forum Paper #1.

Kansellar, G. De Jong. T, Andriessen, J. & Goodyear, P. (2001). New technologies. In R. Simmons, J. Van derLinden & T. Duffy (eds). New learning. Dordrecht: Kluver Academic Publishers, 55-83.

Leu, D. J,Kinzer, C. K, Coiro, J. L. & Cammack, D. W. (2004). Toward a theory of new literacies emerging from the Internet and other information and communication technologies. In Theoretical Models and Processes of Reading. International Reading Association.

Noytim, U. (2010). ‘Weblogs enhancing EFL students’ English Language learning’. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2: 1127–1132.

Palincsar, A. S. (1998). Social constructivist perspectives on teaching and learning. Annual Review of Psychology, 49: 345-375.

Rahmany, R., Sadeghi, B. & Faramarzi, S. (2013). ‘The effect of blogging on vocabulary enhancement and structural accuracy in an EFL context’. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 3/7: 1288-1298.

Simsek, O. (2010). ‘The effect of weblog (blog) students’ writing performance’. Procedia Social and Behavioural Sciences, 2: 953-958.

Stacey, E. & Gerbic, P. (2009). Effective Blended Learning Practices: Evidence‐Based Perspectives in ICT Facilitated Education. In: Introduction to Blended Learning Practices. Hershey NY: IGI Global.

Stalker, H., & Horn, M. B. (2012). Classifying K–12 blended learning. Mountain View, CA: Innosight Institute, Inc. http://www.innosightinstitute.org/innosight/wpcontent/uploads/2012/05/Classifying‐K‐12‐blended‐learning2.pdf

Strambi, A & Buvet, E. (2003). Flexibility and interaction at a distance: a mixed-mode environment for language learning, Language Learning &Technology, 7/3: 81-102.

Vlachos, K. (2009). Comparing face-to-face with blended learning in the context of foreign language education, 250-276 in M. W. Ng. Eugenia (ed.) Comparative Blending Learning Practices and Environments

Wang, J. & Fang, Y. (2005). ‘Benefits of Cooperative Learning in Weblog Networks’ at http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED490815.pdf, accessed 13 February 2014.

Yang, A., Chan, A., Lik-ko Ho, L & Tam, B, (2005). Does an open forum promote learning among students? A collaborative learning approach. Asian EFL Journal, 7/3. At http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/September_05_ay.php, accessed 22 February 2014.

Yang, S.-H. (2009). ‘Using Blogs to Enhance Critical Reflection and Community of Practice’. Educational Technology & Society, 12/2:11–21.

Zhang, D. (2009). ‘The Application of Blog in English Writing’. Journal of Cambridge Studies, 4/1, at http://journal.acs-cam.org.uk/data/archive/2009/200901-article8.pdf