(august 2015) exploring the long-term impact of incorporating digital technology into a foreign...

Associate Professor, Tokyo Woman’s Christian UniversityPhD Candidate, Charles Sturt University

Louise Ohashi

Exploring the Long-term Impact of Incorporating Digital

Technology into a Foreign Language Course

EFL in Japan

Research Questions

What type of online practices do university-level

EFL students in Japan engage in?

Research Questions

How are EFL students’ independent learning practices influenced by

participating in a course that requires them to use online tools to develop

their English skills?

Data Collection

Questionnaire

Intervention

Period

Questionnaire and

Interviews

Non-interven

tion Period

Questionnaire and

Interviews

Data Collection

Questionnaire (128)

Intervention

Period

Questionnaire (25)

and Interview

s (6)

Non-intervent

ion Period

Questionnaire (22)

and Interview

s (5)

April 2014 April 2014 - Jan 2015 Jan 2015 Feb-July 2015 July 2015

Pre-course Questionnaire

Students’ High School Experiences

Speaking

Reading

Writing

Listening

9%

10%

13%

17%

91%

90%

87%

83%

Internet Use In Classor for Homework to Improve English

Skills

Yes No

Online presentation tools

Video call tools

Podcasts

Online games

Smartphone-based email or chat

Computer-based email or chat

Web-based dictionaries

Internet search engines

Video sharing sites

Tools Students Had Used in English Before Starting University

Online presentation tools

Video call tools

Podcasts

Online games

Smartphone-based email or chat

Computer-based email or chat

Web-based dictionaries

Internet search engines

Video sharing sites

2%3%

5%9%

11%11%12%13%15%16%17%18%

22%26%26%28%

39%

Tools Students Had Used in English Before Starting University

Device Ownership at University Entrance

Tablet

Computer

Smartphone

19%

79%

96%

81%

21%

4%

Yes No

In Other Words…

Limited exposure to edtech in EFL classes before university

High device ownership rates but low self-access for educational purposes

Without guidance, this is unlikely to change

What Role Can Teachers Play?

Practical Steps Taken in the Course

Chose a tool for sharing

experiences/feedback

.

.




Made a self-study report template

and schedule

.

.





and schedule

Allocated time for writing and

responding to the

self-study reports

.

.





and schedule

Allocated time for writing and

responding to the

self-study reports

Explored digital

technology in other parts of

the course (ex as an essay topic)

Choosing a Tool for Sharing Information

Group discussions on options for sharing reflections/feedback

Voted on it – Facebook won

Self-Study Report Template

Start-End-Post Course Changes

End-of-Course Usage Rates96%

79% 77% 73% 71%

Jan-15

100%

Significant Increases from Start-of-Course

18%27%

0%18% 18% 14%

96%79% 77% 73% 71%

Apr-14 Jan-15

100%

Post-Course Drop Off... But Higher than Pre-Course Usage

18%27%

0%18% 18% 14%

68% 76%

35% 43%64% 57%

96%79% 77% 73% 71%

Apr-14 Jan-15 Jul-15

100%

End-of-Course Self-Assessments: Now I...

Use more types of online tools in Eng...

Use online tools in English

more often


for longer

Have more confidence

using online t...

Better understand how to use online t...

Better at selecting suita...

96% 96%81% 77% 73%

100%

End-of-Course Self-Assessments: Now I/I’m...



more often


for longer


using online t...



96% 96%81% 77% 73%

100%

Six Months Later: Now I/I’m...



more often


for longer


using online t...



50%

32% 36%50%

68%55%

96% 96%

81% 77% 73%

100%

Reasons for Using Online Tools Six Months Post-Course

86% 82% 82% 73% 73%

Insights from Interviews

Insights from Interviews:Links between Motivation and Community

Motivation to “Win” or Keep Up

Louise: In [last year’s writing class] what motivated you to use online tools by yourself outside of class?

Irene: I think I wanted to improve my English skill [...] more than my classmate and I don't wanted to lose to someone so I tried.

Louise: How about now, this year, what motivates you to use online tools by yourself now?

Irene: Some students posted their own life or some informations on Facebook in English and I read some post, just read but I realise that some student trying to improve their skills and I have to improve my English skills like them.

Motivation through Friendship

Louise: Last time you said you wanted to continue to regularly read posts and comments. Did you?

Kate: Ah, yes, I read the comments, I read their posts, and their posts still motivate me. And about comments, recently I rarely comment on them.

Louise: Why do the posts motivate you? Kate: Cause I don’t have much opportunity to write something in English or to read something in English by friends, so when I read their posts I thought, yeah, I have to study more too.

Motivation through the Efforts of Friends and Family

Louise: What motivates you to use online tools by yourself now?

Marissa: Maybe the goals to my English skills and watch my friends keeping studying, so I must study, so I use online tool.

**About an app** Louise: What motivates you to keep using it, to continue using [a new app]?

Marissa: Sometimes I can listen the word that I studied from reading class or [another app] so when that time I feel very fun, or my father watch BBC news every morning. He is older than me but he is keeping studying so I must study.

When There’s No Personal Connection

Marsha: Facebook is better, but because it is on the Internet it’s not like I can actually see the person while they are

working hard, so it’s not really connected to my motivation either. In the end, there are posts from people I don't know, so I read them and think “Oh!” and sure, it

seems like they are working hard, but who are they? [So] you could say it’s not

really motivating.

When Peer and Teacher Support is Lacking

Louise: How about this year? Who is helping you now?Marsha: This year’s not really... others... there’s aren’t any, I think.Louise: So nobody is helping you. [Marsha: Nobody]. [Marsha laughs]. I see. So you said that you thought your teachers would be important [...]. Were they important in the last six months? Marsha: Not much, the teacher... it’s become more “free”, my freedom has increased and I’m not sure what to do. I should ask, but it’s a hassle. It’s important, but I don't do it. Louise: And that feeling of being “ 自自” , like free or independent, do you think that is a good thing or a bad thing for your English skills?Marsha: For those who would really like to study I think there is a good side to this freedom. For people like me who tend to wonder what to do, it gets harder to know what to do and [I/we] end up doing nothing.

Conclusion

Notes on Previously-Used Materials

My research project took place over a 16-month period. This presentation mainly draws on data that were collected in the final phase of the project. For contextualization, data from earlier parts of the project and images that were used in a presentation at JALTCALL in Japan in June 2015 have also been included. In this presentation, comparisons between questionnaires have been done with a reduced sample of 22 participants, which is the group of students who completed all three questionnaires.

Slides for both presentations are available at http://twcu.academia.edu/LouiseOhashi

Photo Credits: Pixabay.com ( )

Exploring the Long-term Impact of Incorporating Digital Technology into a

Foreign Language Course

Associate Professor, Tokyo Woman’s Christian UniversityPhD Candidate, Charles Sturt University

Louise Ohashi

For presentation slides and articleshttp://twcu.academia.edu/LouiseOhashi

Follow me on Twitter@Ohashiloulou

Email: [email protected]

(august 2015) exploring the long-term impact of incorporating digital technology into a foreign...

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