Resource centres and self-study: issues in computer assisted language learning (CALL)

1
Resource centres and self-study issues in
computer assisted language learning (CALL)

• The 4th Education in a Changing Environment
  Conference
• 12th-14th September 2007
• Huw Jarvis, School of Languages, University of
  Salford

2
Key questions

• Which CBMs do non-native speakers (NNS) of the
  English language make use of in a RC and
  elsewhere and why?
• To what extent do students consider CBMs as
  helping with their language studies?
• Where access is available in a range of
  locations, where do students choose to work and
  what might the implications of this be for
  Resource Centres (RC)?
• What might the answers to these questions imply
  for our understanding of computer-assisted
  language learning (CALL)?

3
These questions arise against a background of

• My observations of students working on computers
  at HEIs
• An expectation that
• HIE students access various types of CBMs beyond
  the classroom in libraries, at home, in internet
  cafes and in Resource Centres (RCs) where
  Computer-based materials (CBMs) now dominate
• such materials are, at times at least, being used
  for self-study purposes. This is now has a
  defining characteristics of learning at an HIE
• E.g. A 15 credit module at M level will typically
  involve 150 hours of study but as little as 24
  hours of this time is face-to-face
• An emerging research tradition within CALL

4
The field of Computer assisted language learning
(CALL)

• learners learning language in any context
  with, through, and around computer technologies.
  Egbert (20054). CBMs are language specific as
  well as more generic Information Technology (IT)
  programmes. Jarvis (2004116)
• Traditionally CBMs can be divided according two
  functions (Taylor, 1980 Levy 1997) which
  (sometimes) overlap
• Tool-based CBMs are increasingly important for
  all HEI students, ICT use, in terms of email,
  word-processing, Power Point, and the Web, has
  become standard as part of the teaching and
  learning process Collins and Wende (2002 7)
• Tutorial-based CBMs allow students to practise
  language and receive feedback on whether their
  answers are right or wrong
• More recently a third medium function has been
  added - this corresponds to a sociocognitive
  phase of CALL (Warschauer and Kern, 2000)

5
Methodology and the participants

• The study employs both quantative and qualitative
  techniques
• Participants were international students in the
  School of Languages at Salford they were on one
  of several English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
  programmes and studying at a variety of levels
• broad geographical spread
• 68 students returned questionnaires and 6 were
  interviewed
• Students were asked to indicate the how often and
  for how long they used the RC, which specific
  CBMs were used in the RC and elsewhere AND the
  extent to which they helped with language
  learning. A mix of tool, tutorial and
  medium-based materials were included

6
Which CBMs do non-native speakers (NNS) of the
English language make use of in a RC and
elsewhere and why?

• Informed, frequent users who block time and
  prefer CBMs over other materials
• 89.6 were shown round the RC and 82.1 were
  specifically shown the CBMs
• 48.5 4 to 5 times per week and 55.6 two to
  three times per week
• 42.6 usually spend 1 to 2 hours, 16.2 more than
  two hours, 14.7 half an hour to one hour, 25
  replied with it depends, only 1.5 reported
  less than half an hour
• 100 reported usually using CBMs compared to
  35 TV and Video, 38.2 Books and Worksheets,
  23.5 Audio cassettes and 7 Other materials

7
Which CBMs do non-native speakers (NNS) of the
English language make use of in an RC and why?

• The most widely used CBMs are also perceived as
  helping with language learning but although
  Tutorial CALL is appreciated ,the tool (e.g.
  word-processing) and medium (e.g. email)
  functions are sometimes equally valued for
  language learning

CBMs Used Every, Most or Some visits to the LCC () Helps A lot or To some extent with language learning ()
On-line dictionaries 70.1 75
Email to contact tutors and/or classmates 70.1 53.2
Live chats with friends and /or family 40.3 34.4
Live chats with tutors and /or classmates 25.4 37.7
The WWW to access sites with exercises to practise language 86.8 82
The WWW to access personal information 76.1 50
The word processor to write assignments 82.9 74.6
Power Point to work on presentations 38.8 44.3
Excel to present and collate data 36.9 31
8
Which CBMs do non-native speakers (NNS) of the
English language make use of elsewhere and why?

• CBMs which are used inside the RC and are viewed
  as helping with language learning are also used
  outside the RC
• Students tend to use synchronous CMC outside the
  RC for social networking purposes

9
Where access is available in a range of
locations, where do students choose to work ...?

• Many students would seem to view the RC as the
  ideal environment for language learning in
  self-study contexts, irrespective of a tutorial
  function. Students were asked where the
  preferred to work when using CBMs
• Student 1 replied the LRC because the only
  thing in my brain is to study. But when I am not
  in the university, I will always remember playing
  games, or looking movies in the LRC, I think,
  the main, the main point I use computer is to
  study.
• Student 5 says But you know in a room, living
  room, the more leisure times we should, should
  spend, maybe we will use computer to listen ,
  listen music. Play games and alsoalso do some
  chat with all my friends.
• Student 3 was particularly emphatic about the
  value of the RC in helping him to focus I
  cant work for my own course, I need support in a
  sense. I need supportits no easy for me to work
  from home.

10
. and what might the implications of this be
for RCs?

• In an anywhere, anytime era of on-line access and
  communication of information, such comments
  remind us that despite all that the virtual world
  has to offer, it is the physical location which
  remains vitally important in helping students to
  focus on learning activities
• The study concludes that the point at which the
  physical world meets the virtual world appears to
  be highly significant in self-study contexts
• Further work night look at what physical
  conditions allow for efficient, effective and
  appropriate on-line study

11
What might the answers to these questions imply
for our understanding of CALL?

• The tutor\tool distinction does not appear to be
  recognized by learners and in an emerging era of
  the normalization of CALL Bax (2003) these
  notions may now be dated
• and yet CALL the medium has yet to fully come
  of age it may be that the onus is on
  practitioners to be more pro-active in this
  respect. E.g. through on-line live tutorials
• In a WWW-dominated age NNS learners seem to
  recognize the significance of English as a lingua
  franca in an academic environment for accessing
  information - one of the challenges is to equip
  them to make efficient, effective and
  appropriately use of this
• There has been some research in this area
  (Helms-Park and Stapleton, 2006 Jarvis, 2001
  Slaouti, 2002) but further work is needed

12
Resource centres and self-study issues in
computer assisted language learning (CALL)

• The 4th Education in a Changing Environment
  Conference
• 12th to 14th September 2007
• Huw Jarvis, School of Languages, University of
  Salford