Building Language Learning Communities via Student-Driven Videoconferencing

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Building Language Learning Communities via
Student-Driven Videoconferencing Social Robotics

• Lance R. Askildson, PhDDirector, Center for the
  Study of Languages CulturesAssociate Professor
  of the Practice, Second Language
  AcquisitionUniversity of Notre Dame

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Presentation overview

• Theoretical and pedagogical impetus
• Selection criteria for student driven video
  conferencing solutions for language learning
• Two pilot projects design, participants, format
• Preliminary results and observations
• Technological and pedagogical limitations
• Future areas for inquiry and testing
• Some caveats as well
• Pilot study technical limitations preliminary
  results

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Theoretical pedagogical impetus Fundamental
Challenges

• Significant challenges to CLT in FL contexts
  (Lightbown 2001)
• Lack of authenticity to FL practice (Lightbown
  Spada, 2009)
• Lack of oral fluency practicepractical
  constraints
• Lack of pragmatic feedbackparticularly
  expressive
• Need to negotiate meaning with socio-cultural
  contexts (Gass Selinker, 2001 Lantolf, 2000)
• Overall lack of access to interactions with NSs
• Thus, lack of cultural content schema for
  interactions
• Oftentimes misplaced self-perceptions of
  proficiency until communicative breakdown occurs
• Study abroad is often seen as the remedy to these
  limitations of FL teaching
• However, study abroad is not feasible for
  everyone
• Technology can address many of these issues
  instead
• Freed (2007) cites quality of interactions as
  SA advantage

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Theoretical pedagogical impetus
Student-Driven Interaction Matters

• Student-driven interaction with native speakers
  is important for acquisitionit is, lest we
  forget, the intended outcome
• Opportunities for authentic foreign language
  interaction increases motivation and engagement
  via immediacy, integrativeness and
  instrumentality (Kern Warshauer, 2000 Dörnyei
  Schmidt, 2001 Ushida, 2005)
• The vast bulk of CMC chat research adds further
  support to this (See Abrams, 2008)
• Opportunities for negotiation of meaning to
  include pragmatic feedback (Lantolf, 2000 Freed,
  2004 Sykes, 2005)
• Opportunities to practice language with a focus
  on meaningwhich is often absent in structural FL
  classroom
• Opportunities for automaticity practice within
  authentic interactional constraints (Kormos,
  2006)
• Opportunities for Language Play before, during
  and after these interactionsrehearsal, online
  repetition/creative utterances, post-hoc
  repetitionaccording to both Lantolfs (1997
  2003) private speech and Cooks (2000)
  interactional models

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Two Distinct Approaches to Student-Driven
Interaction via Technology

• Internet Window Initiative Emphasizing new
  technology allowing for sustained high quality
  video-audio interactions in a largely
  unstructured and student-driven format
• Student-driven videoconferencing stressing video
  quality
• Social Robotics Initiative Emphasizing new
  technology allowing for mobile videoconferencing
  in an unstructured and entirely student-driven
  format
• Student-driven videoconferencing stressing free
  mobility

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Technology 1Vidyo technology for hd
browser-based videoconferencing

• High definition videoconferencing technology
• Requires only a single specialized video router
  in one location
• Accessible via a browser-based host
• Provides scalable coding that allows for improved
  video quality and lower latency
• No dedicated networks reliable transmission
  works with Internet2 Consortium
• Designed for professional corporate
  videoconferencing and ideal for extended use
• www.vidyo.com

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Promoting Student-Driven Interaction The Concept
of the Internet Window

• Internet Window as a high-quality constantly
  streaming two-way audio and video connection that
  allows for near real communicationas if speaking
  through an open window.
• In many ways, the technology and format of the
  internet window is a combination of 24-hr
  streaming webcams and tradition computer mediated
  videoconferencing
• Distinct from highly structured and planned
  instances of videoconferencing, the internet
  window allows for spontaneous and largely
  unstructured student-driven interactions

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Vidyo the Internet Window

• Vidyo allows for the creation of an internet
  window linking two student spaces nearly anywhere
  in the world
• The HD quality of the video-audio allows for
  significant psychological immediacy and
  facilitates communication and learning via clear
  transmission of linguistic articulation points,
  extralinguistic facial expression body language
  
• Particularly relevant for study abroad prep and
  reentryalso allows for concurrent feedback
• Simulates authentic interaction with NSs by
  allowing students on both sides of the camera to
  drive interaction for fluency practice

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Internet Window Pilot Study Development

• University of Notre DameCenter for the Study of
  Languages Cultures (CSLC)
• Internet Window placed in multimedia room in CSLC
  on 24 iMacopen to all students
• Project began as a part of larger initiative to
  augment opportunities for oral language practice
• Initially faculty-driven pedagogical need
  starting with Wimba that grew into a research
  initiative
• Tried structured 1-on-1 videoconferencing via
  Skype but sometimes poor quality/reliability
  frustrating
• Partnered with Notre Dame IT video team
• Examined Access Grid techs like Polycom Webex
  but chose Vidyo as best tech for point-point
  connect

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Pilot Study Participants Format

• Initially intended to partner with study abroad
  affiliate in France, but lack of appropriate
  student space and collaborators prevented this
• Instead, partnered with a university in Madrid
• Two ND Spanish classes (N34) were assigned to
  spend minimum of one hour each weekother
  students using the CSLC could also participate
• One Madrid-based EFL class (N15) was assigned to
  30 min per dayinternet window placed in student
  lounge area on 20 iMac
• Both internet window points were hosted in
  locations open to larger student public
• Internet Window was hosted by Internet2
  Consortium for trial purposes limited to 3 weeks

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Pilot Study Data Collection

• Participants directed to spend their allotted
  time in front of the window and interact as they
  chose
• This unstructured format was deliberately chosen
  in order to facilitate an ethnographic
  approachi.e. we didnt actually know what to
  expect
• Over three weeks, participants at both
  institutions kept weekly journals describing and
  reflecting on these interactions
• In addition, six observations of internet window
  interactions were conducted (only on the ND side)
  during the three week period
• At the end of the pilot study, participants were
  asked to respond to a brief questionnaire

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Pilot Study Journaling Results

• Using a qualitative data reduction and display
  protocol by Miles Huberman (1994), the
  following trends were identified in ND
  participant journals
• Participants loved the windowin fact, they are
  upset that we stopped it after three weeks
• Participants indicated that most of their
  interactional time was spent trying to understand
  cultural references or explaining their own
  references
• E.g. Dorm rivalry and football pep rallies
• Participants were surprised by the poor
  communicative competence they held comp-perf gap
• Participants felt that their oral language skills
  significantly improved several indicated that
  they had never spoken so much in Spanish

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JOURNAL RESULTS CONTINUED

• In a variety of ways, participants indicated
  their surprise at the complexity of forms of
  politeness, address (Tu-Usted), register, etc.
• Many participants wanted to talk about their
  interactions in class many came to their teacher
  with questions
• Many participants stayed in front of the window
  longer than they were required
• Many participants wanted to stay in touch with
  students that they met via the window some
  exchanged contact information

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Observational Data

• Participant interactions were observed six times
  over 3 weeks via an observational protocol. The
  following behavioral trends were noted
• Participants spent a significant amount of time
  negotiating meaning breakdowns in communication
  were common and Spanish interlocutors frequently
  resorted to English to clarify
• ND participants showed a willingness to
  code-switch when they did not know a word in
  order to maintain utterance fluency Spanish
  participants often stopped utterances to look-up
  words or request peer help
• Humor played an important role in all
  interactions extralinguistic signals and body
  language were extremely important in
  communicating functions and stages of speech
  acts, aiding interpretation

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OBSERVATIONAL DATA CONTINUED

• Although it was never explicitly required, all
  participants made significant efforts to speak at
  least 50 of the time in the target language
• Rather speaking in their respective target
  languagesas some faculty expectedparticipants
  took turns speaking entirely in English or
  Spanish
• The language type would usually continued until a
  breakdown in communication required a change
• Students clearly enjoyed their sessions several
  of them appeared to lose track of timea level of
  extreme engagement Vie (2007) calls flow and
  relates to ideal states of learning

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Pilot Study Survey Data

• Following the three week internet window pilot,
  students were asked to complete a brief
  questionnaire of Likert Open-ended questions
• The majority of responses provided additional
  confirmation of previously stated findings
• Showed communicative gap lack of pragmatic
  knowledge
• Promoted significant and effective oral language
  practice
• HD video format demonstrated significant
  immediacy
• Some students who had been involved with a
  written oral ePen-Pal project the semester
  prior mentioned how much better and real the
  internet window was
• More than half of participants indicated that
  they student-driven and unstructured format was
  significantly responsible for their high level of
  engagement

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SURVEY DATA CONTINUED

• Although most participants enjoyed the
  student-driven format of the project, many also
  expressed a want for the experiences to be
  incorporated into the classroom curriculum
• All students indicated that they enjoyed the
  experience and would repeat it 4.7 / 5

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Pilot Study Conclusions

• The internet window concept has significant
  potential as an engaging and near authentic form
  of oral language practice outside of class
• Interacting with native speakers in such a
  student-driven format raises awareness of
  communicative competences and sociolinguistic
  pragmatics
• Also shows gap between self-perceived fluency and
  actual communicative fluency
• Student-driven interactions provide ample
  opportunities for negotiation of meaningand thus
  consciousness-raisingin a meaningful context
• This promotes interlanguage development while
  also honing discourse strategiesboth linguistic
  extraling

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CONCLUSIONS CONTINUED

• The HD Video format appears to add immediacy and
  engagement to the interactions
• A large majority of participants used the word
  real or lifelike to describe what they liked
  about their sessions
• There was a clear disconnect between the internet
  window sessions and the classroom courseworkthis
  may be deeper than simple integration issues
• This issue requires significant study

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Pilot Study Limitations

• Very brief and select group of students
• Ethnographic approach limits interpretation and
  generalizability
• No measure of language gains beyond
  self-perception
• No connection to study abroad participants/outcome
  s
• No data was collected among informal participants
  (i.e. drop-ins) even though this happened with
  some frequency was encouraged
• A number of technical issues caused difficulties
  on the Spanish-side (primarily CPU usage) and
  disrupted several sessions Coordination also
  caused difficulty
• The cost of implementing a full scale project
  includes the Vidyo router ( 8k) and relatively
  new CPUs and videocards

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Technology 2 Social Robotics

• Rovio the Language Learning Robot
• A wifi conrolled robot equipped with a
  high-quality webcam and two-way mic and speaker
  system
• Rovio can be controlled/moved anywhere in the
  world via wifi
• Highly flexible movement and camera angle
• Can be used to communicate in a uniquely
  student-driven manner both literally and
  figuratively

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Pilot Study 2 Limited Testing

• Limited testing and scope due to novel technology
• Due to the technological novelties of Rovioand
  the need to have direct control over movement
  commands through the wifi systema number of IRB,
  infosec and technological hurdles have made this
  project difficult
• Intention to hold several weeks of unstructured
  testing between students in Anger, France and
  students in the CSLC was transformed into a
  single 2 hour session
• A brief proof of concept was conducted this
  summer
• An interlocutor in Anger, France successfully
  communicated with a French language student in
  the CSLC via Rovio
• Both image and sound quality were better than
  expected

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Rovio Proof of Concept Testing

• http//cslc.nd.edu/about/space/cslc-sandbox
• Microphone reverberation due to lack of headset
  use

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Rovio Pilot Test Format

• Two NS French students in Anger, France took
  turns controlling Rovio in the CSLC space
• 14 students from a 2nd year ND French class were
  invited to attend French conversation tables in
  the CSLC
• Students in the CSLC practiced speaking French
  with each otherdistributed around a number of
  language boothsand spoke with their French
  counterparts in Anger when Rovio moved to their
  tables
• Rovio was also moved into the hallway at one
  point and startled some students not involved
  with the study
• Data collection for this limited test included
  direct observation, a brief survey among
  participating ND students and a brief interview
  via Rovio with participating Anger students

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Rovio Pilot Test Observations

• Observations demonstrated a number of
  similarities to the Internet Window pilot
• Humor played an important role in all
  interactionssuffice it to say, many students
  needed several minutes to come to terms with a
  talking robot that spoke French to them
• Amazingly, students stayed in the target language
  at all times. There was some minor
  code-switching and a few cases of students
  stopping interactions to ask nearby students for
  unknown vocabulary
• Student affectafter the initial shock of the
  interactional formatwas extremely low and it was
  clear that everyone found the interactions both
  novel and enjoyable
• At several points, students needed to move down
  to the floor and speak directly into Rovio to be
  understood this is likely both a mic sensitivity
  AND comprehensibility issue

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Rovio Pilot Test Survey Results

• ND Student Surveys indicated a number of expected
  and surprising student perceptions
• All students indicated that this encounter was
  the first time they had ever spoken French with a
  native speaking peer
• A number of students indicated that they were
  uncomfortable at first because they could not see
  their interlocutor but she could see them
• Nearly all students indicated that the encounter
  was not simply novel and fun, but also a learning
  experience several students indicated that it
  helped them to better gauge their
  comprehensibility
• All but one student indicated that they would
  like to participate in such an encounter again
• All students indicated that they would like to be
  the one controlling such a device in
  Franceseveral asked when this might become
  available
• More than half of students selected Rovios
  mobility as the most important part of this new
  interactional technology

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Rovio Pilot Test Interview Results

• The French students had only a few things to add
  about their participation
• They both agreed that it was an extremely novel
  and enjoyable interaction
• They were both surprised that the ND students
  could understand them so well and that they could
  understand the ND students with little
  interference
• They both understood how it could be good
  practice for the ND studentsthough their own
  attempt to speak English with someone in the
  hallway did not succeed very well
• They had technological concerns about interacting
  while moving Rovio and the audio quality when
  students were far from the robot
• One of the students noted that Rovios ability to
  move around freely made the interaction far more
  real than a previous videoconferencing session
  with CSLC

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Rovio Pilot Test Conclusions

• The technology works as intended and allows for
  meaningful interaction with native speakers
• The affective and communicative benefits of Rovio
  are interesting but the ability to move about and
  initiate interactions in a manner similar to
  authentic communication is rather groundbreaking
• Although significantly more research is certainly
  needed in order to properly evaluate the
  usefulness of Rovio for foreign language
  learning, these initial findings are very
  promising

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Future Inquiries Both Studies

• Significantly more research is needed to evaluate
  both of these new technologies and their place
  within language teaching
• In particular, a task-based approach to such
  interactions should be investigatedwithout
  reducing the student-driven nature of these
  interactions
• Any evaluation of these technologies should
  demonstrate clear learning gains in light of the
  financial and resource costs involved

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THANK YOU FOR LISTENING

• Questions?
• Please email if you have questions, comments or
  would like a copy of this presentation
  Askildson.2_at_nd.edu