Comparing six video chat tools: A critical evaluation by language teachers

Eröz-Tuğa, Betil; Sadler, Randall

doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2009.04.017

Cited by 24 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Video offers an environment closer to face‐to‐face interaction (Yamada, 2009) and has potential for enhancing the effectiveness of communicative language learning. Eröz‐Tuğa and Sadler (2009) and Smyth (2005) also report that students and instructors alike perceive the benefit of video discussion. In particular, the video feature is perceived to add authenticity and allow learners a better opportunity for imitating the facial movements necessary for correct pronunciation of English.…”

Section: Recommendations For Future Studiesmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…As with other emerging technologies, such as short message service (Cavus & Ibrahim, 2009), video chat (Eröz‐Tuğa & Sadler, 2009) and instant messaging (Junco & Cotton, 2011), VoIM is an emerging research field that can benefit from more rigorous empirical studies, which are designed in such a way as to accurately measure both academic and motivational outcomes. As Jarvis (2006) notes, “further research and discussion is clearly needed on how the changes in language, largely driven by CMC, can or should be incorporated into the ELT (English Language Teaching) curriculum.” Such research is essential as technological and instructional developments continue to be made in the area of mobile and ubiquitous learning, including the use of voice‐based (Wang, Shen, Novak & Pan, 2009) and text‐based (Cavus & Ibrahim, 2009) mobile learning platforms for English language learning.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Voice over instant messaging as a tool for enhancing the oral proficiency and motivation of English‐as‐a‐foreign‐language learners

Yang

Gamble

Tang

2011

Brit J Educational Tech

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The challenge of providing authentic experiences and interactions for fostering oral proficiency and motivation in foreign languages is an opportunity for innovation in educational technology and instructional design. Although several recent innovations have received the attention of scholars, empirical investigation and validation is often lacking, as is the case with voice over instant messaging (VoIM). The goal of this study was to empirically test the effectiveness of VoIM for enhancing students' oral English proficiency and learning motivation. Different types of online discussions were examined-unstructured, structured without the facilitation of English teaching assistants (ETAs) and structured with the facilitation of ETAs. A pre-test and post-test quasiexperimental design was employed to achieve this goal. The participants, 90 students enrolled in three sections of a freshman English course at a large university in Asia, participated in eight VoIM discussions in addition to their regular coursework. The results provide empirical support for the importance of structured discussions and the facilitation of ETAs in improving both oral English proficiency and learning motivation. These findings highlight the role of facilitation in VoIM discussions, and recommend prompt feedback, modelling and encouragement for fostering oral proficiency and learning motivation in foreign language classes. Based on the results of this study, recommendations for future research are provided. Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic • Authentic language experiences are crucial for fostering oral proficiency and motivation in English language learning. • Computer-mediated communication (CMC), in both synchronous and asynchronous forms, offer opportunities for learners to enhance their English reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in an environment that overcomes the limits of distance.• Social constructivism offers language educators many useful strategies for fostering language proficiency and student motivation, including peer collaboration, scaffolding of learning activities, and peer and instructor facilitation.What this paper adds• This paper examines a relatively new technology, Voice over Instant Messaging (VoIM), as an instructional tool for fostering oral proficiency (one of the most difficult areas of language acquisition) and student motivation (which is critical for all areas of language learning). • The data demonstrates that with the facilitation of English teaching assistants, structured online discussions were successful in fostering student oral proficiency and English learning motivation (as compared with structured online discussions with peer facilitation or unstructured online discussions), contributing to the growing body of literature on the use of technology to enhance English language learning. • The quasi-experimental design adopted for this research is particularly robust, especially in terms of the internal validity of the findings, providing clear and substantiated insights...

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Section: Recommendations For Future Studiesmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Voice over instant messaging as a tool for enhancing the oral proficiency and motivation of English‐as‐a‐foreign‐language learners

Yang

Gamble

Tang

2011

Brit J Educational Tech

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…It remains unclear whether and how these different tools facilitate CSCL in divergent ways. Understanding the affordances of each tool will help teachers to make informed decisions about which one(s) to use in their CSCL activities, rather than resorting to time‐consuming trial‐and‐error approaches (Eröz‐Tuğa & Sadler, ). Here, affordances are conceptualized as the functional properties of technological tools that can enable users to engage in certain kinds of learning or other desired behaviors (for a review, see Dalgarno & Lee, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A tale of two communication tools: Discussion‐forum and mobile instant‐messaging apps in collaborative learning

Sun

Lin²,

et al. 2017

Brit J Educational Tech

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Computer‐supported collaborative learning (CSCL) has shown considerable promise, but thus far the literature has tended to focus on individual technological tools, without due regard for how the choice of one such tool over another impacts CSCL, either in outline or in detail. The present study, therefore, directly compared the learning‐related uses of an online discussion forum against such use of a mobile instant‐messaging app by the same group of 78 upper‐division undergraduate pre‐service teachers in China. The participants were asked to use one of the two communication tools during the first of three learning activities, then to switch to the other during the second, and to choose their preferred tool for the third. Based on the results of content analysis, social‐network analysis and a survey of the students' attitudes, it was found that while both tools facilitated collaborative learning, they appeared to have different affordances. Specifically, using the online discussion forum resulted in more communication aimed at knowledge construction, while using the mobile instant‐messaging app resulted in more social interactions.

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“…Many researchers have highlighted the need for empirical research in the area of computer-mediated communication (CMC) focusing on specific teaching methodologies and techniques that are effective for e-learning. For example, Eroz-Tuga and Sadler (2009) expressed the need for research associated with video conferencing tools; Deutschmann, Panichi and Molka-Danielsen (2009), Hernández-Serrano, González-Sáanchez and Muñoz-Rodríguez (2009) and Warburton (2009) called for research relating to CMC, learning and the use of virtual worlds; and Jones and Plass (2002) identified the need for further research in this area relating to the development of listening comprehension. While Turner (2005) used the term “affordance” to discuss what an online tool can offer students for the purpose of learning, Chapelle (2001), Warschauer and Grimes (2007), Kessler (2010), Bueno Alastuey (2011), Chen and Brown (2011) and Jauregi, Canto, Graaff, Koenraad and Moonen (2011) have all expressed the importance of identifying the affordances of online tools as they may lead to the creation of teaching methodologies that effectively utilise these affordances.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facilitating second language learners’ listening comprehension with Second Life and Skype

Levak

Son

2016

ReCALL

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Learning how to comprehend while listening to a second language is often considered by learners to be a difficult process that can lead to anxiety when trying to communicate (Graham, 2006; Graham & Macaro, 2008). Computer-mediated communication (CMC) can be used to assist in increasing access to native speakers and opportunities to listen. This study investigates the effectiveness of the use of Second Life and Skype as part of facilitation techniques and the affordances of these online tools for developing listening comprehension. Participants in the study were learning either English or Croatian and were located in Sydney and Brisbane in Australia, Split in Croatia, and Mostar in Bosnia and Hercegovina. A mixed-methods approach was utilised incorporating pre-tests and post-tests (quantitative data) to gain information on the effectiveness of the techniques for developing listening comprehension and in-depth interviews (qualitative data) to gain the participants’ views on the perceived effectiveness of the techniques and the affordances of Second Life or Skype. The results of the study indicate that both techniques resulted in positive gains in the development of listening comprehension. Based on the analysis of the interview data, a more in-depth perspective on the affordances of each online tool was developed, which informed the creation of a new facilitation technique utilising both tools. The study demonstrates how online tools can be used to facilitate interaction between learners and illustrates the need for the selection of online tools for language learning to be based on pedagogy. It is recommended that the selection of tools should be carefully considered in alignment with task aims and the affordances of online tools.

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Comparing six video chat tools: A critical evaluation by language teachers

Cited by 24 publications

References 9 publications

Voice over instant messaging as a tool for enhancing the oral proficiency and motivation of English‐as‐a‐foreign‐language learners

Voice over instant messaging as a tool for enhancing the oral proficiency and motivation of English‐as‐a‐foreign‐language learners

A tale of two communication tools: Discussion‐forum and mobile instant‐messaging apps in collaborative learning

Facilitating second language learners’ listening comprehension with Second Life and Skype

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