Technology‐Mediated Tasks: Affordances Considered From the Learners’ Perspectives

Abstract

Within the field of instructed second language acquisition, there has been an increase in the amount of research reporting on task‐based language teaching (TBLT; Kim, ; Van den Branden, ). The pervasive use of technology has prompted researchers to examine the potential synergies between TBLT and technology‐mediated teaching (González‐Lloret & Ortega, ; Ziegler, ). The present study examines the perception of 20 learners of English as a second language toward the use of tasks across two modes: a traditional paper‐mediated (PM) information gap task and a technology‐mediated (TM) information gap task. For the PM task, learners used paper resources and worked individually to find information about three colleges, whereas for the technology‐mediated TM task learners turned to the computer to accomplish this procedure. Participants then completed a collaborative information exchange task. To measure their attitudes toward the tasks, the researchers had the learners answer questionnaires following the completion of each task, which included Likert‐type scale items and open‐ended questions. Findings suggest that a majority of the learners benefited from completing a TM information gap task; however, some minor concerns were raised by the learners. Pedagogical implications for a weak form of technology‐mediated TBLT are discussed.

CALL-Mediated task-based language teaching: A speaking project with online audience in Indonesia

“…Research on pedagogical implications has proposed the benefits of incorporating technology into traditional paper-and-pencil-based classrooms, but further studies are needed. Payant and Bright's (2017) findings also show that although most participants prefer the technology-mediated tasks, five participants articulated a preference for paper-mediated tasks. In fact, some participants reported very negative views toward using computers.…”

“…Their study compared students' perceptions of technologymediated TBLT and traditional paper-and-pencil tasks. Payant and Bright (2017) found that learners preferred the weak form of technology-mediated TBLT over the task and most saw benefits of doing the technology-based TBLT task, regardless of preference, including developing keyboarding performances and searching performances. Payant and Bright (2017) suggested that using a technology-mediated task and developing computerrelated performances may result in different language performances (i.e., skimming and scanning).…”

“…Payant and Bright (2017) found that learners preferred the weak form of technology-mediated TBLT over the task and most saw benefits of doing the technology-based TBLT task, regardless of preference, including developing keyboarding performances and searching performances. Payant and Bright (2017) suggested that using a technology-mediated task and developing computerrelated performances may result in different language performances (i.e., skimming and scanning). Research on pedagogical implications has proposed the benefits of incorporating technology into traditional paper-and-pencil-based classrooms, but further studies are needed.…”

“…Calls for a theoretically grounded, structured CALL approach and the development of TBLT and CALL studies push researchers to explore the synthesis of TBLT and CALL to advance the development of both fields (Baralt & Gómez, 2017). Payant and Bright (2017) elaborated that students' perceptions toward TBLT in technology-mediated contexts are still under-researched. Their study compared students' perceptions of technologymediated TBLT and traditional paper-and-pencil tasks.…”

Étude de la perception des apprenants de français langue étrangère concernant l’enseignement des langues basé sur les tâches

“…L'analyse des constats des apprenants suggère que parmi les différents types de tâches, celle-ci ne poussait pas assez les apprenants et qu'elle les encadrait trop. Dans une étude récente, nous avons examiné les synergies entre les tâches et la technologie (Payant et Bright, 2017). Dans cette étude, les apprenants devaient accomplir une tâche de type échange d'informations.…”