The use of Blackboard Collaborate in an online Chinese class

Sijia (Angeline) Guo

Department of International Studies

The purpose of this action research study

• To investigate the implementation of a task-based language teaching (TBLT) approach in a web conferencing-based online beginners’ Chinese class and its influence on learners’ SLA

Figure 1. A screenshot of Blackboard Collaborate online session (Guo, 2013)

Background of the research

Multimodal interaction and language learning• How participants use different modes to make meaning

and facilitate collaborative learning has become the focus of research interest (Hampel & Stickler, 2012; Stickler & Shi, 2013)

• Stockwell (2010) argues, “[t]here is a need, then, to investigate how task-based learning (TBL) may be conducted in [multimodal] environments, and how the medium has the potential to affect the way in which learners interact, the language they produce and the strategies they use”

Sociocultural theories and TBLT

• The implications of sociocultural theories for task-based learning are:

1. Task itself does not contribute to creating the context of learning, but how the participants do the tasks.

2. Learning occurs in rather than as a result of interaction.

（ Ellis, 2003)

Use of TBLT in synchronous CMC (SCMC)

A number of studies have shown that SCMC has great potential in

• facilitating learner-learner interaction • increasing equality of participation • enhancing language output • contributing to negotiation of meaning

Research Question

• How do the teacher and learners adopt multiple modes to make meaning in a web conferencing environment?

Participants ： 8 BA students of CHN104 Introductory Chinese 1 ， 2013 participated in this study

Task design and procedure:

Followed Wills’s (1996a, 1996b, 1998) and Ellis’s (2003) TBL framework, also took into account Hampel’s (2006) task design framework in audio-conferencing environment

An excerpt of the multimodal transcription

Research Methodology: Mixed methods

• Quantitative methods:

Post session questionnaire

Multimodal interaction analysis (speaking & video dominance, use of text chat and feedback tools, such as emoticons, raise up hand and polling)

• Qualitative methods:

Discourse analysis;

In-depth interviews

Findings

Multimodal interactions (teacher-learners)• Speaking dominance

68%

11%

2%1%

3%1%

10% 3% 2%

Speech dominance in the first session

Tut St 1 St 2 St 3 St 4 St 5 St 6 St 7 St 8

72%

5%

3%5%

3%2%

4%

3% 2%

Speech dominance in the second session

Tut St 1 St 2 St 3 St 4St 5 St 6 St 7 St 8

Video dominance

Tut St 3 St 60

20

40 37

7 8

Video dominance in the first session

Video dom-inance

Tut St 3 St 5 St 60

1020304050

38.5

2.5

20 24.5

Video dominance in the second session

Video dom-inance

Use of text chat  Chinese (Character

and Pinyin)English

Tut 7 7

St 1 0 11

St 5 0 2

St 7 0 7

Table 1. Use of text chat in the first session

Table 2. Use of text chat in the second session

  Chinese English

Tut 20 15

St 2 0 6

Use of Emoticons, Raise-up hand and Voting

Tut St 1

St 2

St 3

St 4

St 5

St 6

St 7

St 8

Emoticons

8 5 0 2 1 1 3 0 2

Raise up hand

3 5 0 0 0 1 0 1 1

Voting

0 3 2 1 3 0 5 2 2

0.5

3.5

6.5

Use of Emoticons, Raise-up hand and Voting in the first online session

freq

uen

cy

Tut St 1 St 2 St 3 St 4 St 5 St 6 St 7 St 8

Emoticons

3 1 1 2 1 2 2 4 1

Raise up hand

5 5 2 5 2 2 4 5 3

Voting

1 2 2 2 1 0 2 3 2

0.251.753.254.75

Use of Emoticons, Raise-up hand and Voting in the second online

session freq

uen

cy

Analysis of questionnaires

AudioWhiteboard

Feedback menu Text chat

Video

-0.75 -0.25 0.25 0.75 1.25 1.75 2.25

Audio White-board

Feedback menu

Text chat Video

find useful 1.9 1.4 1.1 1.1 -0.6

like 2 1.8 1.1 0.7 -0.5

Average Rating

Participants rating of Blackboard Collaborate features in the two online sessions

Analysis of interviews

• St 2: I think the most helpful thing would be the audio because as you speak, that's the fastest way I guess.

• St 5: I like the idea of the whiteboard. We’ll meet in our groups and we’re all sharing it. We’re all on the same kind of page. It’s a lot easier to collaborate.

• St 2: I think it's pretty helpful, mainly because I'm able to discuss with other people and be able to speak. ….I think it's more useful that way…group's better.

Conclusion

• The web conferencing environment provides a wide range of channels, which can simultaneously reinforce each. It shows great potential in creating an online collaborative learning environment to foster their listening and speaking skills, especially for distance learners to bridge geographical barriers (c.f. Blake, 2005; Wang, 2008).

Limitation and Future research

• A small cohort over limited time• In the second semester 2013 (August to

November) five online tutorials were conducted based on the findings and feedback of the current research.

• Comparison of distance learners and on campus learners.

• Training for learners and teachers

Thanks our Faculty Partnership Program (FPP) team

• Sijia Guo, • Natalie Spence,

• Dr Helena Sit, • Dr Ming Ming

Diao, • Cathy Mewes,

• Tom Kerr

谢谢你们！

Thank you!

Email: sijia.guo@mq.edu.au

Reference• Blake. (2005). Bimodal CMC: The Glue of Language Learning at a Distance. CALICO

Journal, 22(3), 497-511. doi: citeulike-article-id:1772067• Ellis, R. (2003). Task-based Language Learning and Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University

Press.• Gass, S., & Mackey, A. (2006). Input, Interaction and Output: An Overview. AILA Review,

19, 3-17• Guo, S. (2013). Applying Web-conferencing in a Beginners’ Chinese Class. Paper

presented at the Electric Dreams, Proceedings ascilite 2013, Sydney.• Hampel, R. (2006). Rethinking task design for the digital age: A framework for language

teaching and learning in a synchronous online environment. ReCALL, 18, 105-121. • Hampel, R., & Stickler, U. (2012). The use of videoconferencing to support multimodal

interaction in an online language classroom. ReCALL, 24(02), 116-137.• Stickler, U., & Shi, L. (2013). Supporting Chinese speaking skills online. System, 1-20. • Stockwell, G. (2010). Effect of Multimodality in CMC Tasks. In M. Thomas & H. Reinders

(Eds.), Task-based language learning and Teaching with Technology: Bloomsbury Academic.

• Varonis, E., & Gass, S. (1985). Non-native/non-native conversations: A model for the negotiation of meaning. Applied Linguistics, 6, 71-90.

• Wang, Y. (2004). Supporting synchronous distance language learning with desktop videoconferencing. Language Learning & Technology, 8(3), 90-121.

• Willis, J. (1996a). A flexible framework for task-based learning. In J. Willis & D. Willis (Eds.), Challenge and Change in Language Teaching (pp. 52-62). Oxford: Heinemann.

• Willis, J. (1996b). A framework for task-based learning. Harlow: Addison Wesley Longman.• Willis, J. (1998). Task-based learning? What kind of adventure