Large enrollment online courses (over 40 students) are becoming increasingly common due to the pr... more Large enrollment online courses (over 40 students) are becoming increasingly common due to the profits they can offer institutions. Little research, however, has been conducted into faculty experiences in these contexts. This qualitative study fills this need and explores the experiences, challenges, and strategies of faculty, specifically in courses that have traditionally required interaction between students and teachers. Participants were professors and administrators (N = 13) of Chinese, English, Japanese, and Spanish teaching in a South Korean cyber university. Data included an online survey, interviews, and document analysis. Participants reported feeling slightly more-favorable than less-favorable about their experiences teaching and their students' experiences learning in these courses. ACTFL's (2010) guidelines for language courses were reexamined considering the current technology and budgetary environment, with findings ultimately leading to the Framework for Developing and Teaching Large Online Language Courses. We offer an expansion of the ACTFL criteria of meaningful interaction, documenting the role that interaction between student and rich media content has to offer. This study also highlights the degree to which these large online courses rely on students arriving with their own self-directed learning strategies, underlining concerns related to equity in education.
This in-house inquiry explores the response practices of a group of L2 writing teachers in our sp... more This in-house inquiry explores the response practices of a group of L2 writing teachers in our specific program to gain a better understanding of these teachers’ feedback practices and to bring about purposeful change within our local context. Data consists of 4,313 electronic feedback (e-feedback) items given by six writing teachers to 36 L2 students on six writing tasks in a first-year writing course for international students. Using Ene and Upton’s (2014) e-feedback framework, each feedback instance was coded for feedback target, directness, explicitness, charge, and location. Although some variations exist, results show that these teachers overwhelmingly focused on form across writing tasks. Findings also show that the e-feedback was primarily corrective, direct, explicit, and within-text. Following a discussion of our programmatic response to this internal investigation, we conclude by arguing that programs can establish philosophies of response grounded in their specific conte...
Review by Dawn Bikowski, Ohio University Online cultural exchanges are becoming increasingly popu... more Review by Dawn Bikowski, Ohio University Online cultural exchanges are becoming increasingly popular as technologies allow for more interaction, negotiation of meaning, and authentic communication with native speakers of a target language. Goals of these projects generally move beyond learning linguistic components of a language to developing students’ intercultural communicative competence (Byram, 1997), often called intercultural competence (IC) as well. Networked technologies are seen as a primary means of accomplishing these goals, particularly as they allow learners to engage in projects with native speakers. Yet, more understanding about these online exchanges is needed, particularly regarding intercultural competence. Even three years after the publication of this collection, Dervin (2010) notes that in most language departments, intercultural competence is still often not understood by teachers or learners and is not being sufficiently developed in curricula. The need for in...
This study investigated the effect of repeated in-class web-based collaborative writing tasks on ... more This study investigated the effect of repeated in-class web-based collaborative writing tasks on second language writers’ (L2) individual writing scores. A pre-test post-test research model was used in addition to participant surveys, class observations, and teacher interviews. Participants included 59 L2 writers in a writing class at a large U.S. university. The 32 participants in the experimental group engaged in four in-class web-based collaborative writing tasks, while the 27 participants in the control group engaged in the same four in-class web-based writing tasks but individually. A paired samples t-test revealed that both groups experienced statistically significant gains from their pre- to posttest scores. An independent sample t-test of pre- to post-test gains revealed that the participants in the collaborative web-based writing group experienced statistically significant writing gains in their individual writing over the participants in the individual web-based writing gr...
Page 1. THE DISCOURSE OF RELATIONSHIP BUILDING IN AN INTERCULTURAL VIRTUAL LEARNING COMMUNITY A d... more Page 1. THE DISCOURSE OF RELATIONSHIP BUILDING IN AN INTERCULTURAL VIRTUAL LEARNING COMMUNITY A dissertation presented to the faculty of the College of Education of Ohio University In partial fulfillment ...
This exploratory study contributes to the field of plagiarism studies by exploring the potential ... more This exploratory study contributes to the field of plagiarism studies by exploring the potential role of culture and educational context on how students understand and interpret source use practices. Participants were first language Chinese university students, one group studying in China (N=100) and another in the US (N=72). Data consisted of participants’ written descriptions in Chinese of five source use practices with varying levels of acceptability (e.g., unattributed copying, a cited paraphrase), thereby placing the concept of plagiarism within the larger framework of overall source use. Five screen capture videos of a fictional student writing a paper and using an online source represented different source use practices. A focus group was also used to explore participants’ understandings of Chinese term(s) that have many meanings in English. Quantitative and qualitative analyses reveal the China- and US-based students describe the source use practices differently. Differences were found in their use of polysemous Chinese words (e.g., yǐnyòng引用) that require several English words for translation, and in the frequency of words indicating plagiarism (抄袭 chāoxí and 剽窃 piáoqìe). Participants’ usage of first language terms related to plagiarism varied with exposure to a different culture and educational context, with participants in the US being more likely to refer to stigmatized practices (e.g., unattributed copying) with value-laden negative terms than were China-based participants. These differences in their usage of their first language illustrate the development of their awareness of academic expectations in the Anglo-American context. Pedagogical implications are discussed.
This in-house inquiry explores the response practices of a group of L2 writing teachers in our sp... more This in-house inquiry explores the response practices of a group of L2 writing teachers in our specific program to gain a better understanding of these teachers' feedback practices and to bring about purposeful change within our local context. Data consist of 4,313 electronic feedback (e-feedback) items given by six writing teachers to 36 L2 students on six writing tasks in a first-year writing course for international students. Using Ene and Upton's (2014) e-feedback framework, each feedback instance was coded for feedback target, directness, explicitness, charge, and location. Although some variations exist, results show that these teachers overwhelmingly focused on form across writing tasks. Findings also show that the e-feedback was primarily corrective, direct, explicit, and within-text. Following a discussion of our programmatic response to this internal investigation, we conclude by arguing that programs can establish philosophies of response grounded in their specific context based on examination of local practices.
This mixed-methods study explored non-native English speaking students' learning processes and en... more This mixed-methods study explored non-native English speaking students' learning processes and engagement as they used a customized interactive digital textbook housed on a mobile device. Think aloud protocols, surveys of anticipated and actual engagement with the digital textbook, reflective journals, and member checking constituted data collection. Participants included 13 students in a large U.S. university Business English class. This study responds to the call for further research on how interacting with digital textbooks and mobile devices may affect student reading behaviors and the learning process, using the cultures-of-use conceptual framework by Thorne (2003) as a lens for analysis. Results of a paired Wilcoxon signed-rank test found that participants entered the course with high expectations for the digital textbook and ratings remained high over the term, with only one area showing a significant decrease in engagement. Analysis of think aloud protocol and reflective journal data resulted in the creation of the Framework for Learning with Digital Resources. This framework of learning processes and strategies can be used by materials designers in creating digital textbooks and resources and by educators in supporting students as they move from using digital devices mainly for personal use to utilizing them effectively in their learning.
Large enrollment online courses (over 40 students) are becoming increasingly common due to the pr... more Large enrollment online courses (over 40 students) are becoming increasingly common due to the profits they can offer institutions. Little research, however, has been conducted into faculty experiences in these contexts. This qualitative study fills this need and explores the experiences, challenges, and strategies of faculty, specifically in courses that have traditionally required interaction between students and teachers. Participants were professors and administrators (N = 13) of Chinese, English, Japanese, and Spanish teaching in a South Korean cyber university. Data included an online survey, interviews, and document analysis. Participants reported feeling slightly more-favorable than less-favorable about their experiences teaching and their students' experiences learning in these courses. ACTFL's (2010) guidelines for language courses were reexamined considering the current technology and budgetary environment, with findings ultimately leading to the Framework for Developing and Teaching Large Online Language Courses. We offer an expansion of the ACTFL criteria of meaningful interaction, documenting the role that interaction between student and rich media content has to offer. This study also highlights the degree to which these large online courses rely on students arriving with their own self-directed learning strategies, underlining concerns related to equity in education.
This in-house inquiry explores the response practices of a group of L2 writing teachers in our sp... more This in-house inquiry explores the response practices of a group of L2 writing teachers in our specific program to gain a better understanding of these teachers’ feedback practices and to bring about purposeful change within our local context. Data consists of 4,313 electronic feedback (e-feedback) items given by six writing teachers to 36 L2 students on six writing tasks in a first-year writing course for international students. Using Ene and Upton’s (2014) e-feedback framework, each feedback instance was coded for feedback target, directness, explicitness, charge, and location. Although some variations exist, results show that these teachers overwhelmingly focused on form across writing tasks. Findings also show that the e-feedback was primarily corrective, direct, explicit, and within-text. Following a discussion of our programmatic response to this internal investigation, we conclude by arguing that programs can establish philosophies of response grounded in their specific conte...
Review by Dawn Bikowski, Ohio University Online cultural exchanges are becoming increasingly popu... more Review by Dawn Bikowski, Ohio University Online cultural exchanges are becoming increasingly popular as technologies allow for more interaction, negotiation of meaning, and authentic communication with native speakers of a target language. Goals of these projects generally move beyond learning linguistic components of a language to developing students’ intercultural communicative competence (Byram, 1997), often called intercultural competence (IC) as well. Networked technologies are seen as a primary means of accomplishing these goals, particularly as they allow learners to engage in projects with native speakers. Yet, more understanding about these online exchanges is needed, particularly regarding intercultural competence. Even three years after the publication of this collection, Dervin (2010) notes that in most language departments, intercultural competence is still often not understood by teachers or learners and is not being sufficiently developed in curricula. The need for in...
This study investigated the effect of repeated in-class web-based collaborative writing tasks on ... more This study investigated the effect of repeated in-class web-based collaborative writing tasks on second language writers’ (L2) individual writing scores. A pre-test post-test research model was used in addition to participant surveys, class observations, and teacher interviews. Participants included 59 L2 writers in a writing class at a large U.S. university. The 32 participants in the experimental group engaged in four in-class web-based collaborative writing tasks, while the 27 participants in the control group engaged in the same four in-class web-based writing tasks but individually. A paired samples t-test revealed that both groups experienced statistically significant gains from their pre- to posttest scores. An independent sample t-test of pre- to post-test gains revealed that the participants in the collaborative web-based writing group experienced statistically significant writing gains in their individual writing over the participants in the individual web-based writing gr...
Page 1. THE DISCOURSE OF RELATIONSHIP BUILDING IN AN INTERCULTURAL VIRTUAL LEARNING COMMUNITY A d... more Page 1. THE DISCOURSE OF RELATIONSHIP BUILDING IN AN INTERCULTURAL VIRTUAL LEARNING COMMUNITY A dissertation presented to the faculty of the College of Education of Ohio University In partial fulfillment ...
This exploratory study contributes to the field of plagiarism studies by exploring the potential ... more This exploratory study contributes to the field of plagiarism studies by exploring the potential role of culture and educational context on how students understand and interpret source use practices. Participants were first language Chinese university students, one group studying in China (N=100) and another in the US (N=72). Data consisted of participants’ written descriptions in Chinese of five source use practices with varying levels of acceptability (e.g., unattributed copying, a cited paraphrase), thereby placing the concept of plagiarism within the larger framework of overall source use. Five screen capture videos of a fictional student writing a paper and using an online source represented different source use practices. A focus group was also used to explore participants’ understandings of Chinese term(s) that have many meanings in English. Quantitative and qualitative analyses reveal the China- and US-based students describe the source use practices differently. Differences were found in their use of polysemous Chinese words (e.g., yǐnyòng引用) that require several English words for translation, and in the frequency of words indicating plagiarism (抄袭 chāoxí and 剽窃 piáoqìe). Participants’ usage of first language terms related to plagiarism varied with exposure to a different culture and educational context, with participants in the US being more likely to refer to stigmatized practices (e.g., unattributed copying) with value-laden negative terms than were China-based participants. These differences in their usage of their first language illustrate the development of their awareness of academic expectations in the Anglo-American context. Pedagogical implications are discussed.
This in-house inquiry explores the response practices of a group of L2 writing teachers in our sp... more This in-house inquiry explores the response practices of a group of L2 writing teachers in our specific program to gain a better understanding of these teachers' feedback practices and to bring about purposeful change within our local context. Data consist of 4,313 electronic feedback (e-feedback) items given by six writing teachers to 36 L2 students on six writing tasks in a first-year writing course for international students. Using Ene and Upton's (2014) e-feedback framework, each feedback instance was coded for feedback target, directness, explicitness, charge, and location. Although some variations exist, results show that these teachers overwhelmingly focused on form across writing tasks. Findings also show that the e-feedback was primarily corrective, direct, explicit, and within-text. Following a discussion of our programmatic response to this internal investigation, we conclude by arguing that programs can establish philosophies of response grounded in their specific context based on examination of local practices.
This mixed-methods study explored non-native English speaking students' learning processes and en... more This mixed-methods study explored non-native English speaking students' learning processes and engagement as they used a customized interactive digital textbook housed on a mobile device. Think aloud protocols, surveys of anticipated and actual engagement with the digital textbook, reflective journals, and member checking constituted data collection. Participants included 13 students in a large U.S. university Business English class. This study responds to the call for further research on how interacting with digital textbooks and mobile devices may affect student reading behaviors and the learning process, using the cultures-of-use conceptual framework by Thorne (2003) as a lens for analysis. Results of a paired Wilcoxon signed-rank test found that participants entered the course with high expectations for the digital textbook and ratings remained high over the term, with only one area showing a significant decrease in engagement. Analysis of think aloud protocol and reflective journal data resulted in the creation of the Framework for Learning with Digital Resources. This framework of learning processes and strategies can be used by materials designers in creating digital textbooks and resources and by educators in supporting students as they move from using digital devices mainly for personal use to utilizing them effectively in their learning.
This important book answers the growing call for US institutions to internationalize, create glob... more This important book answers the growing call for US institutions to internationalize, create global citizens, and better serve diverse populations. Faculty are increasingly tasked with simultaneously encouraging a more inclusive worldview, facilitating classroom environments that harness the potential of students, and advising students who may need an array of university services or speak English as an additional language. Teaching with a Global Perspective is an accessible, hands-on tool for faculty and instructors seeking to facilitate global classroom environments and to offer diverse students the academic, language, and interpersonal support needed for success. Rich with practical features including Classroom Strategies, Assessments, Case studies, Discussion Questions, and suggestions for further reading in bibliographies, chapters address:
• developing a working understanding of global learning and inclusivity; identifying opportunities and barriers to helping students grow as global citizens; • building confidence in teaching with a global perspective; • facilitating courses and in-class participation that promote global and inclusive learning and communication between diverse populations; • designing curricula, courses, assignments, and assessments that foster global and inclusive learning and support students with varied needs; and • providing facilitative responses to students’ academic work.
Teaching with a Global Perspective bridges an important divide in discussions about globalizing curricula by developing readers’ content knowledge while also helping them to develop more effective global communication strategies.
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• developing a working understanding of global learning and inclusivity;
identifying opportunities and barriers to helping students grow as global citizens;
• building confidence in teaching with a global perspective;
• facilitating courses and in-class participation that promote global and inclusive learning and communication between diverse populations;
• designing curricula, courses, assignments, and assessments that foster global and inclusive learning and support students with varied needs; and
• providing facilitative responses to students’ academic work.
Teaching with a Global Perspective bridges an important divide in discussions about globalizing curricula by developing readers’ content knowledge while also helping them to develop more effective global communication strategies.