Incorporating Digital Multimodal Composing and MOOC Courses in L2 Speaking Classes: Learners’ Attitudes in Focus
Fahime Talakoob
1
(
)
Hossein Heidari Tabrizi
2
(
)
Sajad Shafiee
3
(
)
Keywords: Attitude, DMC, IELTS, MOOC, Speaking,
Abstract :
In recent decades, language educators have taken advantage of technological advancements in the language classroom, and L2 learners have voiced their interests, concerns, and preferences about those technological advancements. The current investigation was designed to find out the attitudes of Iranian intermediate IELTS candidates towards using digital multimodal composing (DMC) and massive online open courses (MOOC) in their speaking classes. To achieve this aim, a sample of 60 male and female EFL learners at the intermediate level were selected based on volunteer sampling procedures. Subsequently, the participants were assigned to the two conditions of DMC and MOOC. The two groups were exposed to the same instructional materials, with the difference being that in DMC, the learners had to produce videos during the course and post them on the Flip platform for their peers and teacher to review and comment. They then could use the feedback to make corrections/revisions; in the MOOC condition, the learners signed up for an IELTS course on futurelearn.com and received video presentations, pdf articles, and quizzes, and they were asked to leave comments or react to each other's' comments during the course. Each group received a researcher-made attitude questionnaire at the end of the course and expressed their opinions about the treatment they were exposed to. Not surprisingly, both groups welcomed the use of DMC and MOOC and had positive attitudes towards incorporating such techniques into speaking courses. Based on these findings, this study presents a discussion of certain pedagogical implications.
Alanazi, H., & Walker-Gleaves, C. (2019). Investigating student attitudes towards using Hybrid MOOCs in the higher education of Saudi Arabia. Literacy Information and Computer Education Journal (LICEJ), 10(1), 3140- 3146.
Alharbi, H. (2015). Improving students’ English speaking proficiency in Saudi public schools. International Journal of Instruction, 8(1), 105–116. https://doi.org/10.12973/iji.2015.818a
Alhazzani, N. (2020). MOOC’s impact on higher education. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 2(1), 100030. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2020.100030
Al-Kahtani, S., & Al-Haider, S. (2010). Factors affecting the use of CALL by EFL female faculty members in Saudi higher education: Current status. The JALT CALL Journal, 6(3), 153-170.
Anderson, T., & Dron, J. (2011). Three generations of distance education pedagogy. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 12(3), Retrieved 2 March, 2021, from, http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/890/1663
Baş, G. (2011). Effects of computer assisted language learning in English classes on students’ achievement levels and attitudes towards the lesson. E-International Journal of Educational Research, 2(1), 44-65.
Bing, W. (2017). The college English teaching reform based on MOOC. English Language Teaching, 10(2), 19-22.
Chacón-Beltrán, R. (2017). The role of MOOCs in the learning of languages: Lessons from a beginners’ English course. Porta Linguarum, 28, 23-35.
Chafkin, M. (2013, November 14). Udacity’s Sebastian Thrun, godfather of free online education, changes course. Tech Forecast. Retrieved from http://www. fastcompany.com/3021473/udacity-sebastian-thrunuphill-climb
Chaney, A. L., & Burk, T. L. (1998). Teaching oral communication in grades K-8. Allyn & Bacon.
Chang, K., Chen, I., & Sung, Y. (2002). The effect of concept mapping to enhance text comprehension and summarization. The Journal of Experimental Education, 71(1), 5–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220970209602054
Cripps, A. C. (2014). “It’s my challenge”: Exploring the MOOC terrain. In The 6th CLS international conference. Conference proceedings (pp. 89-102).
Dagmar, E. H. (2014). MOOCs motivation and communication in the cyber learning environment. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 131(5), 29-34.
Dhawal, S. (2013). MOOCs in 2013: Breaking down the numbers. Retrieved from https:// www.edsurge.com/n/2013-12-22-moocs-in-2013-breaking-down-the-numbers
Early, M., Kendrick, M., & Potts, D. (2015). Multimodality: Out from the margins of English language teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 49(3), 447-460.
Fang, J. W., Hwang, G. J., & Chang, C. Y. (2022). Advancement and the foci of investigation of MOOCs and open online courses for language learning: a review of journal publications from 2009 to 2018. Interactive Learning Environments, 30(7), 1351-1369. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2019.1703011
Florez, M. A. C. (1999). Improving adult English-language learners’ speaking skills. Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education.
Hafner, C.A. (2015). Remix culture and English language teaching: The expression of learner voice in digital multimodal compositions. TESOL Quarterly, 49(3), 486-509.
Hanfer, C.A. (2020). Digital multimodal composing: How to address multimodal communication forms in English language teaching. English Teaching, 75(3), 133-146.
Hanfer, C.A. & Ho, W.Y.J. (2020). Assessing digital multimodal composing in second language writing: Towards a process-based model. Journal of Second Language Writing. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2020.100710
Hani, N. A. B. (2014). Benefits and barriers of computer assisted language learning and teaching in the Arab world: Jordan as a model. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 4(8), 1609-1615. doi:10.4304/tpls.4.8.1609-1615
Hashemifardnia, A., Shafiee, S. Rahimi Esfahani, F., & Sepehri, M. (2021). Effects of massive online open course (MOOC) on Iranian EFL learners' speaking complexity, accuracy, and fluency. CALL-EJ, 22(1), 56-79.
Hew, K. F., & Cheung, W. S. (2014). Students’ and instructors’ use of massive open online courses (MOOCs): Motivations and challenges. Educational Research Review, 12, 45-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2014.05.001
Holcomb, L. B., King, F. B., & Brown, S. W. (2004). Student traits and attributes contributing to success in online courses: Evaluation of university online courses. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 2(3), 1-17.
Jiang, L. (2017). The affordances of digital multimodal composing for EFL learning. ELT Journal. DOI: 10.1093/elt/ccwo98
Jiang, L. (2018). Digital multimodal composing and investment change in learners' writing in English as a foreign language. Journal of Second Language Writing, 40, 60-72.
Jiang, L. & Luk, J. (2016). Multimodal composing as a learning activity in English classrooms: Inquiring into the sources of its motivational capacity. System, 59, 1-11.
Jiang, L. & Ren, W. (2020). Digital multimodal composing in L2 learning: Idiologies and impact. Journal of Language, Identity, & Education, DOI: 101080/15348458.2020.1753192
Jiang, L., Yang, M., & Yu, S. (2020). Chinese ethnic minority students’ investment in English learning empowered by digital multimodal composing. TESOL Quarterly, 54(4), 954-979.
Jordan, K. (2014). Initial trends in enrolment and completion of massive open online courses. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 15(1), 133-160. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v15i1.1651
Joseph, A. M., & Nath, B. A. (2013). Integration of massive open online education (MOOC) system with in-classroom interaction and assessment and accreditation: An extensive report from a pilot study. In Proceedings of the international conference on e-learning, e-business, enterprise information systems, and e-Government (EEE) (p. 105).
Khalid, F. (2017). Penggunaan Video berasaskan Pendekatan Pembelajaran Mikro dalam Massive Open Online Course (MOOC): Potensi dan Cabaran. In M. M. Awang et al. (Eds.), Prosiding Konvensyen Kebangsaan Sekolah Kluster
Kecemerlangan 2017 (pp. 245-252). Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia.
Kress, G. (2003). Literacy in the new media age. Routledge.
Kulik, E., & Kidimova, K. (2017). Integrating MOOCs in University Curriculum: HSE University Experience. In EMOOCs-WIP (pp. 118-127).
Li, G. (2017). A study on the blended-teaching mode combining MOOCs and flipping classroom in college English teaching. Advances in Computer Science Research (ACSR), 76, 1272-1278.
Liang, W.J., & Lim, F.V. (2020). A pedagogical framework for digital multimodal composing in the English language classroom. Innovations in Language Learning and Teaching.
Mackey, A. & Gass, S. (2005). Second language research: Methodology and design. Routledge.
Maghsoudi, N., Golshan, M., & Naeimi, A. (2022). Integrating Digital Multimodal Composition into EFL Writing Instruction. Journal of Language and Education, 8(1), 86-101.
McAuley, A., Stewart, B., Siemens, G., & Cormier, D. (2010). The MOOC model for digital practice. Retrieved May 1, 2021, from http://www.davecormier.com/edblog/wpcontent/ uploads/MOOC_Final.pdf
Mellati, M., & Khademi, M. (2018). MOOC-based educational program and interaction in distance education: long life mode of teaching. Interactive Learning Environments, 26(5), 1-14.
Mercer, N. (1995). The guided construction of knowledge: Talk amongst teachers and learners. Multilingual Matters.
Miller, S. & McVee, M. (2012). Multimodal composing in classrooms: Learning and teaching for the digital world. Routledge.
Mills, K. (2016). Literacy theories for the digital age: Social, critical, multimodal, spatial, material and sensory lenses. Multilingual Matters.
Nation, P. (2014). Developing Fluency. In T. Muller, J. Adamson, P.S. Brown, & S. Herder (Eds.) Exploring EFL fluency in Asia (pp. 11-25). Springer.
Navío-Marco, J., & Solórzano-García, M. (2019). Student’s social ereputation (“karma”) as motivational factor in MOOC learning. Interactive Learning Environments, 27(2), 1-15.
Phuong, B.H. (2018). Can using picture description in speaking sessions help improve students' coherence in speaking? European Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 3(3), 33-51. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejfl.v0i0.1794
Raymond, E. (2000). Learners with Mild Disabilities. Allyn & Bacon.
Roshchina, Y., Roshchin, S., & Rudakov, V. (2018). The demand for massive open online courses (MOOC): Evidence from Russian education. Voprosy obrazovaniya/Educational Studies Moscow, (1), 174-199. https://doi.org/10.17323/1814-9545-2018-1-174-199
Sahli, N., & Bouhass Benaissi, F. (2018). Integrating massive open online courses in teaching research and writing skills. International Journal of Social Sciences and Educational Studies, 5(2), 231-240.
Siemens, G. (2008). What is the unique idea in Connectivism? Retrieved May 1, 2021, from http://www.connectivism.ca/?p=116
Tamjidyamcholo, A., Gholipour, R., & Afshar Kazemi, M. (2020). Examining the perceived consequences and usage of MOOCs on learning effectiveness. Iranian Journal of Management Studies, 13(3), 495-5525.
Tan, J. & McWilliam, E. (2009). From literacy to multiliteracies: Diverse learners and pedagogical practice. Pedagogies: An International Journal, 4(3), 213–25.
Vahdat, S., & Eidipour, M. (2016). Adopting CALL to improve listening comprehension of Iranian junior high school students. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 6(8), 1609-1617. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0608.13
Ventura, P., & Martín-Monje, E. (2016). Learning specialized vocabulary through Facebook in a massive open online course. In A. Pareja-Lora, C. Calle-Martínez, & P. Rodríguez-Arancón (Eds), New perspectives on teaching and working with languages in the digital era (pp. 117-128). Research-publishing.net. http://dx.doi.org/10.14705/rpnet.2016.tislid2014.427
Xu, Y. (2023). Investigating the effects of digital multimodal composing on Chinese EFL learners’ writing performance: A quasi-experimental study. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 36(4), 785-805. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1945635
Zhang, Q., Liu, X., & Chen, Y. (2021, November). Enhancing EFL Learners’ English Speaking Performance Through Vlog-Based Digital Multimodal Composing Activities. In International Symposium on Emerging Technologies for Education (pp. 92-103). Springer, Cham.
Zhong, S.-H., Zhang, Q.-B., Li, Z.-P., & Liu, Y. (2016). Motivations and challenges in MOOCs with Eastern insights. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 6(12), 954–960. http://dx.doi.org/10.7763/ijiet.2016.v6.824
